Finishing our list of 5 day trips from Paris is the Loire Valley. Much like a trip out to Normandy, an excursion to the Loire Valley requires quite a bit of land travel. Nonetheless, there are few places in all of France that offer an authentic peek into the lives of yesterday’s French royalty and aristocracy.
The Loire Valley is known throughout the country for its magnificent chateaux. While a visit to Versailles can often be overwhelming, stepping through the doors of one of the Loire Valley’s castles conjures images of royalty that are easier to grasp. The largest of the area castles is the Château de Chambord, an awe inspiring structure built for King Francois 1st as a hunting outpost. The area containing the Château de Chambord, Château d’Ambroise, Château de Villandry and Chenonceau was recently named a UNESCO world heritage site largely for the architecture of its Rennaissance castles. The castles mirror French history and tour guides often amaze guests with stories about their near destruction during the French Revolution and survival during the two World Wars, often as military headquarters. Today, many of the area castles are privately owned however some, like the massive Chambord, are open to the public and attract thousands of tourists every year. The number of chateaus in the Loire Valley is truly dizzying and visitors hoping to fit the trip into one day will need to be modest in the number of castles they hope to visit. The Loire Valley can be visited by train, rental car, or one of the many tour-operated buses that leave from Paris daily.
As mentioned earlier, the beauty of Paris day trips is that visitors can get a taste of France outside of the capital without having to leave the comfort of their New York Habitat accommodation in Paris. Dozens of New York Habitat apartments are available year-round. Below are a few to get your search started:
– This classic 1-bedroom vacation rental apartment in Invalides, Auteuil – Tour Eiffel (PA-3179) features hardwood floors, a decorative fireplace and elegant furnishings.
– This studio duplex rental in Luxembourg, Montparnasse – Porte de Versailles (PA-3663) offers alot of space, hardwood floors and plenty of direct sunlight.
– This 1-bedroom apartment rental in Luxembourg, St Michel – St Germain – Notre Dame (PA-2894) features an amazing private garden space, a true rarity for Paris accommodations.
What’s your favoirte Chateau in the Loire Valley?
Is that castle available for rent as a vacation rental through apartment?
I have never heard of this castle but it looks pretty sweet!
The Loire Valley is indeed full of History and my favorite Chateau is the Chenonceau Castle. It is very easy to go to this region of France from Paris with the High Speed Train it takes 2 hours!
That castle looks kind of like the Neuschwanstein castle in Germany.
That picture of the chateau is SOOO beautiful! Makes me wish I were anywhere but here.
Chambord is beautiful see for sure, but there are far more interesting chateaux to visit in the Loire. Chenenceau was mentioned and is definitely worth a visit, but can be quite busy. The audio guided tour is excellent there. Cheverney is also great, and decendants of the original family who built the chateau still live in the chateau! Azay-le-Rideau, the Fortress in Chinon and the Abby in Fontevraud as well…i could go on!
Please, I will stay 2 nights in the loire valley. What location is best? One night in amboise and 1 night i chinon? Or just to nights in amboise because is more central? We will be renting a car in paris. tks!
Dear Cristiana,
We posted your question on our New York Habitat Facebook page and just got an answer from one of our fans:
—-
Yolaine Bodin: There are ongoing construction or rather restoration works at the castle in Chinon that have been going on for the past 4 or 5 years I think. Both cities are only just over an hour’s drive apart so you could very well decide to spend both nights in the same place if you prefer but this also depends on where you head to after the Loire Valley and how you are traveling (car? train?) Amboise is wonderful choice, its castle is one of the most beautiful ones in the Loire Valley (and part of the UNESCO world heritage), if not THE one.
—-
Become a fan and share more questions & travel experiences with our Facebook fans!