The Venue

Getting to Toulouse

Ideally situated in the heart of Southern France, between the Mediterranean and the Atlantic Ocean, the cosmopolitan and enthusiastic Ville Rose joyously mixes heritage and lifestyle, great cultural events and festival pleasures. At once both modern and proud of the legacy of its past, open and radiant, you are bound to be seduced by the incomparable Toulousain lifestyle, coupled with the wealth of its cultural heritage.
Toulouse is the capital of the biggest French region, the Midi-Pyrénées (45,000 km2), which brings together the departments of Ariège, Aveyron, Gers, Haute-Garonne, Lot, Hautes-Pyrénées, Tarn and Tarn-et-Garonne. Toulouse is 150 km from the Mediterranean Sea, 250 km from the Atlantic Ocean and 110 km from the Pyrenean ski resorts.

Arriving by air

Toulouse-Blagnac international airport is 8 km west of Toulouse. The city centre is easily reached by the airport shuttle service or by taxi (taxi rank outside the arrivals hall).

• Airport shuttle service
  Departures every 20 minutes between the airport and Toulouse, with four stops in the city centre: Pierre Baudis Conference Centre – Place Jeanne d’Arc – Allées Jean-Jaurès – coach station terminus (next to Matabiau SNCF railway station).
  Journey time: approximately 20 minutes, depending on traffic.
  Departures every 20 minutes.
  
• Taxis
  Taxis are parked outside the arrivals hall on the ground floor of the airport.
  Journey time: approximately 20 minutes, depending on traffic.
  A single number for all companies: +33 (0)5 61 30 02 54

Arriving by rail

Matabiau SNCF railway station is in the city centre. As you arrive in Toulouse, you can admire the Canal du Midi, which is just opposite. UNESCO has now classified the Canal du Midi as one of the 469 World Heritage Sites.

Toulouse Matabiau Station
64 boulevard Pierre Sémard
31000 Toulouse
SNCF Information
Tel: +33 (0)8 36 35 35 35

• iDTGV
  One train, two types of atmosphere to choose from, “iDzen” or “iDzap” ! “iDzen” if you want to travel in silence and “iDzap” if you want a more friendly, relaxed journey!
  
• Corail Téoz
  A dream journey… Interior fittings designed for your well-being, a bike store, family areas with a children’s corner and games mat, and of course, the itinerant refreshment service!
  

Arriving by car

Toulouse has direct motorway connections to the main capitals of Northern and Southern Europe.

• Motorways
  A61 (Carcassonne, Montpellier, Barcelona), A62 (Montauban, Agen, Bordeaux, Limoges, Paris), A64 (Foix, Lourdes, Bayonne, San Sebastian), A68 (Lavaur, Albi) A66 (Pamiers, Foix, Andorra).
• Where to park in Toulouse?
  Localisation of the car parks in Toulouse
  

Getting around town

By underground - buses

• Line A (Basso Cambo - Balma Gramont) underground crosses Toulouse from south-west to north-east. Map of Line A
• Line B [Borderouge – Ramonville] underground crosses Toulouse from north to south. Map of Line B

The underground operates from 5.15 to midnight, Monday to Thursday, and to 0.42 on Fridays and Saturdays. Trains run every 6 minutes off-peak and every 1min20 at peak times.
There are free car parks at stations:
Line A: Basso-Cambo, Arènes, Jolimont, Argoulets, Balma Gramont.
Line B: Borderouge, La Vache , Ramonville
These are reserved for users who have a bus or underground ticket validated within a connection time of 60 minutes.

Contact Allô Tisséo for further information (maps, time schedules):
Tel: +33 (0)5 61 41 70 70

Free shuttle buses

Four free electric shuttle buses have been introduced in August 2007 by Toulouse Council to improve traffic flows in the city centre. Environmentally friendly, with a silent electric engine and painted in the colours of “Toulouse, European Culture Capital 2013”, they are easy to identify. A free, ecological means of transport for a day’s shopping or tourism in the heart of the Pink City!
A simple gesture for boarding the shuttle : if you want to catch the shuttle, simply make a simple gesture to the driver. You can use the shuttle to go anywhere along its route. There are six fixed stops: Cour Dillon, Pont Neuf, Salin Parlement, Carmes, place Wilson, Université Sciences Sociales.
The shuttle operates from Monday to Saturday, except public holidays, from 9.00 to 19.00.

Shuttle route:
Start: Cour Dillon - Pont Neuf - rue des Couteliers - rue de la Dalbade - rue de la Fonderie - place du Salin - rue du Languedoc - rue Croix Baragnon - rue Boulbonne - rue de Metz - rue d’Alsace Lorraine - rue du Lieutenant Colonnel Pélissier - rue St Antoine du T - place Wilson - rue de la Fayette - partie Nord de la rue d’Alsace Lorraine - rue de Rémusat - place du Capitole - rue des Lois - rue Valade - Place du Pont St Pierre - quai Lombard - Place de la Daurade - quai de la Daurade - Pont Neuf - Finish: Cour Dillon.
Route length: 5 km.
Capacity: 9 seated and 9 standing passengers, including a seat reserved for the disabled.

By taxi

There are taxi ranks in the Place du Capitole, Place Wilson, Matabiau SNCF railway station and Toulouse-Blagnac airport.

• Drivers who have the “Taxis Touristiques” (Tourist Taxi) label offer individual tours of Toulouse in their vehicles.
  Over the years Toulouse has developed the idea of setting up this ‘Tourist Taxi’ service to give, on tours of one or two hours, a life-size overview of the wealth of delights Toulouse has to offer. To be awarded the Tourist taxi accreditation, the taxi drivers have undergone training by lecturer-guides and obtained a certificate confirming their knowledge of Toulouse and its tourist attractions. A CD Rom in French, English, Spanish, German and Japanese
  accompanies the driver’s commentary.
  • 75-minute tour of the main monuments in the city centre.
  • 2-hour tour which takes in a visit to Aérospatiale, the Cité de l’Espace and the slopes of Pech David, which offer a lovely view over the city.

The Tourist Office is a partner to the operation.
Price: 40 € (for 75 min) irrespective of the number of passengers (maximum 6), 65 € for 2 hours.

By car

When visiting Toulouse, the easiest way is to park in one of the many city centre car parks. Localisation of the car parks in Toulouse.
You may also park your car in one of the free underground station car parks at the Basso Cambo, Arènes, Jolimont, Argoulets and Balma Gramont stations. These are reserved for users who have a bus or underground ticket validated within a connection time of 60 minutes.

These information are provided by the Toulouse Tourist Office