Toulouse sits attractively on the River Garonne and this city is famous for many things from being at the hub of the French aerospace industry to having one of the oldest universities on the Continent. Not only is world leading French aeronautical manufacturer Airbus based there, but it is also the site of the CNES Toulouse Space Centre.
That makes Toulouse a busy place to hire car rentals for business or pleasure. Although Toulouse is close to areas that have a Mediterranean climate it actually has a temperate climate so consider whether or not you need AC.
Toulouse Mini Guide
Toulouse is a charming and compact French city set on rolling hills which give you great views of the beautiful landscape. It is situated in the south west of France near the Pyrenees and has just under half a million inhabitants.
Built at the side of the Garonne River, Toulouse was originally a Roman settlement and this is why many of its buildings are so beautiful.
Although much of the city of Toulouse is best explored on foot so you don’t get yourself tangled in any traffic jams, having a car allows you to go and see the stunning villages which surround Toulouse such as Albi, Carcassonne and Lourdes.
You can arrive at Toulouse by using the nearby Blagnac Airport from which it will take you 20 minutes to get into the centre of the city. Flights go to Blagnac from other parts of France as well as London, Munich and Frankfurt. Toulouse Train Station is two and a half hours from Bordeaux and four hours from Marseille.
You can drive into Toulouse on a number of different major highways which connect it with the rest of France. Toulouse has a number of interesting monuments, churches and bridges which are worth seeing. Head to the Basilique Saint Sernin. This 11th Century church has been partly restored by the famous French architect Viollet-le-Duc.
The Canal du Midi, a 240 km long canal in the south of France which connects the Garonne River to the Étang de Thau on the Mediterranean is worth seeing too as it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Also you must walk along the pretty Pont Neuf and St Pierre Bridges which are attractively lit up in the evening.
If you are fascinated by flying then it is worth knowing that Toulouse is recognised as a centre of aviation and visitors can go to ‘space city’, which is a sort of scientific theme park, though it doesn’t have any rides.
There is a planetarium too which makes it a good day out for young children from the ages of 5-14 years old. For more information about what to do and see and any special offers going on at the time head to the Toulouse tourism office at the back of the Capitolium. There you will find offers for guided tours of the city in a variety of different languages.
Useful Links: