Somewhere around the first château, it happens. You’re standing in a courtyard built in 1519 for a king who wanted to impress his mistress, the late afternoon light is gilding the white tuffeau stone, and the only sound is a distant fountain and your own breathing. This is the Loire Valley — and it has been making people fall in love with France for five hundred years.
A private chauffeur from Paris to the Loire Valley — two hours each way, a whole day on your own schedule — is the answer that French aristocrats would have recognized instinctively.
Why the Loire Valley?
The Loire Valley is France’s Val de Loire — the “Garden of France,” a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There are more than 300 châteaux in the Loire. The skill in a private-driver itinerary is combining the iconic with the hidden.
The Loire also produces some of France’s most distinctive wines — Muscadet, Sancerre, Vouvray, Chinon, Bourgueil — and a private itinerary allows cellar visits and tasting lunches.
The Couple’s Day Trip: A Curated Itinerary
Departure: 7:30am from Paris • Return: 7:30–8:00pm
9:30am — Amboise: The King’s Town
Amboise is the Loire Valley’s most seductive introduction. Start at the Château Royal d’Amboise. The chapel of Saint-Hubert — where Leonardo da Vinci may be buried — is one of the most exquisite small interiors in France.
Then walk to the Clos Lucé — Leonardo’s house. The rooms are preserved, and the lower floors house full-scale working models of his engineering designs.
11:30am — Chenonceaux: The Ladies’ Castle
Twenty minutes by private car, the Château de Chenonceaux is built on arches spanning the River Cher — simply one of the most romantic buildings on earth. The formal gardens on either side are among the most beautifully maintained parterre gardens in France.
1:00pm — Lunch in the Loire
Auberge du Bon Laboureur (Chenonceaux village) — This ivy-covered auberge has been serving serious French cuisine since the 19th century. The Menu Dégustation at lunch is outstanding value.
3:00pm — Château de Chaumont: The Garden Festival
Chaumont-sur-Loire hosts the Festival International des Jardins, running April through October. Twenty-five garden designers create temporary garden “rooms” on the estate grounds. For couples with an interest in design, art, or gardening, this is the most memorable stop.
5:00pm — The Wine Stop
Ask your PrivateDrive chauffeur to route through Vouvray — a small appellation producing one of France’s great white wines from Chenin Blanc. A stop at Domaine Huet or the Cave des Producteurs de Vouvray offers a 30-minute tasting.
Practical Details
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Distance Paris to Amboise | ~220 km, ~2h drive |
| Best time to visit | April–June; September–October (harvest) |
| Budget for entrances | ~€30–40 per person for 2–3 châteaux |
| Best for | Couples, anniversaries, honeymoons, special occasions |
This itinerary is a suggestion, not a script. The genuine advantage of a private driver in the Loire is total itinerary flexibility. Tell PrivateDrive what you want from the day — more wine, more art, more solitude, more châteaux — and the day can be built around that.
Full-day Loire Valley itinerary starts from €590.
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