Paris to Loire Valley by Train

TGV From Montparnasse to Tours and Saint-Pierre-des-Corps

The Tours tourist office counts about 25 TGV connections a day between Paris Montparnasse and Tours in about 1 hour. Most of these TGVs do not enter Tours station, which is a terminus, and instead stop at Saint-Pierre-des-Corps, the through station on the edge of Tours. The two stations are linked by short rail shuttles, so you can reach central Tours from either. Saint-Pierre-des-Corps is the useful stop for Amboise, which the chateau puts at about 20 km away, and it is also the change point for the 25-minute TER ride to Chenonceaux. Chenonceau quotes the Montparnasse to Saint-Pierre-des-Corps leg at about 1 hour.

Tours sits about 238 km from Paris by road, which shows how much time the TGV saves. Tours station is also a stop on the TER Centre-Val de Loire line running Nantes, Angers, Tours, Blois and Orléans, so once you are in Touraine you can move between towns by regional train.

Regional Trains From Austerlitz to Blois, Onzain and Amboise

The Blois-Chambord tourist office puts Blois at 1h30 from Paris by train, while the Cheverny estate quotes 1h40 for the same Paris Austerlitz to Blois-Chambord journey, so allow between the two. From Blois-Chambord station it is about 500 metres to the Blois chateau, the easiest castle-to-platform walk in the valley.

Further along the line, Onzain serves Chaumont-sur-Loire at 1h40 from Paris Austerlitz and just 20 minutes from Saint-Pierre-des-Corps, with the domain about 2 km from the station. Amboise is about 1.5 hours from Paris by train, either by regional train from Paris Austerlitz or by TGV to Saint-Pierre-des-Corps. Paris Austerlitz to Tours by regional train takes about 2 hours.

The Chambord estate quotes 80 minutes from Paris by train. For everything that is not rail, the main Paris to Loire Valley guide covers driving, buses and flights.

Bikes and Regional Connections

All Rémi regional trains allow bicycles on board, which turns the train into a cycling tool. France Vélo Tourisme counts about 10 trains a day at Amboise station that accept bikes towards Tours, Blois and Orléans, and about 10 a day at both Blois and Onzain stations. Tours station has about six bike-accepting trains a day towards Nantes, Angers and Orléans.

Regional trains also connect Amboise, Chenonceaux and Chinon on the TER network, so you can chain chateaux without a car. Villandry sits 500 metres from the Loire à Vélo route and 15 km from Tours by bike. If you plan to ride between castles, the Loire Valley bike tour guide has the route details and rental tips.

Station to Chateau at a Glance

Blois and Chenonceaux are the two stations with a stated short walk to the chateau. Amboise is also a walking arrival, with the chateau above the town. Chambord, Chaumont, Azay-le-Rideau and Villandry need a bus, a longer walk or a bike to close the gap.

The Rémi Line 2 Bus to Chambord

Chambord is the one big chateau that no train reaches directly, and the Rémi line 2 bus from Blois-Chambord station is the year-round fix. It runs year-round and takes about 35 minutes. Buses leave Blois station at 9:20 and 12:20 and return from Chambord at 13:10 and 17:00, so a same-day return is possible if you catch the 9:20 out.

The fare has two official versions. The Rémi site and the Blois-Chambord tourist office quote €3.40 single and €6.80 return, while the Chambord estate quotes €3.30 single and €6.60 return. Either way it is cheap. A Rémi bus ticket also earns a discount on Chambord entry, and the Chambord estate sells a Rémi Pack combining train, shuttle bus and discounted entry.

Cyclists can take the bus, but only with a reservation. The Rémi site allows up to 8 bikes by reservation on 0 806 70 33 33, booked by 17:00 the day before, while the Chambord estate quotes up to 6 bikes on the same shuttle under the same deadline. Book for the smaller number to be safe. Chambord itself has more than 25 km of bike paths, free bike parking, an e-bike charging point and a repair station near car park P0, so riding the last stretch is a real option.

Walking Arrivals at Chenonceau, Blois and Amboise

Chenonceaux station is the shortest walk of all, about 400 metres from the chateau ticket office, reached by the 25-minute TER from Tours. Chenonceau is open every day of the year, from 9:00 (9:30 in winter) with closing between 16:30 and 19:00 depending on the season.

Blois-Chambord station sits about 500 metres from the chateau, with the bus station opposite for onward shuttles. Blois is open 9:00 to 18:30 from April to September, and a self-guided visit takes 1 to 1.5 hours. At Amboise the chateau overlooks the town and the station area, and the Amboise tourist office describes the arrival as 1.5 hours from Paris by train. Amboise closes for a lunch break in the depths of winter, 12:30 to 14:00 in early and late winter, but runs 9:00 to 19:00 in July and August. Full opening details for each castle are in the individual guides to Chenonceau, Blois and Amboise.

Plan One: Tours Plus Chenonceau

Take an early TGV from Paris Montparnasse to Tours or Saint-Pierre-des-Corps, about 1 hour. At Tours change to the TER towards Chenonceaux, 25 minutes, which drops you 400 metres from the Chenonceau ticket office. The chateau opens at 9:00 in summer and 9:30 in winter and the park covers 70 hectares and includes a maze of 2,000 yew trees.

Chenonceau has a self-service restaurant in the Dômes building, open daily from mid-March to mid-November, plus a crêperie and picnic areas, so you do not need to leave the site for food. Return on a later TER to Tours and connect to the TGV back to Montparnasse. If the train timings feel tight, the Chenonceau and Chambord day trip from Tours or Amboise does the driving for you.

Plan Two: Blois Plus Chambord

Take a regional train from Paris Austerlitz to Blois-Chambord, 1h30 to 1h40. The Blois chateau is 500 metres from the platform, and it opens 9:00 to 18:30 from April to September, 10:00 to 17:00 in winter, with last entry 30 minutes before closing. A self-guided visit takes 1 to 1.5 hours, which leaves a margin before the shuttle.

Catch the 12:20 Rémi line 2 bus from Blois station, about 35 minutes to Chambord, arriving early afternoon. Chambord stays open to 18:00 in high season and 17:00 in low season, and the estate says to allow at least an hour and a half for the essentials, about four hours with the gardens. Catch the 17:00 return bus, then an evening train to Paris. The outbound buses leave Blois at 9:20 and 12:20 only. Check Chambord's low-season Monday closures before you fix the day, and read the full Chambord guide for what is open inside.

Tours and Amboise Departures

The pick for train travelers is the Chenonceau and Chambord day trip from Tours and Amboise at $231 per person. It runs 9 hours, takes up to 8 people in a minivan, and includes entry tickets and guided visits at both Chenonceau and Chambord with 2.5 hours in Amboise for lunch. Meals are not included.

Ophorus runs an alternative Chenonceau and Chambord day from Tours at $240, an 8-hour day with tickets, guided visits and an English-speaking licensed guide, departing from in front of the Tours tourism office. From Amboise, the Chambord and Chenonceau tour with lunch at a chateau costs $268, lasts 8.5 hours and includes entrance fees plus lunch at Chateau de Villesavin. For the gardens side of the river, the Villandry and Azay-le-Rideau half-day from Tours costs $131 for 4 hours with entrance fees included, and Tours is about an hour from Paris by TGV. Compare all of them against the site's day trips from Paris if you would rather skip the train entirely.

Tickets and Prices

The table lists the entry ticket for each chateau with its starting price and the rating travellers gave it on the booking page. Prices change by date and option, so the final figure shows at checkout.