BLOIS FAQ`S

How do I get from the airport to my hotel?

The closest airport to Blois is Tours Val de Loire Airport. Distance from Tours Val de Loire Airport to Blois is 30 miles.

Tours Airport has a single terminal building that is easy to navigate, and arriving passengers will find a taxi rank and bus stops outside of the airport building. Although taxis may be a quicker option, many passengers like the bus services as well. Since Tours Airport is not very large, there are not extensive bus services available, but the one used by passengers travels to the city center of Tours, from where further bus and train connections can be found. There is no train station on the airport grounds, therefore the airport buses provide a valuable link between the airport and railway services of the country.

From Tours, trains run almost every hour (trip time: 30 - 40 min.), at a cost of approximately €11 one-way. For information and schedules, visit www.voyages-sncf.com.

If you`re driving from Tours, take RN152 east to Blois, which runs along the Loire; if you want to get there fast, take the A10 autoroute.

How do I get from the train station to my hotel?

The Train station of Blois is a hub in the French transport network enabling travelers to reach the region around Blois (Loir-et-Cher, Centre-Loire Valley). This place provides an easy connection to other forms of road transport if necessary. For Taxi service, Taxi Radio Blois, is based at the train station. Avis has a rental counter at the train station as well.

How do I get around by taxi?

Taxis are an option for getting around the immediate town of Blois. The best way to get a taxi is to call one of the agencies ahead of time to arrange for a pick-up. Most hotels, restaurants, and bars will be happy to make this call for their customers. Because many drivers do not speak English, it is a wise idea to bring along a map with the desired destination circled.

Taxi Radio Blois is based at the train station.

Eco Shuttle Blois can transport you to one or more area châteaux`s for day trips of 2½ to 9½ hours.

Is Blois a walking city?

The city center has large pedestrian areas, such as the Rue du Commerce and Place Louis XII. The city can easily be explored by foot. There are 4 Waymarked pedestrian circuits in Blois. The tourist information center next to the Chateau can provide information and maps.

I will have a car in Blois, where can I park?

In and around the city center, all-day parking costs €5 in green parking zones. For free parking, head to quai Maréchal de Lattre de Tassigny (promenade Pierre Mendès-France), on the river northeast of the D956 bridge; or promenade Edmond Mounin, on the river 0.6 miles (1km) southwest of the bridge.

What are the local transportation options available in Blois?

The city-center shuttle, run by Azalys, circles the city center every 12 minutes from 9:00am to 7:24pm Monday to Saturday. Stops include the train station, the château and rue Denis Papin.

From June to September, you can take a bus (www.tlcinfo.net;Tel. 02-54-58-55-44) from the Blois train station to tour châteaux in the area, including Chambord, Chaumont, Chenonceau, and Amboise.

Traveling to nearby cities by train:
The Blois-Chambord train station is 0.3 miles west (up the hill) from Blois` château. France has a wide network of trains that connect most major towns and cities throughout the country.

Amboise: Around €7.20, 15 minutes, 16 to 25 daily
Orléans: Around €11.50, 33 to 43 minutes, 14 to 25 daily
Paris Gare d`Austerlitz: Around €29.40, 1½ hours, five direct daily
Tours: Around €11.20, 40 minutes, 14 to 22 daily

How do I get around by bike?

Funded by 65 Loire municipalities, Châteaux à Vélo maintains 250 miles of marked bike routes to and around Blois, Chambord, Cheverny and Chaumont-sur-Loire. Get route maps, a useful mobile app and the latest weather reports from the website, or pick up brochures at local tourist offices.

Detours de Loire, part of a valley-wide bike-rental network, rents bikes a block from the train station. Traineurs de Loire, 1 rue Chemonton (www.traineursdeloire.com; Tel. 02-54-79-36-71) is a bike rental company in Blois. Rentals start at €6 per hour, €13 per day, open April to October.

Is Blois a dangerous city?

Blois is a very safe place to travel with little crime at all. Of course the normal rules apply - keep wallet/purses in a secure pocket (not back trouser pocket), don`t leave cameras and bags lying around unattended, and don`t take many of your valuables. Blois is a fairly safe place to visit with little crime at all. Always use common sense is the most important tool to be used in staying safe.

Although street crimes, burglaries, and petty thefts are not major concerns in Blois, they occasionally happen. However, most of these situations can be avoided using a few simple rules. Avoid carrying around large amounts of money or looking extremely flashy. Drawing un-needed attention is never a good idea. Lock all car doors and roll up windows when leaving valuables behind in a car. Keep a close eye on valuables in crowded, public areas, as these are the places where pickpockets generally operate.

Avoid walking alone at night, this is a general recommendation for any unfamiliar area, but should be followed in Blois as well.

Can I pay/tip in US dollars?

The currency used in Blois is the euro (€), US dollars are not accepted. You can get euros in different banks opened from Monday to Saturday and automatic cash points opened 24 hours a day.

We recommend that you exchange a small amount of cash prior to your trip, enough for a cab ride or basic spending on arrival. It is also useful to remind your bank and credit card company that you will be traveling to make sure your cards will work while in France. We recommend you record all your credit card numbers, as well as the phone numbers to call if your cards are lost or stolen.

Under the euro system, there are seven notes: 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, and 500 euros. Notes are the same for all countries. There are eight coins: 1 and 2 euros, plus 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, and 50 cents.

Blois, like elsewhere in France, a service charge is always included in the bill. If you are particularly pleased with the service, you may certainly leave a few extra euros on the table. But this additional tip is neither expected nor necessary.

For more information about tipping visit: Tipping in France

What is the weather like? When is the best time to go?

The weather in Blois is rather mild, with warm summers, and comfortable winters. Although it can be visited throughout the year, certain months can be more suitable for outdoor activities than others. If crowds do not bother you much, then summer is the best option when the area boasts beautiful weather and longer days.

Most tourists choose to visit Blois during the summer months, while the weather is warm, and the days are long. On average, the hottest months of the year are July and August, during which time the daily high temperatures will generally only reach the mid to upper 70s. Extreme days may see 80-degree temperatures, but this is usually as hot as it gets. The nighttime temperatures during these months will generally drop to the mid to upper 50s.

Winters are fairly mild in Blois, and can be a good time to visit as there are not many tourists around. The coldest months of the year on average are December and January, during which time the daily high temperatures will reach into the 40s. The nighttime temperatures during these months will generally stay above freezing, but this is not always the case.

The fall and spring seasons are usually the wettest times of the year, but Blois is a fairly dry town in general. This can be the best time to go because the weather is still relatively warm and there are a lot less crowds.

I don`t speak French. Will many people speak English?

French is the official language spoken in Blois. Most people understand if it is a mix of French and English. But locals definitely appreciate when you try to speak some French (and most people generally are surprised when Americans can speak some French).

Blois is a little town that`s very popular with English speaking visitors along with many others. Hotel and restaurant staff likely speak enough that you can communicate your order or check into your hotel, but it`s always polite to at least try the local language. We suggest you get a good English-French guidebook and familiarize yourself with common phrases such as hello, goodbye, excuse me and numbers 1-10.

What is the food like?

The Loire Valley is one of many famous winemaking regions in France. While Touraine (the area around Tours) wine is not really in the same class as those from Bordeaux and Burgundy, there are many quality wines at very reasonable prices. This area is also famous for its goat cheese.

Some specialties of Blois and the Loire Valley:

Fouace/Fouée - A traditional bread. One version is plain and baked in a wood-fired oven, while the other looks and tastes more like a brioche. These are often served with rillettes as an appetizer.
Rillettes - A shredded, textured pâté. You`ll mainly find pork rillettes, but also salmon or duck.
Fish - Loire Valley cuisine has included freshwater fish caught locally since pre-Roman times. The dishes are often accompanied by a sauce that brings through the delicate flavor of the fish, such as beurre blanc, a butter sauce flavored with shallots and vinegar. A few types of fish you`ll probably see on the menu include sandre (pike perch or zander), alose (shad), anguilles (eel, often stewed in red wine for Matelote d`Anguilles) brochet (pike) and brème (bream).
Lesrillons - confit slices of pork belly, to be enjoyed with Dijon mustard, or if you want to buy local, Orléans mustard.

Drinks:
The Chambord liqueur, an award winning local alcoholic beverage.

Desserts:
Les pavés de Blois, local sweets prepared by 4 different shops across the city. Pop in one of the beautiful sweet shops in the rue du commerce to find them.
L`aristocrate is a biscuit that was invented in Blois during the XIX century for Napoléaon III`s court, made of eggs, flour, almonds and honey.

What is the nightlife like?

There are three main areas where locals like to enjoy in the evenings:

- Place Louis XII, where you can find several bars with terraces under the majestic trees that make up for a large part of the Place`s charm.

- Place Ave Maria has a more intimate atmosphere. You can find a more diverse range of establishments, such as Vinomania, the Hendrix café and so on.

- Rue du Bourg Neuf also has several bars where you can enjoy drinks. It is on the upper part of the city center.

What are the best areas for shopping?

The rue du Commerce and its surrounding streets offer the best shops in Blois, which historically is known for chocolate making through its trading position on the Loire. The chocolate maker Auguste Poulain opened his first shop in Blois in 1847 and rapidly became the great modernizer, establishing his own brand and mechanizing his production. Bought in the 1990s, today you`ll see mass-produced (but still very good) Poulain chocolates in every supermarket in France.

Markets - Blois is a natural center for the region, so it has a good range of markets.

Daily markets:
Tuesday morning: Place Louis XII
Wednesday morning: rue Pierre et Marie Curie
Wednesday afternoon: quartier Begon-Coty
Thursday morning: Place Louis XII and rue Chateaubriand
Friday: Quai Amedee Contant, bio market from 5pm to 9pm
Saturday morning: Place Louis XII
Saturday afternoon: Quartier Republique
Sunday morning: Avenue de l`Europe

Brocante market on the Mail St Jean rue Jeanne d`Arc, second Sunday in each month

What should I do if I need medical assistance or need to go to the hospital?

Emergency dial 112

Police 117

General hospital in La Chaussée-Saint-Victor
Mail Pierre Charlot, 41016 Blois, France, Tel. +33 2 54 55 66 33