Self-Launched Loire Valley & Bordeaux: Châteaux, Vineyards & the Atlantic

Arrive at any time and make your own way into the city — the RER B train from CDG to Gare du Nord costs about £10 and takes 35 minutes, or the Roissybus is around £14. Check into a hostel in the 10th or 11th arrondissement (St Christopher's Canal, Generator, or a cheap Marais hostel), then spend the evening wandering the Canal Saint-Martin and grabbing a budget dinner — a plat du jour or a bakery picnic. Book your TGV ticket to Blois tonight if you haven't already (SNCF Connect app, cheaper booked weeks ahead).

🚌RER B from CDG (~£10)

🛏Hostel dorm, Paris 10th/11th arr. (~£38)

• →Canal Saint-Martin evening walk
• →Book TGV Paris–Blois ticket on SNCF Connect

Take a morning TGV from Paris Montparnasse (or Austerlitz) to Blois — about 1h20 and £25-40 if booked in advance. Drop bags at your guesthouse near the old town and do your own orientation walk past the half-timbered houses, the cathedral and the royal château square, with lunch at a bistro on Rue du Commerce. In the afternoon, catch the local bus or a 20-minute taxi (~£15 shared) to Château de Cheverny, where you self-guide through the furnished rooms, seasonal gardens and the working kennels of the hounds — entry around £13.50. Return to Blois for dinner; Cheverny is also reachable by the 'Châteaux' shuttle in season.

🚌TGV Paris–Blois (~£32) + local bus/taxi to Cheverny (~£8)

🛏Guesthouse or budget hotel in Blois old town (~£55)

• →Self-guided walk of Blois old town
• →Château de Cheverny entry (~£13.50)

Train from Blois to Amboise takes 15 minutes and costs about £5. Wander the riverside lanes, the Clos Lucé area and the bakeries, then take the local bus or a taxi (~£12) to Château de Chenonceau. Instead of the private historian, book a skip-the-line Chenonceau ticket with audio guide direct from the château or via GetYourGuide (~£16-18), which covers the arched galleries, Renaissance tapestries and gardens — the same ground the group tour covers. A self-bookable small-group Chenonceau + Loire history tour via GetYourGuide runs around £45 if you want the storytelling element. Return to Blois in the evening for a cheap dinner.

🚌Train Blois–Amboise (~£5) + local bus/taxi to Chenonceau (~£6)

🛏Guesthouse or budget hotel in Blois (~£55)

• →Chenonceau entry with audio guide (~£17)
• →Amboise riverside walk

Book a Loire Valley wine-tasting visit directly with a family estate (Plou et Fils, near Chisseaux, is the one this tour uses — email or book via their site, around £18-25 for a vineyard walk and tasting; many estates also offer a light lunch for £15-20). Organise a lift or taxi from Blois, or use the Loire à Vélo cycle route if you want to rent a bike (~£15/day). In the afternoon, head to Chisseaux and take a guided riverboat cruise along the Cher beneath Chenonceau's arches — bookable on the day or via GetYourGuide (~£15-18). Back to Blois for a quiet evening.

🚌Taxi/shared transport and local bus around the valley (~£20)

🛏Guesthouse or budget hotel in Blois (~£55)

• →Family vineyard visit and tasting (~£22)
• →Cher riverboat cruise (~£16)

Take the train south to Bordeaux — either a direct TGV via Saint-Pierre-des-Corps or an Intercités from Blois, roughly 3-3.5 hours and £30-45 booked ahead. Check into a hostel near Saint-Pierre or Chartrons (Auberge de la Jeunesse, Whoo Bordeaux or a cheap hotel near Gare Saint-Jean). Do your own orientation walk through the pedestrian squares and limestone facades of the Golden Triangle, lunch at a café, then head to Cité du Vin in the afternoon — book a timed entry ticket online (~£20) including the Belvedere tasting and 360-degree views.

🚌Train Blois–Bordeaux (~£38) + city tram (~£4)

🛏Hostel dorm or budget hotel, Bordeaux (~£40)

• →Self-guided city orientation walk
• →Cité du Vin entry with Belvedere tasting (~£20)

Take the TER train from Bordeaux Saint-Jean to Saint-Émilion (~45 minutes, about £9 each way) or a regional bus. Book the monolithic church and catacombs underground tour direct with the tourist office or via GetYourGuide (~£15-18) — the same subterranean experience the group has with a local guide. Lunch on your own in the village, then join a small-group or self-booked château tour and tasting in the surrounding vineyards (~£25-35 for a cellar tour plus wine samples). Return to Bordeaux for a free evening; a picnic or market dinner on the quays is a cheap night out.

🚌TER train Bordeaux–Saint-Émilion return (~£18)

🛏Hostel dorm or budget hotel, Bordeaux (~£40)

• →Monolithic church & catacombs tour (~£16)
• →Winery cellar tour and tasting (~£30)

Catch the TER train from Bordeaux to Arcachon (~50 minutes, about £10). From the station, take local bus line 1 to the Dune du Pilat (~£2) and climb Europe's tallest sand dune — free, with sweeping views over the pine forest and Atlantic. Walk the Arcachon waterfront promenade, grab oysters and a picnic lunch by the beach, and swim if it's warm. Return to Bordeaux in the evening for a final dinner of regional specialties — try a bistro in Saint-Pierre or the Chartrons.

🚌TER train Bordeaux–Arcachon return (~£20) + local buses (~£5)

🛏Hostel dorm or budget hotel, Bordeaux (~£40)

• →Dune du Pilat climb (free)
• →Arcachon waterfront walk and beach

Depart at any time. Take the tram from the city to Gare Saint-Jean for onward TGV trains (Paris in 2h10, around £40-60), or a bus to the airport (~£1.80 on the Ligne 1 tram/bus). If you have a late flight, squeeze in a morning market visit at Marché des Capucins for a last coffee and pastry.

🚌Tram to station/airport (~£2)

🛏—

• →Marché des Capucins market visit (optional)