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Voykit pocket guide · France
Thouars
Give Thouars one night, two at most: the medieval core is a half-day on foot, and the town works best as a quiet stop on the Vélo Francette or a base for Oiron.
Thouars is a small town of about 14,000 in the north of Deux-Sèvres, built on a rocky spur above the Thouet. Its draw is compact and free: a 12th-century gate with two portcullises, a Romanesque church, the Trémoille castle facade over the valley, and a handful of small museums. You do not need a car inside the centre, and you do not need more than a day unless you are cycling the river route or using it as a cheap base for the châteaux and vineyards around it.
- Country
- France
- Best months
- May–Jun, Sep
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (hot, quiet, some places closed), Nov–Mar (museums on winter hours)
- Stay
- 1–2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EUR
- Money
- Currency is the euro (EUR, €). Contactless cards work in most shops, cafés and restaurants.
- Daily spend
- Budget €55–80 excl. bed · Mid €85–130 excl. bed · High €150+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Orange, SFR, Bouygues Télécom and Free sell prepaid SIMs in their shops and at tabacs; ID is required to register.
- Emergency
- European emergency (English) 112 · Ambulance (SAMU) 15 · Police 17 · Fire 18
- Plugs
- Types C, E · 230 V · 50 Hz · Round two-pin plugs; type E sockets have an earth pin sticking out, so Schuko (type F) plugs need a C/E hybrid or an adapter.
- Tipping
- Café or bar: Leave small change, €0.20–1.; Restaurant: Service is included; leave 5–10% in cash for good service.; Taxi: Round up to the next euro or two.; Hotel porter or housekeeping: €1–2 per bag or per night.; Tour guide: €5–10 per person for a half day, more for private guides.
- Water
- Tap water is safe everywhere unless signed otherwise. Restaurants must serve a free carafe of tap water on request.
- Toilets
- Paris has free automatic public toilets (sanisettes); elsewhere use cafés (buy a coffee), museums and stations, where some charge €0.50–1.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee at a bar | €1.50–2.50 |
| Lunch menu (formule) in town | €13–18 |
| Dinner, mid-range, per person | €20–35 |
| Glass of local wine | €3–5 |
| Museum entry (geology, watermill) | €2–4 |
| Swimming pool entry | €5–6 |
| Melon from a roadside stall | €2–4 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- NTE · Nantes Atlantique
- About 1 h 45 min by car; the largest of the nearby airports.
- PIS · Poitiers-Biard
- About 1 h by car; small, few routes.
- LRH · La Rochelle-Île de Ré
- About 1 h 45 min by car.
Typical fares
- Taxi within town
- €8–15
- Train Thouars → Saumur
- about €8–12, 30–40 min
- Train Thouars → Poitiers
- about €12–18, 1 h
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
The historic centre is small enough to walk end to end in 20 minutes, but it sits on a spur, so expect short steep lanes down to the Thouet. Bicycles work well on the valley floor; rentals, including electric, are available in town — ask the tourist office for the current operator. Parking in the centre is free and rarely full.
See and do
Known for
- Prévost Gate and the medieval walls
- Château des ducs de La Trémoille
- Saint-Laon and Saint-Médard churches
- Melons of the Thouarsais
- Vélo Francette cycling route
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Château d'Oiron | Car, about 20 min via the D938; no useful train or bus | About 30 min |
| Saumur | Train from Thouars, roughly 30–40 min | About 1 h |
| Niort | Train via a change, or car about 1 h | 1–1.5 h |
| Poitiers | Train, about 1 h | About 1.25 h |
Sleep
- Old centre (around place Saint-Médard)
- Walk to everything; few beds, so book ahead in summer.
- Route de Parthenay / north edge
- Chain and roadside hotels with parking; 10 min walk into the centre.
- Camping municipal, Grande Côte de Crevant
- Riverside pitches below Imbert Park; summer only, reception split morning and late afternoon.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello / Good day | Bonjourbon-ZHOOR |
| Thank you | Mercimer-SEE |
| Please | S'il vous plaîtseel voo PLEH |
| How much is it? | C'est combien ?say kom-BYEN |
| Can I pay by card? | Je peux payer par carte ?zhuh puh pay-YAY par KART |
| Where is the toilet? | Où sont les toilettes ?oo son lay twa-LET |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Say 'bonjour madame/monsieur' on entering any shop, bus or office; avoid: Asking a question before saying bonjour — it is read as rude
- Cheek kisses (la bise): Follow the other person's lead; one to four kisses depending on region; avoid: Initiating la bise with strangers or in business
- Addressing people: Use 'vous' and titles until invited otherwise; avoid: First names and 'tu' with older people or staff
- Restaurants: Wait to be seated in restaurants; call the waiter 'monsieur' or 'madame'; avoid: 'Garçon', snapping fingers, asking for the bill before you are finished
- Conversation: Debate is a pleasure; food, politics and philosophy are fair game; avoid: Asking about salary or religion; loud voices on trains
- Dinner at a home: Bring flowers (not chrysanthemums), chocolates or a good bottle; arrive 10–15 minutes late; avoid: Cutting the tip off a cheese wedge or asking for ketchup
- Dress: Smart-casual in cities; covered shoulders in churches; avoid: Beachwear in town centres
Scams and watch-outs
- The Trémoille castle is a working school and cannot be visited inside; you see the facade, chapel, stables and orangery from outside.
- Several museums close on Saturdays or run weekday-only hours from October to March: check before you build a day around one.
- The tourist office and some sights keep short lunch closures; plan the middle of the day for walking, not for tickets.
- Summer weekends are quiet — some restaurants close without notice; book or have a backup.
A quiet, low-risk town. The real issues are steep, uneven lanes after rain, near-empty streets at night, and summer restaurant closures — not crime.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Thouars yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Prévost Gate and the medieval walls
- Château des ducs de La Trémoille
- Saint-Laon and Saint-Médard churches
- Melons of the Thouarsais
- Vélo Francette cycling route
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Wikivoyage: Thouars, revision 5093175 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5093175
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Thouars
À cette adresse, s'il vous plaît
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Thouars; the US, UK and most others are in Paris. Consulates are in Bordeaux and Nantes (check).
Tipping: service is included by law; round up or leave 5–10% for good service.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/thouars). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.