Université François Rabelais

I thought my French was ok before I arrived in France, but the first couple of weeks terrified me! The administration at Francois-Rabelais is chaotic - prepare for a meltdown. I struggled to understand conversations between French students at first as the speed was faster than what your lecturers use in class, but now my comprehension has greatly improved. I still feel slightly uncomfortable if I need to speak in huge groups of people, but it has got better.

One warning about Sanitas - you can't get an internet connection in your room. You can in Europa, but you have to go to France Telecom to set it up yourself. Apply for the CAF - you save around 1/3 of your rent. Look for formules at restaurants. They're the best way to get a two or three course meal.

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!!

Sanitas has a bad reputation due to previous comments on this site. I get a feeling non of the previous reviewers actually live there. Sanitas (and Europa) are a 10 minute walk from the town centre (and 30 minutes from Tanneurs faculty). All of the other student accommodation blocks require a bus pass or a lot of walking. Sanitas is also next door to the Sports centre with its swimming pool and ice rink. There is also a food supermarket across the road. True, the Sanitas estate doesn't have the best reputation in the town, but Sanitas isn't really in the estate, it's on the edge of it. Deux Lions and Grandmont are really far away from the town, and the last bus back is too early for most, so you'll need to pay for a taxi back at the end of a night out. Furthermore, people say they're no better than the cheaper rooms. I went for the basic room. This meant I shared the toilets, showers and kitchen with everyone else (17 people) - only the oven caused problems. If you'd prefer a bit more privacy I'd suggest Europa - you share the facilities with just 1 other person, but you don't get an oven, just a hob. 1 person flats are available, but you'll be paying a lot more, and you'll be further out of town.

The Pale is the best Erasmus bar in Tours. It's an Irish Pub so you can mix with Anglophones and Francophones at the same time. Check it out on Rue Colbert! Café Chaud is legendary. Pyms is a trek away from the town centre, but is the only big night club (it's close to Sanitas). Opposite Pyms is Le Corsaire. Here you have a pirate themed cocktail and ice-cream bar. BEST COCKTAILS DU MONDE! In the Summer you should check out Tutti Gusti on Place Plumereau.