FR · Centre-Val de Loire · 47.39°N 0.69°E

tours

Timbered squares, Loire riverside walks and an easy base for château day trips.

Best time
May, June, July and September are best for gardens, cycling and château days. August is busy and can be hot; winter is quiet, with bare gardens and short days.
How long
3 days, including château trips
Getting there
Fly direct to Paris on Malaysia Airlines (about 13.5 hours), then a TGV from Montparnasse to Tours (about 1 hour 15 minutes). Many stop at Saint-Pierre-des-Corps, where a shuttle train runs into Tours in five minutes. France is 6 hours behind KL in summer and 7 in winter.
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FR · Centre-Val de Loiretours47.39°N 0.69°Egowherelah.com
Dear group chat,Timbered squares, Loire riverside walks and an easy base for château day trips.— gowherelahTo: whoever’s drivingToursFR, Centre-Val de Loire
KLtours
≈ 10,573 km from KL, as the crow flies
Plumereau Square, Tours, Department of Indre-et-Loire, Region of Centre-Loire Valley, France

Photo: Zairon · CC BY-SA 4.0

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Photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each.

Tours is a proper city to come back to after a day among the Loire châteaux. The old town has timbered squares and busy terraces, and the river paths start a short walk away.

Makan

  1. Sainte-Maure de TouraineA log of goat's cheese with an ash-grey rind and a straw through the middle.Map ↗
  2. Nougat de ToursNot chewy nougat but a tart of candied fruit under an almond-macaroon top.Map ↗
  3. Tarte TatinThe upside-down caramelised apple tart was first made in a Loire Valley hotel, and bakeries here do it well.Map ↗

Things to do

  1. Place PlumereauTimbered houses leaning round a square full of café tables.Map ↗
  2. Saint-Gatien CathedralA tall Gothic cathedral with glowing medieval stained glass.Map ↗
  3. The Loire riverbanksRiverside paths for a gentle walk, or a first stretch of the Loire à Vélo cycle route.Map ↗
  4. Château de ChenonceauThe château that arches across the river Cher, about half an hour away by regional train.Map ↗
  5. VillandryFormal Renaissance gardens of vegetables, flowers and clipped hedges, a short drive or bike ride west.Map ↗

Good to know

  • Chenonceau is on the train line, but Chambord and most other châteaux need a car, a bike or a minibus tour.
  • Pork rillettes are the local speciality. For halal meat, Turkish and North African places are the easy option, so pack a picnic in town before château days.

Last checked October 2026. Things change, so check opening times, fees and transport before you go.