Where to stay in Tours: the best neighbourhoods (2026)
Hardly anyone books a trip to Tours just for Tours. Most travelers roll in to see the Loire Valley châteaux and crash for a couple of nights. Two members in our community shared the exact same plot twist: they came for the castles and ended up falling for an unexpected medieval center.
Your days will mostly unfold elsewhere. The neighborhood you pick dictates two main things: how smoothly you roll out in the morning, and what is still open when you drag yourself back at night. This guide narrows it down to three spots, running from Vieux-Tours to the train station, with every option sitting less than a twenty-minute walk apart. A decent room downtown generally runs 75 to 120 EUR ($80 to $130), while a dorm bed in a hostel sits around 30 EUR ($35).
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 timbered houses
The timber-framed streets converge on Place Plumereau, where the city's patios and bars pack in. The Basilica of Saint-Martin sits three streets away, and Les Halles close off the neighborhood to the south. A member in our community describes the center as "The center is picturesque and perfectly preserved." and that is precisely the pocket she means. The downside is straightforward: Plumereau stays lively late, and rooms facing the square hear it.
What to see & do in the area
Where to stay in this area
Les Trésorières Luxury
A twenty-one-room five-star hotel with a garden and spa, located on Place Jean Meunier near Les Halles. A five-minute walk to Plumereau, with rates that are in a totally different league from the rest of the city.
Ferdinand Hôtel Mid-range
Fourteen rooms on rue du Maréchal Foch, right on the edge of Old Tours. A neat little townhouse, close enough to the patio scene to walk there, far enough away to sleep in peace.
Hôtel l'Adresse Budget
Rue de la Rôtisserie, right in the heart of Old Tours: you cannot get any closer to the patio scene. The right pick if you plan on going out at night, the wrong one if you are a light sleeper.
Pros
- Bars and restaurants right downstairs
- The prettiest area to explore on foot
Cons
- Noisy late around Plumereau
- Parking is a headache
From rue Nationale to the cathedral East of downtown, between the Loire and the boulevard
for museums and quiet nights
Rue Nationale runs down toward the Loire and splits downtown right down the middle, with Vieux-Tours on one side and a significantly quieter half on the other. This is where you will find the museums, and Saint-Gatien Cathedral anchors the eastern end of the neighborhood. In between, rue Colbert lines up restaurants without the rowdiness of Plumereau. The downside is that after 10 PM things quiet down fast, and you are looking at a ten-minute walk to find any nightlife.
What to see & do in the area
Where to stay in this area
Hampton by Hilton Tours Centre Luxury
Place Anatole France, right at the end of rue Nationale along the banks of the Loire. A recent chain hotel with standard rooms, but undeniably the best spot in the area for walking everywhere.
Hôtel du Cygne Mid-range
Seven rooms on a narrow street tucked between rue Nationale and the cathedral. A historic townhouse that stays very quiet, though you need to book early given the tiny room count.
Hôtel Colbert Budget
A two-star option at 78 rue Colbert, the neighborhood's main restaurant drag, complete with a cobblestone courtyard. Easily the best value for your 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 on weekdays
- Very few shops open on Sundays
The train station, the Vinci center, and boulevard Heurteloup South of downtown, along the boulevard
to head out early toward the castles
This is the practical spot. Tours station is a dead end sitting at the end of boulevard Heurteloup, with Jean Nouvel's Vinci right across the street, and trains to Amboise, Blois, or Chenonceaux leave from here. A member of our community holds onto a great memory of arriving here, which is rare for a station neighborhood. The flip side: past the boulevard, avenue de Grammont stretches south and quickly loses any 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, on boulevard Heurteloup, a hundred yards from the station. Ninety-one rooms and a spa, in the only hotel in Tours listed on Avygeo.
Le Grand Hôtel de Tours Mid-range
One hundred and three rooms facing the station, place du Général Leclerc. Lacks any real charm, but unbeatable if you are leaving early: you cross 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. Fair warning, it is a solid fifteen-minute walk from Plumereau, south of the station.
Pros
- Trains to the castles at the end of the street
- Downtown a ten-minute walk away
Cons
- Nothing historic to see right here
- Avenue de Grammont holds no interest past the boulevard
Our tips for booking the right place
- Check which of the two stations is printed on your ticket: Tours has two of them. The central station is a terminal at the end of Boulevard Heurteloup, a ten-minute walk from Plumereau. The other, Saint-Pierre-des-Corps, sits four kilometers to the east in a neighboring town, where many high-speed trains stop without entering Tours itself. A shuttle connects the two in five minutes, but it tacks extra time onto every trip. Check your ticket before picking a hotel.
- A car for the châteaux, not for the city: Downtown is flat and walkable in twenty minutes. A car is useless here, and parking in Vieux-Tours is an extreme sport. You will want one for Villandry, Azay-le-Rideau, or Chambord, though, as train connections are tricky. Amboise, Blois, and Chenonceaux are easy to reach from the main station. If you do rent a car, book a hotel with parking, which is harder to find downtown than you might think.
- The evenings set the rhythm, not the days.: Two or three nights are enough, and your days will naturally be spent out in the valley. The only hours you will actually spend in Tours are for dinner and afterward, which is what should guide your choice. If you want late-night dinners without a long walk, stay in Vieux-Tours. If you want absolute quiet at night, the cathedral side is better, though you will have a ten-minute walk to get there.
- Booking a hotel along Avenue de Grammont under the impression that you are right in the center. Past Boulevard Heurteloup, the avenue stretches south for over a mile and loses its charm. Check the street number 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 town about two and a half miles away, and the area around the station is dead at night. Good if you have a crack-of-dawn train to catch, but not for a vacation.
- Choosing solely based on price without checking the exact location. A member who spent two weeks in the area noted that certain neighborhoods feel a bit rough around the edges without naming them, and we will not do it for them. The takeaway is to verify the exact position of any bargain listing before booking, especially if it sits outside 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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