Day Trip to Chateaux de Chambord, Chenonceau and Loire Valley

We booked a bus tour to the Loire Valley and to see Two Chateaus and taste wine.  This was a long day and very rushed.  You will spend a minimum 5 hours riding on the bus for a 9 hour tour.  Even though you are on the bus a lot it gives you an opportunity to see the area south west of Paris.



Chateaux Chambord

Double Spiral Staircase

The estate of Chambord is a Unesco world heritage site.  This Chateaux is a fairy tale castle with many spires and domes.  There is a double spiral staircase in the centre of the Chateaux.  This Chateaux was not used very much as it was very cold and difficult to heat.



After a tour and short visit on our own we are off Chateaux Nitray a small family owned vineyard.  We gathered for a wholesome lunch of roast chicken, potatoes, salad, goats cheese and apple tart with lots of wine to clear the pallet during each course.  Our host also took time to explain how to correctly taste his wine.

 



Chateau de Nitray

The last stop is Chateaux de Chenonceau which is famous for being built over a river.  During the second world war the Germans were on one side of the Chateaux and the allies on the other and the only way to cross the river was through the Chateaux.

Chateaux Chenonceau

 Wine produced on this estate.

The ride back to Paris was uneventful.  We made good time, sometimes the traffic is so bad that the trip can take an extra hour.

 



 

Day Trip to Reims

If you have time you can easily take a day trip to Reims in the province of Champagne.  To get to Reims you can take a train from Gare de I'Est or the east train station accessible by subway.  Book your ticket as soon as possible.  Ticket price goes up as you get closer to the day you want to travel.  The ticket you purchase will also identify the train car and seat that you have been assigned.  This is a 45 minute train ride and you get to see the country side between Paris and Reims.



Reims Cathedral

There is a lot of history in Reims.  The Cathedral where the kings were crowned is a UNESCO Heritage sight.  It is easy to find and is within walking distance of the train station or take the Tram.  Buy a Tram ticket from the dispenser at the stop.  There is a small tourist information booth just outside the Reims train station that can provide a map of the town and information regarding the historic sights.



Stain Glass Windows

 

Joan of Arc

You will also find a wonderful sculpture of Joan of Arc in the church as she was a significant person in this community.
During WWII the community protected the stain glass and the artifacts.

At the end of WWII the peace treaty was signed by the Germans on May 7 in Reims.  You can visit the war room that housed General Montgomery and where the treaty was signed.  There is a video that is worth watching with English subtitles so that you understand the significance of the war room.  The Sanctuary Museum is located in a School on the opposite direction of the Cathedral from the railway station.  You can easily find this museum with a short ride on the Tram.  Tram tickets are good for 1 hour and you can use for a return trip if you are within the hour of activation.



i

War Room with Names on Chair Backs



Copy of the Peace Treaty WWII

Another highlight in Reims are the numerous Champagne Houses within walking distance of the train station.  Champagne can only be made in the province of Champagne and they must follow very strict guidelines.  The Chalk Caves in the area are ideal for the storage of the wine.  We visited two different Champagne producers.

Martel is a small family run business and provided an excellent English tour.  You get to sample three different champagnes for a reasonable price.



Riddling Racks

Our second visit was to Taittinger Champagne.  This is a much larger establishment with miles of chalk caves created in the past by Monks and were used during the second world war as a bomb shelter.  The site previously had a Basilica on the land and the monks had made Champagne in the caves below the church.  This tour was less personal and but an excellent choice to compare the two different producers


Champagne Wine Storage Area




 



Day Trip Chateau De Versailles



Front Gate

Our first day trip was to Versailles.  It is easy to get to Versailles by using the subway and taking the C train out of the city.  After a short train trip you reach the train station and walk about three blocks to the gates of Versailles.  We made sure that we would arrive before the crowds and arrived by 9:30 am.  We then booked a tour of the Kings apartment and the Opera house.  Tours can be booked online ahead of time but we were not sure about our arrival time.

The guided tour was excellent and I would recommend that you take a tour.  The Opera house is amazing.  It was designed so that the floor of the audience can be raised to one level and balls could be held in the same space.



Opera House

Once the tour ended we went through the rooms open to the public.  The Museum Pass covers the entrance fee to the Chateau De Versailles. 

One of the many fountains.

View of the gardens from Chateaux

From the palace we entered the gardens which are free when the fountains are not working.  If you go when the fountains are working you will need to pay extra to enter the gardens.  It would be fantastic to see the fountains if they are anything like the fountains at Peterhof Palace in St. Petersburg Russia.




We made our way to the Grand Trianon Chateaux which is included in the Museum Pass and is a 30 minutes walk from the palace.  This private retreat was built so that the King and Queen could escape from the court.







What a great day trip and an easy 30 minute trip back to Paris.  The Chateaux is only 10 Km from Paris but when it was built it seemed much further travelling by horse and carriage.






Garden side of palace.