Day trip to Loire Valley (Tours vs Ambois) for Chenonceaux

We are planning a one-day trip from Paris (we are staying in 6e) to Loire Valley.

Although we would like to see as many as 3 chateauxs a day, we would settle for just 1 – Château de Chenonceau.

We strongly prefer public transportation as we’d like to be free to explore on our own terms.

1 - What train and from what station (GAre) do we need to take to get to Loire Valley?

2 – Is there more than 1 train station in Tours?

3 – Ideally, in terms of time/convenience, is it recommended to go to Tours or Amboise?

4 – How do we get to Chenonceaux from Tours by public transporation? What are our options?

5 – How do we get to Chenonceaux from Ambois by public transporation?

6 – We are having a difficult time figuring out the train schedule. Is it TGV? SVCF?

I have seen many links on this site, but none of them leads to the actual schedule.

Thanks

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Firstly, Chenonceau is simply too far to be considered a viable day trip from Paris. There are numerous destinations which are easy day trips which I consider to be more compelling, i.e. Giverny, Versailles, Chantilly, Fontainebleau, or Chartres among others.

However, in response to you questions:

1. You can reach the Loire Valley on either:

a. TGV from Montparnasse to St. Pierere des Corps

www.voyages-sncf.com

b. TER from Gare Austerlitz to Blois, Amboise or Tours

www.ter-sncf.com

2. Tours has a TGV station more specifically in St. Perre des Corps as well as the regular station in town.

3. Avoid Amboise, trains going here are slow and there is no public transportation to Chenonceau except taxi.

4. There are two options:

a. Taxi

b. Train from Tours (25 minutes each way)

www.ter-sncf.com

5. Taxi

6. You will have difficulties with train schedules because you simply do not have sufficient time to do this in one day unless to use:

a. an organized Tour from Paris

b. Take an early TGV to Tours and (1) use a tour offered by the Office de Tourisme:

http://www.ligeris.com/

or (2) use a private car service specializing in tours of the region:

http://www.leisure-tours.com/

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Lastly, I consider the following châteaux to be the most important among those north and east of Tours:

1. Château de Chambord

2. Blois

3. Chenonceau

4. Cheverny - because it%26#39;s so close to Chambord and it is perhaps the only fully furnished château one may visit.

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Sarastro has given an excellent reply.

Just one small thing, the chateau at Montresor is fully furnished, and is open to the public. In some ways I prefer it it Cheverny, it has more of a personal feel about it.

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