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Day 9 · Tue 30 Jun 2026
Villandry + Azay-le-Rideau + Usse
D9
Tue 30 Jun 2026

Villandry + Azay-le-Rideau + Usse

📍 Loire Valley ⚡️ Medium closed 🛣 111.3 km 💶 €193 3 stops

Timeline

How to get there

  1. 🚗 driving 26 min · 32.6 km
    City Résidence — breakfast → Chateau de Villandry — gardens + chateau
    City Résidence — breakfast to Chateau de Villandry — gardens + chateau 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 · 210 m
    4. Turn right onto Bd Heurteloup 1 min · 404 m
    5. Keep right to stay on Bd Heurteloup 0 min · 194 m
    6. Keep right to stay on Bd Heurteloup, follow signs for A10/Bordeaux/Tours-Sud/A85/Vierzon/Angers 0 min · 12 m
    7. Take the ramp onto A10Toll road 7 min · 10.1 km
    8. Take the exit onto A85/E60 toward Nantes/AngersToll road 10 min · 17.7 km
    9. Take exit 8 toward Villandry/Lignières de Touraine 1 min · 379 m
    10. Turn left onto D7 3 min · 3.0 km
    11. Turn right onto Rue de la Mairie/D121 0 min · 49 m
    12. Turn left onto Rue du Bocage 1 min · 121 m
  2. 🚗 driving 15 min · 11.9 km
    Chateau de Villandry — gardens + chateau → Chateau d'Azay-le-Rideau
    Chateau de Villandry — gardens + chateau to Chateau d'Azay-le-Rideau Open in Google Maps →
    Step-by-step
    1. Head south on Rue du Bocage toward Rue de la Mairie/D121 1 min · 187 m
    2. Turn left onto D121 3 min · 2.7 km
    3. Turn right onto D321 0 min · 45 m
    4. Turn left 2 min · 1.5 km
    5. Continue onto La Prudhommière 2 min · 1.6 km
    6. Turn right onto M751 1 min · 2.0 km
    7. Continue onto La Maison Neuve/D751Continue to follow D751 1 min · 1.7 km
    8. At the roundabout, take the 2nd exit onto Rte de Tours/D751 1 min · 960 m
    9. At the roundabout, take the 4th exit onto Rue nationale 2 min · 835 m
    10. Turn left onto Rue du Château/D84 (signs for Artannes/Saché)Continue to follow D84 1 min · 186 m
    11. Turn rightRestricted usage road 1 min · 128 m
    12. Turn rightRestricted usage road 0 min · 9 m
  3. 🚗 driving 21 min · 17.4 km
    Lunch in Azay-le-Rideau → Chateau d'Usse — the Sleeping Beauty castle
    Lunch in Azay-le-Rideau to Chateau d'Usse — the Sleeping Beauty castle Open in Google Maps →
    Step-by-step
    1. Head south on Rue Balzac toward Rue Gambetta 0 min · 35 m
    2. Turn right onto Rue Gambetta 0 min · 71 m
    3. Turn left onto Rue Rabelais 1 min · 100 m
    4. Turn left onto Rue nationale 0 min · 136 m
    5. Continue onto Rue de Chinon/Le Moulin d'AzayContinue to follow Rue de Chinon 2 min · 1.1 km
    6. Continue onto D751A 0 min · 256 m
    7. Turn left onto D751 (signs for St Benoît la Forêt/Chinon) 5 min · 7.4 km
    8. Turn right onto D134 3 min · 3.1 km
    9. Continue straight 2 min · 1.5 km
    10. Turn left onto Rue de Saint-Benoît 2 min · 1.2 km
    11. Turn left 1 min · 501 m
    12. Continue onto Rue du Pin 4 min · 1.8 km
    13. Turn right 0 min · 46 m
    14. Slight leftDestination will be on the left 0 min · 122 m
  4. 🚗 driving 44 min · 49.2 km
    Chateau d'Usse — the Sleeping Beauty castle → City Résidence, Tours
    Chateau d'Usse — the Sleeping Beauty castle to City Résidence, Tours Open in Google Maps →
    Step-by-step
    1. Head southeast 0 min · 122 m
    2. Slight right 0 min · 46 m
    3. Turn left 3 min · 1.3 km
    4. Slight left onto Rue du Pin 2 min · 940 m
    5. Turn right onto Rue de Saint-Benoît 2 min · 1.2 km
    6. Turn right 2 min · 1.5 km
    7. Continue onto D134 3 min · 3.1 km
    8. Turn left onto D751 7 min · 9.9 km
    9. At the roundabout, take the 3rd exit onto Rte de Tours/D751 1 min · 982 m
    10. At the roundabout, take the 1st exit onto D751 1 min · 1.7 km
    11. Continue onto M751 3 min · 4.5 km
    12. At the roundabout, take the 2nd exit onto the A85/E604 ramp 1 min · 524 m
    13. Slight right to merge onto A85/E604 toward E60/Bordeaux/Paris/Lyon/BourgesToll road 5 min · 9.1 km
    14. Take the exit onto A10 toward E60/ParisToll road 9 min · 12.2 km
    15. Take exit 21 toward Tours-Centre/Montlouis s/ Loire/St Pierre des Corps/Amboise 1 min · 509 m
    16. Slight left onto the ramp to Z. I. St Pierre des Corps/Gare Marchandises/Marché de Gros/Tours 0 min · 20 m
    17. Turn left onto Av. Jean Bonnin 0 min · 180 m
    18. At the roundabout, continue straight onto Bd Heurteloup 1 min · 423 m
    19. Turn left onto Rue Mirabeau 0 min · 31 m
    20. Continue straight onto Pl. Loiseau d'Entraigues 0 min · 50 m
    21. Continue straight onto Rue du Rempart 1 min · 329 m
    22. Turn left onto Rue Dublineau 0 min · 144 m
    23. Continue onto Rue du Dr Herpin 0 min · 61 m
    24. Keep right to stay on Rue du Dr Herpin 1 min · 204 m
    25. Turn right onto Rue Jean-Bernard Jacquemin 0 min · 84 m
    26. Turn left onto Rue Édouard VaillantDestination will be on the right 0 min · 68 m

Landmarks today

Where to eat

Breakfast City Résidence — breakfast

08:30

Order: For Claudiu, Roxana, and Melek, the safest order is the breakfast buffet with a mix of scrambled eggs, bacon, sausages, toast, and coffee, since those are the hot items explicitly mentioned in reviews and property descriptions. If you want the most value, go early and choose the full buffet rather than expecting a large made-to-order menu.

The breakfast area is described as small and simple, with a practical self-serve hotel vibe rather than a lively restaurant atmosphere.

Lunch Restaurant CÔTÉ Cour

13:20
French Restaurant 4.7★ (663) 💶 €75

Order: For a family of 3, the safest choice is to share the **€30 fixed menu** so Claudiu and Roxana can each pick different starters and mains, while Melek can choose the most familiar option like the pork fillet with caramel or beef stew. If the menu is available, that gives you the best chance to try the dishes reviewers most often praised while keeping the meal balanced and easy for a teen.

The restaurant feels like a **small, busy, château-side bistro** with both indoor and outdoor seating and a pleasant dinner atmosphere right by the castle gates.

Google Maps ↗ Website ↗

Full schedule

Day 9 — Tue 30 Jun — Villandry + Azay-le-Rideau + Usse

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 2 — gardens + fairy tales, west of Tours Energy target: Medium

Stops

Time Activity Detail
08:30–09:15 🍽 City Résidence — breakfast (45m) Self-catering apartment breakfast. Relaxed start — all stops are close to Tours today.
09:15–09:35 → driving 26 min · 32.6 km ⚠ over budget
09:35–11:45 📍 Chateau de Villandry — gardens + chateau (130m) · €36 Renaissance ornamental gardens (finest in France): water garden, sun garden, ornamental kitchen garden, herb garden. Gardens best in morning
11:45–12:00 → driving 15 min · 11.9 km
12:00–13:15 📍 Chateau d'Azay-le-Rideau (75m) · €32 National monument — early Renaissance gem on an island in the Indre river. Fully restored. Adults €16, Melek FREE (EU under-18, national mon
13:15–13:20 → walking 2 min · 0.2 km
13:20–14:20 🍽 Lunch in Azay-le-Rideau (60m) · €75 Sit-down lunch in the village. Picker top 2: Restaurant COTE Cour (★4.7, 663 reviews, 1 min, ~€75), Restaurant Caves (★4.6, 736, 6 min, ~€75
14:20–14:40 → driving 21 min · 17.4 km ⚠ over budget
14:40–16:40 📍 Chateau d'Usse — the Sleeping Beauty castle (120m) · €50 The castle that inspired Perrault's Sleeping Beauty fairy tale. Towers, turrets, keep, terraced gardens overlooking the Indre valley. Adults
16:40–17:20 → driving 44 min · 49.2 km ⚠ over budget

Day total: 111.3 km transit · €193 spend · 3 schedule warning(s)

Stops YAML (source of truth — edit this, then re-run lifecycle)
- time: "08:30"
  place: "City Résidence — breakfast"
  type: meal
  category: breakfast
  style: skip
  duration_min: 45
  mode_to_next: driving
  gps: [47.3865, 0.6986]
  notes: "Self-catering apartment breakfast. Relaxed start — all stops are close to Tours today."
- time: "09:35"
  place: "Chateau de Villandry — gardens + chateau"
  type: visit
  duration_min: 130
  mode_to_next: driving
  gps: [47.3400, 0.5140]
  cost_eur: 36
  cost_label: "Villandry entry x2 adults + 1 child (€14 ea + €8 Melek 8-18)"
  notes: "Renaissance ornamental gardens (finest in France): water garden, sun garden, ornamental kitchen garden, herb garden. Gardens best in morning light. Adults €14, Melek €8 (8-18). Free parking. Opens 09:00 Jul."
- time: "12:00"
  place: "Chateau d'Azay-le-Rideau"
  type: visit
  duration_min: 75
  mode_to_next: walking
  gps: [47.2600, 0.4663]
  cost_eur: 32
  cost_label: "Azay-le-Rideau entry x2 adults (€16 ea, Melek free EU under-18)"
  notes: "National monument — early Renaissance gem on an island in the Indre river. Fully restored. Adults €16, Melek FREE (EU under-18, national monument). Iconic water reflections."
- time: "13:20"
  place: "Lunch in Azay-le-Rideau"
  type: meal
  category: lunch
  style: sit-down
  venue_name: "Restaurant CÔTÉ Cour"
  place_id: "ChIJbTQxLxrb_EcR5xvAi7mXnbQ"
  duration_min: 60
  mode_to_next: driving
  gps: [47.2610, 0.4670]
  cost_eur: 75
  cost_label: "Lunch x3 (~€25 ea, sit-down in Azay)"
  notes: "Sit-down lunch in the village. Picker top 2: Restaurant COTE Cour (★4.7, 663 reviews, 1 min, ~€75), Restaurant Caves (★4.6, 736, 6 min, ~€75)."
- time: "14:40"
  place: "Chateau d'Usse — the Sleeping Beauty castle"
  type: visit
  duration_min: 120
  mode_to_next: driving
  gps: [47.2432, 0.2880]
  cost_eur: 50
  cost_label: "Usse entry x2 adults + 1 child (€14.50 ea + €7.50 Melek 8-15)"
  notes: "The castle that inspired Perrault's Sleeping Beauty fairy tale. Towers, turrets, keep, terraced gardens overlooking the Indre valley. Adults €14.50, Melek €7.50 (8-15). Opens 10:00-19:00 Jun-Jul."
- time: "17:20"
  place: "City Résidence, Tours"
  type: hotel
  duration_min: 0
  gps: [47.3865, 0.6986]
  notes: "Return to apartment. Free evening — rest or explore Tours old town. Home-cooked dinner or eat out. Early back — total driving only ~1.5 hrs today."

Day Map

Day 9 route

Open in OpenStreetMap · 6 stops plotted

Weather

Seasonal normal (CMCC_CM2_VHR4, 10-year mean): 16.3–27.5°C · 0.4mm

Min Max Precip mm
16.3 27.5 0.4

Open-Meteo climate normals · fetched 2026-05-25 19:15 UTC · trip is T-36d, 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 (47.26,0.4663)

  1. ★ Restaurant CÔTÉ Cour — ★ 4.7 (663 reviews) · 1min walk · ≈ €75 · 📍 Open in Google Maps
  2. Restaurant Caves — ★ 4.6 (736 reviews) · 6min walk · ≈ €75

Cost Breakdown

Time Item Category Total Per person (3)
09:35 Villandry entry x2 adults + 1 child (€14 ea + €8 Melek 8-18) visit €36.00 €12.00
12:00 Azay-le-Rideau entry x2 adults (€16 ea, Melek free EU under-18) visit €32.00 €10.67
13:20 Lunch x3 (~€25 ea, sit-down in Azay) meal €75.00 €25.00
14:40 Usse entry x2 adults + 1 child (€14.50 ea + €7.50 Melek 8-15) visit €50.00 €16.67

Day total: €193.00 · €64.33 per person (3 travellers)

By category:

Category Spend Per person
visit €118.00 €39.33
meal €75.00 €25.00

Morning

  • 08:30 — Breakfast at apartment
  • 09:15 — Drive to Villandry (~20 min)
  • 09:35–11:45 — Chateau de Villandry (~2 hours)
    • Renaissance ornamental gardens — best in morning light
    • Water garden, sun garden, ornamental kitchen garden, herb garden
    • Chateau interior optional (30 min)
    • Adults €14, Melek €8 (8-18)

Breakfast

  • Case I — self-catering at apartment

Midday

  • 11:45 — Drive to Azay-le-Rideau (~15 min)
  • 12:00–13:15 — Chateau d'Azay-le-Rideau (~75 min)
    • Island castle reflected in the Indre — iconic photos
    • Adults €16, Melek FREE (EU under-18, national monument)
  • 13:20 — Lunch in Azay-le-Rideau village (~60 min)

Lunch

  • Case A — sit-down in Azay-le-Rideau (13:20, ~60 min). Top pick: Restaurant COTE Cour (★4.7, 663 reviews, ~€75). Alternative: Restaurant Caves (★4.6, 736, ~€75).

Afternoon

  • 14:20 — Drive to Chateau d'Usse (~20 min)
  • 14:40–16:40 — Chateau d'Usse (~2 hours)
    • The "Sleeping Beauty" castle — fairy tale turrets and towers
    • Terraced gardens with Indre valley views
    • Adults €14.50, Melek €7.50 (8-15)
  • 16:40 — Drive back to Tours (~40 min)
  • 17:20 — Back at apartment. Free evening

Evening

  • Free evening in Tours — rest or explore old town
  • Home-cooked dinner at apartment or eat out at Place Plumereau
  • Total driving today: ~1.5 hours

Dinner

  • Case I — self-catering at apartment (or spontaneous eat-out in Tours)

Notes

  • Easiest driving day — all 3 chateaux are west of Tours within 35 km
  • Villandry gardens are the highlight — spend the most time here in morning light
  • Usse is fun but less "serious" than the other Loire chateaux — fairy tale themed
  • Free evening gives the family a break after yesterday's marathon 4-castle day

Bookings

  • Villandry tickets — pre-book at chateauvillandry.fr
  • Azay-le-Rideau tickets — pre-book at azay-le-rideau.fr
  • Usse tickets — buy on-site (no online booking usually)

Checklist

  • Camera charged — Villandry gardens from upper terrace is a must-shoot
  • Sunscreen + hats (garden walking is all outdoors)
  • Comfortable shoes

Capture (for film + fotocarte)

  • Hero shot: Villandry ornamental kitchen garden from the upper terrace (geometric patterns, full family)
  • Family moment: Melek at Chateau d'Usse Sleeping Beauty display
  • B-roll: Garden symmetry from multiple angles, Azay-le-Rideau reflection in the Indre, Usse turrets and towers, Loire countryside driving
  • Sound to capture: Villandry garden fountain, birdsong, Indre river flow at Azay