FAQs About the Chambord & Chenonceau Day Tour from Paris

The Chambord & Chenonceau day tour is a 13-hour small-group day trip from Paris operated by LinkParis.com. You travel by TGV from Paris to Tours, visit Chenonceau and Chambord castles with a guide, and eat lunch with Loire wines at a private château. The tour returns you to Paris the same evening.

The tour costs $325 per person. With round-trip 2nd class rail from Paris included, the price is $485 per person. With round-trip 1st class rail included, the price is $565 per person.

The tour price includes admission to both Chambord and Chenonceau castles, lunch with Loire wines at Château de Villesavin, guided touring, and modern, air-conditioned minivan transportation within the Loire Valley. The $485 and $565 packages add round-trip TGV rail between Paris and Tours in 2nd or 1st class.

Groups are capped at 8 travelers. LinkParis.com runs all of its scheduled tours as small-group tours.

The tour lasts 13 hours. It departs Paris before 8:00 a.m. and returns in time for a late dinner.

The tour runs Tuesday through Sunday.

The regular season runs April 1 through October 31. Winter visits are available by special arrangement and depend on the rotation of low-season castle closures.

Yes. Any scheduled LinkParis.com tour can be made private. Contact LinkParis.com for private pricing and details.

The tour departs from Gare Montparnasse in Paris. You take a morning TGV from Montparnasse to Tours, where your guide meets you.

Departure from Paris is before 8:00 a.m. Exact train times vary by date.

The TGV from Paris to Tours takes less than one hour. Local trains are significantly slower, and Sunday trains can take longer.

You meet your guide at the tourist office near the Tours rail station. The tourist office is a two-minute walk from the station.

You travel between castles and the lunch stop in a modern, air-conditioned minivan.

No. You can book the tour alone for $325 and arrange your own rail travel. If you buy your own tickets, confirm exact train times with LinkParis.com first. Rail-inclusive bookings receive e-tickets as a PDF to print at home or save to your phone.

Last-minute and peak-season TGV fares sometimes run higher than the listed package prices. LinkParis.com contacts you before finalizing the booking if that is the case.

Your guide drops you at the Tours rail station for the one-hour TGV ride back to Paris. You arrive in Paris in time for a late dinner.

The tour visits Château de Chambord and Château de Chenonceau, two of the most renowned castles in the Loire Valley. Lunch is at a third castle, the privately owned Château de Villesavin.

Chambord is the largest castle in the Loire Valley. King François I built it as a hunting retreat. The design is officially credited to architect Philippe Delorme, and some believe Leonardo da Vinci influenced its architecture.

Chenonceau stands on the site of a medieval mill on the River Cher and was destroyed and rebuilt several times between the 11th and 16th centuries. It is best known for the arched bridge that carries the château across the river. After Versailles, it is the most visited castle in France.

Lunch is at Château de Villesavin, a privately owned family estate built by Jean le Breton. You explore its rooms and grounds, then sit down to lunch paired with locally produced Loire wines. The resident countess often hosts the meal.

Yes. Lunch comes with locally produced Loire wines. On certain dates, an extensive wine tasting replaces the castle lunch, with lunch available to buy.

Yes. LinkParis.com also runs a Villandry day tour, a Loire wine and castle tour, an e-bike castle tour, a 2-night Loire Valley overnight trip, and multi-day Loire cycling tours.

The tour operates in the Loire Valley around Tours, about one hour southwest of Paris by TGV. The region holds the largest concentration of Renaissance châteaux in France.

Book on the tour page at LinkParis.com. The small-group departures often sell out, so book early to secure your preferred date.

Cancellations more than 7 days before the tour date are 100% refundable. Cancellations 7 to 3 days before the tour date are 50% refundable. Cancellations less than 3 days before are non-refundable. The full policy is on the LinkParis.com cancellation policy page.

Yes. LinkParis.com tours are conducted in English.

Ask Maud, the LinkParis.com AI assistant available on the tour page, for instant answers. You can also reach LinkParis.com by email, WhatsApp, or phone at 424-386-5222.

No. The tour starts with the TGV departure from Gare Montparnasse, so you make your own way to the station. Within the Loire Valley, all transportation is provided.

Yes. Admission to both Chambord and Chenonceau is included in the tour price.

Book early. The tour runs with a maximum of 8 travelers per departure and often sells out.