TOULOUSE - GETTING AROUND

By Metro

Toulouse has the most efficient public transportation system of any city in southwestern France. The heart of the city, the historic core of most interest to visitors, is served by a modern and efficient Metro (subway) system operated by TISSEO (www.tisseo-urbain.fr). TISSEO operates a network of bus, tramway and metro.

The metro is relatively small, there are two lines, one going east-west (line A), and the other going north-south (line B), but is modern ande easy to use. The service operates daily from 5 am to midnight (until 3 am Fri-Sat), and tickets and maps are available at ticket booths. The average metro fare is about €1.40 per ticket. The most useful stops, which are within walking distance of all the main attractions, are Capitole, Jean Jaurès, and Esquirole.

When purchasing tramway tickets at vending machines, which are easily located at every tramway stop, keep in mind that ticket dispensers might not always accept non-French credit cards, so have enough coins to hand just in case (banknotes aren't accepted either, and change is hardly available even at the central metro stations). A one-day ticket costs about €6.00.

By Electric Shuttle A free electric shuttle bus circles the historic center of the city throughout the day on all days except Sunday, every 10 minutes, from 9 am to 7 pm. These buses are usually red and white and don`t have set stops, so if you see one, flag it down. They are known as the Navette Centre Ville Gratuite.

By Bus More than 84 bus services are at your disposal. The bus station is located at 68 - 70 bd. Pierre Sèmard. For information on bus routes, call tel. 05-61-61-67-67. Most bus lines run daily until at least 8 pm.

Night service

From 9:30 pm to 3 am on Friday and Saturday and from 9:30 pm to midnight from Sunday to Thursday the following lines run at night: Metro lines A and B.

From 9:30 pm to 1 am on Friday and Saturday and from 9:30 pm to midnight from Sunday to Thursday the following lines run at night:
Tram lines T1 and T2
Bus lines L1, L2, 10, 12, 22, 38, 44, 78, 79, 81, and 88
TAD 106 119 and 120

By Walking

Walking is the best way to get around and explore. Toulouse is big, but the historical center (downtown) is small enough that you can walk to most destinations in the inner city quite easily.

By Car

Driving in Toulouse is not suggested, especially downtown. Parking is particularly difficult and limited. One good option is to drive to a metro station just outside of the center and park there, then go downtown by metro. Some hotels have private garages for an extra charge or offer discounted rates at city car parks. Otherwise, plan to be paying an expensive fee to park on the street (usually with an upper limit of two hours, but it is free from noon to 2 pm and on Sundays). Parking usually will cost between €15 and €26 for a full day, depending on which car park you choose.

There are nearly 9,000 parking spaces in the city`s various parking facilities. Most of these facilities are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

By Bike

Rent a bike from any one of the various Velo Toulouse (www.velo.toulouse.fr) bike stations. Bike rental is about €1.20 by credit card, or about €5 for a week, plus a €150 credit-card deposit. For one-to seven-day bike hire, you`ll just need a chip-and-pin card.

The tourist office provides maps of cycle lanes (carte des itinéraires cyclables) and cycle tours of the city. There are more than 311 miles of cycling paths.

 

By Taxi

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

Capitole Taxi is the only licensed taxi operator and it often has poor service. If you want to get back to your hotel after the buses have stopped, you need to pre-book a taxi or be prepared for a wait which could be over an hour.