Where to stay in Tours: the best neighbourhoods (2026)
Tours is savoured like a chilled Vouvray, along the Loire and its châteaux. Capital of the Loire Valley, garden of France, the city weds a medieval old town of half-timbered houses around Place Plumereau, a cathedral of white lace and long Haussmann perspectives, all flat and on a human scale. It's the atmosphere you pick: the lively Vieux-Tours, the monumental centre around the cathedral, or the station to speed off to the châteaux.
A very affordable garden city, Tours won't break you: a comfortable, central room books for 70 to 130 EUR, a little more in the rare charming addresses, and a dorm starts at 20-30 EUR. Three sectors make up this guide, ordered by the reviews of the Avygeo community. The centre is walked and cycled; the station puts Paris an hour away by TGV, and the Loire châteaux are reached by train, by bike or on a tour.
At a glance: our picks by traveller type
Pick the profile that suits you to head straight to the recommended neighbourhood.
The neighbourhood map in Tours
Get your bearings on the neighbourhoods and must-see sights before choosing where to drop your bags. Click a name to jump to its description.
Vieux-Tours & Plumereau Le quartier médiéval, animé
for the buzz, the terraces and all on foot
The medieval, festive heart of Tours: Place Plumereau and its half-timbered houses, the cobbled lanes, the Saint-Martin basilica and its crypt, the Compagnonnage museum, and a profusion of bars, cafés and restaurants. Lively, young and all on foot, it is the ideal sector for the mood and the student nightlife, with the downside of a noisy square at weekends, a courtyard room a bonus.
What to see & do in the area
Where to stay in this area
Hotel Ronsard Luxury
A comfortable design boutique hotel on the Rue Nationale, between Plumereau and the cathedral, a terrace: the most polished address in the centre, all on foot.
Hotel Colbert Mid-range
A charming little hotel in an old house two steps from Place Plumereau, warm welcome: central, full of character and good value, all on foot.
Hotel Val de Loire Budget
A family hotel in a bourgeois house near the Vieux-Tours, classic rooms and a good breakfast: affordable and well placed to live the centre on foot.
Pros
- Place Plumereau, Saint-Martin and the terraces at your feet
- Lively, young and all on foot
Cons
- Plumereau noisy at weekends
- Take a courtyard room
Cathedral & Rue Nationale Le centre monumental
for heritage, calm and shopping
The monumental centre to the east, around the Saint-Gatien cathedral and its stained glass, the château, the Fine Arts museum in the former archbishops' palace and its giant cedar. The great pedestrian, shopping Rue Nationale links it to the Loire and to Plumereau. Elegant, heritage-rich and quieter at night, it is the sector for cultural stays at the heart of the city, between the cathedral and the river.
What to see & do in the area
Where to stay in this area
Best Western Plus L'Artist Hotel Luxury
A contemporary design hotel on the Rue Nationale, between the Loire and the centre, careful rooms: modern, comfortable and well placed to do everything on foot.
Hotel Mirabeau Mid-range
A comfortable hotel in a characterful house near the station and the Rue Nationale, a garden: central, calm and good value, cathedral on foot.
Hotel Francais Budget
A simple, well-kept hotel on the Rue Nationale, halfway between the Loire and the cathedral: affordable and central, ideal to explore on foot.
Pros
- Cathedral, Fine Arts museum and Rue Nationale at your feet
- Heritage, elegant and quieter at night
Cons
- Less nightlife
- Rue Nationale busy by day
The station & Vinci Sud, pratique pour les châteaux
for the TGV, the châteaux and good value
Around the station and the Vinci convention centre, south of the centre: the TGV that puts Paris an hour away, the regional trains to the Loire châteaux, and often larger, more practical hotels. A little less picturesque, but unbeatable for stringing day trips together and arriving or leaving stress-free, ten minutes on foot from the cathedral and Plumereau.
Where to stay in this area
Oceania L'Univers Tours Luxury
A grand historic hotel of 1846 facing the station, plush lounges and a gallery of famous-guest portraits: comfortable classicism, ideal to take the TGV on waking.
Novotel Tours Centre Gare Mid-range
A comfortable, modern hotel right at the station, spacious rooms and a bar: practical and well placed to explore the châteaux and Paris, good value.
Ibis Tours Centre Gare Budget
A functional chain hotel two steps from the station and the centre: unbeatable to arrive by train, reach the châteaux and sleep at the best price.
Pros
- TGV station, château trains and Vinci at your feet
- Handy for day trips, good value
Cons
- A less picturesque setting
- Ten minutes from the Vieux-Tours
Our tips for booking the right place
- On foot, by bike and the train for the châteaux : The flat, compact centre of Tours is walked and lends itself wonderfully to cycling, notably along the Loire à Vélo. The station puts Paris an hour away by TGV, and regional trains and coaches serve Amboise, Chenonceau, Chinon, Azay-le-Rideau and Villandry; without a car, an organised tour stays the simplest way to string several châteaux together in a day.
- Spring and autumn in the garden of France : The Loire Valley lives up to its nickname of garden of France: spring, with the blossoms, and autumn, with the harvest and the colours, offer the finest season for the châteaux and gardens. Summer is mild and lively but busier; winter is calm and prices low, ideal for the town, the museums and the food.
- Vouvray, rillettes and goat cheeses : The Touraine is a land of good eating: taste the wines of Vouvray, Montlouis and Chinon, the rillettes and rillons, the Sainte-Maure goat cheese, and a slice of tarte Tatin. The Halles market and the Loire-side guinguettes delight food lovers, and a cellar visit at Vouvray, a few kilometres away, nicely rounds off a stay in château country.
- Booking far out in the suburbs or the retail zones for the price alone: charmless and cut off from the centre, they only suit a car; the Vieux-Tours and the centre are worth a few euros more, all on foot.
- Taking a room facing Place Plumereau or the bar streets of the Vieux-Tours for light sleepers: the student buzz lasts late at weekends; prefer a courtyard room or the cathedral quarter.
- Renting a car to stay in town: the centre is pedestrian and parking dear; keep the car for the most isolated châteaux, and favour the train, the bike and walking from a central or station hotel.
Accommodation recommended by our community in Tours
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