Loire castles by car from Germany: 3 days from Tours
3 days · 8 châteaux · 181 km
The eight castles German visitors ask for, from Villandry to Chambord, in the order the geography sets.
Written for visitors driving in from Germany, who reach the Loire by way of Paris or Orléans and want a route that ends on the road home. The base is Tours, about 240 km southwest of Paris; the third day finishes at Chambord, the easternmost castle and the closest to the motorway back. Three castles a day is the rhythm, with two hours at each and short hops between them: the day totals below are calculated between stops. Book Chambord and Chenonceau online for any date in July or August, and Cheverny if you want a set time; the fiches of the other five say whether a reservation is required and give the hours as they were verified.
Day 1
30 km on the road
West of Tours, three castles within 30 km: Villandry and its gardens in the morning, Azay-le-Rideau on its island at midday, then Chinon, a fortress that takes two hours to walk through.
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, then Chenonceau across the Cher, then 35 km to Blois. Sleep in Blois; the next morning starts 13 km away.
Day 3
Cheverny first, then Chambord for the afternoon. From Chambord the road to Paris is about 180 km; the A10 towards Orléans is the way back east.
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.