Where to stay in Tours: the best neighbourhoods (2026)
Hardly anyone books a stay in Tours just for the city itself. Most visitors come for the Loire Valley châteaux and simply treat the city as a practical springboard for a couple of nights. Two members in our community shared the exact same realization: they arrived for the castles, but ended up captivated by a medieval center they never expected.
You will spend most of your days out exploring the countryside. The neighborhood you pick decides two things: how smoothly you head out in the morning, and what is still open when you get back at night. This guide narrows it down to three spots, from Vieux-Tours to the train station, sitting within a twenty-minute walk of each other. A decent room downtown runs $88 to $141*, while a dorm bed in a hostel costs around $36*.
My wife and I spent two weeks in Tours, a central spot for visiting the Loire Valley castles as well as the Beauval Zoo. But the city itself is very cute, especially its downtown area.
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At a glance: our picks by traveller type
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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.
Old Tours and Place Plumereau West of downtown, around Les Halles
for nightlife and half-timbered houses
The timber-framed lanes converge on Place Plumereau, where the local bar and cafe terraces pack in the crowds. The Basilica of Saint-Martin sits three blocks away, and Les Halles market frames the district to the south. A member in our community calls the neighborhood "The center is picturesque and perfectly preserved." and she is spot on. The trade-off is straightforward: Plumereau stays lively late into the night, and rooms facing the square catch the noise.
What to see & do in the area
Where to stay in this area
Les Trésorières Luxury
A twenty-one-room 5-star hotel with a garden and spa on Place Jean Meunier near Les Halles. It is a five-minute walk to Plumereau, with a price point well above the city average.
Ferdinand Hôtel Mid-range
Fourteen rooms on Rue du Maréchal Foch, right on the edge of Old Tours. It is a well-kept small property close enough to the restaurant terraces for an easy walk, but tucked away enough to escape the noise.
Hôtel l'Adresse Budget
On Rue de la Rôtisserie in the heart of Old Tours, you cannot get any closer to the nightlife. It is the right pick if you plan on staying out late, and the wrong one if you are a light sleeper.
Pros
- Bars and restaurants right outside your door
- The prettiest area for walking
Cons
- Loud late nights around Plumereau
- Parking is a headache
From rue Nationale to the cathedral East of the center, between the Loire and the boulevard
for museums and a quiet night's sleep
Rue Nationale runs down toward the Loire and cuts the center in two, with Vieux-Tours on one side and a much quieter half on the other. This is where you will find the museums, and Saint-Gatien Cathedral anchors the eastern edge of the neighborhood. In between, rue Colbert is lined with restaurants minus the rowdiness of Plumereau. The downside is that after 10 PM the area clears out, and it takes a ten-minute walk to find any crowds.
What to see & do in the area
Where to stay in this area
Hampton by Hilton Tours Centre Luxury
Place Anatole France, at the end of rue Nationale and right along the Loire. A recent chain hotel with predictable rooms, but the best spot in the area for getting around entirely on foot.
Hôtel du Cygne Mid-range
Seven rooms on a narrow street tucked between rue Nationale and the cathedral. A historic townhouse, very quiet, which you need to book early given the tiny room count.
Hôtel Colbert Budget
2 stars at 78 rue Colbert, the neighborhood's main restaurant strip, featuring a cobblestone courtyard. The best value for location on this side of downtown.
Pros
- Museums and the cathedral within walking distance
- Quiet at night, five minutes from the bars
Cons
- Almost everything closes early during the week
- Few shops open on Sunday
The train station, the Vinci center, and boulevard Heurteloup South of downtown, along the boulevard
to head out early for the châteaux
This is the practical pocket. The Tours train station sits at the end of the boulevard Heurteloup, with Jean Nouvel's Vinci convention center right across the street, and trains to Amboise, Blois, or Chenonceaux departing from here. One of our members fondly recalls the arrival experience, which is unusual for a station district. The trade-off: past the boulevard, the avenue de Grammont stretches southward and quickly loses its appeal.
The exit from the train station is beautiful. There is a fountain in a small garden with plenty of shade, which is really nice when it is hot outside.
Where to stay in this area
Hôtel Oceania L'Univers Tours Luxury
The city's historic four-star hotel, located on the boulevard Heurteloup, a hundred metres from the station. Ninety-one rooms and a spa, marking the only hotel in Tours listed on Avygeo.
Le Grand Hôtel de Tours Mid-range
One hundred and three rooms facing the station on place du General Leclerc. Lacks character, but unbeatable if you are catching an early departure: walk across the square and you are on the platform.
The People Tours Budget
The city hostel at 84 avenue de Grammont: dorms, private rooms, and a bar open to everyone. Heads up, it is a solid fifteen-minute walk from Plumereau, south of the station.
Pros
- Trains to the châteaux at the end of the street
- Downtown is a ten-minute walk away
Cons
- Nothing historic to see here
- Avenue de Grammont gets dull past the boulevard
Our tips for booking the right place
- Check which of the two stations is on your ticket: Tours has two of them. The central station is a dead end at the end of boulevard Heurteloup, a ten-minute walk from Plumereau. The other one, Saint-Pierre-des-Corps, is four kilometres to the east in a neighboring town, and many high-speed trains stop there without entering Tours itself. A shuttle connects the two in five minutes, but it tacks extra time onto every trip. Check your ticket before choosing your hotel.
- A car for the châteaux, not for the city: The center is flat and walkable from end to end in twenty minutes. A car is useless here, and parking in Vieux-Tours is practically an extreme sport. A rental car does change everything for Villandry, Azay-le-Rideau, or Chambord, which are poorly served by train. Amboise, Blois, and Chenonceaux are easy to reach right from the station. If you do rent a car, pick a hotel with parking, as it is harder to find in the center than you might think.
- The evenings set the tone, not the days.: Two or three nights are plenty, and you will spend your days exploring the valley. The only hours you will actually spend in Tours are for dinner and afterward, so base your choice on that. If you want late-night dinner options without walking far, choose Vieux-Tours. If you want a quiet night's sleep, look toward the cathedral side, keeping in mind a ten-minute walk to get there.
- Booking along Avenue de Grammont under the impression you are right in the center. Past Boulevard Heurteloup, the avenue stretches south for over a kilometer and loses its charm. Check the street numbers, because anything past 80 means a solid fifteen-minute walk to Place Plumereau.
- Booking a room in Saint-Pierre-des-Corps thinking you are staying in Tours. It is a separate municipality four kilometers away, and there is nothing around the station at night. It works for an early morning train, but not for a vacation.
- Going by price alone without checking the map. A traveler in our community who spent two weeks here noted that certain neighborhoods feel a bit sketchy without naming them, and we will not name them either. The takeaway is to check the exact location of any very cheap address before booking, especially if it sits far from the center.
Accommodation recommended by our community in Tours
Places listed on Avygeo, loved by our community of travellers.
#1 Oceania L'Univers Tours
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