The Independent Travel Reader Offers

Five nights from £599 per person

Departing 21 June and 13 September.

Fully Escorted

You'll love this tour if you like:

Magnificent chateaux
Beautiful gardens - the ornamental vegetables at Villandry are wonderful
Historic riverside towns
Eating out in typical local restaurants
Light crisp white wines

The Loire Valley is synonymous with magnificent chateaux, and our tour takes you to some of the most stunning and historic of them.

This wonderful tour visits some of the delightful riverside towns and cities along the river, that boast beautiful medieval architecture, churches and museums and delightful "vieux quartiers" that are perfect for a leisurely stroll and a relaxed lunch or dinner.

New for 2012 - in response to feedback from many customers - we have now made this tour 6 nights/7 days which provides a free day in the middle of the itnerary to explore Angers at your own leisure.

DAY TO DAY ITINERARY

Day 1: Travel by Eurostar from St Pancras to Lille and onwards to Angers by TGV. On arrival transfer by coach under tour manager's direction to hotel for check in for 5-night stay on room and continental breakfast basis.

Day 2: Morning free in Angers with afternoon winetasting.

Day 3: Full day tour to Fontevraud Abbey and Saumur

Day 4: Day free in Angers to explore at your own leisure

Day 5: Full day tour to Tours, Azay-le-Rideau and Villandry.

Day 6: Full day tour to Nantes and Chateau Goulaine

Day 7: Travel by TGV from Angers to Lille and onwards by Eurostar to St Pancras.

NB: Exact order of itinerary may vary according to local conditions and tour manager's discretion

INCLUDED

Return Eurostar/TGV from St Pancras or Ebbsfleet to Angers via Lille
6 nights' accommodation on room and breakfast basis at 3 star Mercure Centre Gare Hotel based on shared occupancy of twin room
Transfers and full coach touring itinerary conducted by tour manager
Tour manager throughout

NOT INCLUDED

Single room supplement
Holiday insurance
Standard Premier/1st Class upgrade on Eurostar/TGV. On the Eurostar this constitutes upgraded seating and light meal with complimentary drink with upgraded seating only on the French railway leg
Meals other than those stated
Items of a personal nature such as drinks, laundry, telephone calls etc
Porterage and gratuities.

PLEASE NOTE: As with most trains, passengers are responsible for carrying baggage onto and off the train. Baggage can be stored on overhead shelves or at the entrance to the carriages.Trollies are available at St Pancras and Lille, but bags do need to be carried on to the platform.

Travel Editions recommends a luggage delivery service called Carry My Luggage, where your suitcase can be picked up from your home before departure and delivered straight to your hotel; therefore removing the worry about carrying your cases onto and off the trains. Please click here for more information and a 20% discount exclusive to Travel Editions clients off the Carry My Luggage service.

PLEASE NOTE 2: Eurostar have changed their upgraded service from September 2010 from "Leisure Select" to a new service that they are branding as "Standard Premier." This service includes the upgraded seating on the train but now includes only a cold, light meal and a drink.

PLACES OF INTEREST VISITED ON THE TOUR

Angers
Our base for 6 nights, Angers is situated on the river Maine, 8 km before it joins the Loire. A regional capital in the 12th century, it exudes history and interest. Highlights include the 13th century chateau with massive, distinctive fortress towers, Cathedrale St Maurice, the Musée des Beaux Arts and Gallery of David d’Angers. It is the home of Cointreau which is only made in Angers.

Nantes and Chateau Goulaine
Once the capital of Brittany, Nantes is now capital of the Pays de la Loire region. It is famous as the venue for the signing, by Henri IV, of the Edict of Nantes in 1598, which granted Protestants religious freedom. A combination of a medieval heart and modern environs, Nantes is an attractive city with a host of sights. Highlights include the Angers Chateau des Ducs de Bretagne (where the Edictwas signed), Quartier Graslin, Cathedrale St-Pierre et St-Paul, famed art-nouveau brasserie, La Cigale, several good museums including the Musée des Beaux-Arts and Musée Jules Verne and Botanic Gardens. Just outside Nantes lies the historic Chateau de Goulaine, site of a family home for some 1,000 years that survived the Revolution by being sold to a Dutchman and was recovered by the same family 70 years later. The most westerly of the classic Loire chateaux, it dates from the 15th century with 17th century additions and boasts elegant towers and a rich interior decor.

Fontevraud Abbey and Saumur
Founded in 1101, the Abbaye de Fontevraud is a remarkable self-contained complex of ecclesiastical buildings that include amazing Romanesque kitchens, beautiful cloisters, superb paintings and effigies and a grand refectory. The charming small town of Saumur, famed for its sparkling wines, is great for exploring on foot. Highlights here include its storybook chateau, dating from the 14th century, Eglise St-Pierre, Gothic town hall and atmospheric old town. Uniquely, it also has a Mushroom Museum!

Tours, Azay-le-Rideau and Villandry
The cathedral city of Tours is well worth exploring. Highlights include the narrow streets of the old town lined with beautiful half-timbered houses and lively Place Pumereau, the magnificent Cathedrale St-Gatien, Hotel Gouin, royal chateau and several museums devoted to wine,archaeology, fine arts and craftsmanship. Described by Balzac as a “faceted diamond,” the small chateau of Azay-le-Rideau is one of the the most beautiful in the Loire. Highlights include the symmetrical South facade and innovative central staircase. The Chateau de Villandry is an elegant chateau that boasts superb gardens that include the world’s largest ornamental kitchen garden, where flowers and vegetables are grown in strictly geometric patterns, herb garden and the stunning Garden of Love that depicts four types of love: tragic, adulterous, tender and passionate.

DATES AND AVAILABILITY

Departure Date	Duration	Status	Per Person	Single Supplement	Board Basis
21-Jun-2012	6	Available	£599	£222	Bed and Breakfast
13-Sep-2012	6	Available	£599	£222	Bed and Breakfast