On our last full day in the Loire Valley, we decided we couldn’t leave without visiting one of the famous chateaux. While Villandry and Chambord were high on my list, realistically we had no means of getting there from Tours without a car. After a bit of research we settled on a day trip to Chateau de Chenonceau after finding that it would be easily accessible by train from Tours.
Just like the day before when we made a day trip to Chinon, we booked same-day train tickets from the machines at the Tours train station. Easy. Cheap. Lovely! The train journey was quick and comfortable.
We arrived in the late afternoon. The chateau wasn’t just ‘easily accessible by train’, but the train actually pulls up right in front of the castle. It honestly could not have been easier to get there and was completely idiot-proof! I love convenience and simplicity when I’m traveling!
We each paid €14.00 for entry to the castle and grounds without an audioguide. A bit steep I thought, but we figured it would be worth it.
As soon as you pass the ticket booth into the grounds, you get the luxury of strolling down a wide, aristocratic-feeling, tree-lined lane. We were there in October so we got some beautiful colours for our photos! As you walk towards the castle, you’ll see a sign for a hedge maze just on the left. I have a weird love for hedge mazes so I got really excited and made a mental note to check it out after we were done with the chateaux.
The castle soon comes into view and it’s immediately clear why it’s so famous. It’s said that this chateau is one of several castles that Walt Disney based his famous Cinderella’s castle on. I believe it!
After I got all my cheesy selfies with the castle out of the way, we strolled up toward the castle and entered.
The castle itself had two highlights for me: First, the covered bridge in the back. It was once just a regular bridge over the river Cher. But over time as the chateau was built up, renovated, and embellished it became a long, regal, hallway with striking black and white stone tiles. I would have loved to get some nice symmetrical photos in there with no people in it, but that wasn’t going to happen.
Second, there is a balcony upstairs where you can go up and feel like Cinderella herself for a minute (until a bratty child starts yelling at his father to take photos of him right next to you). I haven’t mentioned it but the grounds and gardens of Chenonceau are really nice as well, and this is a great way to see some of it from above.
We popped into some of the other rooms but both agreed that the exterior was actually much more interesting.
Outside, we headed over to the gardens on the west side of the castle. From there you can get a full view of the covered bridge over the river. Again, so much symmetry! For a while there was a perfect reflection onto the still river but some kayakers came through and disturbed the water before I could get a nice shot.
After some more photos and walking around we sat and had a petite snack at the cafe on the grounds. It was almost closing time so we grabbed some sweet treats and some Kasteel Rouge (yum!) and sat for a bit while we waited for our return train.
Walking back, we realised that we had forgotten the hedge maze on the walk into the castle! Like most of my mental notes, I forgot. We ran over quickly with only 15 minutes before our train was set to arrive.
The maze was well-maintained and the hedges were full (unlike the hedges at the Laberint d’Horta in Barcelona!) but the only downside was that they were quite short and probably meant for kids. Bummer! But we still raced through quickly for a bit of fun before heading back to the train platform.
All in all it was a relaxing afternoon and we got some great photos that I’ll treasure for a long time. A gorgeous spot but it wouldn’t be enough for a full day’s entertainment. So I’d recommend a Chenonceau day trip for anyone like us who is based in Tours and has a free morning or afternoon to fill!