Rail holiday to the chateaux of the Loire Valley
This rail holiday to France uses the Eurostar and high speed TGV services to travel from London St Pancras to Tours in just five hours.
Once in the Loire Valley, we include a hire car for you to explore the area and travel between three chateaux hotels situated in different parts of the Loire valley, enabling you to see its varied landscape, numerous chateaux and towns along its rivers. The Loire Valley was traditionally the hunting grounds of French Kings and is renowned for its gentle countryside, vineyards, forests, rivers and of course the chateaux that once belonged to the French nobility. The area is also suited to a wide range of activities such as cycling, canoeing, walking, riding and golf.
Click here to download a pdf with full details of some of our rail holidays to France.
DAY BY DAY ITINERARY
Day one
Leave London St Pancras at around 9am and travel by Eurostar to Lille. Following a simple change of platform in Lille, continue southwards by TGV to St Pierre des Corps station in Tours arriving around 4pm. Here you collect your hire car and drive to your first chateau – Chateau de la Bourdaisiere, which is just 8 miles from Tours. Spend two nights at Chateau de la Bourdaisiere.
Day two
From the Chateau de la Bourdaisiere, a Renaissance chateau owned today by a Prince who has created marvellous gardens of fruit trees, tomatoes and dahlias. From here you should visit the chateaux of Chenonceau and Amboise. The gardens at the Chateau of Chenonceau are beautiful and there is a magnificent vegetable garden.
Day three
Your end-destination today is the 12th Century Chateau de Marcay in undulating grounds south of the mediaeval town of Chinon. However, en route you have the city of Tours with its mediaeval quarter and the delightfully picturesque chateau of Azay-le-Rideau.
Day four
Chinon itself, home to Rabelais, is worthy of a visit. The castle dominates the town and there are nearby vineyards too. However, a short drive away is the spectacular castle of Villandry on the banks of the river Loire and resplendent with its outstanding gardens. From here you can cross the river and visit the wine towns of St Nicolas de Bourgeuil and then stop at Fontevraud Abbey on the way back, resting place of Eleanor of Aquitaine and her son, Richard the Lionheart.
Day five
Today you drive to Chateau de Noirieux – 55 miles away, but make sure to stop to visit the troglodyte houses built into the soft rock on the banks of the Loire and also the historic town of Saumur.
Day six
The Chateau de Noirieux consists of the chateau itself and a manor house but there are acres of fields and woods to explore. Anjou vineyards are nearby as is the city of Angers with its Cointreau distillery.
Day seven
Drive back to Tours St Pierre des Corps rail station and return your hire car. This is a journey of about 80 miles. Take a train leaving early afternoon via Lille to London St Pancras where you arrive just after 6pm.
PRICES
From £1,580 per person for class rail travel.
From £1,440 per person for second class rail travel.
Prices based on two sharing a double or twin room.
What’s included?
First or second class travel on all trains (as above) including Eurostar
At the hotels:
2 nights’ bed and breakfast in a Standard Room at the Chateau de la Bourdaisiere
2 nights’ bed and breakfast in a Standard Room at Chateau de Marcay
2 nights’ bed and breakfast in a Standard Room at Chateaux de Noirieux
Group B hire-car for the duration of your stay in the Loire Valley.
What’s not included?
Early check-in or late check-out at any hotels (though we can arrange this on request at additional cost)
Meals other than breakfast at the hotels
Any services not mentioned above
Dates
This rail holiday can be arranged throughout the year. Timings can vary depending on the month and day of the week.
For more information regarding rail services to and within France, view our train guide.