Toulouse holidays

How to reach Toulouse

• Flight time: Flights to Toulouse from London take about 1 hour 45 minutes. You can also find direct flights to Toulouse from other major UK airports and of a similar duration.

• Transfer time: From Toulouse-Blagnac Airport, 6km northwest of the centre, a shuttle bus runs to the bus station, taking 20 minutes, or there’s the T2 tram, which takes about 30 minutes to reach Palais de Justice station, where you can transfer to the metro.

• Price: A shuttle bus ticket costs €9 one-way, which you can then use to travel on the entire metro/tram/bus network. Taxis are also available and cost between €25 and €35 for a trip to the city centre.

Best time to visit Toulouse

Choosing the best time for holidays to Toulouse will depend on whether you prefer a hotter, busier holiday or something more laid-back.

• March to May: Spring is a lovely time for Toulouse holidays. You’ll avoid the worst of the high-season traffic and you should also more or less have your pick of accommodation, which will generally still be available at low-season prices. The weather is mild, with temperatures ranging from 10°C to 20°C and you can expect 8-10 hours of sunshine daily.

• June to August: Summer is peak tourist season when you can count on long opening hours, as well as the widest selection of hotels and restaurants - albeit with larger crowds. Temperatures range from 20°C to 30°C, with about 11-13 hours of sunshine daily.

• September to November: The best time to visit Toulouse is during the shoulder season (September and October), which offers a balance between tranquillity and action. It’s still warm, with temperatures from 10°C to 25°C and lots of sunshine, around 7-9 hours daily.

• December to February: Winter in Toulouse is mild compared to the UK, with average temperatures ranging from 5°C to 15°C. Rainfall is around 50-80mm per month, and there are 5-7 hours of sunshine daily.

Practical information

• Spoken languages: French is the main language, but Toulouse also has a distinct Catalan feel, thanks to its bilingual street signs and metro announcements in the Occitan language (although you won’t hear it spoken in the street).

• Local habits and customs: At restaurants you only need to leave an additional cash tip if you feel you have received service out of the ordinary, since restaurant prices always include a service charge.

• Health and safety: Toulouse is generally safe, but as in any large city, it’s wise to stay alert. Emergency services can be reached by dialling 112.

• Currency: The Euro (€) is the currency used. ATMs are widely available, and credit cards are accepted in most places.

• Getting around: The narrow streets of the old town necessarily make walking the best way to see Toulouse, but both metro and buses – which you’re only likely to use when travelling from the bus or train station to the hotel districts, or to visit outlying sights like the Cité de l’Espace - are efficient. Available from metro stations, tobacconists and bus drivers, tickets are cheaper if you buy them in advance rather than on the bus or metro.

• Electricity and plug types: Voltage is officially 230V, using plugs with two round pins. UK travellers will need an adaptor.

• Time zone: Toulouse is in the Central European Time zone (CET), which is 1 hour ahead of GMT. Daylight Saving Time is observed.

• Required travel documentation: UK travellers need a valid passport to enter France. No visa is required for stays under 90 days within a 180-day period.

Best things to do in Toulouse

Known as "La Ville Rose" (The Pink City) because of its terracotta buildings, Toulouse is a lively and cosmopolitan place, thanks to its large student population and thriving aeronautics industry.

Viewpoints and panoramas

• Basilique Saint-Sernin: Climb to the top of this historic basilica for stunning views over the city’s pink-hued buildings, and beyond.

• Pont Neuf: This venerable old bridge, dating back to the 16th century, offers superlative views of both the Garonne and the city.

The best districts

• Place de Capitol: Prettiest at sunset, when permeated by a pink glow reflected off the huge Capitole’s brickwork, the square is best appreciated from one of the numerous cafés which line its western side.

• Saint-Cyprien: The city’s youthful bohemian district is flush with trendy boutiques, bars and bits of street art.

Museums

• Musée Aeroscopia: Tracing the history of aviation via 25 aircraft, highlights include a Louis Blériot XI, a huge Super Guppy cargo plane, as used by NASA, a Concorde and an Airbus 380.

• Musée départemental de la résistance et de la déportation: Through photos, artefacts and dioramas commemorating the local resistance, this moving museum follows the plight of those living under occupation.

• Les Abattoirs: This converted slaughterhouse is home to a world-class contemporary and modern art museum, the best in southwest France.

Parks and gardens

• Jardin des Plantes: The town’s main park, the formally styled Jardin des Plantes, is a lively place and just the ticket for spreading your blanket and enjoying a picnic on the lawn.

Historical monuments

• Basilique Saint-Sernin: With its wedding cake bell tower – an emblem of Toulouse – the Basilique St-Sernin is arguably southern France’s greatest Romanesque church and the largest of its style in Western Europe.

• Capitole de Toulouse: Admire the neoclassical symmetry and elegance of the building’s magnificent 130m-long facade - preferably from one of the square’s many convivial cafés.

Day trips in the area

• La Montagne Noire: The western arm of the massif is a France time has left behind, where half-forgotten villages punctuate verdant hills.

• Castelnaudary: With its wide Grand Bassin, or reservoir, the town is the major pleasure port on the canal, and a great place to start a waterborne trip towards the Mediterranean.

Activities for families in Toulouse

Plane buffs will be in heaven here - Toulouse being the home of Airbus - but there are some magical museums here too plus lots more vigorous activities for families.

• Airbus Tours: A fantastic family day out, choose from four 90-minute tours including the “Airbus Kids tour”, which is specifically aimed at 6-12-year-old budding pilots and engineers and explains how planes fly and visits the assembly line. Make a day of it and get a combined ticket with the Musée Aeroscopia.

• Interactive museums: There’s only one winner here: La Halle de la Machine, home to a magical array of moving mechanisms including a roundabout and a huge spider. However, the star exhibit is a 47-tonne, 14m-high minotaur, which can carry up to 50 people on its daily outings.

• Markets: The markets here are great fun. Highlights include place Arnaud-Bernard and place St-Étienne for books; place du Capitole for clothes, food and general items; and covered markets at place des Carmes, place St-Cyprien and place Victor-Hugo for fresh produce.

Free things to do in Toulouse

With festivals galore, pop-up summer beaches and fantastic architecture, holidays to Toulouse need not be expensive at all.

• Parks and gardens: The town’s main park, Jardin des Plantes, is a lively place, complete with kids’ rides, ice-cream stands and an ersatz mountain and waterfall.

• Festivals: Toulouse hosts a wealth of music, dance and art festivals that bring in top-notch names from around the world. On the first weekend in February Fête de la Violette celebrates the violet via exhibitions relating to flower production, as well as a market and events; and in April it’s the Carnaval de Toulouse, a pre-Lenten week of partying with parades, music and other events.

• Pop-up beaches: From mid-July to early September, the excellent Toulouse Plages is a series of three pop-up beaches: Prairie des Filtres, EDF Bazacle and Port Viguerie, complete with amenities and free events.

• Walk the hôtels particuliers: Scattered throughout the old town, these remarkable buildings are a testament to the tremendous prosperity the town enjoyed in the 15th and 16th centuries; go seek them out.

Nature and outdoor activities

Being so close to the Pyrenees and lots of different waterways means that there’s no excuse not to get out and about.

• Skiing: Just a stone’s throw from the Pyrenees, decent downhill skiing is on offer between December and April, while cross-country skiing, or ski de fond, is also a possibility.

• Hiking: The highest concentration of paths (and the best hiking scenery) is found in the Pyrenees and its foothills, where you will find an extensive network of yellow- and red-marked GRP (grande randonnée de pays) paths as well as HRP (haute route des Pyrénées) routes.

• Water sports: The placid waters of both the Garonne River and Canal du Midi present excellent possibilities for kayaking, canoeing, and stand-up paddleboarding.

• Cycling: Toulouse is a bike-friendly city boasting dedicated cycling paths and several bike rental outlets. Lengthier rides can be enjoyed on the Canal du Midi cycle path which takes you through dozens of villages and vineyards.

Local dishes in Toulouse

As well as French food, the city enjoys a culinary cosmopolitanism thanks to its proximity to the Spanish border and its ethnic mix, and you’ll find many bars and cafés that serve tapas.

Some typical dishes

• Cassoulet: Languedoc’s emblematic dish is a treat for meat lovers with a healthy appetite; try it at Castelnaudary, where it was invented.

• Foie gras: Although not for everyone, Toulouse is famous for its foie gras, a delicacy made from the liver of duck or goose.

Meat dishes

• Magret de canard: Duck breast served with a sweet sauce made from orange or cherry, this is irresistible.

• Saucisse de Toulouse: This local pork sausage is seasoned with garlic and other herbs, grilled then served with lentils or in a cassoulet.

Fish and seafood dishes

• Bouillabaisse: Fishermen’s stew from Marseille is the superstar of the coast’s seafood dishes – at its best it’s utterly delicious.

• Huitres: Fresh oysters from the nearby Atlantic coast are a must-try. They’re typically enjoyed raw with a squeeze of lemon or a splash of vinegar.

Street food

• Socca: Chickpea flour pancake that’s crispy on the outside and soft inside.

• Pain fougasse: A finger-shaped bread that may contain olives, anchovies, sausage, cheese or bacon.

Sweets and desserts

Fénétra is a traditional cake made with almonds, apricots and lemon zest, lovely washed down with a cup of coffee; while croustade is a light puff pastry filled with apples or prunes and flavoured with Armagnac.

Local drinks

• Fronton wine: These wines are made with the Négrette grape, which is unique to this small part of the world, bearing notes of black fruits, violets, liquorice and spices.

• Noilly Prat: Pronounced “nwah-lee prah” this vermouth, created in 1813 with white Languedoc wine, is aged in vats for eight months, and then for a further year outdoors in oaken barrels.