Tours Airport Mini Guide
What’s so Special About Tours?
There’s plenty to recommend Tours for it is in the heart of the Loire valley, loved especially by British tourists who go there to visit the many chateaux that flank the river. The region is also famed for the quality of the wine produced there and one of the best lunchtime treats is a freshly baked baguette with local creamy butter and a slice of cheese accompanied by a bottle of the local Vin de Pay du Val de Loire. If you want to practise your French, there’s no better place in France for the town is thought to have the clearest and best accent to their French.
How do I get to Tours?
Many people travel on the TGV from
Paris which gives you a wider range of options from across Europe but Tours has its own airport, Tours Val de Loire. There’s only one budget carrier that uses the airport, Ryanair, but they have a range of routes including several from the UK and a route to
Lisbon. Other carriers have begun using Tours for flights to destinations such as Morocco,
Bulgaria and
Cyprus. The airport is only three miles from the city centre and accessed by local bus or taxi.
What’s the Airport Like?
It’s a little dated, both inside and out but as you’re not going to be spending much time there, that’s probably irrelevant. There are very limited facilities at the airport so you’ll need to be prepared on your return journey.
What Can I Expect When I Land at Tours?
To begin with you’ll descend from the aircraft on steps and have to make your way to the terminal on foot. If you’ve let your airline know of any mobility issues they can meet you at the foot of the steps with a wheelchair and help you through the airport procedures. Once through passport control, you should find it won’t take long to retrieve your cases and then, after customs, you’ll be in the arrivals hall which is shared with departures. For information on airport services or directions, find the information desk along one wall. The staff there are helpful and will answer your questions with a welcoming smile.
Unless you’re being collected from the airport you’ll need to arrange onward transport and you can either use the local bus that stops outside the terminal or a taxi from the rank outside. Car hire is available at the airport and if you’ve pre-booked a vehicle, the desks are easily found for you to finish the paperwork before collecting your car.
And on my Return Journey?
Facilities are basic and once you’ve completed the formalities you’ll struggle to fill the time before your flight. There’s one shop which sells mostly souvenirs plus some light snacks and drinks. If you’re hungry, you have only the one café to eat at and whilst the food is reasonable, you may want to supplement it by taking something of your own to eat. Needless to say, there’s no Wi-Fi there either.
Tours Airport (airport code TUF), or the Tours Val de Loire Airport, serves the city of Tours. Tours Airport is an interesting airport because as well as offering commercial flights the airport is certified for private flights and it is also used by the French Air Force which keeps a couple of Mirage fighter planes based there.
The scheduled flights from Tours Airport are with low cost carrier Ryanair to London Stansted and Porto and it also has some seasonal options. Furthermore the airport is located in the commune of Parcay Meslay as well as Tours Airport.