Tours: the Gateway to the Loire

With a lively town centre, river activities and some of France’s finest châteaux on the doorstep, Tours is in a class of its own, writes Karen Tait…

The gateway to the Loire Valley, Tours is the ideal base for those who love châteaux Chenonceau, Amboise, Villandry and Azay-le-Rideau are just a few close by -gastronomy (respected local wines include Vouvray, Chinon and Bourgueil, while rillettes, terrines and goat’s cheese feature on menus) and French heritage and culture.

The entire Loire Valley is Unesco-listed for its exceptional cultural landscape. The area’s rich history stretches back centuries, with plenty of museums, festivals and churches to visit beyond the famous châteaux.

Tours itself has a picturesque old town, with half-timbered buildings, cobblestone streets and bustling squares like Place Plumereau, lined with cafés, bars and restaurants. It’s less crowded than larger French cities but offers a vibrant urban lifestyle and youthful vibe thanks to its university. This combines with easy access to beautiful countryside and, of course, the Loire river, where locals and tourists alike enjoy cycling (including the Loire à Vélo route), walking and other outdoor pursuits.

The town is easy to reach too-just an hour by high-speed train from Paris, with good road connections and UK Ryanair flights to Tours airport. The old town is ideal for househunters seeking culture, nightlife and properties suitable for student or holiday lets. The market is mainly made up of apartments, often in ancient colombage buildings; note that parking in the narrow streets is limited.

Popular too is the Centre-Ville/Préfecture quarter, which offers classic, Haussmannian-style buildings, with shops, offices and services, close to the train station. Also by the station, the Gare/Sanitas area is handy for regular travel to Paris (so is popular with renters) and offers more affordable property.

For leafier, green, residential districts, look at Les Prébendes, €244,940: Two-bedroom 105m² apartment in the Fondettes area on the outskirts of Tours, with access to the garden and terrace (Immobilier Le Figaro) which has a bourgeois air, a lovely park and beautiful townhouses and apartments prices are higher in this prestigious neighbourhood. The village-like Velpeau area and suburban Ste-Radegonde are also popular with families.

The average square metre house price in Tours is €3,082, rising to €4,222 in the centre. This compares to €2,037 in the Indre-et-Loire department, of which Tours is the capital, and €1,523 in the wider Centre-Val de Loire region.

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