Stories · France
A weekend in Toulouse
Told the way I’d tell a friend, step by step.
You don’t visit Toulouse; it takes you in. Here is how I’d spend 2 days there without rushing, leaving room for the things you can’t plan.
Day 1 · The icons
Early in the morning, it’s Free tour por Toulouse en español. It’s the kind of place that makes you go quiet for a moment, even when you thought you knew it all. To get organised: here is the route by public transport; skip-the-line get your tickets in advance, otherwise also check Tiqets.
Around noon, head to Escape the City Toulouse. Take the time to walk all the way around it; the best views are rarely at the entrance. Practical: how to get there, and if you’d rather skip the queue, book your visit or go through Tiqets.
For lunch, trust the rooms full of locals rather than the menus translated into six languages.
In the afternoon, meet me at Au Petit Train Touristique de Toulouse. You’ve seen it a hundred times in pictures; in person it is bigger, closer, more alive. To get organised: the public-transport route; skip-the-line book your tickets, otherwise compare on Tiqets.
As the light fades, I make my way to Place du Capitole. Go late in the afternoon: the heat drops, the light softens and the photos take themselves. 4.6 out of 5 across 32,972 reviews: few places are this unanimous. Getting there: the public-transport route. To get a feel for it: what visitors say.
Keep the evening free. Toulouse is a city that tells itself better at night.
Day 2 · The icons
To start, it’s Basilique Saint-Sernin de Toulouse. It’s the kind of place that makes you go quiet for a moment, even when you thought you knew it all. Travellers give it 4.7 out of 5 (15,932 reviews) and I won’t argue with them. Practical: here is the route by public transport, and if you’d rather skip the queue, book your tickets or compare on Tiqets.
Then, meet me at Chapelle des Carmélites. It’s the kind of place that makes you go quiet for a moment, even when you thought you knew it all. Travellers give it 4.7 out of 5 (1,166 reviews) and I won’t argue with them. To get organised: the public-transport route; skip-the-line get your tickets in advance, otherwise compare on Tiqets.
Lunch without a plan: the first noisy room you pass is often the right one.
Later, meet me at Tour privado por Toulouse en español. Take the time to walk all the way around it; the best views are rarely at the entrance. To get organised: here is the route by public transport; skip-the-line book your tickets, otherwise compare on Tiqets.
In the evening, I make my way to Visita guiada por Toulouse en español. You’ve seen it a hundred times in pictures; in person it is bigger, closer, more alive. Practical: the public-transport route, and if you’d rather skip the queue, book your tickets or compare on Tiqets.
In the evening, let go: a terrace, a walk, and Toulouse does the rest.
If you’re still hungry
I still have a few up my sleeve: Pont Saint-Pierre, Basilique Notre-Dame la Daurade, Pont Neuf, Saint-Etienne Cathedral, Jardin des Plantes and Grand Rond. Your call.
My advice
Walk. Then take public transport: that is where you see the city live.
Book the busiest places the day before: queues have ruined more than one morning.
Keep a little local cash: the best addresses are often the least equipped.
Safe travels. And get lost at least once; that is where Toulouse begins.
A Triovol story · written by someone who would go back tomorrow
Opening hours, prices and closures change: a quick look at the venue’s website before you go avoids bad surprises.