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Loire Valley Vineyard Trails

Travel Information
Season:March to late October

Arrival: Between4p.m and 7p.m on first day at the first hotel in Amboise. Amboise is reached bydirect non-TGV train (not included) from Paris Gare d'Austerlitz (2 hours). Youwill receive up-to-date train times for your date of travel, or alternativelyyou can visit Rail Europe's website at www.raileurope.comor call toll free 1-800-848-7245. AtAmboise it is 15 minutes walk or a taxi ride to the hotel (not included). Thereis a public phone close to the station. Car parking available in Amboise freeof charge, but it is not guarded.

End of Tour: The tour ends at Saumur on the morning of day 8. Return by train fromSaumur Rive Droite station (10 minutes walk or short taxi ride across the Loirebridge from the last hotel). Local train to Angers (30 mins) or Tours (1 hour).There are direct TGV services from both Angers and from Tours to each of (a)Paris Montparnasse (1.5 hours or 1 hour) for ORLY airport), (b) CDG airport(about 2 hours). Seat reservations are obligatory on TGV trains and asupplementary fare is payable for this.

Level of Difficulty
Grade: Wegrade this tour as easy; the region is hilly but there are no prolonged ascentsor descents and few steep gradients. Several of the days are however fairlylong and prospective travelers should bear this fact in mind. See distances indaily itinerary below.

Fitness:This walk should present no difficulties for anyone in reasonable condition andaccustomed to walking around 20km/12miles on generally good trails.

Day stages:In the region of 15km to 27km (9mi to 17mi) per day with little altitude gain,5 to 7 hours walking per day.

Waymarks: Thetrail follows in the main well-established paths, many of them with thedistinctive white/red/white GR waymarks, and presents no special difficultiesin normal conditions. Some of the forest trails can be muddy after rain.

Accommodation & Meals
Accommodation is mostly on a half boardbasis (breakfast and 5 evening meals) in country inns (several of them 2* &3*Logis de France approved) with one night in a well-appointed annex of one ofthe Relais et Chateaux chain of hotels. On two nights bed and breakfast onlyare included; on these nights an evening meal can be obtained close by. Picniclunches are not included in the tour cost but are available from hotels at acost of 8-10 Euros(US$11-13); alternatively picnic materials can be bought ateach of the towns and villages along the route. We indicate in the route noteswhere there are suitable restaurants or cafes for lunch stops, or recommend youcarry food if there are none convenient to the trail.

Night 1: Afine provincial wood beamed 2* Logis de France hotel with an excellentrestaurant serving exotically designed desserts at the heart of the historictown of Amboise, a short walk from Le Clos Luce, Leonardo da Vinci's lastresidence which contains a museum of models based on his designs. This waswhere he unenthusiastically sold his beloved Mona Lisa painting to the King ofFrance. Dinner at restaurant L’Ecluse.

Night 2: Acomfortable 2* Logis de France hotel in Chenonceaux, with wonderful exposedwooden beams and a magnificent fireplace in the dining room. The cuisine here is famed for its quality.

Night 3: Awell-appointed riverside annex of the Chateau d'Artigny, one of the famous'Relais et Chateaux' group of hotels. Dinner and breakfast in the chateauitself, which is situated on a bluff with a fine view over the river Indre. Thedinner has to be seen to be believed: an amazing assault on the senses! Shirtand tie are seriously recommended, as is a good penchant for wines.

Night 4: Asimple but welcoming Logis de France in the little town of Azay-le-Rideau, justa few minutes stroll from the famous Chateau built on an island in the riverIndre, where you can enjoy the “son et lumiere” (nightly from mid-May tomid-September). The castle appears to be floating upon the water. Bed andbreakfast only is included; there is a restaurant in the hotel and othersnearby.

Night 5: This 2* hotel offers a welcoming base fromwhich to explore the unique charm of medieval Chinon. Situated in the center oftown, close to the River Vienne. The comfortable rooms are individually styledand have ensuite facilities. Evening meal is taken at a nearby restaurant.

Night 6: A2* Logis de France close by the Abbaye de Fontevraud, the largest abbey inFrance, where the Plantageanet King Henry 11, Richard the Lionheart and KingJohn Lackland are buried. The hotel has a rural setting and character; therooms are arranged in a courtyard fashion. The restaurant is particularly fineand offers a traditional meal in the setting of a country hotel.

Night 7: Asmall hotel (2* Logis) in the center of the historic town of Saumur on thebanks of the Loire, close to the old town and the chateau. Bed and breakfast isincluded; there is a wide choice of restaurants nearby for that final dinner.

ITINERARY

The following itinerary is included as a working guide only and may be subject to variation depending on the weather and other factors. Time is allowed to visit chateaux and other sites of interest along the way, but entry fees are not included in the tour price.

Day 1: Travel to Amboise. The old town boasts the still impressive remnants of what was a magnificent chateau as well as Le Clos Luce, a redbrick manor house that was the home of the polymath Leonardo da Vinci for 3 years until his death in 1519. Chateau and Le Clos Luce (which incorporates a museum of models based on da Vinci's designs) are both open to the public, each visit requiring approx. 1 hour. Overnight in Amboise, a picturesque town on the south bank of the Loire.

Day 2: Walking through the Foret d'Amboise to Chenonceau where we can spend some time visiting one of the very finest of the Loire chateaux, the 'chateau shaped by women' which 'stretches across the River Cher in a perfect harmony of water, greenery, gardens and trees in a fine natural setting'. A visit takes up to 2 hours. About 4 hours walking to Chenonceau

Day 3: From Chenonceau we start with a short drive (included in tour price) through farmland from the valley of the Cher to that of the Indre and the village of Reignac The route then follows the GR46 along the valley, through fields of sunflowers to the village of Montbazon on the edge of the city of Tours. A highlight of the day is the ancient Gallo-Roman bridge, which carries the GR41 (here a narrow mule path through a forest), across a tributary of the Indre. The last part of the day from Veigne to Montbazon is rather suburban and can be avoided by taking a short taxi ride from Veigne. About 6.5 hours walking. 26km/16.25miles; can be shortened to 20.5km/12.8 miles - 5 hours by taking taxi from Veigne on to Montbazon.

Day 4: Today there are two alternatives: the first is to follow the GR3 (long-distance trail extending the entire length of the Loire valley) from Montbazon along the banks of the Indre to the next night's stop at the evocatively named Azay-le-Rideau (about 5.5 hours walking). On the way there is time to visit the former home of the novelist Balzac in the small chateau at Sache. 26.5km/16.6 miles/6 hours. The other alternative is to hire a taxi (about 30 Euros/US$40) to take you from Montbazon to the celebrated gardens at Villandry, one of the wonders of France. From Villandry it is about 3.5 hours walk past the confluence of the Rivers Cher and Loire and along picturesque woodland paths and quiet roads to Azay le Rideau. 14.5km/9.1 miles/3.5hours. Both Villandry and Azay are awarded the highest accolade of 'worth a journey' by the Michelin Guide. The son et lumiere display at the Chateau is highly recommended for a delightful and memorable, if relatively expensive (10 Euros/US$14) stroll after dinner. Overnight at Azay-le-Rideau.

Day 5: There is time for a brief daytime visit to the chateau of Azay, one of the gems of the Renaissance, before continuing our walk by way of the tiny village of St Benoit-la-Foret set in the midst of the vast forest of Chinon and on to Chinon itself, a mediaeval town dominated by the walls of its ruined castle and the center of a well-known wine-growing region. At 27 km (17 miles) this is the longest day of the tour, requiring at least 7 hours over undulating terrain. Overnight at Chinon.

Day 6: After visiting the chateau and its Jeanne d'Arc museum (1 to 2 hours) you cross the river Vienne and follow its left bank downstream for a few km before striking off across the Foret de Fontevraud to the celebrated abbey of that name, the most extensive set of monastic buildings in France. The 12th C abbey church houses the tombs of several Plantagenet royals. Overnight in a comfortable hotel just by the monastery. 16km/10 miles/4 hours

Day 7: We continue our walk to Montsoreau, at the confluence of the Vienne and the Loire, where the caves in the river cliffs are used for mushroom cultivation. From Montsoreau we continue through vineyards along the steep south bank of the Loire to Saumur, famous for its wines, its cavalry school, and its chateau overlooking the Loire. 20.5km/12.8 miles/5 hours. Overnight at Saumur. Bed and breakfast only.

Day 8: End of tour. Return by train from Saumur to Paris via Tours or Angers. On the way, if you have time, take the opportunity to break your journey and visit one of the historic cities of Angers, Tours or Blois.

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