Welcome to Tours
The bright, lively capital of the Loire Valley region straddles not one beautiful river, but two – the Loire and the Cher – with the picturesque Vieux Tours old quarter lying on the long narrow peninsula between them. Brilliant modern architecture contrasts with an array of historic buildings, and all over France the city is famed for fine food and wine. There’s a sense that this is the place to enjoy the good life. No wonder the writer Honoré de Balzac called it “a smiling city.”
Facts
| Population | 133,000 |
| Currency | Euro. 1€=100 cents |
| Opening hours | Most shops are open Tue-Sat 0900-1200, 1500-1900. Food stores open earlier in the morning, but later in the afternoon, and some (especially patisseries) open on Sun am. Most supermarkets open Mon-Sat 0830-1230, 1500-1930, and have late closing on certain days. Most museums and sights keep similar hours, but are closed one day a week, usually Mon or Tue. Banks open either Mon-Fri or Tue-Sat 0900-1200, 1400-1700. |
| Newspapers | La Nouvelle République Le Monde (national) |
| Emergency numbers | Ambulance 15 Police 17 Fire 18 |
| Tourist information | 78-82 rue Bernard Palissy (near the railway station) +33 2 47 70 37 37 www.tours-tourisme.fr Opening hours: Mid-Apr to mid-Oct – Mon-Sat 0830-1900 Sun 1000-1230, 1430-1700. Rest of year – Mon-Sat 0900-1230, 1330-1800 Sun 1000-1300. |
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