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Travel

Getting here 

By plane 

There are frequent direct flights to Paris airports from many major cities in Europe and elsewhere. More information here.

From Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, you may travel directly to Tours by train, Approximate travelling time: 2 hrs 30. You can book a train ticket departing from the airport to Tours SNCF railway stations through SNCF.

From Paris Orly Airport, you will need to reach main Paris train stations Montparnasse or Austerlitz to travel to Tours.
   
For participants to FEBS 2023, we offer attractive discounts, up to -15%, on a wide range of public fares on all AIR FRANCE, KLM and their code-shared flights worldwide. 

Event: FEBS congress
ID Code: 39957AF
Travel Valid Period: July 1, 2023 to July 19, 2023
Event Location: Tours

Please access directly through here. 


In addition, the Tours Loire Valley airport welcomes regular and seasonal flights to and from London, Porto, Dublin, Figari, Marrakech… and soon to and from Lisbon in summer. Taxis and buses are available on your arrival, taking you in less than 10 minutes to the town centre of Tours. Practical tips: www.tours.aeroport.fr/

By train 

Train to Paris
Paris can be reached by train in a matter of hours from elsewhere in France and all major European cities thanks to the Eurostar, Thalys, TGV Lyria and other international rail services to Paris. All nine biggest Parisian railway stations bring you into the heart of the city and are well connected to the public transport network (metro, RER, bus).  

Approximate travelling time from Paris to other cities by train: Brussels (1 hr 30), Bordeaux (2 hrs), London (2 hrs 20), Lille (3 hrs), Geneva (3 hrs), Amsterdam (3 hrs 40), Frankfurt (3 hrs 55), Lyon (4 hrs), Strasbourg (4 hrs), Marseille (5 hrs 30), Madrid and Rome (11 hrs 30). 

Train from Paris to Tours
From within Paris, you may also travel to Tours by train. 
It takes 1 hour by TGV train to go from Montparnasse station in Paris to Tours SNCF railway station.

You may have to take a connecting train at Saint-Pierre-des-Corps and may arrive with a shuttle train at Tours (4 minutes connection).

Practical tips: Train travel around France and Europe by SNCF Connect

By road 

Three highways pass through Touraine region: the A10 (between Paris and Bordeaux), the A28 (between Rouen and Tours) and the A85 (between Nantes and Bourges). 

Practical tips: VINCI Autoroutes

Here are a few examples of the distances from various cities to Tours: Paris (240 km), Bordeaux (348 km), Lille (455 km), Lyon (490 km), Brussels (542 km), Geneva (647 km), London (691 km), Amsterdam (737 km), Frankfurt (822 km), Madrid (1039 km), Rome (1479 km). 

The coach companies Ouibus and Flixbus also run services in the city of Tours. You will find below more European coaches companies: 

Local transport in Tours

The city of Tours provides a range of public transport: bike rental, tramways and buses (Fil Bleu). To travel on the Fil Bleu network, travel cards can be purchased online or through ticket machines at the stations. More information here.

For the duration of the Congress, travel cards will be available at a preferential price. More information coming soon. 

Useful general information   

Time

Current time in France is GMT/UTC +1.  

Climate  

Just like many other areas in France, we find a mild maritime climate in Tours. The weather is pleasant throughout the summer and almost never too hot. During the months of June and September you are most likely to experience good weather with pleasant average temperatures that fall between 20 and 25°C (68–77°F).  

Currency  

Along with 16 other countries in the European Union, France uses the euro as its official currency. 

Credit cards  

Credit cards (mostly Visa and Mastercard) are widely accepted.  

Electricity  

Electricity in France runs on a 220-volt, 50-hertz AC current. France also uses a Type E plug (round pin and receptacle with male grounding pin). If you bring electrical appliances, you might need a plug adapter. You may also require a transformer, although today most major appliances have one built in.  

COVID-19 situation in France 

Covid-19 restrictions at the French border were eased in February 2022 for fully vaccinated travellers. Please visit the Interior Ministry’s website for more information. 

The entry conditions to French territory are defined by the classification of departure countries (countries and territories on ’green’ and ’orange’ lists) indicated below. Children under 12 years of age are exempt from testing. 

For more information: Coming to France? Your Covid-19 questions answered - Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs (diplomatie.gouv.fr) 

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