Train Tours → Orleans

Your home base for touring Loire valley chateaux Would you like to learn the French language? It's been said that Tours, in the chateaux-rich Loire Valley, is where the purest form is spoken. As if the language weren't beautiful enough, those in Tours apparently have that certain je nais se quoi when it comes to their linguistic prowess. Arriving into Tours is as a lovely as the gardens at Chenonceau (more on that in a bit.) Take the one-hour TGV ride from Paris to the St Pierre des Corps train station just outside of the city. A shuttle will connect you to downtown Tours. At 78 rue Barnard Palissy, right outside the station, you'll find a tourist office where you can gather information on the best of the city and beyond. Learn more about Tours

What’s old is new again Orléans, the capital of the Loiret region in the heart of the Loire Valley, is just an hour away from Paris by train. Surrounded by chateaux and wineries, it's the picture of elegance and residents with savoir-faire. Back in 1429, a local peasant girl named Joan of Arc, took this gut instinct “to know what's right” and helps her country. Thanks to "Divine guidance," Joan of Arc led the French army to several victories during the Hundred Years' War, leading to the coronation of King Charles VII. Ultimately captured by the Burgundians and sold to the English, she was tried by an ecclesiastical court and burned at the stake at the ripe age of 19. Today, this Maid of Orléans is considered a national heroine of France and is a catholic saint. Visitors to Orléans can find reminders of Joan everywhere, including the Gothic Cathédrale Ste-Croix, where two golden leopards protect her pedestal. One of the biggest churches in France, the Huguenots burned it in 1568. The Rebuilding began with Henry IV in 1601 and continued all the way to 1829. Want to see how the young maid lived? Although a scale reproduction (the original was destroyed by fire in 1940), the Joan of Arc museum reconstructs her life story and dedicates an entire floor to the yearly celebration the city holds every May 8th. The battling history of Orléans continued as World War II swept through France. The city was badly damaged, however the historic old town was largely unharmed. The central feature of Orléans old town is the spacious Place du Martroi. In the sixth century there was a cemetery here, hence the name Martroi (originally Martyretum). The 1855 equestrian statue of Joan of Arc is by Foyatier. Learn more about Orleans