French Castles Tour 

Chateaux of Paris and the Loire Valley

It is not yet the south.
And it is no longer the north:
It is a fine compromise,
A peaceful area
Where the two faces of France meet.

          –  Maurice Bedel
              La Touraine (1952)

Board your flight from your home destination to Paris, France.

This itinerary assumes this to be an overnight flight. 

Air fare independently arranged.

Arrival in Paris, France.

Individual transfer to your hotel in Paris.

Tonight you'll meet your travelling companions and tour director, and enjoy a welcome dinner in Montmartre, the artist district high above the city with great panoramic views.

>  Your tour includes: Transfer from airport to Paris hotel, welcome dinner with menu choices and wine (or, of course, something else), hotel in Paris

After breakfast, board your sparkling clean coach to go for a guided tour of VERSAILLES, perhaps the most famous palace in the world.  From 1682, when King Louis XIV moved from Paris, until the royal family was forced to return to the capital in 1789, the Court of Versailles was the centre of power in France.  Spend several hours visiting the Palace of Palaces and the famous gardens with the fountains.

In the afternoon we go up to the second floor of the EIFFEL TOWER for majestic views.  This tower, built for the 1889 World's Fair, is one of the most recognizable structures in the world and is the most visited paid monument anywhere.

Dinner tonight is on your own.

>  Buffet breakfast, door-to-door transportation, tour of Versailles, entrance to Eiffel Tower, hotel in Paris

We leave Paris this morning to visit nearby FONTAINEBLEAU.  Used by kings of France from the 12th century, the royal hunting lodge of Fontainebleau was enlarged and embellished in the 16th century by François I, combining Renaissance and French artistic traditions.

We continue on to ORLÉANS, the city which Joan of Arc liberated in 1429.  Breaking the English siege was one of the great episodes in the history of France, and marked the rebirth of a country and a people that were sinking into despair.  Enjoy free time here for lunch.

Later we continue to our new home - the Château de Razay in CÉRÉ LA RONDE, in the heart of the Loire Valley.  The chateau was built at the end of the 15th century and is surrounded by 85 acres of grounds and woodlands.

>   Buffet breakfast, door-to-door transportation, guided tour of Fontainebleau Castle, three-course dinner with menu choices, one beverage, and coffee or tea, hotel - Château de Razay in Céré La Ronde

In the morning we go first to visit nearby CHENONCEAU, the “Ladies Castle”.  This beautiful castle stretches along the River Cher in a harmonious natural setting of water, greenery, gardens and trees.  Over a period of 400 years this castle was shaped by women, royal wives, mistresses and queens.

We continue on to Amboise for lunch, and afterwards visit the CHÂTEAU D'AMBOISE, once a very important royal residence and home for several French kings.  The palace is a mix of Gothic and Renaissance architecture, and is now less than a third of the size it was in the 16th century.

Leonardo da Vinci lived nearby in MANOR CLOS-LUCÉ as a guest of King Francis.  We visit this palace, now a museum with period furniture, sketches and working models of the ideas of this renaissance genius.

>  Buffet breakfast, door-to-door transportation, entrance fees and guided tours of the above castles, three-course dinner, hotel - Château de Razay in Céré La Ronde

This morning our first visit is to the CHÂTEAU DE CHEVERNY.  The symmetric design and harmonious grandeur of the façade of are characteristic features of the period of Henri IV and Louis XIII.  The interior is sumptuously appointed, with beautiful furniture, sculptures, gilt work, marble and multi-coloured paneling.

We continue with a short ride to CHÂTEAU DE CHAMBORD, the largest by far of all the Loire chateaux, built on a scale foreshadowing that of the Palace of Versailles.

On to the Royal City of Blois where we visit the ROYAL CHÂTEAU DE BLOIS, the residence of several French kings.  Built in the middle of the town that it effectively controlled, the Château de Blois comprises several buildings constructed from the 13th to the 17th century around the main courtyard.

Free time for dinner in this beautiful city on the hillside overlooking the river Loire where many of the medieval streets still remain.

>  Buffet breakfast, door-to-door transportation, entrance fees and tours of the above castles, hotel - Château de Razay in Céré La Ronde

Today we visit CHÂTEAU DE VILLANDRY, one of the last great Renaissance chateaux to be built in the Loire.  Villandry’s international fame is based largely on its gardens, among the most fascinating in all of France and Europe.

In the afternoon we drive to TOURS, the capital of Touraine, a thriving economic and cultural centre.   Go for a stroll in Place Plumereau, a picturesque and animated square, once a marketplace, lined with 15th century timber-framed houses alternating with stone facades.  Enjoy a café au lait in the square and get your final Loire Valley souvenirs.

Tonight we are having a nice dinner in a medieval village.

>  Buffet breakfast, door-to-door transportation, entrance fees and tours of the above castles, three-course dinner, hotel - Château de Razay in Céré La Ronde

We leave the Loire Valley this morning and head north again to Paris.

After free time for lunch we board a River Boat for a nice cruise on the SEINE RIVER.  We see many of the city's most famous landmarks from the river and pass under many of the three dozen bridges over the river in Paris.

Our cruise is followed by an inside guided tour of NOTRE DAME CATHEDRAL, widely considered one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture.  This cathedral, constructed over the period from 1163 to 1345, was among the first buildings in the world to use the flying buttress arched exterior supports.

A short ride to your overnight hotel near the Charles de Gaulle (CDG) airport in Roissy.  Enjoy a great farewell dinner and celebrate a wonderful week in France with your travelling companions.

>  Buffet breakfast, door-to-door transportation, Seine River cruise, Notre Dame guide fees, three-course dinner, hotel in Paris-Roissy

After breakfast individual transfers to catch your homebound flight, which arrives the same day.

>  Buffet breakfast, transfer to Airport

Astrid Baur has successfully conducted over 200 tours throughout Europe and is very familiar with France and the French language, customs and traditions.

You will see not only the highlights but also the spots where only the locals go.  The days are well planned to offer you many highlights, but you are not rushed.

The tour language is English only.

Astrid organizes the tour personally, and you can contact her directly as explained in the Contact Information section below.

Astrid has posted a short video clip on YouTube introducing herself and her tours.            >  Castles Intro Video

Comments, experiences and recommendations from guests on the May and June 2009 Bavarian Castles and July 2009 Kids and Castles Tours are featured in the European Castles Tours  References Video .