15 days Loire Valley and Alsace: Paris, Chambord, Beaune, Strasbourg, Colmar

Trip map

Click each numbered marker to see the corresponding day.

Day by day

1. 1

   Day 1

   Arrival Paris

   Land at Paris-CDG or Orly. Recommended link: RER B from CDG (50 min to Châtelet, €11.80) or OrlyBus from Orly (30 min, €11.50). Settle in the Marais (3rd/4th arrondissements, medieval lanes, walking access to Notre-Dame and the centre) or Saint-Germain-des-Prés (6th, chicer, literary Flore and Deux Magots cafés). Recommended hotels: Hôtel Saint-Paul Rive Gauche or Pavillon de la Reine (Place des Vosges, €350-500/night). Evening walk along the Seine banks between Île Saint-Louis and Pont des Arts at sunset (golden light on Haussmann façades). Marais bistro dinner: Chez Janou (Provençal cuisine, €35-45/person), Robert et Louise (rib of beef cooked over fire, €45-55) or daily special at €22-28 in a neighbourhood bistro.

   Tips

   • · Rechargeable Navigo Easy pass: €2.15/metro ride, or 10-ride carnet €16.90.
   • · Avoid taxi/Uber from CDG (€60-80) — RER B unbeatable outside rush hours.
   • · Book Louvre and Eiffel Tower tonight for next day slots (otherwise sold out by tomorrow).
   • · First evening: don't overload — flight fatigue catches up on following days.
   Paris →
2. 2

   Day 2

   Paris: Louvre + Eiffel Tower

   Morning at the Louvre (€22, mandatory online booking for sharp 9am, Pyramid entrance). Essential 3-4h route: Mona Lisa (Salle des États, aim for 9am to dodge groups), Venus de Milo, Winged Victory of Samothrace, French paintings (Delacroix's Liberty Leading the People, David's Coronation of Napoleon), Egyptian antiquities (Sphinx of Tanis). Light lunch at the Tuileries (kiosks) or break at Café Marly under the arcades facing the Pyramid (€15-25). Afternoon to the Eiffel Tower: walk down the Seine via Concorde and Trocadéro for the iconic photo (Place du Trocadéro, panoramic view). Climb to 2nd floor (€18.80 stairs, €26.80 lift) or summit (€35.30) — slot 1h before sunset to catch Paris in daylight then illuminated. Dinner in the Marais: Breizh Café (Breton galettes, €18-22), L'As du Fallafel rue des Rosiers (€10-12) or bistro at Marché des Enfants Rouges.

   Tips

   • · Book Louvre + Eiffel Tower 2 weeks ahead (slots packed April to October) — non-refundable tickets.
   • · Louvre: Porte des Lions entrance or Richelieu passage less crowded than the Pyramid at peak times.
   • · Eiffel Tower: the view from Trocadéro is better than from the tower itself — visit at least once.
   • · Eiffel Tower sparkle: every hour of the night for 5 min (until 1am).
   • · 2-day Paris Museum Pass (€65) pays off from Louvre + Versailles + Orsay.
   Paris →
3. 3

   Day 3

   Paris: Versailles

   Full day at the Palace of Versailles. Transport: RER C Versailles-Château line from Saint-Michel or Invalides (35 min, €4.15). Arrive before opening (9am) — palace saturates after 11am, 1h30 minimum queues. Passport ticket (€27, or €32 with Musical Fountains show): Palace + Hall of Mirrors + Grand and Petit Trianon + Queen's Hamlet. Programme: morning at the Palace (Royal Apartments, 73m Hall of Mirrors with 357 mirrors, Royal Chapel, 2-3h), sandwich lunch on the estate or smarter at La Petite Venise (Italian cuisine, €25-35). Afternoon: Trianon + Queen's Hamlet (15-min walk or little train €8.50 return) — the estate's most peaceful corner. Return to Paris around 6pm. Saint-Germain-des-Prés evening: aperitif at Café de Flore (€10-15/drink), dinner at classic brasserie Lipp (mains €25-40) or more accessible Bouillon Racine (mains €12-18, Art Nouveau atmosphere).

   Tips

   • · Versailles at 9am sharp at opening — anyone arriving after 11am will spend 1h30 minimum in the queue.
   • · Musical Fountains (Tues, Sat, Sun from April to October): fountains set to music, €12 supplement.
   • · Rent a bike at the Trianon (€8/h) to ride the Grand Canal — huge estate, 815 ha.
   • · Picnic allowed in the park (but not in the formal gardens) — bakery in front of the station.
   • · Return train: avoid 5-6pm (rush hour), take 4:30pm or 7pm.
   Versailles →
4. 4

   Day 4

   Paris → Tours/Loire Valley (TGV 1h05)

   TGV Paris-Montparnasse → Tours in 1h05 (€30-75, book 2-3 months ahead) or TGV Paris → Saint-Pierre-des-Corps then 5-min TER connection. Pick up rental car at the station (Hertz, Europcar, Sixt — €35-55/day category B). Settle in Tours (central base, city of art and history) or directly in Amboise (more charming, on the Loire banks, 30 km from Tours). Hotels: Le Manoir Les Minimes Amboise (€160-280, château view), Château de Pray (4*, €220-380), or simpler Best Western Tours (€110-160). Lunch Tours rillettes + AOC Touraine wine. Afternoon: Château de Chenonceau (40 min from Tours, €15, 1h30 — "Ladies' Château" spanning the Cher over 60m, attributed to 6 women through history including Diane de Poitiers and Catherine de Médicis, France's 2nd most visited château after Versailles). Dinner on the Cher banks or in Amboise: L'Écluse Café (Loire-view terrace) or Chez Bruno (chef's bistro, €35-50).

   Tips

   • · Book TGV Paris-Tours 2-3 months ahead for Prem's at €30-45 (otherwise €75-100).
   • · Amboise is a more central base than Tours to visit Chambord, Chenonceau, Clos Lucé (15-30 min drive).
   • · Chenonceau: France's 2nd most visited château — arrive at 9am for crowd-free photos.
   • · Category B car: manual gearbox cheaper (+30% for automatic in France).
   • · Touraine specialities: rillettes, rillons, goat cheeses (Sainte-Maure de Touraine AOP).
   Chambord →
5. 5

   Day 5

   Chambord + Cheverny

   Morning at Château de Chambord (€16, opens 9am, 2-3h — France's largest Renaissance château, built by François I from 1519, 426 rooms, 282 chimneys, double-helix staircase attributed to Leonardo da Vinci, panoramic rooftop terrace, roof games and chimaeras). Chambord forest (5,440 ha, Europe's largest enclosed forest park) to explore by bike or electric car. Lunch at Auberge du Centre in Cellettes (15 min, terroir cuisine €25-40) or simpler gourmet sandwich in Chambord village. Afternoon Château de Cheverny (15 km from Chambord, €14, 1h30) — interiors preserved for 4 centuries in the same family (Loire châteaux's finest weapons room), model for Tintin's Marlinspike Château (Hergé spent his childhood there), romantic park with hound pack (meal served at 5pm, free spectacle). Return Amboise for dinner.

   Tips

   • · Chambord: free HistoPad (tablet reconstituting rooms as in the 16th century).
   • · Equestrian show at the Maréchal de Saxe stables (April-October, €16, 45 min, exceptional quality).
   • · Chambord bike: rental €6/h or €12/day at the entrance, park to explore on foot/bike (cars forbidden in some areas).
   • · Cheverny: soup served to the hounds at 5pm (free spectacle) — highlight for children.
   • · Chambord opens at 9am: arrive 8:45 to enter first (bus crowds arrive 11am).
   Chambord →
6. 6

   Day 6

   Amboise + Clos Lucé (Leonardo da Vinci)

   Morning at Royal Château d'Amboise (€14, 1h30 — favourite residence of French kings in the 15th-16th centuries, François I grew up there, panoramic terraces over the Loire, Saint-Hubert chapel housing Leonardo da Vinci's tomb). 10-min walk to Clos Lucé (€19, 2h — Leonardo da Vinci's last residence where he lived from 1516 until his death in 1519, invited by François I; the park presents 40 machines reproduced full-scale from Codex Atlanticus drawings — tank, aerial screw, flying machine, single-arch bridge). Lunch in Amboise (Chez Bruno or La Fourchette, €25-40). Afternoon Château de Villandry (35-min drive, €13, 1h30 — last great Renaissance gardens reconstructed in the early 20th century by Dr Carvallo: 6 themed gardens over 9 ha, water garden, ornamental garden, decorative kitchen garden, maze). Sunset over the gardens (exceptional golden light, gardens-only ticket €7).

   Tips

   • · Clos Lucé: perfect for families (Leonardo's machines, educational garden, children's workshops).
   • · Combo ticket Amboise + Clos Lucé €29 instead of €33.
   • · Villandry: gardens in July-August = colour explosion (ornamental garden in full bloom).
   • · Sunset on Villandry (free panoramic terrace) = golden light on the clipped boxwood.
   • · Amboise speciality: tarte tatin (invented by the Tatin sisters 30 km away in Lamotte-Beuvron).
   Chambord →
7. 7

   Day 7

   Loire à Vélo + Azay-le-Rideau

   Morning Loire à Vélo: 800 km of marked cycle paths along the river, safe and flat, from Cuffy (Nevers) to Saint-Brévin (Loire-Atlantique). Recommended section: Amboise → Chaumont-sur-Loire return (30 km, 2-3h, flat, bike rental €15-20/day or e-bike €25-30, multiple providers at Amboise station). Spectacular view of vineyard slopes, châteaux and Loire islands. Picnic by the river or lunch at Chaumont auberge (€25-35). Afternoon: Château d'Azay-le-Rideau (50 min from Tours, €12, 1h30 — Renaissance gem framed by the Indre's arms, built 1518-1527, exemplary recent restoration, Renaissance-furnished interiors). If time, Château de Chaumont-sur-Loire (€18, 1h30 + 1h gardens — International Garden Festival April to November, contemporary creations by landscape artists worldwide). Dinner in Amboise.

   Tips

   • · Loire à Vélo: e-bike strongly recommended for hills (otherwise flat Amboise-Tours section).
   • · Marked route on green "La Loire à Vélo" signs — free mobile app with maps.
   • · Azay-le-Rideau: iconic photo from the bridge over the Indre (château reflected in water).
   • · Chaumont-sur-Loire: themed Garden Festival each year — 30 temporary gardens created by international artists.
   • · Most beautiful section: Tours → Langeais → Saumur (vineyards + châteaux, 60 km in 2-3 days).
   Chambord →
8. 8

   Day 8

   Tours → Beaune (Burgundy, 3h30 car or TGV via Lyon)

   Drive Tours → Beaune: 380 km, 3h30 via A71/A6 (€30 tolls) with possible lunch stop in Nevers (halfway, picturesque town on the Loire, Gothic cathedral, 1h visit). Train alternative: TGV Tours → Lyon Part-Dieu (2h30) + TGV Lyon → Beaune (35 min) with car return in Tours then rental in Beaune (more restful). Arrive Beaune mid-afternoon. Settle in the historic centre (intra-muros, within medieval ramparts). Recommended hotels: Hôtel Le Cep 5* (€220-380, intramuros palace), Hostellerie le Cèdre (€180-280), Les Caudalies (€120-180). Visit the Hospices de Beaune / Hôtel-Dieu (€15 with audioguide, 1h30, opens 9am last entry 6:30pm) — 15th-century masterpiece (1443) founded by Nicolas Rolin, polychrome glazed tile roofs (Burgundy's iconic image, yellow-green-red-brown Burgundian patterns), Grand'Salle des Pôvres, kitchens, Rogier van der Weyden's Last Judgment polyptych. Dinner classic Burgundian cuisine: œuf en meurette (poached egg in red wine sauce) + bœuf bourguignon + farmhouse époisses at Ma Cuisine (€45-65) or fancier Loiseau des Vignes (starred, €80-150).

   Tips

   • · Train preferable for this leg (3h30 driving exhausting) — TGV Tours → Lyon → Beaune in 3h, car rental in Beaune.
   • · Beaune = Burgundy wine capital (Côte de Beaune, 33 wine villages).
   • · Hospices wine auction every 3rd Sunday of November (world's most famous charity sale).
   • · Beaune market: Saturday morning on Place de la Halle (local produce, snails, parsley ham).
   • · Specialities to try: jambon persillé, gougères, époisses, kir bourguignon (cassis cream + Aligoté).
   Chambord →
9. 9

   Day 9

   Burgundy: Grand Crus Route

   Grand Crus Route day: the "D974" from Dijon to Santenay (60 km), UNESCO-listed since 2015 under "Burgundy Climats". Mythical itinerary through Burgundy's 33 grand crus: Gevrey-Chambertin (9 grand crus including Chambertin, Napoleon's favourite wine), Vougeot (Clos Vougeot, 12th-century Cistercian abbey, €5.80 visit), Vosne-Romanée (THE mythical village, Romanée-Conti, La Tâche, Richebourg — visits nearly impossible, but magnificent village to walk through), Nuits-Saint-Georges, Beaune, Pommard, Volnay, Meursault (chardonnay), Puligny-Montrachet (Montrachet, world's greatest white). Tasting at 2-3 estates: Maison Bouchard Père & Fils Beaune (cellar visit + 4-6 wines, €35-60), Maison Joseph Drouhin (medieval cellars under Beaune, €45-90), Domaine Olivier Leflaive in Puligny (lunch + 5-7 wines, €95). Lunch chef's cuisine in the heart of the vines: La Cabotte Nuits-Saint-Georges (€35-55) or picnic in the field. If time: Dijon (35 min, Burgundy's historic capital — Palace of the Dukes and States of Burgundy, Place de la Libération, Halles market).

   Tips

   • · Book tastings 1-2 weeks ahead for renowned houses (Drouhin, Bouchard, Faiveley).
   • · Romanée-Conti = THE legendary grand cru (€12,000-30,000 per bottle) — visit reserved for major collectors.
   • · Tasting at independent winemaker cheaper (€15-30 for 3-4 wines) — look for "Domaine" rather than "Maison".
   • · Alternative organised tour: Chemin des Vignes, Authentica Tours (€90-180/person, 6h, transport + 3 estates + lunch).
   • · Dijon speciality: Mulot et Petitjean gingerbread (since 1796) + Edmond Fallot Dijon mustard.
   Chambord →
10. 10

    Day 10

    Beaune → Colmar (3h drive)

    Drive Beaune → Colmar: 290 km, 3h via A36 (€25 tolls), through Doubs and Franche-Comté (possible lunch stop in Besançon — 1h30 from Beaune, Vauban UNESCO citadel, €11, 2h visit). Arrive Colmar mid-afternoon. Settle in the historic centre — Colmar is one of Europe's most picturesque cities: 12,000 half-timbered houses (14th-17th centuries), flowery canals, preserved Renaissance atmosphere. Recommended hotels: Hôtel Quatorze (€130-200, intimate design), La Maison des Têtes (€220-380, 16th-century palace), Hôtel Le Maréchal (€170-260, canal view). Twilight walk in Petite Venise (boatmen's district, multicoloured half-timbered houses along the Lauch, Colmar's iconic image — possible boat trip €8, 30 min, May-October), pass by Maison Pfister (1537, Renaissance gem with painted corner gallery) and Maison des Têtes (1609, 106 carved heads on the façade). Dinner Alsatian cuisine: sauerkraut garnie (€35-45) or tarte flambée (€10-15/person) at Wistub Brenner (Alsatian institution) or JY's (starred Jean-Yves Schillinger, €80-150).

    Tips

    • · Colmar more picturesque early morning (before 10am) or end of day (after 5pm, buses gone).
    • · Boat ride on the Lauch: May to October only, €8/person, 30 min, departure Petite Venise.
    • · Colmar Christmas Markets (late November-30 December) among Europe's most beautiful — 6-month hotel booking, tripled prices.
    • · Specialities to try: kougelhopf, bretzel, baeckeoffe, flammekueche, kouglof.
    • · Alsace wines: Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris, Crémant — Alsatian Pinot Noir in full revival.
    Strasbourg →
11. 11

    Day 11

    Colmar: Unterlinden + Wine Route

    Morning Unterlinden Museum (€13, opens 9am, 2h — 13th-century Dominican convent rehabilitated by Herzog & de Meuron architects in 2015, houses Matthias Grünewald's Isenheim Altarpiece — painted 1512-1516 for the Antonites of Issenheim, absolute masterpiece of Western art, articulated polyptych on 3 levels showing the Crucifixion, Annunciation, Concert of Angels, Resurrection, plus a painting collection from the Middle Ages to modern art). Lunch winstub (Alsatian bistro-cellar): Chez Hansi or La Maison Rouge (€25-40). Afternoon Alsace Wine Route: 170 km from Marlenheim to Thann, crossing 67 wine villages. Essential stops: Riquewihr (most iconic of the Most Beautiful Villages, 1,200 inhabitants, 13th-century ramparts, half-timbered houses, Maison Hugel & Fils for Riesling tasting), Kaysersberg (Favourite Village of the French 2017, Albert Schweitzer was born here, ruined imperial castle at the top), Eguisheim (Favourite Village 2013, round like half-timbering with 3 concentric circular enclosures, free parking, Domaine Léon Beyer tasting). Tastings €5-15/person for 3-5 wines.

    Tips

    • · Eguisheim: free entry, free parking, more peaceful than Riquewihr.
    • · Riquewihr: avoid Tues-Thurs high season (Strasbourg buses) — prefer early morning or end of day.
    • · Wine Route: marked on green signs, free "Alsace Wine Route" app.
    • · Tasting: €5-15 for 3-5 wines in cellars, purchase encouraged but not mandatory.
    • · Eguisheim wine trail: 5 km on foot through vineyards (1h30, flat, Hohlandsberg château view).
    Strasbourg →
12. 12

    Day 12

    Haut-Kœnigsbourg + Colmar → Strasbourg

    Morning Château du Haut-Kœnigsbourg (€9, 1h30 — 12th-century medieval fortress, perched at 757m on Vosges foothills, restored by Emperor Wilhelm II of Germany between 1900 and 1908 to restore glory to annexed Alsace-Lorraine, exceptional 360° panorama over the Alsace plain, Black Forest and Vosges). Car access (€6 parking, 10-min walk up) — one of Alsace's most visited sites with 550,000 visitors/year. Lunch at Auberge du Haut-Kœnigsbourg or descend to Ribeauvillé (20 min, picturesque wine village, restaurants €25-40). Drive to Strasbourg: 1h by car via A35, or more relaxing TER Colmar-Strasbourg in 32 min (€15-22, departure every 30 min, return car in Colmar). Settle Grande-Île (UNESCO historic centre). Recommended hotels: Régent Petite France (4*, €280-450, canal view), Hôtel D (€180-280, design), Hôtel Cathédrale (€130-200, facing the cathedral). Twilight walk in Petite France (UNESCO, former tanners and boatmen's district, illuminated canals and half-timbered houses) + Covered Bridges and Vauban Dam (free panoramic terrace). Dinner at Maison Kammerzell facing the cathedral (Alsatian institution since 1467, sauerkraut and Riesling rooster, €35-65).

    Tips

    • · Haut-Kœnigsbourg: opens 9:15am, arrive early for crowd-free photos (550,000 visitors/year).
    • · If driving: panoramic road Riquewihr → Ribeauvillé → Haut-Kœnigsbourg (20 km, vineyards).
    • · TER Colmar-Strasbourg: more restful than car (Strasbourg city-centre parking pricey €25-30/day).
    • · Strasbourg = French cycling capital (600 km of cycle paths, Vélhop rental €5/day).
    • · Petite France at sunset: Strasbourg's iconic image — Pêcherie bridge for the photo.
    Strasbourg →
13. 13

    Day 13

    Strasbourg: cathedral + Petite France + Neustadt

    Morning Strasbourg Notre-Dame Cathedral (free entry, opens 8:30am) — European Gothic masterpiece, 142m high (world's tallest building from 1647 to 1874), pink Vosges sandstone façade carved like lace, astronomical clock (€3 to access, apostle parade daily at 12:30pm, 12-min spectacle), panoramic platform (€5, 332 steps, exceptional view over Strasbourg, the Black Forest and the Vosges on clear days). Petite France (UNESCO Grande-Île — already walked last night, worth seeing in daylight). Lunch winstub: Maison des Tanneurs (institution since 1880, mains €28-45) or Au Crocodile (Michelin starred, €120-220). Afternoon: Alsatian Museum (€7.50, 1h30 — traditional Alsatian life, costumes, furniture, peasant objects, 3 17th-19th-century houses), then Neustadt UNESCO ("new German town" built 1871-1918 during annexation — Place de la République, monumental Wilhelminian architecture, Rhine Palace, university, fascinating contrast with medieval Grande-Île). Evening Batorama cruise on the Ill (€14, 1h15, multilingual audioguide): only way to see Strasbourg from the water (Petite France, Covered Bridges, European palaces). Dinner traditional sauerkraut at Chez Yvonne or Au Pont Saint-Martin (€35-50).

    Tips

    • · Cathedral: astronomical clock at 12:30pm (apostle spectacle, 12 min, limited seats, €3 ticket to buy at 11:30am).
    • · Cathedral platform: 332 steps, allow 30 min ascent + 30 min admiration.
    • · Strasbourg: French cycling capital (600 km of paths, Vélhop rental €5/day at the station).
    • · Batorama cruise: departure every 30 min from Palais Rohan landing stage, last departure 10pm in summer.
    • · Specialities to try: royal sauerkraut, baeckeoffe, fleischschnaka, kouglof, mannele (at Christmas).
    Strasbourg →
14. 14

    Day 14

    Strasbourg: European Parliament + last day

    Morning European Parliament (free visit with booking 7-14 days ahead, plenary session 1 week/month — otherwise building-only visit): spectacular Architecture Studio agency architecture, hemicycle, committee rooms, European political context. Combined visit Council of Europe (free, security check) and European Court of Human Rights (Richard Rogers architecture, 1995). Transport to European palaces: tram E or bus 6 from the centre (€1.80, 15 min). Lunch on return to centre or at European halls. Afternoon Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MAMCS) (€7.50, 1h30 — one of France's most important outside Paris, Picasso, Monet, Kandinsky, Klimt, Magritte, contemporary art collection) OR Palais Rohan (€12, 3 museums in 1: Fine Arts 15th-18th + Archaeological prehistory-Middle Ages + Decorative Arts 18th — 18th-century cardinal palace, one of Strasbourg's finest monuments). Last walk in Petite France (golden evening light). Farewell Alsatian dinner: Au Pont Saint-Martin (traditional baeckeoffe, €35-50, canal view) or 1741 (starred, Palais Rohan, €130-220). Crémant d'Alsace aperitif at Bistrot et Chocolat.

    Tips

    • · European Parliament: book 7-14 days ahead via parl-website (free visit, plenary session 1 week/month).
    • · Security: ID card or passport mandatory (airport-like control).
    • · Palais Rohan: 3 museums €12 instead of €21 — choose Fine Arts or Decorative if short on time.
    • · Walking tour of the European quarter: 1h30 (Parliament + Council + Court + Orangerie park).
    • · Crémant aperitif: Alsace produces one of France's best crémants (35 million bottles/year).
    Strasbourg →
15. 15

    Day 15

    Strasbourg → Paris (TGV 1h46)

    Free morning in Strasbourg: vegetable market at the Halles (Place du Marché-Neuf, Tues-Fri-Sat morning, Alsatian produce, Munster cheeses, cured meats, bretzels), last walk in Petite France or shopping on rue des Hallebardes. Lunch tarte flambée at Flam's (€10-15) or quick at the station. Return car if still rented. TGV Strasbourg → Paris-Est in 1h46 (€50-130, 1 train/hour, ~12 trains/day). Paris-Est → CDG link: RER B from Gare du Nord (200m from Paris-Est, 50 min), or taxi/Uber (€60-80, 1h depending on traffic). End of trip in Paris afternoon. For travellers with a flight the next day: extra night in a hotel near the station (Mercure Paris Est €120-180) or city centre.

    Tips

    • · TGV Strasbourg-Paris: 1 train/hour, book 2-3 months ahead for Prem's at €35-60.
    • · Car return in Strasbourg: city-centre or airport (Entzheim) agency, allow 30-min margin.
    • · Paris-Est → CDG link: RER B from Gare du Nord (50 min, €11.80) faster than taxi at rush hour.
    • · Alsatian souvenirs: wines (Riesling, Gewurztraminer), farmhouse Munster, bretzels, kouglof, gingerbread.
    • · Strasbourg-Paris day return: possible for those wanting to extend their stay.
    Strasbourg →

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