France's Loire Valley is well served by public transportation, though if you wish to wander along the river and visit several châteaux, you will probably want to rent/hire a car for a day or two. You can usually take delivery of your reserved car at or near any SNCF train station.

Train

Paris - Orléans

TER trains connect Paris's Gare d'Austerlitz with Orléans in about 110 minutes, stopping at numerous towns along the way. Intercité trains run nonstop from Paris's Gare d'Austerlitz to Orléans and Amboise in about 90 minutes. In Orléans you can connect with TER Interloire regional trains to reach other cities and towns (see below).

Paris - Tours

TGV trains connect Paris's Gare Montparnasse with the Gare de St Pierre des Corps near Tours, the largest city in the Loire Valley (map). In Tours you can connect with TER Interloire regional trains (see below) to reach other cities and towns.

TER Interloire Regional Trains

TER Interloire regional trains run all the way from the Atlantic coast at Le Croisic via Nantes, Angers, Saumur and Tours to Orléans, connecting with local trains to Langeais, Amboise, Blois—Chambord and Beaugency.

Bus

Ouibus, isilines and eurolines intercity buses connect Tours and Orléans with other cities in France and Europe.

Touraine Fil Vert regional buses go to several smaller Loire Valley towns, including Amboise, Azay-le-Rideau, Chenonceaux, Chinon, Langeais, Noizay, Villandry and Vouvray. More...

Plane

The Aéroport Tours Val de Loire (TUF), 7 km (4 miles) north of the center of Tours, serves flights to and from London (Stansted), Marseille, Porto, Marrakech and other domestic and international routes. More...

Car Rental/Hire

The easiest way to visit a variety of Loire Valley châteaux is in your own hire/rental car. Check for rates, locations and availability here:

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Transport in France Amboise Blois Chinon Tours Châteaux of the Loire Châteaux Groups Loire Valley Paris