Mon 29 Jun 2026

Chenonceau + Amboise + Chambord

📍 Loire Valley ⚡️ Medium closed 🛣 189.4 km 💶 €335 5 stops

Timeline

How to get there

🚗 driving 6 min · 1.7 km

City Résidence — boulangerie breakfast → Grocery run — E.Leclerc / Carrefour, Tours
Open in Google Maps →
Step-by-step
1. Head northwest on Rue Édouard Vaillant toward Rue Jean-Bernard Jacquemin 1 min · 338 m
2. At the roundabout, take the 1st exit onto Rue Marcel Tribut 1 min · 193 m
3. Turn left onto Rue Dublineau 1 min · 238 m
4. Turn left onto Bd Heurteloup 2 min · 429 m
5. Turn right onto Rue Buffon 1 min · 352 m
6. Turn left onto Rue Emile ZolaDestination will be on the right 1 min · 176 m
🚗 driving 41 min · 35.8 km

Grocery run — E.Leclerc / Carrefour, Tours → Chateau de Chenonceau
Open in Google Maps →
Step-by-step
1. Head west on Rue Emile Zola 0 min · 29 m
2. Continue onto Rue Néricault Destouches 1 min · 100 m
3. Turn right onto Rue des Déportés 1 min · 120 m
4. Turn right onto Rue des Halles 1 min · 98 m
5. Continue onto Rue de la Scellerie 1 min · 167 m
6. Turn left onto Rue Voltaire 1 min · 318 m
7. Turn right onto Av. André Malraux 3 min · 1.1 km
8. At the roundabout, take the 1st exit onto Av. Georges Pompidou heading to C.H.R.U. Trousseau/St Pierre des Corps 3 min · 2.2 km
9. Keep right to continue toward Av. Georges Pompidou 0 min · 118 m
10. Merge onto Av. Georges Pompidou 1 min · 293 m
11. At the roundabout, take the 2nd exit onto Av. Camille Chautemps 0 min · 182 m
12. Turn right onto Av. de Florence 3 min · 2.2 km
13. Turn left onto Rue Joseph Cugnot 0 min · 189 m
14. Turn right onto Av. Jacques Duclos/D140Continue to follow D140 3 min · 3.0 km
15. At the roundabout, take the 1st exit and stay on D140 heading to Vierzon/Chenonceaux/Montlouis s/ Loire/Amboise 3 min · 2.9 km
16. At the roundabout, take the 2nd exit and stay on D140 1 min · 989 m
17. At the roundabout, take the 2nd exit and stay on D140 2 min · 2.0 km
18. At the roundabout, take the 2nd exit and stay on D140 3 min · 4.3 km
19. At the roundabout, take the 2nd exit and stay on D140 4 min · 5.5 km
20. At the roundabout, take the 1st exit onto the D31 ramp to A85/Vierzon/Bléré/Loches 0 min · 138 m
21. Merge onto D31 1 min · 1.3 km
22. Continue onto D976 4 min · 5.9 km
23. At the roundabout, take the 2nd exit onto Rue de Bléré/D976Continue to follow D976 2 min · 1.8 km
24. Turn left 1 min · 152 m
25. Turn right 3 min · 518 m
🚗 driving 21 min · 19.0 km

Chateau de Chenonceau → Lunch in Amboise
Open in Google Maps →
Step-by-step
1. Head west 3 min · 518 m
2. Turn left 0 min · 138 m
3. Turn right 0 min · 361 m
4. Turn left toward Rte de Tours/D976 0 min · 12 m
5. Turn right onto Rte de Tours/D976Continue to follow D976 1 min · 1.4 km
6. At the roundabout, take the 3rd exit and stay on D976 5 min · 6.1 km
7. Keep left to continue on D31 6 min · 7.8 km
8. At the roundabout, take the 2nd exit onto Av. Emile Gounin heading to Amboise - Centre/Hôpital 2 min · 1.1 km
9. Continue onto Rue Bretonneau/D431Continue to follow D431 3 min · 1.1 km
10. Turn right onto Quai du Général de Gaulle/D751 (signs for Blois/Centre Ville) 1 min · 333 m
11. Keep right to stay on Quai du Général de Gaulle/D751 0 min · 49 m
12. Turn right onto Rue François 1erMay be closed at certain times or daysDestination will be on the left 0 min · 23 m
🚗 driving 58 min · 53.6 km

Clos Luce — Leonardo da Vinci → Chateau de Chambord
Open in Google Maps →
Step-by-step
1. Head southeast 0 min · 117 m
2. Turn right toward Av. Léonard de Vinci/D61 1 min · 163 m
3. Turn right onto Av. Léonard de Vinci/D61Continue to follow D61 2 min · 715 m
4. Turn right onto Quai du Général de Gaulle/D751 0 min · 29 m
5. Slight left to stay on Quai du Général de Gaulle/D751 0 min · 132 m
6. Quai du Général de Gaulle/D751 turns left and becomes Pont du Maréchal Leclerc/D431 1 min · 468 m
7. At the roundabout, take the 1st exit onto Rue de Blois/D952 heading to A10/A85/Château-Renault/Pocé s/ Cisse/Chaumont S/ L. 0 min · 128 m
8. At the roundabout, take the 1st exit and stay on Rue de Blois/D952 heading to A 10/A 85/Blois/Château-Renault/Chaumont s/ L.Continue to follow D952 14 min · 17.6 km
9. At the roundabout, take the 2nd exit onto Ecures/D952 heading to Blois/Chouzy s/ C.Continue to follow D952 5 min · 6.7 km
10. At the roundabout, take the 1st exit and stay on D952 8 min · 8.2 km
11. Turn right toward Pont François Mitterrand/Pont Mitterrand/D951 0 min · 54 m
12. Continue onto Pont François Mitterrand/Pont Mitterrand/D951Continue to follow Pont François Mitterrand/D951 1 min · 409 m
13. At Rdpt Joseph Paul-Boncour, take the 3rd exit onto Bd Joseph Paul-Boncour/D951 heading to A10 1 min · 927 m
14. At the roundabout, take the 3rd exit onto Av. Pierre Brossolette/D951Continue to follow D951 3 min · 2.3 km
15. At the roundabout, take the 2nd exit onto Bd René Gentils/D951 heading to A10/Chambord/Cheverny 1 min · 1.4 km
16. At the roundabout, take the 1st exit onto D951 heading to A10/Chambord/Cheverny/Zoo de Beauval/Lac de Loire 1 min · 467 m
17. At the roundabout, take the 2nd exit and stay on D951 0 min · 219 m
18. At the roundabout, take the 2nd exit onto D72 2 min · 2.4 km
19. Continue straight onto Rue du Petit Chambord 4 min · 3.0 km
20. Continue onto Rue de BiouGo through 1 roundabout 2 min · 1.9 km
21. At the roundabout, take the 1st exit onto Rue du Pont/D72 0 min · 190 m
22. Turn left onto Rte de Chambord/D33Continue to follow D33 7 min · 5.8 km
23. Slight left toward Rue de la Grange aux Dîmes 1 min · 53 m
24. Turn left onto Rue de la Grange aux Dîmes 1 min · 237 m
🚗 driving 1h00 · 78.5 km

Chateau de Chambord → City Résidence, Tours
Open in Google Maps →
Step-by-step
1. Head southeast on Rue de la Grange aux Dîmes 1 min · 237 m
2. Turn right toward Rte Charles X/D33 0 min · 53 m
3. Slight right onto Rte Charles X/D33Continue to follow D33 7 min · 5.8 km
4. Turn right onto Rue du Pont/D72 0 min · 184 m
5. At the roundabout, take the 2nd exit onto Rue de Biou 3 min · 3.1 km
6. Continue onto Rue du Petit Chambord 3 min · 1.8 km
7. Continue onto Av. des Noëls/D72Continue to follow D72 2 min · 2.4 km
8. At the roundabout, take the 3rd exit onto the D956 ramp to A10/Chartres/Le Mans/Orléans/Blois-Nord/Le Jeu de Paume suivre Blois-Nord 1 min · 331 m
9. Merge onto D956 2 min · 2.5 km
10. Slight right 0 min · 467 m
11. Merge onto D956 1 min · 671 m
12. At Rdpt des Châteaux, take the 3rd exit and stay on D956 heading to D952A/Orleans/ToursToll road 1 min · 683 m
13. Merge onto A10 via the ramp to Bordeaux/Tours/AmboiseToll road 33 min · 58.4 km
14. Take exit 21 toward Tours-Centre 0 min · 412 m
15. Continue onto Bd Heurteloup 2 min · 895 m
16. Turn left onto Pl. du Général Leclerc 1 min · 93 m
17. Continue onto Rue Édouard VaillantGo through 1 roundaboutDestination will be on the right 2 min · 547 m

Landmarks today

Where to eat

Breakfast City Résidence — boulangerie breakfast

07:00

💶 €15

Order: For Claudiu, Roxana, and Melek, the safest breakfast choice is the buffet with scrambled eggs, bacon, sausages, plus the continental items if available. Since real review data here describes the breakfast as basic but practical rather than standout, order enough hot items to build a filling plate and pair them with bread, fruit, and yogurt if those are on offer.

The breakfast feels practical and functional rather than luxurious, with a simple buffet-style setup that suits a short stay.

Lunch La Scaleta Restaurant Pizzeria

11:40

Italian Restaurant 4.3★ (2,370) 💶 €75

Order: For Claudiu, Roxana, and Melek, the safest order is 2 wood-fired pizzas, 1 antipasto to share, and 1 pasta or salad as a backup lighter dish. If you want dessert, add the tiramisu, which is explicitly praised in a review.

The place is described as cozy, pleasant, and nicely placed on the terrace with a friendly, welcoming staff.

Google Maps ↗ Website ↗

Full schedule

Day 8 — Mon 29 Jun — Chenonceau + Amboise + Chambord

status: one of draft → proposed → approved → closed. Edit the status: field in the frontmatter above; run vc:close-day N in the CLI when closing to regenerate timeline + directions.

Base: City Résidence, Tours (41 Rue Edouard Vaillant, 37000 Tours — conf 6174.415.349, PIN 6702) Theme: Loire chateaux day 1 — three iconic castles by car Energy target: High

Stops

Time	Activity	Detail
07:00–07:30	🍽 City Résidence — boulangerie breakfast (30m) · €15	First Loire morning — the apartment kitchen isn't stocked yet (grocery run was bumped from the late Day 7 arrival). Grab coffee + viennoiser
07:30–07:35	→ driving	6 min · 1.7 km ⚠ over budget
07:35–08:15	📍 Grocery run — E.Leclerc / Carrefour, Tours (40m) · €55	Stock the apartment for the Loire week before heading to Chenonceau: breakfast supplies, water + snacks for château days, ingredients for to
08:15–08:50	→ driving	41 min · 35.8 km ⚠ over budget
08:50–11:20	📍 Chateau de Chenonceau (150m) · €53	_The river castle in morning light. Grande Galerie spanning the Cher, Catherine de' Medici's gardens, Diane de Poitiers' garden. Adults €19, _
11:20–11:40	→ driving	21 min · 19.0 km ⚠ over budget
11:40–12:40	🍽 Lunch in Amboise (60m) · €75	Sit-down lunch in Amboise old town. Picker top 3: La Scaleta (★4.3, 2,370 reviews, 3 min, ~€75), Creperie Les 4 Saisons (★4.4, 1,093, 2 min,
12:40–12:45	→ walking	1 min · 0.1 km
12:45–14:15	📍 Chateau d'Amboise (90m) · €42	Royal residence overlooking the Loire. Chapel of Saint-Hubert (Leonardo da Vinci's tomb), Renaissance loggia, panoramic terrace. Adults ~€16
14:15–14:20	→ walking	9 min · 0.7 km ⚠ over budget
14:20–16:20	📍 Clos Luce — Leonardo da Vinci (120m) · €53	Da Vinci's last residence (1516-1519). Manor house, underground gallery with 40 machine models, landscaped park with giant 3D reconstruction
16:20–17:05	→ driving	58 min · 53.6 km ⚠ over budget
17:05–19:05	📍 Chateau de Chambord (120m) · €42	Afternoon light on the iconic Renaissance facade. Double-helix staircase, rooftop terraces with panoramic estate views, formal gardens. Adul
19:05–20:05	→ driving	60 min · 78.5 km

Day total: 189.4 km transit · €335 spend · 5 schedule warning(s)

Stops YAML (source of truth — edit this, then re-run lifecycle)

- time: "07:00"
  place: "City Résidence — boulangerie breakfast"
  type: meal
  category: breakfast
  style: grab
  duration_min: 30
  mode_to_next: driving
  gps: [47.3865, 0.6986]
  cost_eur: 15
  cost_label: "Boulangerie breakfast x3 (~€5 ea — kitchen not yet stocked)"
  notes: "First Loire morning — the apartment kitchen isn't stocked yet (grocery run was bumped from the late Day 7 arrival). Grab coffee + viennoiserie at a nearby boulangerie, then shop on the way out."
- time: "07:35"
  place: "Grocery run — E.Leclerc / Carrefour, Tours"
  type: visit
  duration_min: 40
  mode_to_next: driving
  gps: [47.3932, 0.6882]
  cost_eur: 55
  cost_label: "Week's groceries (breakfast, snacks, water, dinner ingredients)"
  notes: "Stock the apartment for the Loire week before heading to Chenonceau: breakfast supplies, water + snacks for château days, ingredients for tonight's home-cooked dinner. Bring a cooler bag for perishables (long château stops in summer heat), or top up fresh items later in the week. Then drive to Chenonceau (~45 min)."
- time: "08:50"
  place: "Chateau de Chenonceau"
  type: visit
  duration_min: 150
  mode_to_next: driving
  gps: [47.3247, 1.0703]
  cost_eur: 53
  cost_label: "Chenonceau entry x2 adults + 1 child (€19 ea + €15 Melek 7-18)"
  notes: "The river castle in morning light. Grande Galerie spanning the Cher, Catherine de' Medici's gardens, Diane de Poitiers' garden. Adults €19, Melek €15 (7-18). Free parking. Opens 09:00."
- time: "11:40"
  place: "Lunch in Amboise"
  type: meal
  category: lunch
  style: sit-down
  venue_name: "La Scaleta Restaurant Pizzeria"
  place_id: "ChIJp4nPFibQ_EcR4KJX8uAlFSc"
  duration_min: 60
  mode_to_next: walking
  gps: [47.4132, 0.9840]
  cost_eur: 75
  cost_label: "Lunch x3 (~€25 ea, sit-down in Amboise)"
  notes: "Sit-down lunch in Amboise old town. Picker top 3: La Scaleta (★4.3, 2,370 reviews, 3 min, ~€75), Creperie Les 4 Saisons (★4.4, 1,093, 2 min, ~€75), Le Parvis (★4.3, 1,851, 3 min, ~€75)."
- time: "12:45"
  place: "Chateau d'Amboise"
  type: visit
  duration_min: 90
  mode_to_next: walking
  gps: [47.4133, 0.9847]
  cost_eur: 42
  cost_label: "Amboise entry x2 adults + 1 child (~€16 ea + ~€10 Melek)"
  notes: "Royal residence overlooking the Loire. Chapel of Saint-Hubert (Leonardo da Vinci's tomb), Renaissance loggia, panoramic terrace. Adults ~€16, Melek ~€10 (7-18)."
- time: "14:20"
  place: "Clos Luce — Leonardo da Vinci"
  type: visit
  duration_min: 120
  mode_to_next: driving
  gps: [47.4103, 0.9905]
  cost_eur: 53
  cost_label: "Clos Luce entry x2 adults + 1 child (€19.50 ea + €14 Melek)"
  notes: "Da Vinci's last residence (1516-1519). Manor house, underground gallery with 40 machine models, landscaped park with giant 3D reconstructions. Adults €19.50, Melek €14 (7-18). Teen-friendly interactive exhibits. Check for Amboise + Clos Luce combo ticket."
- time: "17:05"
  place: "Chateau de Chambord"
  type: visit
  duration_min: 120
  mode_to_next: driving
  gps: [47.6161, 1.5170]
  cost_eur: 42
  cost_label: "Chambord entry x2 adults (€21 ea EEA rate, Melek free EU under-18)"
  notes: "Afternoon light on the iconic Renaissance facade. Double-helix staircase, rooftop terraces with panoramic estate views, formal gardens. Adults €21 (EEA rate — bring ID), Melek free (EU under-18). Opens 09:00-18:00 Jun-Oct, last entry 17:30."
- time: "20:05"
  place: "City Résidence, Tours"
  type: hotel
  duration_min: 0
  gps: [47.3865, 0.6986]
  notes: "Return to apartment (~1h drive from Chambord). Home-cooked dinner from apartment kitchen. Early night — another big chateau day tomorrow."

Day Map

Day 8 route

Open in OpenStreetMap · 8 stops plotted

Weather

Seasonal normal (CMCC_CM2_VHR4, 10-year mean): 15.3–25.9°C · 0.7mm

Min	Max	Precip mm
15.3	25.9	0.7

Open-Meteo climate normals · fetched 2026-05-25 19:15 UTC · trip is T-35d, beyond 16-day forecast window

Re-run vc:refresh-weather N once trip is within 16 days for actual forecast.

Meal Picks

Lunch pick · near (47.4132,0.984)

★ La Scaleta Restaurant Pizzeria — ★ 4.3 (2,370 reviews) · 3min walk · ≈ €75 · 📍 Open in Google Maps
Crêperie Les 4 saisons — ★ 4.4 (1,093 reviews) · 2min walk · ≈ €75
Le Parvis — ★ 4.3 (1,851 reviews) · 3min walk · ≈ €75

Cost Breakdown

Time	Item	Category	Total	Per person (3)
07:00	Boulangerie breakfast x3 (~€5 ea — kitchen not yet stocked)	meal	€15.00	€5.00
07:35	Week's groceries (breakfast, snacks, water, dinner ingredients)	visit	€55.00	€18.33
08:50	Chenonceau entry x2 adults + 1 child (€19 ea + €15 Melek 7-18)	visit	€53.00	€17.67
11:40	Lunch x3 (~€25 ea, sit-down in Amboise)	meal	€75.00	€25.00
12:45	Amboise entry x2 adults + 1 child (~€16 ea + ~€10 Melek)	visit	€42.00	€14.00
14:20	Clos Luce entry x2 adults + 1 child (€19.50 ea + €14 Melek)	visit	€53.00	€17.67
17:05	Chambord entry x2 adults (€21 ea EEA rate, Melek free EU under-18)	visit	€42.00	€14.00

Day total: €335.00 · €111.67 per person (3 travellers)

By category:

Category	Spend	Per person
visit	€245.00	€81.67
meal	€90.00	€30.00

Morning

07:00 — Boulangerie breakfast near the apartment (kitchen not stocked yet — first Loire morning)
07:35 — Grocery run at E.Leclerc / Carrefour, Tours (~40 min): stock the week — breakfast, water + snacks for château days, tonight's dinner ingredients. Bring a cooler bag
08:15 — Drive to Chenonceau (~35 min)
08:50–11:20 — Chateau de Chenonceau (~2.5 hours)
- Go first thing for morning light on the river
- Grande Galerie spanning the Cher (the iconic view)
- Catherine de' Medici's gardens + Diane de Poitiers' garden
- Adults €19, Melek €15 (7-18)

Breakfast

Case G — boulangerie nearby (first morning, kitchen not yet stocked); self-catering from Day 9 onward

Midday

11:20 — Drive to Amboise (~20 min)
11:40 — Sit-down lunch in Amboise (~60 min)
12:45 — Chateau d'Amboise (~90 min). Chapel of Saint-Hubert (da Vinci's tomb), panoramic terrace

Lunch

Case A — sit-down in Amboise (11:40, ~60 min). Top pick: La Scaleta (★4.3, 2,370 reviews, ~€75). Alternatives: Creperie Les 4 Saisons (★4.4), Le Parvis (★4.3).

Afternoon

14:20 — Clos Luce (~2 hours). Da Vinci's machines, interactive gardens. 5 min walk from Chateau d'Amboise
16:20 — Drive to Chambord (~45 min)
17:05 — Chateau de Chambord (~2 hours, last entry ~17:30)
- Double-helix staircase, rooftop terraces, formal gardens
- Melek free (EU under-18), adults €21 (EEA rate — bring ID)

Evening

19:05 — Drive back to Tours (~1 hour)
~20:05 — Home-cooked dinner at apartment
Total driving: ~2.5 hours

Dinner

Case I — self-catering at apartment (home-cooked, save energy after a long day)

Notes

This is the biggest chateau day — 4 sites. The car makes it possible to hit all three key castles + Clos Luce
Chenonceau first for morning light on the river — this is the most photogenic time
Chambord last because it's the furthest east and we return to Tours from there
Total driving: ~2.5 hours spread across the day
Fuel: fill up in Tours before leaving (supermarket stations are cheapest)

Bookings

Chenonceau tickets — pre-book at chenonceau.com
Chateau d'Amboise tickets — pre-book at chateau-amboise.com
Clos Luce tickets — pre-book at vinci-closluce.com (check combo with Amboise)
Chambord tickets — pre-book at chambord.org

Checklist

Full tank of fuel before leaving
Pack water + snacks (long day with 4 sites)
Bring EU ID/passport for EEA rate at Chambord + Melek free entry
Comfortable shoes (lots of walking at each chateau)
Sunscreen + hats (rooftop terraces at Chambord are exposed)

Capture (for film + fotocarte)

Hero shot: Chenonceau Grande Galerie from the south bank of the Cher (morning light, full family)
Family moment: Melek interacting with da Vinci machine models at Clos Luce
B-roll: Chenonceau reflection in the Cher, Amboise terrace Loire panorama, Chambord rooftop terraces, double-helix staircase, driving through Loire countryside
Sound to capture: Chenonceau interior river echo, Clos Luce park ambience, Chambord staircase footsteps