Auberge du Bon Laboureur
What to order: the €72 Découverte menu, with three seasonal courses, or the €58 Végétal
Thursday to Monday, lunch and dinner; closed Tuesday and Wednesday
geocalia
Day itinerary · 47.40° N · 0.98° E
Chenonceau and Amboise in a day, TGV to Tours, the château over the river and the royal terrace over the Loire.
TGV to Tours and TER to Chenonceaux, the château over the Cher first thing, a gourmet lunch at the foot of the château and the afternoon at the royal château of Amboise, where Leonardo is buried.
Leaving from
Direct flight to París fromAsturias 1 h 45Barcelona 1 h 45Bilbao 1 h 45Santander 1 h 45Madrid 2 hPalma de Mallorca 2 hSantiago de Compostela 2 hValencia 2 hAlicante 2 h 15Ibiza 2 h 15
Part of Loire Valley
Add to my trip
Total time12 h
By car2 h 45 each way
From ParisTGV 1 h + TER 25 min
ChâteauxChenonceau and Amboise
DifficultyEasy
Cost€120–160 pp without the train
LunchThursday to Monday
BookingLunch and taxi
The plan
The day at a glance
Any part can be swapped for another without spoiling the day.
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Leave Paris 1 h by train
TGV from Paris Montparnasse to Saint-Pierre-des-Corps (Tours)
- 30 min by train · TER to Chenonceaux · the station is 400 m from the ticket office
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1
Château de Chenonceau
€19, €24 with audio guide · buy only at chenonceau.com · 2 h 30
+33 2 47 23 90 07
Activity company From €19 per personBook - 10 min on foot
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2
Auberge du Bon Laboureur
Thursday to Monday · Découverte menu €72, vegetable €58 · book
6 rue Bretonneau, 37150 Chenonceaux · +33 2 47 23 90 02
Restaurant €€€€Book - 15 min by taxi15,5 km
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3
Royal Château d'Amboise
pre-booked taxi · €17.30 with HistoPad · in November it opens from 14:00 to 17:00
+33 2 47 57 00 98
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Back home 10 min on foot
to Amboise station
- 15 min by train · train to Saint-Pierre-des-Corps; check the day's timetable
- 1 h by train · TGV to Paris Montparnasse
Approximate cost
About €95–160 per person
Adds up the activities and meals in the plan at their published prices; travel and accommodation not included.
The route
Château de Chenonceau
Two of the essential châteaux in a day from Paris, without a car apart from a short taxi. In the morning, Chenonceau, which has its own station four hundred metres away. At midday, a lunch of the kind that justifies the trip at a former coaching inn in the village. In the afternoon, Amboise, whose station is ten minutes' walk from the château and returns you to the TGV line.
The day, hour by hour
7:30 · TGV to Saint-Pierre-des-Corps. From Montparnasse, about an hour. There you change to the TER to Chenonceaux, about 25 minutes. Chenonceaux station is about 400 metres from the ticket office.
9:30 · Chenonceau. Open every day; in November, from 9:30. €19 with a leaflet, €24 with an audioguide, €15 for ages 7 to 18. Start with the gallery over the Cher before the groups arrive and finish in the gardens of Diane and Catherine. Buy the ticket only on chenonceau.com.
12:30 · Lunch at the Auberge du Bon Laboureur. A few minutes' walk away, in the village. It is a gourmet restaurant: Découverte menu at €72, vegetable menu at €58. Open Thursday to Monday; book.
15:00 · Royal château of Amboise. About 20 minutes by taxi; book it beforehand, because in a small village there is not always one free. In November the château reopens at 14:00 and closes at 17:00. €17.30 with HistoPad. The chapel of Saint-Hubert, with Leonardo's tomb, and the terrace over the Loire are the essentials.
17:15 · Return. Ten minutes' walk to Amboise station, train to Saint-Pierre-des-Corps and TGV to Montparnasse.
Is it for me?
If you want the two best-known châteaux after Chambord and a good table on the same day, yes. It is a long day and expensive because of lunch; if you prefer something simpler, eat at Le Choiseul, in Amboise, which is open every day, and do Amboise before lunch.
Time2 h 30
Change the route
Tuesday and Wednesday, or if you prefer to eat in Amboise: open every day beside the Loire:
Le Choiseul
By car and from May to September: gardens and a Vouvray tasting instead of Amboise:
Gardens and Vouvray Tasting at the Château de Valmer
Where to eat
Where to eat?
Lunch is half the plan: book before you set off.
Les Armes du Château
What to order: the set menu of the day, a slate dish and dessert for €19.90, with a glass of Cheverny for €3 more
Open every day; meals from 12:00 to 15:00
Le Choiseul
What to order: the Roi Rose de Touraine pork belly as a starter and the raspberry soufflé with Chambord liqueur
Lunch and dinner every day according to the tourist office; book online
Map
The stops, in order
With where to park at each one.
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Getting there
By car or without one?
When to go
When to go to Loire Valley
All year, Thursday to Monday, which are the days the restaurant is open. In November and until 18 December, Amboise château closes from 12:30 to 14:00, so it fits in the afternoon. In spring and autumn, the Chenonceau gardens are at their best.
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Best timeGood timeLow season
Tips
Worth knowing first
- 1Book the table and the taxi the day before
They are the two things you cannot improvise.
- 2Do not go on Tuesday or Wednesday
The restaurant is closed those days; swap it for Le Choiseul.
- 3Mind the Amboise break
In low season it closes from 12:30 to 14:00.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Can you see Chenonceau and Amboise in a day from Paris?
Yes, by train: TGV to Saint-Pierre-des-Corps, TER to Chenonceaux, taxi to Amboise and return from its station.
How much does it cost?
The two tickets come to €36.30 and lunch €58 to €126, plus the train and taxi.
Which days are best?
Thursday to Monday, when the Auberge du Bon Laboureur is open.
More plans like this
Other days of walking and good food
geocalia.com/en/france/centre-val-de-loire/loire-valley/itineraries/chenonceau-and-amboise-by-train
Prices, opening hours and times are approximate: check them before you go. Each place has its own page on Geocalia.