Loire Valley castles in 3 days from Tours
3 days · 8 châteaux · 181 km
Chambord, Chenonceau, Amboise, Azay-le-Rideau, Villandry, Chinon, Blois and Cheverny, in an order that never doubles back.
Written for visitors arriving from Paris, London or Amsterdam with three days and a list of eight names. The base is Tours: the TGV from Paris Montparnasse takes just over an hour, and all eight castles lie along the river between Chinon and Chambord, west and east of the city. The rhythm is three castles a day, which is already full: allow two hours at each and keep the driving between them, which is shorter than the map suggests. The day totals below are calculated between stops. Book two things ahead. Chambord and Chenonceau sell timed tickets and fill up in July and August; the other six rarely need a reservation, but each fiche states whether booking is required, what it costs and when the doors open.
Day 1
30 km on the road
Three visits within 30 km west of Tours: Villandry is mostly gardens, so take it first in the morning, then Azay-le-Rideau, and keep Chinon, a fortress that takes two hours to walk through, for the afternoon.
The rest of the route
The stops on the following days. The full plan, with distances, goes out by email.
Day 2
East along the river: Amboise first, Chenonceau at midday, then 35 km to Blois for the late afternoon. Sleep in Blois rather than driving back to Tours; the town castle is a short walk from the station.
Day 3
Cheverny opens the day, Chambord fills the afternoon. From Chambord it is about 180 km by road to Paris, and Blois station has direct trains to Paris Austerlitz if you return the car there.
Before you go
Opening seasons vary from one castle to the next, and several close for part of the year. Check each castle’s fiche before you fix your dates: it carries the hours and prices as they were verified, with the date of verification.
The order of stops is chained nearest-first from the starting town, and distances are as the crow flies: allow a third more by road. Only châteaux whose opening to the public we know are included.