Relais de Chambord
Why we like it: The only hotel inside the Chambord estate, opposite the château: 55 rooms renovated by Jean-Michel Wilmotte, a spa with an outdoor jacuzzi and two restaurants.
Duration2 nights
From ParisTrain to Blois · 1 h 30
BaseBlois, next to the station
Budget€300–450 pp
Best timeApr · May · Jun · Sep · Oct
Car-freeTrain, bus and bike
The plan
The plan, hour by hour
Designed to arrive on Friday morning and return on Sunday afternoon. In winter, the Blois bike agency opens Tuesday to Saturday, so the cycling day is Saturday. Book the hotel, the bike and Sunday's lunch beforehand.
Friday
- 19:20Train to Blois and bus to Chambord
Train from Austerlitz, leave your suitcase at the hotel and take the Rémi line 2 bus at 9:20, or the 12:20 one if you arrive later. 35 minutes and €3.40.
- 210:00Château de Chambord
€21 with ID, free for under-18s. The double-helix staircase, the terraces among the chimneys and the French gardens.
- 312:45Lunch at Les Armes du Château
On the place Saint-Louis. Set lunch at €19.90. Afterwards, a walk in the estate's forest and the bus back at 17:00.
Saturday
- 19:30Bike from Blois to Chaumont-sur-Loire
Pick up the bike at Détours de Loire: €18 a day, €40 for an electric one. About 20 km along the south bank to Chaumont, and back by the same route.
- 216:00Blois on foot
Return the bike and walk down towards the river: the royal château of Blois and the Maison de la Magie, opposite it, are 500 metres from the hotel. Check their hours beforehand, as in winter they close early.
Sunday
- 19:30Train to Amboise and the royal château
Train from Blois to Amboise on the same Loire line and ten minutes' walk. €17.30 with HistoPad; Leonardo's tomb in the Saint-Hubert chapel and the terrace over the river.
- 212:30Lunch at Le Choiseul and train to Paris
At the Relais d'Amboise, by the Loire; open every day. In the afternoon, direct train from Amboise to Austerlitz or via Saint-Pierre-des-Corps to Montparnasse.
Blois is the perfect base for the Loire Valley without a car. It is an hour and a half from Paris by train, the hotel is between the station and the château, the bus to Chambord leaves from the same station, and the bike hire agency is a hundred metres from the door. With two nights you see the biggest château in the valley, spend a day cycling La Loire à Vélo and, on the last day, take the train down to Amboise to see the royal château and have lunch by the river before returning to Paris.
Where to sleep?
| Accommodation | Where | For whom |
|---|---|---|
| Hôtel Anne de Bretagne | Blois, 500 m from the château and 100 m from the bike hire | Coming and going by train, with a dog or as a family |
| Relais de Chambord | Inside the estate, facing the château | A special night, better with a car |
| Camping de l'Île d'Or | Amboise, on the island facing the château | Cycling travellers, March to November |
The Anne de Bretagne has no lift or air conditioning; it admits dogs for €10 a night.
How much does it cost?
Between €300 and €450 per person with two nights in a hotel sharing a room, both admissions, the bus, the bike, meals and trains from Paris. The figure depends mostly on the train price, which varies a lot by day and how far ahead you book.
Map
The stops, in order
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Plan the trip
Loire Valley, step by step
Each choice narrows the next: the season shapes how best to travel, and how you travel decides where you stay and where you eat.
When to go
When to go to Loire Valley
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Best timeGood timeLow season
How you travel
The same break, your way
The plan stays the same. What changes is where you sleep, how you get there and how much you spend.
Flying to Paris and a Train to the Loire Valley
From Spain, the most practical way is to fly to Paris, with direct flights from the main Spanish cities, and continue by train. From Montparnasse, the TGV reaches Tours (Saint-Pierre-des-Corps) in an hour; from Austerlitz, regional trains go to Blois in an hour and a half and continue to Amboise. From the stations, bus, bike or hire car for the châteaux.
- Getting thereParis-Charles de Gaulle (CDG) and…
- Getting aroundRémi bus line 2 from…
- Where to stayHôtel Anne de Bretagne, in…
- ServicesThe Blois-Chambord, Amboise and Saint-Pierre-des-Corps…
Getting there
- Paris-Charles de Gaulle (CDG) and Paris-Orly (ORY): public transport to Montparnasse or Austerlitz
- TGV Montparnasse – Saint-Pierre-des-Corps (Tours), about an hour
- Train Austerlitz – Blois-Chambord, an hour and a half; also direct trains to Amboise
Getting around
- Rémi bus line 2 from Blois station to Chambord, €3.40
- TER from Tours to Chenonceaux, about 25 minutes
- Bike hire in Blois or Tours for La Loire à Vélo
- For Villandry and the wineries, hire car in Tours or bus 32 to Villandry
Where to stay
- Hôtel Anne de Bretagne, in Blois, between the station and the château
- Camping de l'Île d'Or, in Amboise, ten minutes from the station (March to November)
Services
- The Blois-Chambord, Amboise and Saint-Pierre-des-Corps stations, the base for all journeys
The Loire Valley by Train and Bike
Without a car you can see the big châteaux: Chambord by bus from Blois, Chenonceau by train from Tours and Amboise ten minutes' walk from its station. The bike takes care of the rest along La Loire à Vélo. Only Valmer and the wineries need a car or taxi.
90–180 €per person per day, approximate
- Where to stayHôtel Anne de Bretagne, in…
- Getting aroundTrain from Paris: Austerlitz to…
- Where to eatLes Armes du Château, in…
- ServicesDétours de Loire agencies in…
Where to stay
- Hôtel Anne de Bretagne, in Blois, 100 metres from the bike hire
- Camping de l'Île d'Or, in Amboise, on the cycle route
Getting around
- Train from Paris: Austerlitz to Blois and Amboise; TGV from Montparnasse to Saint-Pierre-des-Corps
- Rémi bus line 2 from Blois to Chambord: 9:20 and 12:20, returning 13:10 and 17:00
- Détours de Loire bikes in Blois, from €18 a day
- TER from Tours to Chenonceaux; the station is 400 metres from the château
Where to eat
- Les Armes du Château, in Chambord, every day at lunchtime
- Le Choiseul, in Amboise, on foot from the station
- Auberge du Bon Laboureur, in Chenonceaux, Thursday to Monday
Services
- Détours de Loire agencies in Blois and Tours; in winter, Tuesday to Saturday
How much does it cost?
People2
Nights2
Where to stay
Where to stay if you're flyingwithout a car
We show you what suits the way you travel.Change how you travel
Hôtel Anne de Bretagne
Why we like it: Three-star hotel in Blois, between the station and the château, 100 m from the La Loire à Vélo bike hire. Dogs welcome and rooms for four.
Municipal Campsite l'Île d'Or
Why we like it: Two-star municipal campsite on a Loire island opposite Château d'Amboise, on La Loire à Vélo, with more than 280 pitches and equipped tents. Open March to November.
From €21
View details
Where to eat
Where to eat in Loire Valley
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
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
Tips
Worth knowing first
- 1Saturday for the bike
In winter the Blois agency closes on Sunday and Monday.
- 2Book Sunday at Le Choiseul
It is the lunch that closes the trip; do it online.
- 3Travel light
The hotel has no lift and you go everywhere on foot.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Can you do the Loire Valley without a car?
Yes, based in Blois: train from Paris, bus to Chambord, bike along the river and train to Amboise.
Why Blois and not Tours?
Because the bus to Chambord and the bike hire are next to the station, and Amboise is on the same train line.
And Chenonceau?
Add a night or do the day trip from Tours: TGV to Saint-Pierre-des-Corps and TER to Chenonceaux.