Highlights

• Nine Day Self Drive Paris to Loire Valley
• Chambord after hours
• River Loire on a traditional boat
• Hot air balloon and e-bike to Chenonceaux Day
• Chateau d'Amboise and Wine tasting Day
• Fontevraud
• Tour Code: VEVI121

This 9 days itinerary is from Paris airport (pick up automatic car, Renault megane or similar, 5 doors, accommodating up to 5 pax and 3 pieces of luggage) to Loire Valley. The guests will self-drive through Loire Valley discovering the castles of course, but also the wine and local products. It includes experiences such as Chambord after-hours, a cruise on a traditional boat on the river Loire, hot air balloon over the castles, visit of Amboise castle and wine tasting activity, visit of Fontevraud abbaye. There are 3 different accommodations for this trip, all chateaux-like hotels or premium guest-houses.

• Itinerary - click for more

  Day 1:  Arrival Paris, pick-up rental vehicle and start your Loire adventure
  At your arrival, a rental car of category G (Renault Megane/Auris – automatic or similar) will be at your disposal for the length of 10 days. Thus, you can move freely and comfortably. On the day of departure, you will drop off the vehicle.
  Make your way to the Loire Valley (about 3 hours)
  Overnight and breakfast in a prestigious Chambre d’hôtes in a castle next to Blois.

  Day 2:  Private guided Tour of the Château de Chambord
  This is an after-hours, guided tour of the Château de Chambord. Enjoy exclusive access to areas not usually open to the public.  The tour ends with a glass of champagne so you will feel like royalty in this 16th-century royal masterpiece.
  Duration: 1 ½ hours starting at 6:30 pm
  Overnight and breakfast in a prestigious Chambre d’hôtes in a castle next to Blois
  Included:  drinks , entrance fees , Licensed guide , room and breakfast

  Day 3:  Cruise on the river Loire on a traditional boat (gabarre) – private cruise
  This cruise departs from Amboise. It is an ideal way to enjoy the Loire Valley.
  You’ll take a traditional toue boat. The design has changed little for centuries. The large 30-foot long row boats have a flat base, a mast, and a square sail. They’re perfect for navigating the Loire’s sand banks.  Your itinerary changes depending on your interests, the season, and in support of environmental preservation efforts. Each tour is an invitation to new experiences and unexpected encounters.
  Aperitif formula! : Includes a glass of regional sparkling wine and appetizer.
  Recommendations: please wear suitable clothes for the conditions and weather including sun protection, hat, windbreaker, and mosquito repellent.
  Duration: 2 hours
  Overnight and breakfast in a prestigious Chambre d’hôtes in a castle next to Blois
  Included:  cruise , snack , room and breakfast
  

  Day 4: Amboise
  Make your way from Blois to Amboise (45 minutes)  Suggestion: visit of Amboise, the Royal City.  An old, long stone bridge overlooking the romantic Loire River leads into the idyllic royal city of Amboise.  Elegant Amboise, childhood home of Charles VIII and final resting place of the incomparable Leonardo da Vinci, is gorgeously situated on the southern bank of the Loire, guarded by a soaring château.  Go for a stroll through Amboise or along the lovely riverbank after seeing the château. The town has a well-preserved Renaissance architecture and half-timbered townhouses dating back to the 15th century. Amboise is also the location of Leonardo da Vinci’s last home, the Château du Clos Lucé.  You may want to take a relaxing break on one of the many café terraces and soak up the beauty or dine in a gastronomic restaurant.  The Farmers Markets offer a large choice of produce and local specialities.  Amboise is an  convivial base for exploring the Loire countryside and nearby châteaux.
  Overnight stay and breakfast at a 4-Star Château-Hôtel in Amboise.
  Included:  driver , transport , room and breakfast

  Day 5:   Private Hot Air Balloon Ride Over the Châteaux
  You will be picked up at your hotel early in order to get you to the châteaux at sunrise. The time and location of takeoff depends upon wind conditions. You’ll get to see the crew prepare and inflate the balloon before taking off to enjoy the Loire Valley sunrise. It makes for a magical experience that is simultaneously relaxing and exhilarating.  Start with a safety briefing before your one-hour flight. When you land, you can help the crew to fold the balloon before a flight graduation ceremony and breakfast  After the trip you’ll be dropped back off at your hotel with plenty of time for another adventure.
  Duration: 3 hours
  If the weather doesn’t allow for the hot air balloon ride, replaced by a helicopter ride.
  Private half-day guided E-bike tour to Château de Chenonceau
  Your guide will meet you at your hotel for an e-bike ride through the Loire Valley’s memorable vineyards and forests.  The first stop is the Château de Chenonceau. The site is often referred to as rLe Château des Dames after the famous ladies who once lived there: Catherine de Médicis and Diane de Poitiers.i  After the Château de Versailles, it is the most visited historical monument in France. Admire the stunning architecture and the unique gallery built across the Cher River. Inside, take your time to appreciate the refined architecture, beautiful antiques, and sublime flower arrangements. With your guide, you’ll explore the gorgeously-manicured formal French gardens.  During your ride, you’ll stop for a glass of Loire Valley wine.
  Duration: 5-6 hours
  Overnight stay and breakfast at a 4-Star Château-Hôtel in Amboise.
  Included:  equipment rental , local guide , picnic , bike tour , entrance fees , tasting , room and breakfast

  Day 6:  Entrance ticket to the Château d’Amboise with Audioguide
  Explore the royal residence, chapel, gardens, and Leonardo da Vinci’s tomb at your own pace with an audio guide. This palace was a residence for French Kings from the 15th until the 19th century. As impressive as it is today, the château was once even bigger. Unfortunately, many of its interior buildings were demolished in the 16th century. As you wander through its halls, you’ll travel chronologically through rooms decorated in medieval, early-Renaissance style, and up to 19th-century styles. The 130-foot (40-meter) Minimes Tower offers impressive panoramas.
  Opened from 9 am to 12:30 pm and from 1:30 pm to 5 pm all year except Dec 25 and 01 Jan.
  The park will close 1 hour after the ticket office
  For disabled visitors, recommended access 1 hour before the ticket office closes.
  Private guided Wine Tour and Oenotable Restaurant with a wine expert
  Enjoy a wine cellar visit and tasting with a sommelier.  Learn about winemaking, about what makes the Loire Valley’s geography unique, and how fine wines are aged.  In a private room you’ll learn how to taste wines. A visit to the Oenotable Restaurant gives you an opportunity to discover French specialties with a wonderful wine selection.
  Duration: 2 hours Time: 12:00pm, 2:00pm, 4:00pm –Included: tasting, guide
  Note: there is a supplement charge for tasting three different cheeses.
  Overnight stay and breakfast at a 4-Star Château-Hôtel in Amboise.
  Included:  audio guide , entrance fees , oenological expert , tasting , room and breakfast

  Day 7:
  Make your way from Amboise to Chinon, with a stop at Villandry (1H and 30 minutes). Entrance tickets to the Château de Villandry.  The Château de Villandry is one of the most impressive of the castles of the Loire Valley. While the castle itself is beautiful, the extensive gardens are the highlight of any visit and the main reason that visitors flock here. Inside the castle, there are some beautiful decorations and furnished rooms to see when you visit, including the dining room and kitchens.  Although the castle is best known for its formal French-style garden, there are several areas of gardens here in various styles: the vegetable garden, the ornamental garden, the water garden, the Jardin du Soleil and the herb garden. The castle was built in the early 16th-century and was the last Renaissance-style castle built in the Loire Valley. You can see the castle courtyard without entering the castle. The interior of the Château de Villandry, although less frequented than the gardens, is well worth a visit. Most of the interior was redesigned in the 18th century and the furnishings reflect this period. Highlights include the staircase and the beautiful ceiling in one of the rooms, as well as the views across the gardens from the castle keep.
  Overnight stay and breakfast at a 4-star Castle-Hotel near Chino
  Included:  entrance fees , room and breakfast

  Day 8:  Entrance ticket to Fontevraud Abbey with Audioguide
  While in the region, consider a detour to Fontevraud Abbey – a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Founded in 1099 and nestled in a green and lush valley, the abbey is located at the meeting point of three historical regions: Poitou, Anjou, and Touraine.  Visit the royal abbey, one of the largest surviving monastic cities from the Middle Ages, at your own pace with an audio guide (not included).  The abbey the burial site of both French and English monarchs. It is unusual in that it had both a nunnery and a monastery under the command of an abbess.  By the time the French Revolution forced the closure of the abbeys, Fontevraud was the most powerful abbey in France. It was transformed into a prison by Napoleon in 1804 and remained one until 1963.
  Opening hours : 9:30am to 7:00pm (April to October) 9:30am to 6:00pm (November  to March)Exceptional closure on January 1st and December 25th.  Audio guide available in English, French, German, Dutch, or Spanish
  Suggestion: visit of Saumur
  Saumur is a highlight of a visit to the region; not only to see the very attractive Château de Saumur, but also to explore the town center and to stroll along the riverfront. A short distance south-east of Saumur you should also visit the very pretty village of Montsoreau, classified as one of the ‘most beautiful villages in France’, and the Abbey of Fontevraud, one of the most extensive and most visited abbey complexes in France.  In the region around Saumur there are hundreds of kilometers of subterranean passages carved into the soft rock, partly due to excavations to find stone to use as building material for the chateaux in the region. These tunnels can be visited, and have sometimes been creatively converted into wine cellars, restaurants and the occasional art gallery.  West of Saumur you can visit troglodyte dwellings at Doue-la-Fontaine. The troglodyte village at Rochemenier (between Saumur and Angers) is the largest in the Loire Valley, with a couple of ‘cave farms’ and an underground chapel – more than 20 rooms in total.
  Overnight stay and breakfast at a 4-star Castle-Hotel near Chinon
  Included:  audio guide , entrance fees , room and breakfast

  Day 9:  Departure Day
  Your journey with us has come to an end.  Make your way back to the Paris airport (4H) and drop your rental car off.  We hope to see you soon!  ***end of services***

Included

• All services set out in the itinerary under “included in the program”. -
• 24/7 Local English Speaking Support & Assistance
• Vat Taxes

• Vehicle Rental Details - click for more

  Car Rental Type:
  Renault Megane or similar,
  Automatic –  5 doors  (accommodating up to 5 pax and 3 pieces of luggage)

  Includes:
  Airport charge
  Insurances (CDW, THF), LAF,
  Unlimited milage

  Not included :  One Way Drop Off
  The charges for optional accessory are to be paid on-site: Additional driver, young driver extra charge – 25 years, GPS

Not Included

• International Air Travel
• The suggestions (can be booked on in advance or on the spot
• Cancellation and repatriation insurances, all-risks coverage.
• Meals (unless indicated otherwise)
• City Tourist Tax paid locally
• Items of personal nature (beverages, tips) and Items not listed in the inclusions

Hotels or Similar

• Chateau des GrotteauxBlois Guesthouse The Grotteaux is not a château that you visit like a museum. , but one that has been converted into a luxurious bed and breakfast. It was built in 1620 on an even older foundation, still visible in the beautiful vaulted cellars.
• Chateau Hotel Le Choiseul Amboise 4-Star Hotel This beautiful 4-star château hotel is a delight with panoramas over the Loire River. It’s housed in three 18-century properties. The refined and spacious rooms and suites are decorated in classical French style. They feature full amenities.
• Chateau de Marcay Chinon • 4-Star Hotel This four-star chateau hotel is in a restored 15th-century. The haute époque furniture and architectural details make it a real treat. The 37-acre (15-hectare) estate features truffle oaks and rolling meadows.

As a general rule the scheduled hotel for each departure will be one of the above listed. The final list of the hotels will available  15 days prior to departure.

Dates & Rates

The CAD ($) rate is indicative of Euro price and subject to change.
Price per person in CAD $ Dollars.