3 CASTLES IN 1 DAY: OUR LOIRE VALLEY DAY TRIP FROM PARIS!

3 CASTLES IN 1 DAY: OUR LOIRE VALLEY DAY TRIP FROM PARIS!

In our last video, we took the Eurostar train between London and Paris. In Paris we visited the iconic sights and in London we had a quintessential experience. So check it out if you haven’t seen it. today we are visiting the majestic Loire Valley, castles, chateaux Chenonceau, Amboise, and Chambourd and a day trip from Paris. Let’s stop for a little food and wine along the journey. So grab your favorite drink or snacks and let’s go castle hopping together. Hey good morning. Everybody. It is six in the morning and we are getting ready to go on a Loire Valley day trip. We’re going to see castles. We’re going to drink a little wine and it’s going to be amazing. Our pick up is at La Flam Restaurant, which is right down the street, but it is so close to the arc de Triomphe that we decided why not go see it? and it’s not as simple as you may think it is to get over there. It’s not just a matter of crossing the street. Or you can cross the street. As you can see, it’s a roundabout behind me. And so if you want to play Frogger and, risk your life cutting through all the traffic that comes through here, go right on ahead. Or you can take this simple route see this staircase right over here. That staircase will lead you underground to then emerge on the other side the same area as the arc de Triomphe. As you can see, those guys highlighted in yellow. They are located right next to where the staircase emerges. So you go in through behind me underground, and then you emerge underground, right next to the left of the guys in the bright vest. If you could see the fence. Boop. Right over there. for now, now that you know how to get over to the arc de Triomphe, we are going to head back and get on our bus and go see some castles. in the Loire Valley. Let’s We met our guides, Nicholas and Tim, for 2.5 hour ride to our first chateau. Chateau Chenonceau it was a comfortable scenic journey. Like. Built over the River Cher. Chateau Chenonceau is the only major chateau in the Loire Valley built directly on water. Nicknamed the “Lady Chateau” because it was shaped by influential women like Diane de Poitier and Catherine de Medici. It was a hospital during World War I and a secret escape route between Nazi and Free France during World War II, because the river marked the border. It’s famous for its elegant Renaissance architecture and gorgeous floral gardens. Let’s check it out. Here you have the river in the northern part of the river. You can see we have dozens of chateaux that we have decided to show you on this map, but there are even more, many more that we can find everywhere. We finished viewing the inside of the chateau Chenonceau And what do you think? Hun? It’s amazing. big inside. But some of the ceilings, it was kind of hard to walk for a tall person. They didn’t have a lot for tall people back then, but the inside is pretty cool. Some interesting things that Nicholas, our guide, pointed out this castle is built in three different phases by three different people for three different reasons. on the third floor or the “troisieme étage” one of the wives of the kings that lived here. Loved her husband so much and he died she spent 11 years after his death in mourning. She painted her room all black, put a little shrine to her husband, and she stayed there 11 years. And so the room is. It’s dark, it’s haunting. It’s also very beautiful and very sad at the same time. So if you get a chance to come up here to the chateau. And so in the Loire Valley, I highly recommend you visit this castle and check out that room. There’s also time to go. There’s also quite an extensive kitchen down below. so far so good. It’s about a two hour drive away from the city of Paris and we’ve gotta get going. So let’s rock it babe. Oh my gosh, is that a deer? Is that a deer back there? Is that a deer? Wait a minute. Oh, actually, nope. That’s actually. That’s fake. Oh, well. What I really loved about this day trip to the Loire Valley from Paris is that everything is included except for lunch. So the transportation, the tickets, it was such a comfortable and easy ride. We didn’t have to worry about parking or anything else, but what we did have to worry about are the stairs and walking. So. Join us as we visit the Chateau d’Amboise. And you can see already, this medieval fortress with this protective roof. We have some features of the gothic style with the gargoyle Nicholas gave us all the information we needed to know about the chateau before we visited, and then we’re off to the charming town of Amboise to the castle chateau Amboise was once a royal residence of French kings, especially during the reign of Charles the Eighth and Francis the First. guess who found himself in a tree? Shh, don’t tell anybody, don’t tell anybody! Let’s go inside. This chapel was small yet stunning, and actually surprised us with a secret visitor housed inside. Chateau d’Amboise offers stunning views over the Loire Valley and the charming town of Amboise. It’s smaller than Chateau Chambord, but it’s rich in history, blending Gothic and early Renaissance styles. Y’all, If you come here, just be mindful that it’s not meant for tall people. Tall people we’re not meant for back in the day. As many times as I tell them to watch his head, ugh, but luckily we have some sanitizing wipes and we’ll be okay. What’s your head hun. I will, okay. You always say that everywhere we go, you’re bumping into something. All right, let’s go. All right, let’s go find something to eat. Yeah. Pretty. We’re heading right on back down. Definitely bring your walking shoes with good grip because you will get a good quad, and thigh, and bun workout. Sortie- time to go. There are many places to stop by for lunch, but we chose Le Restaurant l’Epicerie because the menu looked amazing. And guess what? It absolutely was. Kevin and I got the Plat du Jour. I got the entree and Plat and Kevin got the entree, plat, and dessert. So right now I have a croquette. au fromage. Et les legumes de season. So it’s like seasonal vegetables or cheese and the seasonal vegetables. It’s like tomato base. It is cold and it is delicious. And, well, seasoned. It’s very savory. My mouth is watering trying to keep up. Kevin got the RiLLETTE DE POiSSON A L’ANETH it looks really good too. What do you think? is very good. we both go tthe duck and it looks absolutely divine! After our lunch, we went for a little wine tasting. It was an amazing experience. In a small shop, in Amboise. the shop owner shared with us more about the wines of the region and we got to sample five wines. It was delicious and we picked up some on the way. We got the “Ballade”, sweet wine, very good. And as you can see, it fit perfectly in our luggage to go between the Eurostar. But now, on to the next chateau. Chateau Chambord is the largest chateau in the Loire Valley, with 440 rooms, 84 staircases, and a jaw dropping double helix staircase. Designed by Leonardo da Vinci. We are at Chateau Chambourd and it is beautiful. It is a public castle that has stood the test of time for many, many centuries and we are just walking the gardens now, learning more about it. Our guide, Nicolas is amazing! I can’t wait to go inside. Just take a look at that. a massive. It looks like Walt Disney World. Yeah. And just like I cannot wait to go inside. There, we are so close, we are so close! …in the generations after and Chambourd has been forgotten. it was kind of going in ruin but eventually, Louis XIV was also passionate about hnting and found out about this cheateau. Okay, so Michelangelo designed this double helix staircase. It is work, but we’re going to make it. If you want to see. We’re going to make it. Chateau Chambord was ordered by King Francis I in 1519 and completed in the 17th century, during the reign of Louis XIV. It was mostly a hunting lodge, yes, just a hunting lodge, but played a major role throughout history. In World War II it even housed the Mona Lisa at one point in time. Now owned by the state, its massive size and intricate rooftop skyline make it one of the most iconic Renaissance buildings in France. It was never fully completed or fully lived in, but it’s a symbol of royal ambition, power and beauty, and a must visit if you had to only pick one chateau to see. So many rooms to see. Here is the apartments of the 18th century. We have the gorgeous staircase double helix aspect of entry design that could not see fruition because he was old. We have the l’appartement de parade so many places to just get caught up in tapestries. As far as I can see. Super tall ceilings and gorgeous windows. There’s a lot going on. Oh yeah, definitely a lot going on. A lot to see. We made it. We made it. Oh, that was rough! It’s a lot of stairs but we made it. It’s so pretty. When you go upstairs, you don’t try to go back down, you try to get everything you need. In one sitting. Because your legs are on fire. Yes. There’s a courtyard down below. Bells are ringing for us. They were here. The bells are ringing for us. Oh my gosh, look at how beautiful that is. I hope you all can see that. Let me just wait for the colors to adjust. Would you look at that? What’s that? Look how beautiful that staircases. Oh! Oh my gosh! So let’s do a. Architecture that is just stunning in detail. Highly recommend. Highly highly recommend a visit. Go ahead, go ahead. I’ll see you down. Thank you. Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh. I mean just the beauty and magnificence of it all. And then you have the spiral staircase that is beautifully designed but getting up is ugh. Getting down? Not bad at all. “Pas mal”, not bad. You get to see different rooms along the way. You can see this is the center of this whole situation. Woah! Of course you have les jardins. Exquisite. The gardens are just so beautiful. Look at this. I mean, my goodness. Definitely recommend this castle. You need some time to get here. Fortunately, there’s no train. The metro metros. You do need a car or a private tour, but I will happily, happily get on. Exactly. Get you a private tour to my humble abode. Of course, of course. Right. Oh, this place is amazing. Or as they say, “oh, la la!” Oh, lala! Oh, la la Hun.. And now we need to go back in the van and go back to Paris, and our small little group tour is over. What do you think so far? The tour Hun? It’s been Kind of nice. There’s a lot of walking. Yeah. My legs this time around are killing me. Yeah. When you go to castles, I mean, get ready for those stairs. You will, and as I say, stairs. You know, stairs galore. No elevators. Just straight. Stairs. Just straight leg workouts here we go again. And now time to go back out. Just kidding. We tried to go back but we actually, in fact, went to the wrong courtyard. It’s empty here. More stairs. We gotta find our way back. it’s easy to get lost! Yeah, very easy. So make sure you have a map, which is in your pocket, Hun? Yup! And make sure you use it effectively. We totally just went there and then back around. So uhm, let’s find a new route! Okay, so we just went through the wrong courtyard area. More stairs just a few this time, and now we need to head out. Au revoir castle. Bye bye. Beautiful. It’s absolutely beautiful. You found it? Not too bad. No. but we’re going to make it. We’re going to make it hun! so much to explore. I would say at least two hours yet. An hour here to explore the castle. Oh, we already had lunch. I don’t really need any other lunch items or anything like that, but two hours would be wonderful, here. Three – even better. You know what? Why not make it is a whole day trip. Enjoy yourself get breakfast, lunch and dinner. Take your time. I would say half a day at the most. I could spend a whole day here. I mean, just enjoying the grounds. Going out to the gardens and chillin’. If you’re the type of person that’s into, wants to look at everything. Yeah, yup that’s me! That’s me, c’est moi! Off we go back to Paris and off to dinner. They even have golf carts that you can rent right down there? If you need to? If you need to. And just like that, our visit to the Loire Valley on a day trip was over. Nicholas and Tim were phenomenal guides, and I’ll put their link in the description box down below so you can book this tour as well. stay tuned because in our next video we are going on a pastry tour of Paris, where we will visit three of the most iconic pastry shops. Thank you so much for watching and I’ll see you in the next video. Bye.

Is a Loire Valley day trip from Paris worth it? Join us as I visit three stunning Loire Valley castles in one unforgettable day! From the romantic Château de Chenonceau and scenic Château d’Amboise to the massive Château de Chambord with its Leonardo da Vinci staircase. I had a wonderful time castle hopping in the Loire Valley.

In this video, I share our experience visiting:
– Château de Chenonceau – the “Ladies’ Castle” built over water
– Château d’Amboise – where Leonardo da Vinci spent his final years, and
– Château de Chambord – 440 rooms and Da Vinci’s double-helix staircase
Plus, we’ll stop by a local restaurant for French cuisine and Loire Valley wine tasting in Amboise. If you’re looking for an honest review of our day trip experience from Paris, here it is!

Perfect for first-time visitors to Loire Valley France! I’ll share practical tips, what to expect, and whether this château hopping tour is worth your time and money.

Enjoy!
Antoinette | Frolic & Courage

CHAPTERS
00:00:00 Intro
00:00:26 Getting to the Loire Valley
00:01:51 Chateau Chenonceau
00:06:02 Chateau Amboise
00:10:07 Le Restaurant l’Epicerie d’Amboise
00:10:59 Wine tasting
00:11:41 Chateau Chambourd
00:20:05 STAY TUNED

MENTIONED IN THIS VIDEO
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LOIRE VALLY DAY TRIP FROM PARIS TOUR
(The tour I took in this video!)
https://www.viator.com/tours/Paris/Small-Group-Loire-Valley-Three-Top-Castles-Day-Trip-with-Wine-Tasting/d479-7249P10?pid=P00050571&mcid=42383&medium=link&medium_version=selector&campaign=Paris-LoireValleyDayTrip

BLOG
Loire Valley Day Trip from Paris: My Experience Visiting Three Royal Châteaux: https://www.frolicandcourage.com/loire-valley-day-trip-from-paris-my-experience-visiting-three-royal-chateaux/

VIDEOS
– Paris/London Vlog: Can You Visit London And Paris In One Trip?? https://youtu.be/juTnJweIzZg
– How To Plan Your FIRST Trip To Paris! | What you NEED to Know Before Visiting Paris 🇫🇷 https://youtu.be/pOSjc6UjcF4
– Planning a Trip to Paris Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLl0Gx5WgtQ15diht2VfWOJ1BNlrlMDLly&si=Fjz2iXzis9wL3A2M

FUN THINGS TO DO IN PARIS
Find Fun Activities in Paris: https://www.viator.com/partner-shop/frolicandcourage/Explore-Paris-France?medium=link&medium_version=shop&campaign=ExploreParisCollectionShop

PARIS TRAVEL ESSENTIALS
Don’t go on a trip to Paris without these must-have items (Travel adapters, French-language dictionary, etc.)
– https://amzn.to/3XAOEXD

MUSIC
Like the music you heard in this video? Download it for yourself here: https://www.epidemicsound.com/referral/685j1b
– 3house – Ooyy
– Evergreen Fields – Tape Machines
– I See Your Colors – Duckmaw

CHECK ME OUT
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📩 CONTACT me (Antoinette) for business inquiries: Antoinette[at]frolicandcourage.com

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