Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Choosing a Home Base
Thisisabig,unwieldyregionfortravelers,soI'vedivideditintotwohalves,eachcentered
around a good, manageable town to use as a base: Amboise and Chinon. Châteaux-holics
and gardeners can stay longer and sleep in both towns. Amboise is east of the big city of
Tours, and Chinon lies west of Tours. The drive from Amboise to Chinon takes about 1.5
hours; if you sleep on one side of Tours and intend to visit castles on the other side, you're
looking at a long round-trip drive—certainly doable, but not my idea of good travel. In-
stead, sleep in or near the town nearest the castles you plan to visit, and avoid crossing
traffic-laden Tours. The A-85 autoroute (toll) is the quickest way to link Amboise with
châteauxnearChinon.Thankstothisuncrowdedfreeway,sleepyAzay-le-Rideauisanoth-
er good base for destinations west of Tours; it also works as a base for sights on both sides
of Tours.
