Toulouse area - suggestions please :)
 

Hello fellow travelers,

My husband and I will be flying to Toulouse from Spain in mid April and picking up a rental car at the airport. We'll have 4 nts. in the area, before heading to Loire region (that will entail another question for advice from you all!). We want to see Carcassone, and maybe drive around the Condom area, as my husband has a fondness for Armanac ;-) Also interested Albi and Cordes-sur-Ciel.

I was looking at places near Toulouse, and was thinking of staying somewhere close, but not right in the city. Partly because of the car and also to be somewhere a little more relaxing (I say that because we tend to be go, go, go when we travel and it would be nice to slow down a bit!)

Is anyone familiar with the towns of Vielle-Toulouse or Montauban? I'm having a hard time getting a feel for the area. (We've been to France a couple of times, but only to Paris and the Dordogne) Would these be good/practical bases to explore the area? Any other suggestions?

I appreciate any and all advice! I know there are a number of seasoned and knowledgeable travelers on this site and I have learned a lot from reading your posts.

And I promise I'll do a trip report (or at least notes!) when we get home.

Thanks very much,

Marlene

I'm a great fan of Toulouse and wish I'd had more than the 2.5 go-go-go days I had there.

Albi holds some gems; it kept me happily busy for a day.
I'm glad I spent a few hours in Cordes-sur-Ciel.
Sorry, I haven't been to Vielle-Toulouse or Montauban.

Do you have the Michelin Green Guide for the area? It's excellent!

Great, thanks kja! Sounds like I'm on the right track. And yes, I'll check out the Michelin Green guide. I have a couple of books on France (Fodor's, of course!) but not a lot of info on this region.

Montauban is known for its Place Nationale built around the same time as the Place des Vosges in Paris. It also had an Ingres museum in the former episcopal palace.

https://flic.kr/p/7UdDkX
Nearby Moissac has a church with a remarkable portal

https://flic.kr/p/7UdDZn

My husband was born in that region and attended college in Toulouse, so we have spent a great deal of time in that area. One other place that came to mind to me is Castres. It is nice smallish place to base on the river Tarn, or even just a nice town to stop for lunch. Here is a site that does interesting podcasts about France that talks about that area. Here is the link to the one about Castres and also the link to the area in general which talks about many of the places you want to visit:

https://joinusinfrance.com/episode/l...s-in-the-tarn/

https://joinusinfrance.com/destinati...toulouse-area/

I don't know if you know that the Toulouse area is know for Cassoulet? Specifically the village of Castelnaudry which claims it is the "world capital" of the dish. Our favorite restaurant there is actually outside of the village and called Le Tirou. Parking is easy and it sits behind a gas station. But the restaurant itself is charming-family run with a lovely garden and they have 2 pet alpacas out in the back garden!

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...ea70430abd.png
Outside Le Tirou

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...2c3679d746.png
The Garden

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...a5a374cd43.png

Alpacas in the garden!

https://tirou.fr/

So will you spend any time in Toulouse itself? There is an underground parking lot in the center Capitole area that is pretty easy to access if you wanted to at least drive in and spend some time there. It is a lovely city.

Thanks, Michael. Actually that first photo you posted was one of the things that intrigued me about it. Just not sure how practical or nice it would be as a base. Appreciate your feedback! Marlene

Hi jpie,
Thanks so much for the suggestions and I'll definitely check out those links. I know that something will come together. Some times trips seem to have a life of their own and you just have to go with the flow :)

Yes, I do know about cassoulet and look forward to trying some there. I've put Le Tirou on my list. It looks lovely!

And we definitely plan to spend some time in Toulouse. I was uncertain about it (Rick Steves doesn't even include it in his guide book for some reason, which kind of had me spooked) and I know it's the home of Airbus, so wasn't sure if it's just a big industrial city, but would like to spend some time in the old city center area. My husband is a little nervous about driving the city limits (we had a rather white knuckle experience returning a car in Paris near Notre Dame area on the May Day holiday! He's a great driver and did fine (I would have been a mess!) and we do live in the SF Bay Area, so we're used to lots of heavy traffic and crazy drivers ;-)

Thanks again for your help!

Marlene

If you are flying into Toulouse airport and want to spend some time in the city, what we did was to spend a couple of nights there and then rent a car from the railway station. I see that you have only 4 nights in the area but spending only one there and picking up the car in the morning might be an option.

Thanks, Ann. And you're right - there's no reason we have to pick the car up at the airport. I wanted to have one so we have more freedom to explore the area (Carcassone, etc.), but we wouldn't need one in Toulouse itself.

My main question if we want to stay all 4 nts. in one place (to minimize the jumping around that we usually do!) what would be the best base, if we like a more historic/village feel?

Marlene

I was convinced by this forum to stay in Toulouse 4 nights. We are planning a day trip to Albi by train and feel we will have enough to do in the center of town for the rest of the time. ;)

IME, Rick Steves guide books leave entire destinations out, with no rhyme or reason -- it is certainly no indication that the destination is not worthy, and in some cases, it seems to me that his omission is actually an indicator of the place's merit. You might want to consult a better, more comprehensive guidebook.

Toulouse is actually a very charming city for its size-that is interesting that Rick Steves doesn't even cover it-although I am kind of happy about that since we always feel like the Occitanie region is one of the few secret gems left in France, although being from Seattle I guess I should be more loyal to him :) .

It is known as the Pink City La Ville Rose for all the lovely pink stone architecture and it is a University town which makes it full of nice bars and eating choices. You really don't even really get a feel that the Airbus aviation industry is important at all there since most of that is happening out in the suburbs of the city-not near the historic center. Here's a good link from the tourism board to read more about the city itself

https://www.toulouse-visit.com/10-reasons-come-toulouse

Driving in Toulouse isn't nearly as difficult as Paris except for the now usual presence in all largish cities of trams, etc. that you need to watch out for. I am driving back there this May and because it is the "middle" of our trip I will have to have a car in the center. Because of that I am booked at the same place I stayed the last time with a car which is at the Hotel Mercure Toulouse Centre Saint Georges-it is handy because it is one of the nicest areas to stay in Toulouse and they have an underground parking lot under the hotel that is shared with a nearby shopping complex-so pretty easy access. Once I am there I will just leave the car parked and use public transport for the three days we are there.

https://all.accor.com/hotel/0370/ind...ce=google+Maps

So if you find yourselves needing to be in the city with the car you might want to check out that property. We are actually renting an apartment in the hotel-they have a limited number, with a bedroom and then a pull out couch in the living room. Since I am traveling with another my cousin rather than my DH on this trip we wanted to have 2 sleeping areas.

In terms of basing outside the city I personally think Castre and Albi are more charming than Montauban. Montauban is around 60,000 in population, Castres is around 40,000 and Albi is around 50,000 so you can see they are pretty similar in size. I think Albi probably has the best in and out access of the three but even that might be debatable depending on where you are headed. I probably prefer Albi because the Toulouse-Lautrec Museum and that whole area right around it with the Cathedral gives the city a presence that speaks more to tourism than probably Castres or Montauban IMO. But I think that is one reason it is a bit harder where to base because unlike in the Dordogne where Sarlat kind of becomes the "obvious" choice for many people to stay, really in that area outside of Toulouse has at least 3 interesting mid-size towns not to mention some charming villages.

As I recall, Rrick Steves France books are mainly written by his associate - Rick Smith (or something like that). I found his books to be very superficial and "light" on all France info. I have a couple of hundred guide books about France (all the Green Guides, all the Cadogan, all about 4 other series), and Steves books provide about the least amount of valuable information regarding a specific site in France.

Toulouse, (along with Dijon) is my second favorite city in France - after Paris. We've stayed 1-3 nights there on about 5 different occasions at the beginning or ending of a trip.
https://www.francetoday.com/travel/1...isit-toulouse/

Stu Dudley

Thanks eastender!

kja,

Yeah, and he also leaves out all of Bordeaux! His is one of many that I've checked out of the library. I have some others from our previous trips, including Fodor's and now at the advice of people here, will add the Green Guide.

:) Marlene

jpie,

Thanks for the info on Toulouse. I've been reading a lot and it does appeal to me. And anyway, that's part of the joy of travel, right?! Finding out the places we connect with and don't. When I was going to Italy, my friends all told me how much I'd love Florence. Not so much. (didn't help that I fell on the cobblestones the first morning and got a wicked black eye!) OTOH, I was ambivalent about going to Rome on the way home, and I loved it there. You just never know...

Anyway, I think I'll look at either Toulouse or Albi as a base.

Really appreciate your help!

Marlene

:

IME, the Michelin Green Guides, Rough Guides (or the similar Lonely Planet; I prefer the RG's maps), or -- where available -- the Moon Guide are most useful. I have never, once, in all of my travels, found the RS guides to be anything other than a waste of money. :(

Stu,
Yeah, maybe Rick Steves has been smoking a little too much of the pot that he's mentioned he likes :)
I do value your opinion and am glad to hear this. I have read all of your (detailed!) posts on the area and very much appreciate all that you share with all of us.
Another trip we'll explore the gorge region that you describe so beautifully!

Marlene

kja,

Yeah, I usually check out a bunch of different guides from the library - they actually have an extensive collection - and then pick a couple to buy for that particular trip.

Marlene

Steves has an excellent guide book on Budapest. I met him when he was in Orinda a few years ago. My stock broker is somewhat of a major person in Orinda, and he invited my wife & I to a reception and then a speech by Steves at the Orinda Theater. Yep - he is an advocate of soft drugs.

Stu Dudley