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Paris + Loire Valley

One of the most popular day trips from Paris is to the Loire Valley, to see the great chateaux. But it makes for a very long day on a bus, getting up early and returning late. You spend about 6 hours on a bus, and you squeeze the touring time into what's left.

What we propose here is totally different. You travel by train to the wonderful small town of Amboise, dramatically situated on the Loire River. You spend two nights there (or more, if you want). So you have the opportunity to stay in a small town in France, certainly a contrast with your time in Paris. And during your full day at Amboise, you get to take a Loire tour that makes a lot more sense than those long bus trip from Paris. You'll be picked up at your hotel and driven just a matter of minutes to reach Chambord and Chenonceau and other great chateaux that are right nearby.

And one of the side benefits of this plan is that you get to stay twice in Paris. Sure, you could see that as being inconvenient. But we think that Paris is one city where it makes a lot of sense to stay in more than one neighborhood. We suggest staying on both sides of the river.


Suggested Itinerary
Paris + Loire Valley

Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7
Day 8
Day 9 		Fly from USA or Canada
Arrive Paris
Paris
Paris
Train to Amboise
Tour of Loire Chateux & return to Amboise
Train to Paris
Paris
Fly to USA or Canada


Paris + Loire Package
What's Included

 
  • 5 nights Paris and 2 nights Amboise
  • 4-star hotels
  • Breakfast daily
  • Private airport transfers
  • First-class train tickets with seat reservations
  • Full-day small-group Loire tour by minibus
  • Full-day small-group Paris city tour by minibus including river cruise, visit to Eiffel Tower, and Montmartre walking tour
  • Paris 2-day museum pass

$2,195 per person, double occupancy
April 1 - October 31, 2011*
LAND ONLY (airfare NOT included)

Fly into and out of Paris

* Prices are for travel which begins and ends within dates shown.

Call 888 868-4535 or click here...




Candid Comments

Train travel level of effort = moderately easy. There are no connections to make between Paris and Amboise. It's a relatively short ride of just over two hours. Your Paris station is Austerlitz, where you will enter and depart the station on one level. Austerlitz is underdoing major renovation, but we have not seen this to cause any significant inconvenience. The main effort for this trip is at the station in Amboise, where you will need to pass under the tracks on one leg of this trip. That means going down and back up one flight of steps with your bags. Apart from that, there is the inevitable matter of hoisting your bags into the overhead compartments, unless you see an opportunity to stash them at floor level.

If you elect to extend your time (see below) at Amboise...note that while it is a very appealing small town with a number of dining options, some people would get bored staying there for more than the two days we have suggested. We like having time in small towns, but not everyone can adjust to the slower pace for very long.

 


Options and Alternatives

Your tour can be set up as a private one, instead of as a small-group tour. That costs substantially more, but it also puts you in control of both the pace and the emphasis.

You can add a third night at Amboise and a second full-day excursion. That permits you to see more of the area. There are certainly more chateux and more towns than you can expect to see in one day of touring.

Yes, you can avoid two stays in Paris...by heading right on to the train station, after you arrive in Paris, to spend your first night at Amboise. But we prefer two stays in Paris.

Call 888 868-4535 or click here...


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ABOUT US ~ We are travel agents who specialize in Italy, France, Switzerland, Belgium and the Netherlands. We're a small company, based in the USA. Our offices are located in the Shenandoah Valley about 65 miles west of Washington. EuropeSource is part of ItalySource LLC.


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