9 Castle Day Trips in France to Build a Day Around

1.Loire Valley Castles Day Trip from Paris with Complementary Wine

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 3,907 reviews · 13 hours (approx.) · from $149Our pick

Travel by air-conditioned coach from Paris to Château de Chambord and Château de Chenonceau, with entrance fees, an English-speaking guide, lunch time in Blois, and three Loire Valley wine pours in Chenonceau’s cellar. Guides may include Daniel, Emma, Riti, or Thelma.

“Great excursion, which I highly recommend. Thank for great tour and tour guides. Bus very comfortable.”

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2.From Paris: Loire Valley Castles Day Trip With Wine Tasting

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 1,727 reviews · 13 hours · from $104

Travel by air-conditioned coach from Paris to Chambord and Chenonceau, with self-guided castle visits, lunch time in Blois, and a short wine tasting. Guides such as Dee, Jasmina, John, and Riti add useful history and practical tips during the long drives.

“Fantastic day out to see the Loire valley and learn about the history on the way. Our guide John was funny, knowledgeable and very interesting! We particular enjoyed his own story and anecdotes. Highly recommend.”

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3.Loire Valley Wine and Castles Small-Group Day Trip from Paris

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 613 reviews · 12 hours (approx.) · from $296Top rated

Leave Paris at 7 a.m. for a 12-hour small-group outing to Chambord, Chenonceau, and Amboise. Your driver-guide, such as Enzo, Valeria, Tim, or G, provides background before each château, then gives you time to explore alone. Lunch is independent, and the wine stop is brief and informal.

“The castles were amazing. The 1st two were over the top the last was spectacular from the outside. The displays inside were underwhelming. The wine tasting was not great. Before lunch while standing in a small space was odd. Kareem was knowledgeable but I felt his role was more of a driver than a tour guide. Driving was sometimes an adventure. Long day!”

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4.Toulouse: Carcassonne Day Trip by Coach with Audioguide

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 580 reviews · 1 day · from $35Best value

Travel from Toulouse to Carcassonne by comfortable coach, arriving close to the medieval Cité. Explore Château Comtal, the ramparts, Saint Nazaire Basilica, shops, and restaurants at your own pace. An optional smartphone audio guide is available in French, English, and Spanish.

“Absolutely loved our trip, would highly recommend. Carcassonne it a incredible place.”

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5.Fontainebleau & Vaux-le-Vicomte Châteaux Day Tour from Paris

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 454 reviews · 9 hours · from $123

Travel by air-conditioned coach from Paris to Vaux-le-Vicomte and Fontainebleau. Explore Fouquet’s furnished château, formal gardens, and dome, then visit Napoleon’s former royal residence with audio guides in nine languages. This is a self-guided day trip, not a tour with a live historian.

“Length of time at each venue was good. Some communication from driver would have been nice . Not even “bonjour!””

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6.Loire Valley Day Tour Chambord and Chenonceau plus Lunch at a Private Castle

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 380 reviews · 9 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $284

Spend about nine and a half hours visiting Chenonceau and Chambord with an English-speaking guide, plus a home-style French lunch at family-owned Château de Villesavin. The air-conditioned minivan holds no more than eight people, and guides such as Chloé, Camille, Alex, and Marion bring the sites to life.

“Marion was our guide. She was extremely knowledgeable about the history of the times and the chateaux. Between stops, she kept up a running dialog so we were never bored. Over lunch, she initiated an conversation between everyone on the tour giving us a chance to get to know something about each other. The two hours spent at each stop was perfect for us. For the two chateaux we toured, Marion gave us the history and took us through the major parts of each. Then we were given close to an hour to explore other areas on our on. For us, this split was ideal. Lunch was delicious but simple.…”

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7.Fontainebleau and Vaux le Vicomte Chateaux Day Trip from Paris

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 339 reviews · 9 hours (approx.) · from $138

Travel by air-conditioned coach from Paris to Vaux-le-Vicomte and Fontainebleau. You explore both castles independently with audio guides, walk grand gardens, climb Vaux-le-Vicomte’s dome, and return around 6:15 pm. No professional guide accompanies the group.

“Excellent trip! Well organized , great itinerary and very comfortable! We were met at the meeting place, given tickets to both castles and schedule. The bus was very comfortable and the driver very pleasant. It was enough time for everything.”

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8.Saint-Émilion day tour: village visit, Châteaux and lunch

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 121 reviews · 7 hours (approx.) · from $187

Travel from Bordeaux in a small, air-conditioned van with an English-speaking guide such as Xavier, Margaux, René, or Valentin. Walk UNESCO-listed Saint-Émilion, visit three estates, taste Bordeaux wines, and enjoy a château picnic lunch.

“Our St. Emilion city tour and wine tasting were exceptional. Our guide, who holds degrees in enology and hospitality, expertly explained the wines and wineries. The tour, personalized to our group of two couples and a single traveler, featured a picnic among the vines and visits to three Grand Cru Classé wineries, each offering informative tours and tastings of 3-5 wines. Our guide knew all the best spots for wine, sightseeing, and photography.”

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9.Loire Valley Royal Castles Small Group Day Trip from Paris

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 9 reviews · 13 hours · from $324

Leave Paris at 7:30 for Chenonceau, Amboise, and Blois, with castle entries, a family winery visit, seven wine tastings, lunch time, and hotel pickup included. A guide such as Dave handles the long day for up to seven people, though the published route order should be confirmed before booking.

“Our day to the Loire Valley was our highlight during our trip to Paris. Our tour guide, Dave, was friendly and very informative. The 3 castles are each beautiful and unique in their own ways. The scenery and grounds at each castle is amazing. If you’re looking to get outside of Paris for a day I would highly recommend this tour.”

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