Where you sleep in the Loire decides how much of your trip is spent in a car or on a train. The valley is wide, the châteaux are spread out and the towns are small, so it pays to choose a base that matches the way you want to travel. These are the four options, tied to hotels we recommend.
Tours: the best base for trains and evenings
Tours is the largest city in the valley, with the best rail links and the liveliest evenings around Place Plumereau. From Tours you can reach Amboise, Chenonceaux, Azay-le-Rideau and Blois by regional train, so it suits visitors without a car. For comfort and convenience, Oceania L’Univers is a grand four-star hotel a couple of minutes from the station, with a spa that is welcome after a day in the cold. For a low budget, ibis budget Tours Centre Gare is five minutes from the station, with simple rooms, breakfast and parking on site. Choose Tours if you want choice of restaurants, a city feel and the easiest travel.
Amboise: the best base for Leonardo and Chenonceau
Amboise is the small, pretty town under its royal château, with Clos Lucé a short walk away and Chenonceau close by. It is quieter than Tours and more romantic in the evening, and it has trains to Tours and Blois. Best Western Le Vinci Loire Valley is a mid-range three-star hotel a few minutes from the château by car, with a private car park, a garden terrace and bicycle hire, which suits families and cyclists. Choose Amboise if you want a village atmosphere and the shortest distances to the main sights.
Blois: the best base for Chambord and Cheverny
Blois has its own royal château and is the nearest large town to Chambord and Cheverny. Hôtel Anne de Bretagne is a friendly three-star hotel facing Victor Hugo park, about six hundred metres from the château and close to the station, with a bicycle shelter and good value. Choose Blois if your priorities are Chambord and Cheverny, and if you will use a car or a tour for them.
A château-hotel in the countryside: the splurge
For a night to remember, Château de Pray at Chargé offers nineteen rooms in a wooded park with formal gardens and a one-Michelin-star restaurant, a few minutes from Amboise. You will need a car or a taxi, and the setting is the point. In November the pool is closed and the garden is bare, so go for the restaurant and the quiet, and confirm that the hotel is open for your dates.
How to choose
If you have three nights, split them: two in Tours or Amboise for the main châteaux and one in a château-hotel as a treat. If you have a car, Amboise and the countryside give the most atmosphere. If you do not, Tours is the safest choice. In low season, rates fall in all four places, and breakfast is often the extra to check. Whatever you pick, confirm opening dates, parking and the reception hours when you book.
