Tour the Loire Valley in a classy classic car with two delightful hosts Simon and Susan. Susan is a non stop fountain of information on any and every subject which made our tour absolutely fascinating. We spent two lovely days with them and were sad when we had to part. I don't think you could possibly find a better way of exploring the Loire Valley.
I booked a tour with Lore Valley Time Tours because of the vintage cars they use as my husband is a vintage car enthusiast. I was looking for chateau, wine and history to make the day. I received a beautiful old Citroen driven by the most enthusiastic Aussie ever, an engaging historic tour lead by Susan who is the fountain of all knowledge and a very successful wine sampling experience, oh plus a very happy husband.
The tour itinerary was suggested by Susan which saw us wandering around a food market in Loches, followed by a fortress tour and a lovely lunch. An imposing chateau followed then onto Chateau Gaudrelle between Tour and Vouvray. The owner Alexandre was waiting to give us a personal tour of his caves and then introduced us to most of his delicious wines, accompanied by local cheese and meats. Well we managed to fill the car with cases of wine to take home to England, about 12 I think.
The booking process was swift and easy and all the pre-day info arrived promptly. We managed to keep the car a secret from my husband right up to the last second when he squeaked, "we aren't going in the Light 15 are we?!" Not easy for a 16 stone Glaswegian to squeak! Simon soon corrected him, it was a Heavy 15. Man talk.
Anyway thank you to Susan and Simon for an unforgettable day: we will be back to try the wine further East and hope to see you.
I was in Tours for business and on a whim decided to stay a few extra days to experience this part of the country. In researching the options I came across Simon & Susan. I almost talked myself out of it having never booked a tour like this before, but at the last minute decided to go for it! I am so glad I did. My husband and I saw, heard, smelled, touched and best of all "tasted" the wonderful Loire Valley in a way that most people never have a chance to. It was like walking into a fairytale with castles, cathedrals, bridges, cobblestone roads, markets, farms, gardens and all while riding in a beautiful vintage car and soaking in all of the history from Susan. Some history we knew from books but this was so much more. Simon and Susan are perfect hosts and so good at this! It is so obvious that Susan loves the history and stories that she weaves, they just come alive while you are standing in a castle with her. And Simon is all about the cars, they are his children, my husband loved that!
We have a saying in our family "the things you will always remember are different than the things you will never forget". This experience in the Loire Valley with Simon, Susan and Claudette is an experience we will always remember! Thank you! If you ever get this opportunity just go for it, you won't be disappointed!!
Simon & Susan were wonderful hosts, making our 20th anniversary trip stress-free, full of excellent food and laughter. We especially appreciated Susan's ability to tell the history of the throne in an accessible way that helped us weave together the story of each location with the whole region.
We did two days of touring with them, and we had the added bonus of glimpsing additional vintage cars that were also in the area for an event. What fun! Highly recommended!
We just completed 3 days with Susan and Simon. Before I describe the 3 days, allow me to explain the interaction leading up to the trip. My wife and I were traveling to France for a 2 week holiday. We started in Paris, then went to Provence and finished in the Loire. We started working with Susan and Simon at the very early stages of our planning and they were incredibly helpful in helping us all along the way. Whether advice around lodging, tour guides in other locations or, indeed, how best to transport wine back to the US. The communication was prompt, thoughtful and thorough.
We arrived in the Loire and started our 3 day adventure. You've read the other posts about the antique Citroen Traction cars -- so I won't elaborate there other than to say that the car is amazingly comfortable. And, of course, the perfect choice when traveling back into history (although the car is not nearly as old as the Chateaux).
We visited several Chateaux and several wineries. Each winery was family run and family owned. Small production, hand crafted wines in each location. Really special visits and since we speak no French, Susan and Simon were there to translate when the winemaker was lost for a word.
The visits to the Chateaux were fascinating. Susan and Simon are a wealth of knowledge on every subject that we discussed -- from agriculture to history. They really bring life to the stories.
I recommend Susan and Simon without any hesitation whatsoever.
