Loire Valley itinerary - Fall 2023

My recent trip to France was very special. This was my first “family trip” with my parents and my sister since our week-long trip to Puerto Rico back in 2016. Since they have been residing in Taiwan for the last fifteen years, I have not gotten to see them too often. So when they planned on visiting the United States, I convinced them to tag on a mini-vacation to Europe or northern Africa. After much consideration, I decided on France due to the ease of travel. The Loire Valley, in particular, seems particularly attractive. With hundreds of châteaus and gardens to pick from, the Loire Valley may be an ideal destination for slow travel.

France may be the most popular country for tourism, but I somehow avoided visiting France for more than ten years. While I genuinely enjoyed my previous visits to the country, I distinctively remember how standoffish the French seemed to foreign visitors. Perhaps it was wrong of me to make an assumption of the whole nation solely based on my time in Paris. Fast forward to twelve years, I was eager to see whether my experience of the French had changed. Maybe the slower pace of rural France would be more of our jam?

Day 1 - New York - Paris - Chartres

I landed at Charles de Gaulle Airport an hour before my parents’ flights in Asia. I greeted them at the baggage claim. I had to break the news that my sister would not join us because of a last-minute COVID-19 infection. We purposefully withheld that information to minimize their worry. They were disappointed and hoped she would be able to join us upon recovery a few days later.

After picking up the rental car, we drove southwest toward Chartres. For architects educated in the Western tradition, Chartres’s main cathedral is a sacred ground. It is considered the granddaddy of Gothic architecture and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Before checking into Mercure Chartres Centre Cathédrale Hotel, we walked around the historic center and had lunch at Bistrot Racines Chartres. The restaurant’s terrace has a beautiful view of the cathedral. Staring at the church I read so much about, I had to pinch myself. After lunch, we toured the cathedral and admired all the little architectural elements in the textbook. That said, I was dismayed to see the “restoration effort” done to the cathedral, which essentially whitewashed the historic interior.

We all took the opportunity to freshen up after checking into the hotel. We were all tempted to take a power nap. Before we knew it, it was almost time for dinner. To change it up a bit, I booked a table at Cobalt, a Middle Eastern restaurant. What drew me here was again a view of the front facade of the cathedral. One of the most exciting activities in Chartes is its nightly sound and night show called Chartres en lumières. Fifteen of the city’s landmarks are lit up with mesmerizing animation. The engineering and artistry of the show was breathtaking.

Day 2 - Chartres - Bloise - Amboise

Sadly, the weather this morning was not particularly pleasant. We ventured into the city center to get pastries from one of the boulangeries we walked by yesterday. It was Paul, a French bakery chain with outlets in numerous countries, including Taiwan. After bidding farewell to Chartres, we were finally on our way to Loire Valley. Our first stop was the royal city of Bloise. We were ready for lunch at Chez Soan when we arrived in town. The riverfront location immediately put us at ease.

With so little time left in the afternoon, we made a beeline to the royal château. Right across from its front entrance is the Robert-Houdin House of Magic, known for its ensemble of automation dragons that pop out of the windows every half an hour. I was disappointed they were not operational because of the museum’s temporary closure. Fortunately, the Château Royal de Blois was open; we were thrilled to visit our first château on this trip. The castle is a high example of French Renaissance architecture and includes an unusual staircase said to have been designed by Leonardo da Vinci. During my visit, I accidentally broke my camera. Since we were at the beginning of the trip, I decided to pick up a new lens immediately. Luckily, I could pick up a replacement at an in-town camera shop.

It was already late when we reached Amboise, our home, for the next three days. The host, Carolene, at Gîtes Les Charmilles, was very welcoming and immediately put us at ease. The guesthouse has all the amenities we need for an extended stay. It just so happened that we had a reservation at Les Arpents, one of the restaurants she highly recommended. This Micheline-rated restaurant was fabulously French. I wished we were all less jetlagged to appreciate the three-course meal fully.

Day 3 - Amboise - Chenonceau - Amboise

The weather in France during this time of the year was unpredictable. When I learned from the forecast that we might get some sun later in the afternoon, I knew it was time to tackle a famous château. Many believe Château de Chenonceau is the finest château in Lore Valley. Travel writer Rick Steves even calls it the “toast of the Loire.” It combines architectural graces, fabulous gardens, and great drama into one manageable package. After spending about six hours on the ground, I could echo other’s assessments. From the lunch at the canteen to a stroll to their extensive flower workshop, Chenonceau is a great introduction to Loire Valley.

With a few hours left in the afternoon, we returned to Amboise and paid a visit to Château du Clos Lucé, the former residence of King Charles VIII and Renaissance master Leonardo da Vinci. The actual château was a little underwhelming, to be honest. The highlight for most would be the enormous park with life-size models of his engineering genius. Although we were too exhausted to explore the whole park, watching all the kids playing with a few models gave us a glimpse into the joy of this place. We had a reservation at L'Ecluse for dinner. My parents just realized that dinner in France always takes a few hours.

Day 4 - Amboise - Chambord - Amboise

Once again, we had another day of fabulous weather today. We were ready to tackle Château de Chambord, the largest castle in Loire Valley. This royal hunting lodge was a class of its own in terms of size and grandeur. Even from our breakfast table at Grill Bar Le Saint Louis, we could appreciate the majesty of this “hunting lodge.” Chambord’s grand size applies not only to the château but also to the immense hunting ground, said to be larger than the confine of medieval Paris. With more than four hundred rooms, there was enough space to spend an entire day walking through the endless rooms and the gardens.

For me, the highlight would be the walk along the rooftop parapet. The vista toward the hunting ground gave us a glimpse into the hunting operations at the time. It would have been fun to rent bikes or a golf cart to cruise around the hunting grounds. As it turned out, we spent the entire day at Chambord. Before we realized it, it was already dinner time. So few visitors lingered this late in the day. There was just one restaurant open for dinner. Sure enough, it was fully booked well ahead of time. We ended up at La Taverne, next to a busy expressway. The food was good, but it reminded me of a French version of the Danny’s.

Day 5 - Amboise - Azay-le-Rideau - Fontevraud-l'Abbaye

After check-out, we finally made time to explore Amboise. The primary attraction in town is the Château Royal d'Amboise. This impressive fortress was home to King Henry I, the monarch who brought the Renaissance to France. On the ground is also the chapel that houses the alleged tomb of Leonard da Vinci. Sadly, the chapel was under renovation, so we missed the chance to pay respect to this Renaissance master. To my surprise, my parents said this château is their favorite thus far, more than Chambord or Chenonceau.

After lunch at La Réserve by the foot of the castle, we stopped at Château d'Azay-le-Rideau. Surrounded by a picturesque moat, this small château is a perfect example of a leisure castle masquerading as a military fortress. While the interior has been beautifully appointed, most visitors are more keen to take postcard-perfect photos from the outside. My favorite was walking through the unfinished attic, admiring the heavy timber framing.

Of all the places we stayed during this trip, no place was as magical as Fontevraud L'Hôtel. Situated within the walls of the Royal Abbey of Fontevraud, this hotel has been tastefully renovated by designer duo Patrick Jouin and Sanjit Manku. But what truly sets this place apart is that guests were free to roam around the abbey grounds even after closing times. It is unlike any hotel that I ever stayed at. By the time we arrived, it was already pretty late. After a short stroll around the abbey, we headed to the nearby village of Montsoreau for dinner. Ververt was my favorite restaurant on this trip.

Day 6 - Fontevraud-l'Abbaye - Saumur - Montsoreau - Fontevraud-l'Abbaye

The weather today was not particularly great, so we took this morning to take a slower pace. We decided to have breakfast at the hotel and soak in the tranquil ambiance. Afterward, we took our time to explore various corners of the abbey. The abbey’s history is more layered and interesting than most could imagine. In addition to being a Benedictine abbey, it was also a prison and royal necropolis. It may just be my favorite historic site of all time.

Thanksfully, the sky began to clear following a quick lunch at La Terrasse Gourmande. It gave us the motivation to venture outside the abbey. Our first stop is the city of Saumur and the Château de Saumur. This castle may not be famous, but it is probably one of the most good-looking in France. Afterward, we made a detour to Château de Montsoreau. This modest riverside castle houses an ultra-contemporary art collection. The juxtaposition with the historical surroundings was jarring.

Before dinner, we returned to Saumur for a stroll around the historical city center. I am always delighted to discover that many of Europe’s “lesser known” are as pretty as many tourist magnets like Bruges or Gdansk. Following our dinner at Restaurant Reine Sicile Saumur, it was time to return to the abbey. While my parents were winding down at the hotel, I spent an hour or two wandering the halls of the abbey. It was a surreal museum experience. Spending time with the tombs of Richard the Lionheart and Eleanor of Aquitaine was something I could never forget.

Day 7 - Fontevraud-l'Abbaye - Saumur - Chinon - Loches

Making the best of another morning of bad weather, we headed underground at the Mushroom Museum in Saumur. Unbeknown to most visitors, Anjou is France’s largest-producing region for mushrooms. The plethora of underground caves and suitable moisture levels made this area ideal for fungus cultivation. While the museum was not unique, it was a nice break from all the historical sites. After an hour or two underground, we headed a few hundred meters north to The Gardens of Puygirault. This mid-size garden is designed for plant lovers, allowing visitors to be up close and personal with fruit trees, vegetables, and flowers. My dad was in heaven.

The Château de Chinon, and the river Vienne.

By the time we finished the garden, it was already past lunchtime. Since we still had quite a bit of driving ahead, we stopped at a McDonald’s for lunch. On our way to Loches, we made a stop in Chinon. This pint-sized town is a popular home base for exploring Lore Valley. Once a royal city, Chinon is famous for being the meeting place between Joan of Arc and King Charle VII of France. A visit to the hilltop fortress is a must for history lovers. I only wished we had more time to explore this charming village.

It was about an hour’s drive from Chinon to Loches, another royal city associated with Joan of Arc. Loches is a lesser-known destination among foreign travelers and a much-appreciated break from the tourism trail. Best Western Premier Hotel de la Cite Royale is housed inside the city’s former courthouse and will be our home for the next two nights. With not much planned, we grabbed dinner at the hotel restaurant, La Cour des Saveurs.

Day 8 - Loches - Tours - Loches

I had a special mission today! I got a text from my sister two days ago that her COVID-19 infection had passed, and she was cleared to travel. She booked a last-minute ticket to Paris and will meet us in Tours, the largest city in the Loire Valley. Just like the news about her infection, we decided to hide the news and have her surprise my parents. I had to make an excuse why it would be necessary to drive fifty minutes north to a big city to do laundry. Luckily, they did not suspect a thing, so we managed to pull off a surprise for them at Starbucks opposite Tours City Hall.

Since we were already in Tours to meet up with her, we might as well spend a few hours exploring the city. Among travelers, Tours does not exactly have the best reputation. Most visitors and guidebooks recommend staying in smaller towns like Amboise and Bloise. Because Tours is a sizeable city, much of the charming historical core is now enveloped by the modern city. Granted that it was not New York or Milan, but it was not as quaint as most other cities in France. However, I must admit that I was wrong. Tours turned out to be a wonderful place to spend a day; it seemed like the type of place one would want to move to, not just to visit.

While Tours may not have nearly as many historic monuments as other places, we were surprised how often we discovered grand monuments hidden in plain sight. The historic core of Tours is centered around Place Plumereau. It was a convivial theme with outdoor cafes. The medieval timber buildings lining the square made us forget that this was a city of 130,000. After finishing our laundry, we enjoyed a business lunch at La Rissole and a leisure stroll through the city. I honestly wished we had a full day in Tours.

We had a few hours back in Loches to explore this royal city. We were disappointed to learn that the city’s château has closed, and we had to give it another try tomorrow. It was remarkable to see just how few foreigners bothered to visit Loche. It felt as if we had the whole town to ourselves. Indeed, this was the only town we visited that is not in my Rick Steve’s guidebook. We capped our day with dinner at Le Prosper.

Day 9 - Loches - Veigné

The weather this morning was amazing! After the hotel check-out, we returned to Jardin Public de Loches for photo-ops and another try for the Château de Loches. The “château” is divided into two sections: the Royal Lodge and the Keep. Compared to other château we visited thus far, the Royal Lodge was a little underwhelming. I think the “chateau fatigue” finally set in for us. My parents had difficulty keeping track of all the chateaus we visited on this trip. That said, the views from the terraces more than made up for the lackluster interior.

The Royal Lodge of the Château de Loches.

After lunch at L'Entracte, we made our way to the keep. This is supposedly one of the most formidable keeps in Medieval Europe. Not much of the interiors survived. The interior was the jail sail for Ludovico Sforza, the infamous Duke of Milan, made famous by the Borgias. After his defeat by the French, Sforza was imprisoned and died here. There is a special exhibition on his time in her at the nearby La Chancellerie de Loches. This additional dose of history makes our time here very memorable.

Hôtel Restaurant Domaine de la Tortinière.

For a taste of château living, we booked a night at one of the many château hotels. Hôtel Domaine de la Tortinière may not be the most impressive château, but it is small enough to give us an intimate sense of domesticity. I have read that the hotel restaurant has a stellar reputation and is listed in the Michelin Guide. It is arguably the fanciest dinner we have yet on this trip. It was not more expensive than a typical dinner in New York City.

Day 10 - Veigné - Villandry - Mont Saint-Michel

Given the gentile ambiance of the château, we opted to have breakfast at their restaurant. The restaurant was basked in natural light and beautiful. The breakfast was wonderfully curated with local specialties and was genuinely wonderful. But it still pained me to hear my dad saying that this was his favorite meal in France. Yes, it was even better than the Michelin dinner last night for him. I believe my dad began to come around to France after more than a week of travel.

Our prime destination of the day was Château de Villandry. This grand 17th-century estate is reputed to have the best garden in Loire Valley. The château itself is worth a visit, but it could not compare to the grandeur of its magnificent garden. A garden enthusiast, my dad was in heaven. I have never seen him so enthralled. The garden is segmented into many sections, each with a unique design and philosophical approach. Villandry is a highlight of Loire Valley, even for somebody not into gardening.

After a late lunch at La Doulce Terrasse, we were ready for the three-hour drive to Mont St-Michel. Before leaving town, we stopped by Savonnerie Soap'erlipopette to pick up dozens of artisan soaps. My mom has been stressed about buying gifts for friends and family. Homemade body products seem like the perfect gifts from France.

The flood control gate at the mouth of Couesnon River.

The drive to Mont St-Michel was relatively uneventful for the most part. But as we crossed into Normandy, there was a change in scenery and architecture. Soon enough, Mont St-Michel’s silhouette appeared on the horizon. Before checking in at Mercure Mont St-Michel, we stopped by the lookout point at the mouth of Couesnon River. We were disappointed we missed the sunset, but the view was magnificent nonetheless. Because this place is such a magnet of tourism, getting a table for dinner was more difficult than we imagined. We had to check several places before getting a table at Le Bisqu'in. The buckets of mussels were a great end to our day.

Day 11 - Mont Saint-Michel - Pacy-sur-Eure

I woke up early in the morning to get to the mouth of Couesnon to watch Mont Saint-Michel at sunrise. Considering the unpredictability of the Norman weather, we were lucky today with a crisp blue sky and gentle breezes. We started our walk toward the island just after breakfast. The thirty-minute walk was a joy. Because today happened to have the lowest tide of the month, we could walk along the sandy shores around the island without worrying about the tidal schedule. The tidal planes surrounding the island were breathtaking, like a beautiful abstract painting.

Even knowing Mont Saint-Michel is the second most visited site in France (after the Eiffel Tower), I was unprepared for the crowd of tourists jamming every nook and cranny of the island. It went without saying that finding a restaurant for lunch without a prior reservation was next to impossible. We grabbed some crepes and sandwiches at La Coquille, which were surprisingly good given its location. The trip to Mont Saint-Michel would be complete without a visit to the hilltop abbey. The massive structure is an artistic masterpiece and an engineering triumph. It is now among my favorite churches that I have ever been to.

It was already late by the time we were ready to leave Mont Saint-Michel. Since it was a three-hour drive to where we would stay in Pacy-Sur-Eure, we opted for dinner at a roadside McDonald’s. It was not the final dinner we envisioned in our head. We did not arrive at Hotel Bel Ami Normandie until after ten o’clock. Although it was a lot of driving to visit Mont Saint-Michel, it was worth it ultimately.

Day 12 - Pacy-sur-Eure - Giverny - Paris - New York

To my surprise, everyone agreed this was their favorite hotel on this trip. The idyllic riverside location makes it a perfect setting to enjoy our final breakfast in France. The last site on this trip is Giverny, the former home and gardens of the impressionist painter Claude Monet. Considering my father’s passion for gardens and horticulture, a visit to Governy was a fitting exclamation point for this epic family trip. That said, I can’t say I enjoyed the garden that much. The garden appeared to be messy at first glance. It was a far cry from the manicured French gardens we visited in the past week. The hordes of tourists from big bus tours also made our visit less than desirable.

The infamous lily pond of Giverny Garden.

It actually took me an hour or two to begin appreciating the beauty of this place. I realized the “messiness” of Giverny was an inspiration for the later part of Monet’s storied career. My dad loved the visit. We could tell this was the highlight of his trip. After the visit, we took a leisurely late lunch at La Parenthèse nearby. With our flight leaving at seven o’clock, we had just enough time for a 90-minute drive to Orly Airport. I am so glad how great this trip turned out. I can’t wait to return to France soon.

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