Paris to Tours by train

How to take a train journey from Paris to Tours

There are two very different options for taking the train from Paris to the centre of beautiful Tours

The fastest is to take the high speed TGV trains which depart from Montparnasse station, but the slower trains which leave from Austerlitz station are generally cheaper and also take a more scenic route.

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Routes

Option 1: taking a high speed train

Journey Summary

Travel Time
1hr 15 min - 1hr 30min
Frequency
Daily
Travel Information

Note that these TGV trains to Tours depart from Paris-Montparnasse station, but the alternative slower TER trains to Tours depart from Paris-Austerlitz.

Final Destination: Tours

These are the direct TGV trains from Paris to the Gare de Tours in the city centre.
Though the timings of these trains aren't particularly convenient if you'll be making a day trip by train to Tours from Paris.

There are no departures from Paris between around 07:30 and 12:30.

So a better option can be booking a journey which involves a change of train at Saint Pierre Des Corps station.
This station has a much more frequent service of TGV trains from Paris compared to Tours, but it is located on the outskirts of Tours (4km from the city centre).
However, most of the TGV trains from Paris to Saint Pierre Des Corps have good connections there into local (TER) trains on to Tours Centre*.
So the journey time can be similar to the direct trains; though these direct trains are generally (marginally) cheaper.
*= The official name for the city centre station is Gare de Tours, but SNCF Connect refers to the station as Tours Centre.

up to 7 x trains per day

Tickets

Book early and save: Yes

Online bookings usually open: up to 6 months ahead of the travel date - but bookings can open sooner when SNCF is running a promotion.

The TGVs are faster, but those Intercités are (usually) cheaper.
In order to compare the TGV and Intercités trains select 'Paris' as a city on SNCF Connect or 'Paris' on the Trainline.

When booking 2nd class tickets for these InOui services only one type of ticket will be available per departure, discounted 'Prems' tickets or 'Seconde' tickets; though the price of Seconde tickets are also typically cheaper when they are first placed on sale.
When booking 1st class tickets there will be a choice of Premiere tickets and Business Premiere tickets.

Seats will automatically be assigned when booking tickets for this journey, but rail pass users will need to be pay a reservation fee prior to boarding these TGV trains.

The price is dictated by demand per departure, so book ahead and try and be flexible re: your departure and arrival times, as trains leaving earlier or later can be cheaper.

Where to book
Ticket Provider Approximate Cost
SNCF Connect from €24

SNCF Connect Guide

SNCF is the national rail operator in France and not so long ago it recently simplified both the range of tickets and the term and conditions of using them.
Therefore the cheapest tickets also become more flexible too.

Other improvements included a simple integration of travelling with bicycles and rail pass users being able to book reservations for national journeys, without paying booking fees.

And it also recently launched SNCF Connect as replacement for its Oui.SNCF booking service.
You can set up a low price alert to let you know when the cheapest price is available for a future journey.

Something else to look out for is that simplest way of travelling with tickets is to use the SNCF Connect App, as booked tickets can therefore be stored on your mobile device, which can then be shown to the train conductors as proof of purchase.

SNCF Connect on Google Play

SNCF Connect in the App (Apple) store

SNCF also operates RailEurope, which is in effect a dedicated online booking service for making bookings from outside of Europe.
If you reside outside of Europe you may discover that SNCF Connect rejects phone numbers or card numbers, but RailEurope won't do so.
Though RailEurope will add booking fees when making a purchase

Rail Europe from €24
Save A Train from €24

Save A Train Guide

Trainline from €24

Trainline Guide

On this journey

Journey Features

Scenic - NoHigh Speed (total journey)

These trains move on to the high speed line around 3 mins after departure from Paris and leave it around 10 mins before arrival in Tours.

Option 2: These slower trains can be money savers

Journey Summary

Travel Time
2hr 5min
Frequency
Daily
Tickets

Book early and save: Yes

Online bookings open: 3 months ahead of the travel date

There are two train services between Paris and Tours

(1) high speed TGV trains from Paris Montparnasse, and
(2) these TER trainsfrom Paris Austerlitz.
The TGVs are more than an hour faster, but these Intercités are (usually) cheaper).

The price is dictated by demand per departure, so book ahead and try and be flexible re: your departure and arrival times, as trains leaving earlier or later can be cheaper.

Rail pass users:

Take these TER trains, and avoid the reservation fees which users of Eurail and InterRail passes have to pay to travel on the TGV trains.

Where to book
Ticket Provider Approximate Cost
Trainline *

Trainline Guide

SNCF Connect *

SNCF Connect Guide

SNCF is the national rail operator in France and not so long ago it recently simplified both the range of tickets and the term and conditions of using them.
Therefore the cheapest tickets also become more flexible too.

Other improvements included a simple integration of travelling with bicycles and rail pass users being able to book reservations for national journeys, without paying booking fees.

And it also recently launched SNCF Connect as replacement for its Oui.SNCF booking service.
You can set up a low price alert to let you know when the cheapest price is available for a future journey.

Something else to look out for is that simplest way of travelling with tickets is to use the SNCF Connect App, as booked tickets can therefore be stored on your mobile device, which can then be shown to the train conductors as proof of purchase.

SNCF Connect on Google Play

SNCF Connect in the App (Apple) store

SNCF also operates RailEurope, which is in effect a dedicated online booking service for making bookings from outside of Europe.
If you reside outside of Europe you may discover that SNCF Connect rejects phone numbers or card numbers, but RailEurope won't do so.
Though RailEurope will add booking fees when making a purchase

On this journey

Journey Features

Scenic - NoNot High Speed

Good to Know

Note that these trains depart from Paris-Austerlitz station, but the alternative, faster TGVs to Tours depart from Paris-Montparnasse station.

Final Destination: Tours

This route is slower than that taken by the TGV trains, but a compensation, in addition to the fact that they can be cheaper, is that this route taken by the Intercités trains is much more scenic!

From Les Aubrais to St Pierre-des-Corps these trains  travel along the banks of the River Loire, with views over the river from the left of the train - when facing the direction of travel.

This is a comparatively easy day trip by train from Paris.

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