Banks: 10:00 to 17:00, Tuesday to Saturday
Post Offices: 08:00 to 16:00, Tuesday to Saturday
Government Offices: 09:00 to 12:00 and 14:00 to 18:00, Monday to Friday
Business Centres: 09:00 to 12:00 and 14:00 to 18:00, Monday to Friday
Shops: 09:00 to 20:00, Monday to Friday

Tours does not present any major threats to visitors, although petty criminals are present so some common sense is useful if you wish to reduce your chances of becoming an easy target. The streets are not especially dangerous late at night, but female visitors are advised not to travel alone and all visitors are advised to be wary of bus and train stations, poorly lit backstreets and quiet areas of the city after-dark. Always park cars in well-populated locations and avoid leaving anything of value on display inside the vehicle.

220V, 50Hz, plugs have two round pins.

Health risks for visitors to Tours are low. In the event that medical treatment is necessary, however, you will find a high standard of health care on offer in the city’s hospitals and health care centres. Visitors from the EU in possession of a European Health Insurance Card can take advantage of free emergency treatment. Tap water in the city is drinkable, and standards of hygiene are high in public dining establishments.

Hopital Bretonneau: +33 2 47 47 47 47
Emergency services: 17/18/15 (police/fire/ambulance)

The official language of France is French, and though regional dialects are present, Tours is considered to speak the purest form of the language of any city in the country. English is spoken commonly in hotels and other tourist establishments.

The euro (EUR) is used as currency in Tours and the rest of France, and €1 is comprised of 100 euro cents.

EU visitors are not obliged to pay duty on goods imported or exported to and from France, as long as they are for personal use only. Visitors from other countries aged 17 or over are permitted the following allowances without incurring duty payments: 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 100 cigarillos or 250 grams of loose tobacco; 1 litre of spirits or 2 litres of wine or other alcoholic beverages (not exceeding 22 per cent proof); and 250ml of eau de toilette or 50 grams of perfume. Goods other than alcohol and tobacco must not exceed €200 in value.

Conservatism and formality are common in France, especially in business environments and in dining rooms. Punctuality is important for all formal appointments, with tardiness invariably frowned upon. Smart to smart casual dress is considered appropriate in public places, and swimwear is reserved for around the hotel pool only. Although wine production and consumption are popular in Tours and the Loire Valley, public displays of insobriety are frowned upon.

Nationals of EU countries may enter France without a visa, but they must hold a valid passport or national ID card. Nationals of other countries may need to apply for a tourist visa from a French embassy in their home country in advance of their arrival.

The Tours tourist information office is located at 78-82 Rue Bernard Palissy. Phone: +33 2 47 70 37 37.