We recommend that you arrive on a Sunday afternoon.
Please confirm with your host family your date and approximate time of arrival. Send an e-mail or call several days before you travel so that the family can prepare for your arrival. Then, if necessary, you should confirm your exact time of arrival once you are in France.
Most students go through Paris to come to Tours but if you are in London or Dublin you might chose Ryan Air who offer direct flights to Tours.
From London by Eurostar, change at Lille and not Paris (where you need to go from one railway station to another): the TGV is direct from Lille Europe to Saint-Pierre-des-Corps (suburb of Tours).
From Brussels, you can avoid changing stations in Paris as some TGV’s are direct. Or you can change at Lille Europe to Saint-Pierre-des-Corps (suburb of Tours).
From Paris, the quickest way to get to Tours is to take a TGV (fast train).
- Directly from Charles de Gaulle airport if you fly.
- From Montparnasse railway station if you come from elsewhere.
Since Tours railway station is in a cul-de-sac some TGVs don’t stop in Tours but at Saint-Pierre-des-Corps. From there take a shuttle train to Tours (included in your train ticket). The shuttle train is generally on the same platform as the TGV. It will take you five minutes to get from Saint- Pierre-des- Corps to Tours.
A TGV ticket always requires a reservation. If possible, in order to be sure of a seat, buy your ticket before leaving your country. The ticket will indicate the number of your coach (voiture) and seat (siège).
To validate your ticket, don’t forget to « punch » it in one of the yellow machines located at the entrance to the platforms.
FROM CHARLES DE GAULLE AIRPORT (TGV STATION) TO TOURS
The TGV station is at terminal 2 (CDG 2) after halls C or D, on the ground level.
If you arrive at terminal 1 (CDG 1), take CDGVal to terminal 2. CDGVal is a free shuttle which runs every 4 minutes.
If you arrive at terminal 2A or terminal 2B (far from CDG railway station) take a free shuttle bus (red line 1) to the TGV station. It runs every 7 to 10 minutes.
If you are well ahead of time, why not wait at the Sheraton hotel bar situated above the TGV station.
On Sundays there are 5 TGVs from the airport to
Saint-Pierre-des-Corps(suburb of Tours). A second class one way ticket costs € 57 but you may pay € 36 if you book it some time in advance. Prices vary also according to the day and time of travel.
Departures are at 8:56 am (arrival at 10:35 am), 1:45 pm (arrival at 3:22 pm), 3:42 pm (arrival at 5:27 pm), 6:24 pm (arrival at 8:10 pm), 7:34 pm (arrival at 9:21 pm).
HOW TO GET TO MONTPARNASSE RAILWAY STATION
From Charles de Gaulle airport
If the TGVs mentioned above are not convenient for you, take an Air France bus to Montparnasse railway station. Buses run every half hour from 7:00 am until 9:00 pm.
At CDG1, buses are at the Arrivals level, exit 34.
At CDG 2B or 2D, exit B1; at CDG 2A or 2C, exit C2; in between CDG 2E and 2F, the bus stop is located in the gallery, at exit 3.
Buy a ticket on the bus. A one way trip costs € 16.50 and a round trip costs € 27.
It takes 45 to 60 minutes to get to Montparnasse railway station. The bus will drop you off outside the station, at rue du Commandant Mouchottes.
From Orly airport
Take an Air France bus. Buses run every 12 minutes from 6:00 am until 11:00 pm. Buy a ticket on the bus. A one way trip costs € 11.50.
It takes 30 to 45 minutes to get to Montparnasse railway station. The bus will drop you off outside the station, at rue du Commandant Mouchottes.
From another station in Paris
Take the subway (métro) or a taxi to Montparnasse railway station. A taxi costs € 10 to € 15. You have to pay a little extra for your luggage if you go to a railway station.
If you wish to take the subway, don’t forget that you will have to walk a lot and go up and down stairs. Look for lines Porte d’Orléans, Châtillon-Montrouge, Mairie d’Issy or Charles de Gaulle-Etoile. These four lines stop at the subway station Montparnasse-Bienvenue. The name of a subway line is the name of its final destination.
AT MONTPARNASSE RAILWAY STATION
Buy a train ticket to Tours. A second class return ticket costs in between € 45 and € 90. Costs also vary according to the day and hour of travel and how soon you book your ticket.
There are approximately 12 TGVs daily to Tours or Saint-Pierre-des-Corps. The journey takes 55 minutes.
You will be met in Tours by your host family. If you did not give your exact time of arrival in Tours to your host family, please call them prior to leaving Paris. To use a phonebooth, you need to buy a « télécarte » (€ 10 or more) from a Relay shop or from a machine using your Visa or Mastercard.
IF YOU DRIVE
Use the 'Tours centre' motorway exit which will lead you directly to boulevard Heurteloup, you will see the office de tourisme on your right and the station on your left, then Place Jean Jaurès where the city hall (hôtel de ville) is. In case your family’s home is hard to find, we advise you to call them in order to decide on a meeting point.
Beware of thieves: Do not leave anything on view in your car, neither baggage on the backseat nor on the parcel shelf.
Bon voyage et à bientôt !
