Tourist information -
Tours
The centre of Tours lies between the Loire and
its tributary, the Cher, but has spread far across both banks, with
industrial Tours north of the Loire. Neither river is a particular
feature of the town, though there are parks on islands in both rivers
and a newish footbridge across the Loire from the site of the old
castle on quai d'Orléans. The city's old quarter focuses
not on the cathedral or the château, but on the picturesque
place Plumereau, some 600m to the west of the main rue Nationale
The gare routière and gare SNCF are situated
a short way southeast of the cathedral district, and face the mammoth
"hypercentre" that shelters the Centre International de
Congrès. Some trains, including most TGVs, stop at St-Pierre-des-Corps
, an industrial estate outside the city. Frequent shuttles link
the two stations (about 8min) or you can take bus #2 or #3 from
St-Pierre-des-Corps to place Jean-Jaurès (15min). The huge
and excellent tourist office is close by, on the corner of rue Bernard-Palissy
and boulevard Heuteloup (May-Sept Mon-Sat 8.30am-6.30pm, Sun 10am-1pm
& 3-6pm; Oct-April Mon-Sat 9am-12.30pm & 1.30-6pm, Sun 10am-1pm;),
and sells a museum pass that lets you into eight major sites, including
the Musée des Beaux-Arts and the Musée du Gemmail.
Information on Tours and the surrounding region can be found online
at www.tourism-touraine.com.
Place Plumereau is set out with the tables of expensive cafés
and restaurants ; the bars in this area can be overpriced but many
have a lot of character. The most promising restaurant streets are
rue du Grand-Marché and rue de la Rôtisserie, on the
periphery of old Tours, and rue du Commerce and rue Colbert. Sugar
and chocolate freaks should make a detour to pâtisseries like
La Marotte, 3 rue du Change, and La Chocolatière, 6 rue de
la Scellerie. The main market halls are to the west of St-Martin
at the end of rue des Halles.
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