After the Marathon de Tours: Blois and Chambord
The Route: Tours → Blois → Chambord (day trip from Blois) → Tours Logistics: Direct TER train Tours to Blois, around 40 minutes. Chambord itself has no train station; reach it from Blois by shuttle bus, organised tour or taxi, roughly 20–30 minutes. Marathon Month: September Duration: 2 nights
Tours ──(40 mins direct TER)──> Blois ──(20–30 mins shuttle/tour)──> Chambord ──(return to Blois)──> Tours
Blois and Chambord pair naturally from Tours, close enough together that a single base in Blois covers both without changing hotel. The sensible order after a marathon is to keep the first day lighter, inside Blois itself, and save the larger, more demanding grounds at Chambord for day two, once the legs have had a proper night's rest.
September in the Loire châteaux still runs full opening hours at both sites, with the crowds of peak summer thinned out but the gardens and grounds still fully active. Timed tickets are worth booking in advance regardless of the season, since both sites can sell out specific entry slots on a busy weekend.
Night One: Blois
The Château Royal de Blois sits directly above the old town, a genuine hill climb from the station, so allow more time than usual and consider a taxi for the first day if legs are still tender (entry approximately €14/£12). The building itself mixes several centuries of French architecture in one courtyard, from Gothic wings to the Renaissance staircase associated with François I, giving a lot to see without much additional walking once inside.
The old town below the château is compact and largely level along its main streets, an easier option than the château climb if the first evening calls for a gentler wander instead.
Where to stay: Hôtel Anne de Bretagne, close to the château and old town, keeps first-day walking distances short. Holiday Inn Express Blois Centre, near the station, suits arrivals by train and gives easy access for the onward Chambord trip the next morning.
Where to eat: Restaurant l'Orangerie du Château, beside the château itself, offers a proper sit-down regional menu without needing to walk far afterward. For something more casual, a brasserie in the old town centre works well for a lower-key first evening.
Night Two: Chambord
Chambord is the grandest of the Loire châteaux, its double-helix staircase and vast formal grounds needing considerably more standing and walking than a single afternoon in Blois (entry approximately €16/£13.70, grounds free to enter separately). Given the scale, this is the day to have both legs and time on your side rather than attempting it straight off the train from Tours.
The grounds themselves are largely flat gravel and grass, walkable at a slow pace, though the interior of the château involves the famous spiral staircases and multiple floors, unavoidable if visiting the upper terraces. Break the visit into stages rather than trying to cover the whole estate in one continuous walk.
Where to eat: A café within the Chambord estate grounds covers a straightforward lunch without needing to leave the site, useful given how much of the day the grounds themselves can absorb.
Getting Home
Return from Chambord to Blois by the same shuttle, tour or taxi service used outbound, then take the direct TER train back to Tours, around 40 minutes. Check current timetables and shuttle schedules before travelling, since Chambord's shuttle frequency can vary by season.