We can perform this tour by driving from Paris, but we also recommend taking the TGV (high speed train) to just outside the city of Tours where we can switch to a rental car. The TGV saves time and avoids onerous traffic jams when returning to Paris. During your trajectory to the Loire Valley, we will explain the transition in France from feudal fortress castles to luxurious residential châteaux that were inspired by the architecture of the Italian Renaissance, of which Chambord and Chenonceau are outstanding examples. Amboise is primarily a medieval fortress castle, but it also has a French Renaissance residence that was added in the 15th century, and it is believed by many to be where Leonardo da Vinci is buried. Of course, there are about 60 major castles and châteaux in the Loire Valley, (over 3000 of them if you count all sorts), so there are many other châteaux from which to choose, if you prefer to do so.

We suggest viewing Chambord from the exterior, and not actually entering it. It was the personal creation of François I, using designs possibly drawn by Leonardo da Vinci. In scale, it is the most grandiose of the Loire châteaux and the stunning first view of it often remains burned indelibly in the eye of the visitor. It suffered badly during the French Revolution, when all of its contents were auctioned and even its beautifully carved oak doors were burned in its monumental fireplaces. That is why we suggest not entering it, even though that means not seeing the double helix staircase at its centre, which is nevertheless remarkable.

The Château in Chenonceaux could hardly offer more of a contrast: although built at virtually the same time as Chambord, in the early 16th century, there is a feminine refinement in the lines of Chenonceau that reflects the roles in its creation of Katherine Briçonnet, the wife of its builder, and Catherine de Medici, who later transformed it. Chenonceau was also the home of Henri II and his mistress, Diane de Poitiers, whose lifelong affair colors and suffuses its history. Diane’s Italian garden and Catherine de Medici’s park are equally attractive highlights of this tour.