10 reasons why Toulouse should be on your weekend break list

It’s been 3 days since we returned from Toulouse and while my memories are still fresh, I wanted to share them with you. Toulouse surprised me a lot, in a good sense, of course, so it’s very easy for me to create this list of 10 reasons why Toulouse should be on your weekend break list.

We visited Toulouse in November and even though the weather could be better (or WAY better, as it was raining a lot), we still managed to see the city and snap some lovely photos in the city. And of course, I wanted to say big thanks to Visit Toulouse, who provided us with the Toulouse tourist passes, which were truly helpful and are a great bonus if you’re visiting Toulouse for a weekend break. You can get your passes here >>>

Quick & useful links

Here’s a brief overview of various links mentioned in this article (so it’s easier to find them all in one place):

Toulouse City Card – City transport & sightseeing card

Grand Hotel de l’Opera – hotel in Toulouse for 2 nights

Gastronomic tour – book here

Wine tour – book here

Airspace museum – book here

City walking tour – book here

City cycling tour – book here

Why do you need a Toulouse tourist pass?

First of all, you don’t need to pay for a return tram/shuttle from the airport (16 euros saved), all the transport inside the city is covered too. And, most importantly, the major museums and landmarks in the city centre are included as well. In case they aren’t, there are discounts for them. Also, an excursion around the city and a tram right are included (and from April to October – the cruises as well).

So if you’re planning to do a lot of sightseeing, I definitely recommend you getting the Toulouse tourist pass. A tourist pass for 14 hours is 19 euros, while for 26 euros you can get a pass for 2 days (48 hours).

So here are 10 reasons why Toulouse should be on your weekend break list (weekend in Toulouse: things to do)

1. Toulouse is gorgeous

I think Toulouse is terribly underrated internationally, as in November, I didn’t see almost any international tourists in the city, only the local tourists. Of course, people in France know, how gorgeous Toulouse is, so they come to visit it, but Toulouse definitely needs more international acknowledgement. If you haven’t been to Toulouse before, I recommend taking this essential walking tour. The city has a sizeable old cask which in which you can spend hour gazing at the wide variety of cozy shops and stopping for a coffee in one of the multiple charming cafes when your feel like your feet need a break.

One of my other favourite cities in France is Bordeaux – read this post about Bordeaux here >>>

2. You can get some extremely cheap flights there

If you’re based in the UK or anywhere in Europe, where Ryanair is operating, you have probably seen, how affordable the tickets to Toulouse are. We got two return flights for less than £40 and we think it’s incredible. That’s one of the answers to the question of how we can afford to travel so much.

Traveling to Toulouse can be done in any season and tickets tend to be specially affordable on any season that isn’t summer making it a perfect weekend break spot anytime of the year. So now you know where you can satisfy those weekend onion soup and macaron cravings.

3. Toulouse can be enjoyed on a budget

Although Toulouse is definitely not cheap (expect to pay 19-30 euros for a lunch set menu and 30-40 euros for dinner in a nice brasserie), it doesn’t mean that you can’t visit Toulouse on a budget. You probably know how delicious French products are? Then why not head to Victor Hugo Market and get a fresh baguette with pate and the most amazing cheese? Prices are not excessive and you will get to taste the best of the local products.

For breakfast you can forget about eggs and bacon and instead do as the locals and have a Coffee and a pastry in a terrace with the most beautiful view.

4. If you aren’t on a tight budget, then you can take the most of French Cuisine

Toulouse is the culinary capital of southern France. Foie Gras, Oysters, Duck confit… these mouth-watering dishes are available almost in every single restaurant in Toulouse. There are also so many amazing brasseries, bistros or restaurants around, ranging from mid-priced to very expensive and they are definitely worth visiting. We tried multiple dishes in different places and our favourite was the local cassoulet, a mouthwatering mix of giant beans with exquisite local sausages. Definitely a must-have in any visit to the city. (and a great energy booster)

If you really want to explore all the different products the region has to offer I’d recommend you to try the Marché Victor Hugo food tour where you’ll get to try an endless amount of sausages, cheeses and pastries (Can’t get any better than that).

5. You will see some of the most impressive cathedrals and basilicas in your life

I can assure you that Toulouse has some of the most impressive cathedrals, churches and basilicas I’ve seen in my life. It doesn’t matter if you’re religious or not, they are just definitely WORTH visiting.

6. You can stay in an absolutely gorgeous hotel – almost like a palace

Hotels in Toulouse are really impressive. We stayed in Grand Hotel De L’Opera located on the main square and it was gorgeous! There are some other pretty unique hotels to stay in Toulouse city centre – La Cour des Consuls Hotel and Spa Toulouse or Le Grand Balcon Hotel.

7. Toulouse is an engineering hub and a home to Airbus headquarters and Cite de l’space

Toulouse is not only famous for their food and monuments; it is also the location of the Airbus airplane factory. The factory can be visited and it’s definitely worth a visit as you will be able to witness the intricate process of building an airplane from their stunning observation platform.

If your appetite for airspace engineering can’t be satisfied there you can also visit the museum Aeroscopia which has a sizeable collection of airplanes (Concorde, Caravelle, Super Guppy, A300B, etc.) you can enter and explore all of them, witnessing the evolution of aviation first hand.

If you are aiming higher than the sky, the Cite de l’sepace museum might be the place you want to be. the museum is entirely dedicated to the space exploration and it has impressive pieces such as the Mir Space station or the Soyuz capsule.

8. You can discover the city by bike

Cycling is a very popular mean of transport in Toulouse and you can hire a bike at multiple automatic stations around the city, this can come in handy as the old town is quite big and distances can be long in some occasions. If you want to learn something about the city as well, I would recommend you to take a bike or E-bike tour around the city.

9. You can discover the cities & villages nearby

Toulouse is located quite close to Carcassonne and Lourdes, so it’s a great way to see 2 cities during one weekend. You can either go by yourself or buy an organised tour. Check the availability of the tour to Carcassonne and of the tour to Lourdes on GetYour Guide. Also, you can hire a car and drive to some of the most photogenic villages you’ve seen in your life! Read my post about the 5 best charming villages near Toulouse.

10. Toulouse is a great destination for wine-connoisseurs

If you like wine, in Toulouse it’s cheaper than tea or lemonade (well, in some places). You can try different sorts of amazing French wine as well as order a sharing ham and cheese platter and voila – it sounds like a perfect evening. If you would like to have a local wine expert with you and cover as many wine bars in the city as possible (believe me there are quite a few) a wine tour might be the smartest decision.

There are, of course, more reasons to visit beautiful Toulouse and spend a weekend in Toulouse or even more days (e.g. museums, heritage, art), but I named the ones, which impressed me the most. 

Don’t forget to check our post about the road trip around French Riviera – visiting Nice, Cannes, St. Tropez and many other gorgeous places! Read it now!

Liked this post about 10 reasons why Toulouse should be on your weekend break list? Share it on Social Media