Tours Airport Departures (TUF)

Tours Airport is one of the airports in the Centre region of France, and in recent years, has seen over 120,000 passengers. Although passenger traffic has increased, it is still regarded as a small airport, and with adequate facilities for arriving and departing passengers. It has a fully equipped terminal building from where Tours Airport departures are offered by a few airline companies. Passengers also have access to a couple of ground transport options, in order to reach a departure flight or to travel to the city after they have arrived at the airport.

Tours Airport is also commonly referred to as the Tours Val de Loire Airport, due to it’s location in the Loire Valley of France, or as the Aéroport Tours Val de Loire in French. It is known by it’s official airport code of TUF. Tours Airport is located approximately 6km, or 3.2 miles north-northwest of Tours city centre, in the department of Indre-et-Loire, and is part of the communes of Tours and Parcay-Meslay. The flights from this airport are used mainly by the residents of Tours, but passengers may also travel from towns and cities in the nearby vicinity, for departure flights, as the airport is very accessible from all areas by road.

Passengers arriving in their own vehicles can make use of free airport parking, and will travel on several main roads to access the airport. The A10 south is available from cities as far as Paris and Orleans, and north from Poitiers and Châtellerault. The A28 is another road north of the airport, and provides access from Le Mans. Areas east and west of Tours include Angers and Vierzon, and the main road linking these two cities is the A85. Most of the areas mentioned are within a hundred kilometres from Tours Airport, and are therefore about an hour’s drive away. Short-term and long-term car parks are available, and both are free of charge. Departing passengers can also reach Tours Airport by bus or taxi. Airport taxis bring passengers to the airport from all nearby locations, and from Tours Train Station or the city centre, will cost between 12.00 and 20.00 Euro. Local buses travel to the airport approximately two hours before Ryanair flight departures, from the Tours Train Station, with a journey time of about twenty minutes. There is no train station at the airport, and passengers who have arrived at the Saint-Pierre des Corps Train Station will need to first take a shuttle to the Tours Train Station (3km away), and then the airport bus to Tours Airport. The TGV trains from Paris arrive at the St Pierre des Corps Train Station.

The main airline companies available from Tours Airport are Ryanair and Flybe. Ryanair is a very popular low-cost airline carrier in the world, and has substantially increased traffic at a number of smaller airports in Europe. From Tours Airport, departures are offered by this airline company to the London-Stansted Airport in the United Kingdom and to Porto in Portugal. There are also seasonal flights available to Dublin in the Republic of Ireland, Manchester and the local airport of Marseille. Flybe has flights to Southampton, in the United Kingdom. There could also be various charter flights from Tours Airport in the busier seasons, and they are usually part of a tour package and arranged through a travel agent.

Passengers on Ryanair flight departures to London will require a valid passport or identity card, and if of a French nationality travelling with children, the family book will be required. The family book is in addition to the passport or ID card, and is not used as a form of identity on it’s own. A drivers license is also not accepted for identification. Check-in for Ryanair flights can be done from two hours up until forty minutes before the scheduled time of departure. Various check-in options may be available, such as online check-in or mobile check-in. Passengers should also book their hold luggage online for Ryanair flights, and two items per person are allowed each with a weight of no more than 15kg. Ryanair will charge twenty Euro for each additional pound of luggage weight.

An item of cabin luggage may also be brought with. Only one item is allowed per passenger, and the weight allowance is 10kg. The item should not exceed the size of 55 x 40 x 20 cm. In hand luggage, the quantity of liquid substances is limited to 100ml for each substance and not more than a total of one litre. They should also be placed in a separate, plastic, transparent and re-sealable bag for inspection by airport security officials. The bags can often be purchased from vending machines in the airport departure areas. Any sports equipment or musical instrument that will need to be transported should be booked in advance.

In previous years, Ryanair accepted unaccompanied minors of ages fourteen and fifteen, but as from October 2009, they no longer accept unaccompanied minors. Anyone aged sixteen years of age or younger must be accompanied by a person over the age of sixteen. Ryanair also does not offer transport of animals in the cabin or in the hold of the aircraft.

Tours Airport has a single terminal building from where all arrivals and departures are handled, and it covers a total surface area of just 1,500 square metres. The facilities for passengers on Tours Airport departure flights include a restaurant, a few shops, cash machines, a bureau de change, an airport lounge with limited business services, baby-changing areas and public telephones. Assistance for disabled passengers can also be provided by the airline company concerned, or from the airport. Wheelchairs can be requested from the information desk, and there are reserved car parking spaces and suitable toilet facilities. Always inform your airline company if you are travelling with an infant or if you have disabilities and will require assistance.

Live Tours Airport departure schedules can be found online. Passengers can also contact the airport for further information at +33 (0)2 47493700.