Université François Rabelais

This past year has been the best year of my life! I have fallen in love with Tours and the Loire Valley. I have made some true friends this year. Tips: - Buy a carte 12-25 for the train. You will make a saving on the train tickets after a couple of trips to Paris. - Ryanair has cheap flights from Tours airport to London Stanstead. - It's best to live in the cheap accommodation because then you live with lots of native speakers. If you live alone you can feel secluded. - Try not to fly home to often. You get the most out of Tours if you only go home during the long holidays. HAVE FUN!!

It is useful to have la Carte 12-25 that lets you travel around France with a 50% discount in all the trains.Go to the CAF(Caisse d´Alocations Familiales)when you arrive, they give grants for housing to all the students.Seize the opportunity of having French classmates to open a conversation and make good friends, you should not go whith people of your same nationality all the time (as we all do), make a profit of the interests of French people in meeting other cultures.Take part in the programme of "parrainage"-you´re introduced to a French student who will help you all the time you are in Tours,it is useful for understanding better the culture and they usually invite you to parties and introduce you all their friends,very interesting!

STAYING WITH THE FAMILY IS THE BEST THING TO DO IN THE BEGINNING WHEN EVERYTHING IS NWE, THEY CAN REALLY HELP YOU AND ONE IS FAR MORE SAFE. I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND TO LOOK FOR AN APPARTMENT IN AN UNKNOWN REGION IN THE CITY WITHOUT CHECKING FIRST IF THE AREA IS SAFE, HAS A GOOD REPUTATION. HANG AROUND WHERE THERE ARE A LOT OF STUDENTS AND TRY TO MAKE FRIENDS FROM FRENCH GROUPS.THE KEY TO THIS IS TO BE OPEN, NICE, FRIENDLY AMD FUN.