I am a regular visitor to Europe and France in particular. Much of the country is interesting and some of the areas are fantastic. One such place, a days drive from the coast is Amboise on the River Loire.
This pretty town is steeped in history and is certainly a first class base for visiting the central area of the Loire.
I recommend the Hotel Lion d'Or which is right on the water front on the south side of the bridge which spans the river at this point. The hotel is one of the Logis de France group which means it is family run and not part of a major chain.
Price for the room we stayed in was 320 Ff and an evening meal was 110 Ff. This is excellent value for money with first class service, in a beautiful hotel with all the old charm of a typical French hotel, it was spotless and the food was of the same high standard in a restaurant with a fabulour antique decor. Having stayed at more hotels than I care to remember in France this is certainly one of my favourites.
If you stay there remember to book, and ask for room three. This room has two single beds, and en suite shower and toilet with views over the river Loire. The advantage of this room is the balcony which is the only one in the hotel and is certainly worth the extra 20 Ff over and above the other rooms which have the same views but no balcony.
The town itself is very pretty, historical and full of small shops and many restaurants and bars. It does get crowded in the height of the season and parking is a problem even staying at this hotel.
The area is full of places of interest and research is recommended before taking advantage of the places of interest. The local tourist office is very supportive and informative.
Not a cyclist myself the area is ideal for this type of activity as the river side roads are flat as is the surrounding areas. Many visitors appeared to use this as a mode of transport. As I was there for the town and the wine I walked where possible.
The wine is first class and I particularly recommend the town of Vouvray 15 miles west on the Loire if you favour slightly sweeter wines and wines made by the Champagne method. Visit the caves of the wine producers sample the products and you'll discover some great wines at very cheap prices.
We also prefer the Rose wines of the area but do not forget the Reds not a great area for the reds as I see it (just a drinker not an authority) but I was truly amazed at the quality of some of this type of wine and now look for it when I shop.
I visited the area in the spring and early summer, never later than the beginning of July. There are other hotels in the town some in the Logis de France group but not all have the views of the river.
Finally for those who have never taken advantage of the 'Logis de France' they can be easily spotted with there yellow fireplace symbols on a green background and there in nearly every villageapart from I believe the really big cities.
Enjoy
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Hotel - Lotissement, Centre d'Activities du Pin, Beaucouze, 49070 Angers, Centre d'activité du Pin, 49070 Beaucouzé, Pays de la Loire, France - 2 Stars - 42 Rooms
Great review, I went to the Loire for a long weekend a couple of months ago and boy was it fantastic! Good first review too! Welcome to Ciao - I look forward to reading your next op! Cheers Sweary.
magicloudz 04.04.2003 15:33
Fantastic!!:) -Jon
Arbrette 29.03.2003 01:55
To stay in the Loire, you couldn't pick a better centre than Amboise, but you need transport! There is a great camping site there, one of the best in the area, and I agree with all comments about the little town - it does go off to sleep every afternoon tho! The French of this area are all for tourism, obviously, but there are few actual tours and no boat trips, so get a guide book and hire a car!
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Advantages: Great Wine, Great Castles, Great People.....those are kick a** advantages Disadvantages: It's not really easy to access via Train, you really do need to have a Car to fully appreciate it
i_heart_elo 05.03.2009 (05.03.2009)
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Review of Loire Valley (France)
Aug 2nd, 2000
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