53303LOI
Loire
Routes
Opening days/times, entrance fees, etc. listed on Yellow Pages.
This section includes:
Amboise
Azay
Chambord
Chenonceau
Le Clos Luce
Tours
Usse
Villandry
Wine (Plou and Vouvray)
Amboise
There is a nice picture stop to do on the other side of the river if the driver is from the area or knows the itinerary (could be tricky otherwise) and if you have no delays.
Park in the bus park and lead the group along beside the river towards the bridge. Cross just before the Chateau and walk up the small street between the chateau and church to the square below the Château. There are plenty of places for lunch, wonderful patisseries and boulangeries and specialist chocolate shops. Great souvenirs and a few boutiques. The best place to get a good photo of the Château is from halfway across the bridge.
Amboise Bus Drop off:
There may be some people who would like to visit Le Clos Lucé and gardens – they pay – (Leonardo da Vinci’s house, see below). Ask the group beforehand how many would like to spend their visit here and only if the bus driver is agreeable, leave them at the CLOS LUCÉ car park entrance before continuing with the rest of the group to the parking spot on the bridge. Otherwise it is a long, steep walk up from the square below the chateau. Others may wish to visit the Chateau itself – unless included, they pay €16.40 adult €10.50 under 18.
Either way, insist, that the group is back punctually at the meeting point. The square below the Château is an easier rendezvous for them than the bus drop off/pickup. They won’t have much time to shop if they visit either. This is always a balance against enjoying the streets, shops, and ambiance. On Fri & Sun, there is a riverside market 8-12.30pm – great for picnic/cheese tasting.
Azay le Rideau
Set down in the main coach park and make a rendezvous with the driver for departure. Walk the group back up the coach park lane and immediately left almost back on yourself down the driveway to the Chateau.
If having lunch here, point out the Market Square (shops and cafes, boulangeries and patisseries) as you turn left and arrange a meeting time back at the bus after the visit. There is an ATM at the post office on the corner by the cafes and gift shops
Continue to the Château entrance. Leave group in front of the ticket office while you pop inside and buy tickets. The ticket office is also the gift shop. Distribute them with free leaflets in English. The group must be counted in together. They ask that under 18s not go around on their own but be accompanied with an adult.
Free toilets are over to the left on entering the ticket office. To access the Château, go through the ticket office and out into the grounds. The Château is in front of you.
From the ticket office you can show them that diagonally to the right across the gravel entrance is a gate/gap in the trees which leads directly to the bus park (if leaving directly from the chateau).
Azay le Rideau Bus Parking:
Chambord
Instruct group to leave all bags on the bus at Chambord to avoid checking them in at the Chateau. As you arrive in the bus park, your driver will have to take a ticket which you get stamped at the ticket office for free parking. Don’t forget to take this with you to get it stamped at the ticket office.
Chambord Bus Parking:
Walk towards the chateau and you come to the new visitor center with TOILETS, gift shop and ticket counters. There are also free toilets inside the chateau courtyard after the entrance.
Walk group to the Chateau entrance around to your right and around as you approach the castle. Groups pay entrances either at the Chateau itself. Point out the parade of souvenir and snack places, and a shop for with wine-tasting on the right, there is a gift shop at the chateau. Walk together to the Chateau entrance – groups must enter together but may disperse once inside.
Chambord may ask you to fill in forms with addresses of schools. You may also be required to distribute leaflets with behaviour rules to each member of the group and sign a copy to show acknowledgement.
Give the group their visitors’ self guided visit leaflets and then instruct them to climb to the roof via the double helix staircase for a great view of the park and remind them of how to get back to the bus and the rendezvous time.
Lunch options at Chambord are better than at Chenonceau. There are several snack places and proper cafes between the bus park and chateau as well as some great covered picnic areas on the other side of the road from the bus park.
While it is possible to rent bikes & boats, this should only be a done if time permits. If there for an hour or less, focus the visit on the Chateau & interior. See General Info.
Chenonceau
On entering the grounds the Château is straight ahead beyond the trees at the end the park. The bus park and set down point is on the left. The ticket office is within the souvenir shop by the entrance gate on your left. Keep the group outside the souvenir shop while you buy the tickets inside – space is tight. Point out the free restrooms and encourage them to use while waiting. There are more inside castle grounds by the cafeteria (see below).
Chenonceau Bus Parking:
Take enough free guide pamphlets in English for everyone and point out that they are really worth using. Distribute tickets and take the group through the souvenir shop to the ticket gate. They will be counted through so stay at the gate until all through.
The entrance to the Château is a 10 minute walk down the drive. Keep the group together as you will need to enter the Chateau together. A challenge as many want to take photos – say they can do this afterwards. Once inside the Chateau itself, they may disperse. On the way point out the location of the bush maze – they may want to visit this afterwards. Similarly, there is a donkey field, flower garden, and 16th Century farm reconstruction that can be visited after the castle and gardens. Lunch options here are the self-service cafeteria by the Chateau or picnic tables on right before ticket gate.
The best views and famous postcard shots are from the riverside either to the left or right of the chateau in the gardens. This is also a great picnic spot. Encourage groups to cross the bridge inside the Chateau and visit grounds/take photos from the other side IF THE DOOR IS OPEN – (sometimes closed).
Arrange to meet the group after the visit back at the bus – remind them of the 10 minute walk!
BE CAREFUL OF TIMING – groups can lose track here as there´s a lot to see and do. The visit is now more in depth in virtue of recent renovations.
Le Clos Luce
(Read with Amboise notes)
The beautiful home and gardens created for Leonardo da Vinci by the King of France where he spent the last years of his life. His gothic style chapel and supposed burial place is in the grounds of the chateau and stands proud above the river.
If visiting as a group, set down in the bus park and make a rendezvous for departure. Continue on foot with the group up the road (5 mins) to the entrance. Pay entrances through the gate on the right and distribute leaflets in English. There are toilets just inside the grounds on the left and more in the tearooms at the end of the visit. Very good gift store.
This is a fabulous opportunity to see the designs of Leonardo da Vinci, constructed for us to see his flying machine and many more of his ‘inventions’ – another side to the great artist.
Pretty walk down to the town of Amboise. Takes 20 mins. All downhill. Turn left out of exit gateway and follow narrow road. Some lovely old homes and troglodyte buildings to photograph. Brings you down to the bottom of the Chateau and all the shops. Continue, after some free time, along the riverside to the bus.
Tours
Drive up the Avenue Grammont. Set down and pick up on the Place Jean Jaurès (plenty of cafés) just before the Hotel de Ville. Rendezvous at the same place for after lunch/visit.
Bus Drop Off at Place Jean Jaures:
Point out the rue Nationale (main shopping street between the Palais de Justice on the left-hand corner and the Hotel de Ville on the right-hand corner) ahead of you that extends as far as the Loire. This is all modernized marble and refurbished. Most of the chain fashion stores are here.
Place Plumereau is a charming historic square with plenty of half-timbered houses and cafés and about a 15-minute walk up the rue Nationale from Place Jean Jaurès to the left. This is the old medieval part of the town. Totally picturesque. A complete contrast and a step back in time. If your group is even half way up to it, you should take them!
As you walk up the rue Nationale, you will see the church of St Julien on the right. Take the rue du Commerce on your left before St Julien and continue along it until you reach the Place Plumereau (full of half-timbered houses).
Ussé
Arrive in Ussé. Set down in the bus park opposite the Château. Make a rendezvous for departure at the bus. Then cross the road to the entrance. Ticket office is also the gift shop.
Bus Parking:
This enchanting fairytale chateau has fresh flowers, fires burning in the grates and an exhibition of life size models in period costume in some rooms. It is still privately owned by an aristocratic Belgian family who visit at weekends.
It is obviously nothing like the scale of Chambord, but much easier to imagine people actually living here.
Explanations are written inside the castle in English and French (cellars, chapel, Sleeping Beauty’s tower etc.) and you can ask for a small map of the grounds when you buy the tickets. No booked guide is necessary. Encourage your group to walk around the gardens and see the chapel and stables as well as the chateau. Toilets are inside the chateau grounds after the gift shop on the left.
Next to the coach park, there is a small café (very slow, and apart from very basic sandwiches, all the hot food is microwaved – don’t encourage the whole group to eat a meal here). Also another small gift shop and toilets.
Allow 1 hour.
Villandry
Pay entrances to the spectacular gardens. We do not visit the inside of the Château. You will exit through the good gift shop to the left of the entrance. Toilets are directly to your right on entering the grounds.
To visit the gardens head towards the Château (on your left on entering the grounds. The building straight ahead is the farmyard). Go through the left hand wing of the Château and up the steps to the Terraces. At the top of the steps, carry straight on beyond the Château and you will see the gardens on your right.
Allow 1 HOUR
Villandry Bus Parking
Wine (Plou and Vouvray)
Roland PLOU et ses fils
Located in Chargé (between Chaumont and Amboise), it is a convenient cellar to stop at. They are generous with sampling and sell souvenir corkscrews/t-shirts (approx 10 EUR), which are good for non-wine buyers. Call to reserve a visit a couple of days before. Allow an hour + toilets 30 minutes.
VOUVRAY
You need to book a visit the previous day. For the Vallee Coquette and JP Laisement, continue past Vouvray village (coming from Amboise) and take the 3rd right signed Les Patis. For Vaudemits turn right towards Chateau Renaul. Follow the itineraire poids lourds, keeping on towards Chateau Renault. Caves de Vaudenuits are indicated, a left turn as you leave Vouvray. Parking inside the gates.
You will probably have to translate for the visit. Tell the group to put on a sweater, the caves are always cool. 14 degrees all year round.