Centre-Val de Loire is the garden heart of France, home to the greatest concentration of Renaissance châteaux in the world, two UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and a wine tradition spanning six major appellations along the Loire River.
- Public
- Good TGV and Intercités rail connections from Paris; Rémi TER trains link major regional cities reliably; Tours and Orléans have tram networks; rural château areas have very limited service and require planning
- Taxi
- Available in Tours and Orléans with Uber operating in Tours; reliable for airport transfers; scarce and expensive in smaller château towns
- Rental
- Indispensable for exploring the Loire Valley châteaux corridor (Chambord, Cheverny, Villandry, Azay-le-Rideau, Chaumont, Loches)—the most flexible and practical way to tour the region at any pace
- Walking
- Tours' Vieux-Tours quarter and Orléans' pedestrianized city centre are compact and very walkable; most historic city attractions within 20–30 minutes on foot of the train stations
Transport at a glance
Airport transfers
Getting from the airport to your accommodation.
- Taxi
- €20–28, 15 minutes from Tours Val-de-Loire Airport (TUF) to Tours city centre (~$22–31 USD)
- Taxi Info
- Taxis available at the rank outside the TUF arrivals hall; no pre-booking required for standard hours but recommended for early-morning (before 06:00) and late-evening (after 22:00) flights.
- Shuttle
- No dedicated airport shuttle bus at TUF
- Shuttle Info
- From Paris CDG or Orly, the recommended transfer to Centre-Val de Loire is TGV from Paris Montparnasse: Orly to Montparnasse takes ~50 min via Orlyval + Metro (€13.10/~$14 USD), then TGV to Tours in 1h10 from €10 (~$11 USD).
- Bus
- €1.60 (~$1.75 USD), Fil Bleu airport bus from TUF to Tours city centre, approximately 25–30 minutes
- Bus Info
- Fil Bleu airport bus operates weekdays and Saturdays only; no Sunday or public-holiday service. Verify current timetables at filbleu.fr or +33 2 47 66 70 70 before travel.
- Private
- €45–65 (~$49–71 USD), pre-booked private transfer from TUF airport to Tours city centre
- Private Info
- Several local transfer companies serve TUF; booking online 24 hours in advance is recommended. Most Tours hotels can arrange private transfers from TUF for groups or visitors with heavy luggage.
Local transport
Getting around the city.
Bus
Tours: Fil Bleu tram (T1, T2) and bus network; single fare €1.60 (~$1.75 USD), 10-trip carnet €13 (~$14 USD), day pass €4 (~$4.40 USD); information at filbleu.fr. Orléans: TAO tram (lines A, B) and bus; single fare €1.70 (~$1.85 USD), 10-trip carnet €14 (~$15 USD), day pass €4.60 (~$5 USD); information at reseau-tao.fr. Blois: Azalys bus network; single fare €1.20 (~$1.30 USD); information at azalys-blois.fr.
Alternatives
Loire à Vélo bike rental and bike-share stations in Tours, Amboise, Blois, and Orléans for château cycling; BlaBlaCar Daily carpooling within the region; Rémi on-demand transport (transport à la demande) for rural communes
Taxis & rideshare
What to expect from taxis and apps.
- Regular
- €2.50–3.50 base fare + €1.10–1.30/km in Tours and Orléans; night and weekend surcharges apply after 7 PM (~$2.75–3.85 base + ~$1.20–1.45/km USD)
- Apps
- Uber (Tours), Allo Taxi Tours: +33 2 47 20 30 40, Taxis Radio Orléans: +33 2 38 53 11 11, Taxis de Blois: +33 2 54 78 02 02
- App Names
- Uber
- Typical Fare
- €10–18 for a typical city-centre ride in Tours or Orléans (~$11–20 USD)
Intercity travel
Getting between cities and regions.
Bus
FlixBus and BlaBlaCar Bus intercity coaches from €5–20 (Tours–Paris, Orléans–Paris); Rémi regional coaches €2–12 within the region (~$2–22 USD)
Shared
BlaBlaCar carpooling widely used for Tours–Paris (from €8–15/~$9–16 USD) and Orléans–Paris routes
Flights
Tours Val-de-Loire Airport (TUF) has Ryanair seasonal services to Marrakech, Faro, Porto, and Lanzarote; fares from €25–80 (~$27–88 USD)
Private
Car rental from €35/day (~$38 USD) at Tours airport, Tours Saint-Pierre-des-Corps, and Orléans stations; fuel approximately €1.75–1.85/liter (~$1.90–2.00 USD/liter); A10 tolls Paris–Tours ~€16 one-way (~$17 USD)
Transportation details
Full breakdown of how to get around.
Centre-Val de Loire is best reached from Paris by TGV high-speed train, with Tours just 1h10 from Paris Montparnasse and Vendôme only 44 minutes away. Orléans is served by Intercités from Paris Austerlitz in approximately 1h05. Within the region, a rental car is essential for visiting the Loire Valley châteaux—Chambord, Chenonceau, Cheverny, and Villandry are dispersed across the countryside with no direct public transport. The Loire à Vélo cycle network (800+ km between Orléans and Saumur) provides a scenic car-free alternative for château-to-château touring. Rémi regional TER trains and coaches link the main towns.
Airports
Tours Val-de-Loire Airport
Paris Orly Airport
Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport
Useful apps
Download before you arrive.
SNCF Connect
Official French train booking app for TGV INOUI, Ouigo, Intercités, and all Rémi TER trains; supports mobile tickets and real-time disruption alerts
Rémi Centre-Val de Loire (remi-centrevaldeloire.fr)
Regional transport planner for all Centre-Val de Loire TER trains and regional coaches; journey search, timetables, and fare calculator
Fil Bleu
Tours Métropole tram and bus app with real-time arrival information, journey planning, and mobile ticketing for the Tours urban network
TAO Orléans (reseau-tao.fr)
Transports de l'Agglomération Orléanaise app for tram and bus journey planning, real-time arrivals, and ticket purchase in the Orléans network
Loire à Vélo (loireavelonature.com)
Official cycling route planner for the Loire à Vélo network through Centre-Val de Loire; interactive maps, bike hire point locations, château stops, and accommodation along the route
Uber
Available in Tours; useful for airport transfers from TUF and late-night travel when trams have stopped
Via Michelin
Road trip planner with toll cost calculator—essential for planning A10 journeys and calculating true road trip costs including péages and fuel across the châteaux corridor
Ouigo
SNCF's budget TGV app for lowest-price Paris–Tours bookings; fares from €5 on advance purchase; book as early as possible for best availability
Transport tips
Travel smarter, not harder.
Book TGV tickets on SNCF Connect (sncf-connect.com) or Ouigo (ouigo.com) at least 3–4 weeks ahead—Prem's fares from €10 Paris–Tours are limited and sell quickly; last-minute fares reach €55–70
Hire a car in Tours or Orléans for the Loire Valley châteaux—Chambord, Cheverny, Chaumont, Villandry, and Azay-le-Rideau are all 15–45 km from the nearest train station with no direct public transport to the château gates
The Loire à Vélo cycle route connects Orléans, Blois, Amboise, Tours, and onward toward Chinon on dedicated paths—rent a bike in Tours or Orléans for a self-guided château tour and return the bike at a different hire station (one-way rentals available)
Orléans is not served by TGV—take the Intercités from Paris Austerlitz (~1h05, from €10/~$11 USD) rather than travelling via Paris Montparnasse, which would require crossing Paris and adds 45 minutes
Vendôme-Villiers-sur-Loir TGV station is only 44 minutes from Paris Montparnasse and makes an excellent, crowd-free base for exploring the northern Loire valley; far fewer visitors than Tours or Blois
The Vignette Crit'Air air-quality sticker (€3.82/~$4 USD) is required to drive in Tours and Orléans low-emission zones—purchase online at certificat-air.gouv.fr before departure
Fil Bleu day passes (€4/~$4.40 USD) in Tours and TAO day passes (€4.60/~$5 USD) in Orléans offer unlimited tram and bus travel—worthwhile for a full day of city exploration
The Rémi TER Tours–Amboise route (25 min, ~€5/~$5.50 USD) enables a half-day visit to Château d'Amboise and Clos Lucé (Leonardo da Vinci's final home) on foot from the station—the easiest château excursion without a car
A10 motorway (Autoroute des Aquitaines) tolls apply on the Paris–Tours route: approximately €16 (~$17 USD) one-way from the Paris périphérique to the Tours interchange—carry a bank card as all major péage booths accept contactless payment