Getting to Château de Chambord is easiest by car but buses and especially day-trip excursions to various chateaux in the Loire valley are also available.
Château de Chambord is the largest castle in the Loire region of France. As a hunting lodge, Chambord was in a forest and as this forest mostly survived as a nature reserve, Chambord remains somewhat isolated from major transportation links. The chateau can easily be reached on well-maintained country roads but public transportation is very limited and during the colder months not available at all. However, Château de Chambord is a standard on many day-trip bus tours from Paris or castle excursions from other Loire towns.
Getting to Chateau de Chambord by Car
Driving to Château de Chambord is easy from most parts of the Loire Valley. The chateau is off minor country roads not far from Blois. Visits to Chambord thus combine easily with seeing the chateaux at Blois, Cheverny, and Chaumont.
The closest highway exit is Blois on Autoroute A10 from Paris via Orléans to Tours.
Parking at Chambord is €4 per day – it is possible to pay upon arrival to avoid queues at machines later in the day. Parking P0 is the closest to the chateau but P1 and P2 are not much further away on paved level walkways.
Parking for motorhomes are €7 per day or €10 if parking overnight.
Distances to Château de Chambord from other cities are around:
- 20 km / 0:30 from Blois
- 60 km / 1:00 from Orléans
- 80 km / 1:00 from Tours
- 110 km / 1:40 from Bourges
- 160 km / 2:00 from Le Mans
- 180 km / 2:20 from Paris
Driving times from Château de Chambord to some other chateaux in the Loire region are:
- 20 km / 0:30 from Chateau de Cheverny
- 35 km / 0:50 from Chateau de Chaumont
- 50 km / 1:00 from Chateau de Amboise / Close Lucé
- 50 km / 1:00 Chateau de Valencay
- 60 km / 1:20 – Chateau de Chenonceau
- 100 km / 1:30 from Chateau de Villandry
- 100 km / 1:30 from Chateau de Azay-le-Rideau
Public Transportation to Château de Chambord
Public transportation to Château de Chambord is very limited. The nearest train stations are Blois or Mer from where limited bus services during the summer season are available. TGV trains to Blois leave from Paris-Gare d’Austerlitz.
Route41 offers a Circuit des Châteaux bus usually from April to early September. These “Navette Châteaux” buses depart from Blois station (Gare SNCF) daily at 9:30 and 11:30 am for the 40-minute ride to Chambord. The return buses from Chambord depart at 14:10 and 16:10 and stop en route at Cheverny and Beauregard. The single fare is €6 and gives a discount of around €2 on admission to the chateaux in Blois, Cheverny, Chambord, and Beauregard.
Day-trip excursions are frequently available from Paris or other major Loire towns to Château de Chambord. Get Your Guide can give some ideas on the prices and type of tours available but many other options exists. Reservations are seldom required far in advance and double-check what is included in the excursion fare should the price vary widely from the average.
See also Visiting Château de Chambord for more information on this marvelous castle / palace / hunting lodge.