Tours: The Garden of France and the Ultimate Paris Alternative

Known as the "Garden of France," Tours is increasingly becoming the top choice for expats and "Paris-exiles" looking for a higher quality of life without sacrificing connectivity. Here is why this city is capturing everyone's attention in 2026.

1. The 70-Minute Connection

The biggest "secret" about Tours is the TGV (high-speed train). You can be at Paris Montparnasse in just 1 hour and 10 minutes. This has transformed Tours into a hybrid hub. You can work a high-flying job in the capital but retreat to a limestone townhouse with a garden by dinner time. It’s the ultimate "have your cake and eat it too" scenario.

2. The "Purest" French in the World

If you are moving to France to master the language, there is no better place to be. Legend has it that the residents of Tours speak the "purest" French, free of the thick regional accents found in the North or the melodic twang of the South. It is the gold standard for language learners and the reason why the city is packed with prestigious international language schools.

3. Place Plumereau: The Heart of the Social Scene

You cannot talk about Tours without mentioning "Place Plume." Frequently voted as the most beautiful square in France for an apéro, it is a sea of cafe terraces surrounded by 15th-century timber-framed houses. Whether you are a university student or a retiree, this square is the city's living room.

4. A City Between Two Rivers

Tours is uniquely cradled between the Loire to the north and the Cher to the south. This geography creates a lush, misty atmosphere that is perfect for the region's famous gardens. In the summer, the banks of the Loire come alive with guinguettes—open-air riverside bars where you can sip a glass of local Vouvray as the sun sets over the water.

5. The Gateway to the Châteaux

Living in Tours means living in the backyard of kings. Within 30 minutes, you can reach:

• Château de Chenonceau: The iconic bridge-castle.

• Villandry: Famous for the most beautiful geometric gardens in Europe.

• Amboise: The final resting place of Leonardo da Vinci.

The Verdict?

Tours is a "human-sized" city. It’s flat, incredibly bike-friendly, and safe. While the housing market is getting competitive (thanks to its growing popularity and proximity to Paris!), it remains significantly more affordable than Paris, offering a "bourgeois-cool" vibe that is hard to beat.

Thinking about making the move to the Loire Valley? Watch our full Tours Part 1 breakdown on YouTube for the real costs of groceries, transit, and more!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Kc6NGyVPlM

Credits:

Chris Sampson, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Zairon, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Tango7174, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Gerard Jalaudin, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Vincent van Gogh, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

xorge, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Château de Chenonceau