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Voykit pocket guide · France
Toulouse
Give Toulouse 2 nights: one full day for the pink-brick old town and one for Cité de l'Espace or Airbus. Base east of the Garonne, walk everywhere.
Toulouse is France's fourth-largest city, built in pink terracotta brick on the Garonne between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. The historic core is compact and walkable; the aerospace sights (Cité de l'Espace, Airbus) sit outside it and each eat half a day. Two nights covers the city; add a third for a Canal du Midi or Pyrenees day.
- Country
- France
- Best months
- Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (hot, 28–29°C (82–84°F) highs), mid-August closuresJul–Aug (hot, 82–84°F (28–29°C) highs), mid-August closures
- Stay
- 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 €60–90 excl. bed · Mid €90–150 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 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 café | €1.50–3 |
| Lunch menu (formule midi) | €14–20 |
| Cassoulet or a main course | €15–25 |
| Beer: draught / supermarket can | €5–7 / €1–2 |
| Metro or tram single ticket | €1.80 (check) |
| Museum entry | €5–9, many free (check) |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | €10–20 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- TLS · Toulouse–Blagnac
- 8 km (5 mi) west of the centre; Navette bus to Matabiau station about 25 min, or tram T1 plus bus 30/31 for about €1.805 mi (8 km) west of the centre; Navette bus to Matabiau station about 25 min, or tram T1 plus bus 30/31 for about €1.80
Typical fares
- Airport Navette → Matabiau
- about €9, 25 min (check)
- Taxi airport → centre
- €25–35 (check)
- Tisséo single ticket
- €1.80 from a machine, €2.50 on board (check)
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 old centre is compact and best on foot. Tisséo runs metro A and B, trams T1 and the cable car; a single ticket from a machine is €1.80 (€2.50 on board), a day pass €6.90, valid for transfers within one hour. Bikes: a one-day Tisséo Vélô ticket is about €1.20 with the first 30 min free. Don't drive into the centre; use a park-and-ride at a metro or tram stop.
See and do
Known for
- Pink-brick old town (La ville rose)
- Basilique Saint-Sernin and the Santiago pilgrimage route
- Aerospace: Airbus and Cité de l'Espace
- Rugby and violets
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Carcassonne | Train from Matabiau, about 45–50 min | About 1 h 15 |
| Albi | Train from Matabiau, about 1 h | About 1 h 30 |
| Canal du Midi by bike | Ride east from the centre along the towpath | From your door |
| Andorra la Vella | Bus, about 3 h | About 3 h 30 |
Sleep
- Capitole / Carmes
- The pedestrianised core east of the Garonne; walk to Saint-Sernin, Jacobins and the river. Best for a first trip.
- Matabiau station area
- Around the main rail and bus stations; practical for an early train or a one-night stop, less atmospheric.
- Saint-Cyprien / west bank
- Across the Pont-Neuf; quieter, near Les Abattoirs, 10–15 min walk to the Capitole.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello / Good day | Bonjourbon-ZHOOR |
| Thank you | Mercimair-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 metro? | Où est le métro ?oo ay luh may-TROH |
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
- Metro access at Matabiau station is under maintenance until mid-2026: allow about 10 extra minutes to walk around to line A, or use Jeanne d'Arc on line B.
- Summer afternoons hit 28–29°C; do the churches and museums in the morning.
- Some museums close on Mondays or have seasonal hours: check the official site before you go.
- Pickpockets work the Capitole square and metro in tourist season; keep bags zipped.
Toulouse is a safe big city by day; the real risks are summer heat, pickpockets around the Capitole and metro, and late-night bar streets. Standard city precautions apply.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Toulouse yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Pink-brick old town (La ville rose)
- Basilique Saint-Sernin and the Santiago pilgrimage route
- Aerospace: Airbus and Cité de l'Espace
- Rugby and violets
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Toulouse official tourism office: www.toulouse-tourisme.com/
- Toulouse–Blagnac Airport: www.toulouse.aeroport.fr/
- Tisséo (Toulouse public transport): www.tisseo.fr/
- Wikivoyage: Toulouse, revision 5339912 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5339912
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Toulouse
À cette adresse, s'il vous plaît
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
The US has a consulate in Toulouse (check the address); most other countries: consulates in Bordeaux or Marseille, embassies in Paris.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/toulouse). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.