Tours (TOOR; pop. 142,000) is the liveliest of all the Loire cities. It may not have a grand château, but it’s certainly proud of its bustling nightlife. Tours lacks a local accent, so it’s a great place to pick up French-language skills whose use won’t be limited to one town. While we praise the quaint nature of the smaller cities in the region, we know you need some variety from the crepes-and-châteaux routine. Full of shops, bars, students, and enough sights to justify staying a few days, Tours entertains the history buff and castle-crazed contingency as well as those who want nothing more than to socialize with bohemian students along the river.