Kaffy Mintcake

There are some great restaurants in Asheville too. Is that where you're staying for the week? Go to 12 Bones for sure!

The Biltmore is fascinating ... a case of 'I have an awful lot of money and would like my own French chateau please'.

Have fun!!

Kaffy Mintcake

Wow, I had no idea and we live only 90 minutes away from Indy. That might make a great daytrip, thank you!

elfman

It also strikes me that you have to have quite a lot of money just to visit the Biltmore estate: am I reading this wrong or is it really upwards of $55 per adult just to get in the door?

http://www.biltmore.com/buy_tickets/ticket_prices.asp

Englishtart

Wouldn't surprise me, some of the Plantation homes around here are about the same price!

Kaffy Mintcake

No, you're reading that right. It's very expensive though we stayed somewhere that had a promotion (2 free 2-day Biltmore tickets with your reservation).

It's entry to the entire grounds, not just the Biltmore (which is kind of like a castle). The upkeep for that place must be a fortune and I'm sure profit is being made on the side. You could easily spend 2 full days exploring the home, grounds, winery, etc.

MrEmjoy

You could spend a day in the winery alone.

Unlimited samples. !!

And in true american fashion you can drive around most of the estate!

What you have to avoid is the people who demand you get your picture taken, "How many in your party, please step over there" like it's an order.

I got cross. They moved out the way.

elfman

No kidding - $55 to visit basically a fake French chateau when (according to my brief research) a visit to the real thing in France runs to about 10 Euros per person on average. And the two big stately homes we visited during our recent trip to Britain charged £7.50 and £10.50 per adult. OK so neither had a winery but both featured house tours, extensive gardens and grounds, big playgrounds for kids, and so on.

elfman

This is something that really gets on my tits, and I find it increasingly common at tourist attractions such as zoos, some museums, aquariums, places like the Empire State Building: The whole stand-before-a-cheesy-background-and-have-your-picture-taken-before-you-go-in-routine. It just strikes me as entirely unnecessary and wherever possible I try and and go straight past it. And when you come to leave the photos are at the exit and not cheap - typically about $30 for a set of four in my experience. Whenever we go somewhere like this with my inlaws my MIL can never resist and ends up forking out the cash for what always looks like a group of waxwork dummy versions of us standing in front of an obviously fake background. If this makes me sound like a grumpy old git so be it. I just don't like the whole idea.

chartreuse

And they were real. I'm equal parts horrified and impressed by the way folks here will sling some random fake crap together, then charge an arm and a leg to look at it. And people pay!

We never buy the photos, though.

Kaffy Mintcake

I don't disagree that it's very expensive. When we went the Biltmore was being decorated for Spring. There were flowers everywhere, literally everywhere. (Hanging in garlands from chandeliers, filling pots and arranged in vases, etc. etc.) I do think it's worth visiting, but it makes me wonder ... why are the chateaus in France so affordable? Are they non-profit? Does the government subsidize? Is the Biltmore just making a killer profit? I don't know the answer.