- Wine Tour Destinations
Part of the Loire Valley’s charm lies in its off-the-beaten-path location. That said, there are multiple means of getting to and around the region. Here we break down our recommendations for travel to the Loire Valley region.
When considering how to get to the Loire Valley, there are a number of options available to travellers. Given the wide range of travel options, our standard package prices do not include travel. The principle options are as follows:
St Malo is around 3 hours from Tours or Saumur and Caen 2 ½ hours. Grape Escapes can book your ferry crossing with Brittany Ferries or Condor Ferries if required. In particular, the overnight crossing from Portsmouth to St Malo is recommended.
Alternatively if you are travelling from Calais to the Loire Valley, Tours and Saumur are located just 5 hours’ drive from the port town and for customers based in London and the south-east of England, driving offers the most convenient way to transport any purchases back home!
The driving time from Calais to Sancerre is approximately 5 ½ hours.
With a crossing time of only 35 minutes from Folkestone to Calais, LeShuttle (Eurotunnel) offers the fastest channel crossing with your car.
There are up to four trains per hour and no other operator offers a greater choice of departure times.
If travelling from Paris to the Loire Valley, trains are often the best option available.
Tours is around an hour from Paris by train, giving a total journey time of around 4½ hours from London with Eurostar. Alternatively, Saumur is around three hours from Paris by train, giving a total journey time of around 6 ½ hours from London with Eurostar. We would be happy to book your tickets for you at cost, however a booking fee of £10 per person applies.
If you are travelling to Sancerre, Tracy-Sancerre station is around 2 hours from Paris Bercy by train, giving a total journey time of around 5 ½ hours from London with Eurostar. From Tracy-Sancerre, a taxi to the hotel costs around 20 Euros and will need to be pre-booked (we would be happy to arrange this for you).
The definitive cost of your Eurostar travel can be confirmed 120 days before you travel, when the tickets are released.
If you are travelling from the UK and do not wish to take the ferry, Eurotunnel or Eurostar, you could fly to Tours from London Stansted, where a shuttle bus will take you to the city centre, or to Paris CDG and take the train to Tours, Saumur or Sancerre. Grape Escapes is ATOL registered, number 10831 and we would be happy to book your flights at cost, however a booking fee applies.
If travelling from elsewhere, you can fly directly to Tours from the likes of Portugal, Morocco and other locations within France.
If you wish to book your hire car via Grape Escapes then please click here for a personalised quotation.
