This is one of the most visited château in the Loire Valley and one of the largest! Château de…read moreChambord is a famous French Renaissance castle, ordered by King François I in 1519, known for its distinctive architecture and the spectacular, interlocked double-helix staircase, which may have been inspired by Leonardo da Vinci. It was built as a hunting lodge as many of the châteaus were in the valley rather than a permanent residence. The château is immense, containing 400 rooms. The most notable - historic double helix staircase, and the incredible 13,000-acre estate, which is the largest enclosed forest in Europe. They have improved the infrastructure around the château within the past 10 years which have many places to park for busses and cars. Allow yourself time to park and walk to the château as it can take a bit of time. Depending on how much you want to see, give yourself ample time to explore as there is much to see: art jewelry, furniture, etc. Additionally, this is one of the most visited châteaus in the valley.

This historic French Renaissance castle in the Loire Valley of France is an astounding sight. Built…read moreunder King Francis the 1st as a grand hunting lodge and a symbol of royal power incorporates medieval and classical styles. This chateau inspired the castle in Beauty and the Beast. It is massive with over 440 rooms. It housed the most iconic art from the Louvre from 1939-1945 including the Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci. A truly mesmerizing experience.

Pros: great variety of hot and cold breakfast dishes; modern bathroom (toilet is separate from…read moreshower and sink), strong shower pressure; hand towels provided, fridge with bottled water, safe, water kettle, coffee/ tea inside room. Wine upon check-in. Cons: 3 miles away from center of town (€8 taxi one way). Wifi is Useless in the room. The only place that has wifi is the lobby. Antonin in the front desk is helpful and friendly.

The Novotel Amboise is a lovely, modern hotel, and it was perfect for our trip to get to know the…read moreChâteaux of the Loire Valley. The clientele were mostly tours of old couples who had come to see the Châteaux. There was decent room service, the room was spacious and pleasant in a modern way, and the restaurant downstairs makes a decent lunch. We also found it reasonably priced compared to Paris prices. It is however, difficult to find. When the sun goes down you can hardly make out the street names which is unfortunate when you are trying to follow a map. If you are driving there yourself I recommend getting there before sunset. In terms of visiting chateaux, there is one in the town, Chateau Amboise, which is very near but not as impressive as some of the others. The house where Leonardo da Vinci spent his last years is also nearby. We drove an hour to Chateau Chenonceau, which was fantastic, and another 30 minutes to the Sleeping Beauty castle, Chateau D'Usse, which has a fairytale look. I have heard that Chambord is also amazing but that is an hour's drive in the opposite direction, so you might want to stay a few days. Distances between chateaux are quite large, so if you want to see a few then stay longer. The hotel is well-placed if you want to do daily road trips to different castles in the Loire Valley, and it has less traffic than Tours, another city with a good location for visiting castles. I recommend it!

The house in the Tintin comics is based on this chateau so they had a Tintin exhibit on the…read moregrounds. The comic series was never that big in the US so the exhibit meant little to me. I learned though that Tintin was huge in France so all the French fam were oohing and aahing. Afterward we took a tour of the chateau. Lots of very ornate decorations and paintings of dead folks. Considering we've got small kids the pieces they had relating to child care were pretty interesting but the jackpot, the real money shot, at least for this dude, was the war room on the second floor. Lots of spears and lances and armor. Even several early firearms and a couple of crossbows. It was amazing to consider that every piece was unique and handmade and that every repair or alteration was a custom job. So much work! And just when you thought the fun was over you read a little more about that massive head in the stairway. It's a prehistoric Moose fossil. This dude was given the head of a bleeping prehistoric moose because some dude in Russia knew he was interested in geology?! And the thing's mounted 10 feet off the ground and they think that that was about the correct living height of the animal. Now that right there was worth the price of admission!!

A great chateau with a treasure trove of period furniture that is still occupied by one of the…read moreoriginal families - the count of something and his young family. Unlike many of the other places in the valley, this one escaped much of the destruction and looting that stripped most chateau to their bones. Here you can see ornately painted rooms and furnishings and even the current Countesses' wedding dress (that's one clever way to recycle your dress!). One of the other big attractions are the kennels of hunting dogs. I am not sure of the breed but they are much taller than what I was expecting sort of the size of coon hound with the markings of a beagle. Several dozen reside together in a large enclosure and are managed by one guy who knows all their names. Each has a "V" snipped with tiny scissors on its side sort of like branding a steer, to identify their ownership. A great spot for a visit.

The Château de Chenonceau is a historic French castle known as the "Château of the Ladies" due to…read moreits influential female owners throughout its years. Located in the Loire Valley, it is famous for its elegant architecture, which includes a gallery built over the River Cher. The château features rich Renaissance furniture, tapestries, and master paintings. This Château also paved a pivotal roll during g WWII as its walls helped move Jews out of occupied France to free France during the war. It also has a unique connection to the Ponte Vecchio bridge in Florence, Italy. You'll have to visit to find out more. Additionally, the château's iconic gallery was built across the River Cher as an add on to the existing Château. Its interiors are richly decorated with works by artists such as Tintoretto, Rubens, and Van Dyck. Notable rooms include the bedchambers of Diane de Poitiers, Catherine de' Medici, and Louise de Lorraine. The gardens are exquisitely decorated and it's worth spending some time in them. You will need to book your tickets in advance as this Château is one of the most visited and they need it to control the flow of visitors. Be aware it also takes some time to travel, and once parked, to get to the Château (about a 20 minute walk). Enjoy this visit. I have seen it three or four times and always enjoy it!

This French castle spanning the River Cher is an opulent chateau in the Loire Valley of France…read more Built in 1513 to 1517 by Thomas Bohier for his wife Catherine Biconnet. This stunning Renaissance and Gothic architecture is the style of the women who owned and shaped it. The formal gardens are exquisite. The powerful ladies of the Chateau also included Diane de Poitiers and Catherine de Medici. The present day owners are the Menier family, famous for their chocolate. In 1539, King Francis the 1st acquired the estate. Later, King Henry the 2nd decided to offer it to the Queen. Our tour started with a wine tasting of three different wines actually grown on the estate. The fairytale like castle and the story of Rapunzel and Sleeping Beauty may have been the inspiration. The rooms and the kitchen in the basement are well preserved. It was a lovely experience.

One of our favorite châteaus to visit - Château d'Amboise is a royal castle in the Loire Valley in…read moreAmboise, France. Built on a rocky outcrop overlooking the Loire River, it transitioned from a medieval fortress into a Renaissance palace and was a favored royal residence in the 15th and 16th centuries. The château is known for its Gothic and early Renaissance architecture and its association with notable historical figures. The history is incredible, and worth a tour with a tour guide or the self guided audio guide. One of the nicest surprises of the château, it's the Final resting place of Leonardo da Vinci: Da Vinci is buried in the Chapel of Saint-Hubert, located on the château grounds. I have visited three times and never get tired of seeing it!

A beautiful chateau atop the hill overlooking the Loire river and city of Amboise. Loved learning…read morethe history and getting to visit Da Vinci's final resting place.

A word of warning to anyone considering an Acco Dispo tour…read more Acco Dispo shares on their own website "The first reservation of two-people minimum can choose the tour itinerary." Since our tour, they have added the clause "Some programs will require a minimum of 4 people." None of this is true. We were visiting the Loire Valley for only 1 full day, and were very intentional about the sights we wanted to see. After doing our research, we decided to book an Acco Dispo tour. We attempted to book on March 23, only to be told that they schedule their tours 1 month out. To be sure that we could choose the itinerary for our given date, July 16, we submitted our reservation at midnight on June 16. Acco Dispo responded, confirming our reservation for the desired itinerary. In the month leading up to our trip, other guests expressed interest in an alternate itinerary on July 16. So as to not lose this additional business, Acco Dispo changed the itinerary (despite guaranteeing that we would be able to choose the itinerary) and then poorly communicated the change in schedule. It wasn't until we had already departed for the day's activities and had left the pick-up point that we learned we would be visiting other sites. Our carefully planned and intentional holiday was ruined. We were entitled to a full refund as we didn't receive the experience that we paid for. Still, I attempted to compromise, and only requested a partial refund, as we did ultimately visit chateaux that day, just not the ones we had intended to see. Acco Dispo refused to refund any of our payment, and has kept the full amount for themself. Unfortunately, there seems to be few tour agencies in the Loire Valley offering a similar service to Acco Dispo, and thus they can run their business in such a dishonest, disingenuous manner. I encourage other tour operators to consider establishing a competing business and operate with honesty and principles. I also encourage anyone considering booking with Acco Dispo to use caution. While they say you can choose the day's itinerary, they may change it unexpectedly, thus ruining your carefully planned holiday. Acco Dispo will likely respond to this review, disputing these claims. I'm happy to provide our email correspondence as proof of everything I've shared here.

We had a wonderful time with Pascal of Acco-Dispo's mini van tour company we found through our Rick…read moreSteve's guide to France book. Pascal was very knowledgeable, not only about the chateaus in the area, but off the surrounding area past and present. We had a lot of good advice and special group rates to get tickets to each château. I can't say enough about the ease and enjoyment we found on this adventure through Amboise and the Loire valley.

Laurent was a treat as our tour guide and he took us to interesting places I'd never have know…read moreabout.

this company is run by one guy who has toured the world on his motorcycle. he has a great thing…read morehere. it is very close to the train station, and he has a great fleet of all kinds of bikes. laurent responded very quickly to communications, and was extremely helpful with the whole process. i did not go on a guided tour with him, but i can imagine it would be magical. i rented a bike and did my own tour of the brittany countryside and coast. do yourself a favour and rent with Ride in Tours for a wonderful experience. Laurent est tres gentil et extremement competent. Il a repondu rapidement a toute communication. Il a fait tour du monde a moto, et connait son propre pays tres bien. Bien pres de la gare SCNF, il etait tres facile d'arriver en place. Je ne suis pas allee en tournee avec sa compagnie. J'ai loue un moto pour faire mon propre voyage. Le moto etait fantastique et en bonne condition. Tres chouette! Merci, Laurent!

Amazing and excellent restaurant. Affordable menus, we are always super well received.read more

From the owner: Une cuisine inventive Christelle Michaut vous accueille aux Armes de France dans une déco cosy et…read moreintime. Fiers de leurs fortes expériences dans de prestigieux établissements parisiens, elle est accompagnée de Yohann Giraud en cuisine, qui laisse libre cours à son imagination en changeant régulièrement sa carte. Un grand bol d'air frais à 28 km de la capitale.

The waiter tried to give us the worst table when we arrived and after much pleading, we were able…read moreto move. The restaurant was quasi empty at the time but because it was a Saturday night, he complained that he had to redo all of his planning... warning: they do not post on the wine menu that you can buy wine by the glass. After much debate with our friends as we each wanted different wines, we settled for two half bottles. One, the wine was horrible! It tasted like vinegar. Absolutely appalling! And we had to pay for it. We won't be back!

France, renowed for its high cuisine. So I had to taste it to believe it. This restaurant was my…read morelast stop of a 3 weeks trip. My relatives in France brought me to this place and hyped it up very much so I walked in with high expectations. And it did not disapoint. We were a table of 5, and we all opted for what I believe was the table d'hote, with 4 courses. This place is known for its delicious foie gras, and I do not exagerate. Entree consisted of various choices and I settled for a plate of foie gras while my brother had a plate of salmon with foie gras. Main course was lamb chops (perfectly cooked) and plate of beef. Then we had assorted cheeses (with many options). Then, last but not least, dessert. By then, we were already full, but dessert is dessert. I had the mille-feuille, which was also perfect. From this taste of authentic french cuisine, I can say that I left the country satisfied. Definitely one of the best meals I had in Europe. If your budget allows it (since it is quite expensive), it is worth a try, to get a taste of what French can cook!