Looking for Luxurious, Opulent Chateaux in France?

Question

I want to take my Mom to France in Sep '08. As I am planning it now, it will be a 10 day holiday, half the time spent at the chateau and touring from there (I will rent a car) and then ending in Paris for the last half. My accommodations in Paris are all set.

As a special treat, I would like to have us stay at one of the, if not *the*, finest chateau's in the country. The only regions I'm not interested in are those in the very south.

If you have a recommendation or two, please tell me as much you can, especially if you have stayed there. Link to the site? Was it a grand castle? What were the grounds like? The public rooms? The bedrooms? Did the bedrooms have toilets and baths/showers en suite? How was the staff? The food? etc. Surrounding sites of interest?

I PROMISE TO READ ALL ANSWERS AND I WILL REWARD A BEST ANSWER.

I realize this will be costly; but my Mom deserves it (and so do I)! :)

Thank you -- it is truly appreciated!

Answer 1

You can go on www.frommers.com and click on europe and then type in france, or type in luxery chateaus in france.

     Good Luck and Enjoy your trip!!

Answer 2

Last year we spent a night at Château de Ternay near the Loire Valley with Count Loïc and Countess Caroline de Ternay: http://www.chateau-de-ternay.com/pages/i...

It was near the gorgeous abbey of Fontevraud where Richard the Lionheart and his parents Alienor of Aquitaine and King Henry II are buried. It is also close to the historic mediaeval town of Chinon overlooking the Loire and of course a little further east you have all the famous Loire Valley castles.

The château is listed on a website called http://www.bienvenueauchateau.com/ which lists B&Bs in castles located in the North West quarter of France.

It is a beautiful 15th century castle and our room had period furniture and en-suite ultra-modern bathroom (with fancy multi-jet shower but no bathtub; maybe some of their other rooms have bathtubs). The common room was a dining-room/lounge where the hosts will share a glass of champagne with you when you arrive and talk about their ancesters and the history of the château. It also had a chapel on the grounds, which we visited, and horses and dogs and a cat.

But I wouldn't call it luxurious. Most castle owners cannot afford to live in luxury, they do B&B to help pay for the maintenance of a castle that has been in the family for centuries. Our hosts were in jeans and sweaters and made the meals themselves. There was no staff except for the bare-footed 12-year-old little count that we met while he was on his way to his grandfather's orchard, basket in hand, to pick pears for our dinner dessert! If you want luxury service and amenities, you must look at a higher price range or stay at a Château-hôtel. But the welcome will never be as warm as with staying in a family-owned castle. We like to stay in a château once in a while because for us it is a very affordable (70 € to 120 €/night) way of staying in beautiful and historic places while supporting the preservation of our cultural heritage.

If you want something more luxurious, you have a lot of castles to choose from. Since we have a passion for castles, I had compiled a list of websites that list castles that provide accomodation (either rental or B&B) so you can browse through them:

http://www.au-chateau.com/

http://www.chateaux-story.com/fr/

http://www.flv.fr/location-Chateau.htm

http://www.abritel.fr

http://www.terrebretagne.com/fr-home.htm...

http://www.bellavista-villas.com/

http://www.maisons-et-chateaux.com/locat...

http://www.vacances-en-perigord.com/loca...

http://www.likhom.com/

http://www.bon-sejour-en-france.fr/cotta...

http://www.bellesmaisonsalouer.com/bien/...

http://www.7enlocation.com/fr/location-c...

http://www.chateaux-france.com/jumilhac/...

http://www.holiday-chateau.com/

http://www.chateauxcountry.com/index.php...

http://www.vmf.net/home.php

http://www.demeure-historique.org/decouv...

The French département which boasts the largest number of castles is the Dordogne slightly to the South West of France. It is famous for its prehistoric sites such as the Lascaux cave paintings. The town of Sarlat is really worth a visit (one of the most charming mediaeval towns in France) and the landscapes are beautiful while not being too southern either.

It's a very sweet idea to offer this to your mom. But it doesn't have to be as costly as you imagine. Maybe your mom will enjoy a more relaxed and comfortable atmosphere rather than a stuffy one in a place with a lot of staff and luxury. But it's up to you and your tastes. For Châteaux-hôtels such as http://www.chateaucolbert.com/ for instance, visit (not all the hotels listed are castles though):

http://www.relaischateaux.com/page.php3?...

http://www.chateauxhotels.com/contact/ch...

http://www.chateauxdemeures.fr/  

With all the sites Iisted you should be able to find whatever suits your taste and budget. Enjoy your stay in France!