Tours Airport Parking

Tours Airport is in the country of France and serves the city of Tours as well as other towns in the department of Indre-et-Loire and locations in the Loire Valley. The airport is otherwise referred to as the Tours Val de Loire Airport, or in French as the Aéroport Tours Val de Loire. It has the official airport code of TUF, and is located approximately 6km from the city centre of Tours. Tours Airport parking is available for passengers arriving in their own vehicles, and is provided in two areas. There are also an adequate number of parking spaces for the passengers which make use of the airport.

Passengers driving to Tours Airport can travel on several main roads of the region. The airport is just a fifteen to twenty minute drive from the city of Tours on the D910, which is the main access road of the airport. This road is linked to the D801, another road in the city of Tours, and to the motorways of the A10 and the A28. The A10 is a road running all the way from Paris to the northeast of Tours. From Paris it runs to Orleans, and from Orleans it goes past Blois and then on to Tours. The A28 is the road to travel from Alencon, past Le Mans and then to Tours. Passengers travelling to Tours Airport from areas south will use the A10 as well, and from areas west and east the A85 is the main road providing access to the city. Vierzon is found in the east and Angers is about 96km west of Tours. Poitiers and Châtellerault are two cities to the south of the airport, and are approximately an hour’s journey.

Tours Airport Parking

Tours is one of the few airports in the world to offer parking for free. There used to be more airports with free parking, in particular smaller establishments, but many have now implemented paid-parking schemes, with barriers at the entrances and exits of the parking lots. Airport parking can be quite expensive, especially if the passenger will be away for a few weeks or even longer, therefore the free parking at Tours Airport is very beneficial. It also provides a very ‘hassle-free’ way of arriving at the airport, as no parking ticket will need to be collected, and when leaving the airport, no payments have to be made.

The capacity of the car parking areas at Tours Airport is approximately four hundred spaces, which is adequate for the number of passengers that make use of the airport on a yearly basis. Current passenger traffic is recorded at approximately 120,000 per annum, however, not all departing passengers use the parking lots, as there is also transport available to the airport by buses and taxis. The Blue Wire buses take passengers from the Tours Train Station to the airport, and taxis are available from all locations.

The Tours Airport car parks are divided into two areas, one for short-term parking stays only and the other for longer-term stays. The short-term car park is a small area in front of the terminal building, and should only be used for a few hours or a day or two at most. The long-term car park is located to the left of the terminal, and can be used by passengers who will be away for longer periods of time. Both areas are free of charge, and for the long-stay area, minibuses provided transport to the terminal. The shuttles can also be used at no charge. The parking lots are open seven days a week, and twenty-four hours a day. They are not monitored areas, but are regarded as reasonably safe for use. Keep in mind that the car parks are used at the motorist’s own risk, and airport authorities cannot be held responsible for any incident of theft which may occur (vehicle or other belongings) or for any damages sustained in the car park area to the vehicle or any other article.

Tours Airport welcomes disabled passengers, and offers facilities which ensure their comfort before a departure flight or after an arrival flight. There are disabled toilet facilities, adapted phone boxes and wheelchairs available from the information desk. Further assistance can also be provided by airline or airport staff. In the short-term car park, four reserved spaces are clearly marked for the use of disabled drivers/passengers. These spaces are as nearby to the terminal entrance as possible, and provide the easiest access to the terminal for persons in wheelchairs. They should not be used by anyone who does not suffer from reduced mobility challenges.

At most airports, especially the less busier ones, motorists can drop passengers off outside the entrance of the terminal building, in what is often referred to as the ‘drop-off zone’. The road past the terminal should not be used as a parking area. Cars may only stop here for a minute or two at most, and may not be left unattended for any reason. The driver should stay behind the wheel of the vehicle, and not get out to assist his/her passengers. A third person should provide help with luggage if it is required. Passengers who have arrived at the airport can also be collected in this area provided that they are already waiting at curb-side. The vehicle may not wait for arriving passengers at the terminal entrance.

Perhaps Tours Airport parking will be transformed into a paid service in the future, but for now, passengers can enjoy saving a few Euro on airport parking.