Travel

How To Get There

Air:         Toulouse is served by Aeroport Toulouse-Blagnac

Toulouse airport is one of the busiest in France, and is also the home to Airbus-you get an excellent view of some of the huge planes when you are landing and taking off

                www.toulouse.aeroport.fr

                05 61 71 11 1

                It is a 20-minute drive to the northwest of the city centre.

                A number of budget carriers have flights to Toulouse, including Easyjet,BMI Baby, and Flybe.

                British Airways and Air France have flights to the city from all over Britain.

An airport shuttle bus leaves from outside the arrivals terminal, and takes you to the centre of Toulouse.

The main drop-off points are the Boulevard de Strasbourg  by the Jean-Jaures Metro station, and the main railway station, Gare Matabiau.

                The bus leaves every 20 minutes and the journey takes                approximately 20 minutes.

                The first bus from the airport leaves at 7.35am (9.15am Sundays)

The first bus from Toulouse bus station to the airport leaves at 5.00am, and the last bus is at 8.20pm

The timetable changes at weekends, so check with bus staff where buses are still operating from.

Prices are around £2.60 adults, £3.80 return. There are also group discounts for more than 10 people.

                 Toulouse Airport shuttle bus

                (+33) 5 346 06400

                www.navettevia.toulouse.com

                A taxi into the city centre costs around £13 and can take anywhere from 15-29 minutes.

                Taxis are usually happy to take four people.

                Airport taxi service

                (33) 5 613 00254

For those wanting luxury or for large groups, Delhomme Limousines can provide comfortable mini-buses, de-luxe cars, and limousines to and from the airport.

                 Capitole Taxi

                (33) 5 3425 50250

                (33) 5 671 11000

                www.delhomme-sa.com

Rail:       All Toulouse trains arrive and depart from Gare Natabiau

                The trip from Paris takes around 51/2 hours.

                www.sncf.fr

The Stadium

How to Find It

Getting About   Match day shuttle bus from metro station Barriere de Paris (Line B). Every five minutes two hours before a game, and        for an hour afterwards

An alternative is by bus No 16 from outside the Virgin shop on the square on Rue d'Alsace-Lorraine. Although you can catch the bus from almost anywhere along                  the Rue de Strasbourg and the Allee de Barcelone,          It is best to get on at the Virgin shop as it fills up quickly.

                It costs under £1.50, but the journey can take up to 30 minutes on match days.

                Taxis cost approximately £10 and can also take up to 30                 minutes. There are taxi ranks throughout the city centre although the ones at Place Wilson, Place Esquirol, Place du Capitole and at the station, Gare Matabiau                 operate 24 hours.

                Toulouse has a metro that services the city and the suburbs.

                Tickets cost under 70p for a single journey and just over               £1.50 for a return. It is possible to buy a book of 10 singles for about £7.00 or a ticket valid on all        city transport for a whole day at about £4.00

Parking There is ample parking around the ground and it is free                 if you have a match ticket. However it is best to park in the          southern most car park on the Rue de Troenes or on the  most northerly areas on the Chemin des Sept Derniers if you        want to avoid what are likely to be one-hour queues to get         out after the match.

If you plan to relax at the ground after the game there are parking bays all along the Rue de Troenes, and there are                 also parking bays on the Rue Maurice Utrillo.

There is plenty of parking in central Toulouse:-Try Place Victor Hugo.

Stadium Name  Stade Ernest-Walton

Stadium Address              114, Rue des Troenes BP 42354

                                                31022 Toulouse Minimes Cedex 2

                                                France

Telephone          (33) 5 34 42 24 22

Stade Municipal

For big games, such as Championship play-offs, or European  Cup games the fixture may be moved to Stade Municipal (Known as Le Stade, or Le Stadium,or Stade de Toulouse)

The Stade Municipal was originally opened in 1049 as a multi-sport venue. The stadium is a classical shape, with two side stands ( the Honneur Nord and Sud) and two curved stands behind the goals. The view from most areas is excellent-the curves behind the goal are not as pronounced as traditional athletic-type stadiums and so you are not far away from the action. In sunnier months the setting sun can cause an issue for those in the East Stand.

How to get there:

The stadium is located to the south of the city centre, on an island in the middle of the Garonne River. It is easily walk able on a nice day, especially if you have been enjoying a long lunch around Pont Neuf or Rue du Metz.

However, if you want to come by public transport then use either Metro Line A  to Arenes or Line B to St Michel-Marcel. Both stations are within a 5-minute walk to the stadium.

Allow around 30 minutes to reach the stadium from Matabiau   station. Buses 1, 12, 34 and 52 also drop you off close to the stadium from the city centre.

The City of Toulouse : An Introduction

Known as the Ville Rose (pink city), Toulouse cast a warm glow over its visitors. It may best be known for its aeronautics industry, but the historic old town along the banks of the Garonne paints a much prettier picture. With no local stone at their disposal, Toulouse’s forefathers became artisan bricklayers, building magnificent churches, townhouses and civic buildings in handsome red brick that turns from fiery orange to soft pink in the setting sun, hence its nickname. After dark, the Plan Lumiere lights up the main monuments and the riverbank.

Toulouse is a university city, with one of the largest student populations in the country, who lend it a lively, youthful buzz. Soak up the scene in the many outdoor cafes, or the culture in the impressive art museums. The city dates back to Roman times, and has a decidedly Mediterranean air. Here the canal du Midi begins its run to the sea. Both the riverbank and the canal are prime places for strolling and cycling.

Getting around Toulouse

The city has a two-line metro system, in addition to an extensive bus network. Tickets cover both services and can be bought on the bus, at metro stations, at tobacconists and offices of the transport company Tisseo (www.tisseo.fr) Single tickets cost 1.3euros , a day pass 4euros, or a book of ten tickets costs 11euros.

Tourist Office

Donjon du Capitole

31080 Toulouse

05 61 11 02 22

www.toulouse-tourisme.com

09.00-19.00: Mon-Sat; 10.30-17.15 Sunday

A city pass (13euros) gives discounts on museums, selected shopping, tours and attractions.

Toulouse Street Signs

As you stroll along the streets of Toulouse, you will notice the bilingual street signs. The top sign is in French, the bottom sign in Occitan, the traditional language of the south. Occitan is a bit like Spanish and is also spoken in north Spain and in the Italian Alps.

Some of the old signs were colour-coded to help people orient themselves in the days if high Illiteracy. Yellow signs indicated streets parallel to the Garonne, white signs were for those perpendicular to the river

Accomodation

As Toulouse is France’s fourth largest city, rugby fans should not have a problem in finding accommodation, no matter how late you leave it. There are half-a dozen 5-star hotels in Toulouse-the best two being in the Place Capitole, the Grand Hotel de L’Opera and the Crowne Plaza. All the 5-star hotels have rooms that start around £100 for a double/twin room a night.

As for 4-star hotels, they start at around £35 although a good one may charge something in the region of £70 for their best rooms, while the single and no star establishments only ask for as little as £25 for a room.

There is a good smattering of clean, though basic, 2-star hotels around the multi-storey car park just to the north of Place Wilson. They are the best bet for budget travellers wanting to stay in the heart of the city.

For large groups, there are numerous self-catering establishments ranging from no to three-star that are a reasonably cheap option.

To book accommodation to any budget it is best to call Reserve Hotel (33) 5 3431 7140

Updated October 2015

Copyright Miles & Miles Publishing 2015