FR · Occitania · 43.60°N 1.44°E

toulouse

Pink-brick squares, riverside evenings and aircraft big enough to walk inside.

Best time
April to June and September to October are comfortable for the centre and river walks. July and August can be very hot; winter is quieter and good for museums.
How long
2–3 days
Getting there
Fly with one stop, usually via Paris or Istanbul, about 17–19 hours all in. Or fly direct to Paris on Malaysia Airlines and take the TGV from Montparnasse to Toulouse Matabiau (about 4.5 hours). France is 6 hours behind KL in summer and 7 in winter.
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FR · Occitaniatoulouse43.60°N 1.44°Egowherelah.com
Dear group chat,Pink-brick squares, riverside evenings and aircraft big enough to walk inside.— gowherelahTo: whoever’s drivingToulouseFR, Occitania
KLtoulouse
≈ 10,587 km from KL, as the crow flies
View of Old Toulouse from the bell tower of the Saint Sernin basilica

Photo: Frédéric Neupont · CC BY-SA 4.0

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Photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each.

Toulouse is built of warm pink brick, which is why the French call it la Ville Rose. It's also Airbus's home town, so aircraft and space museums make it a good stop with curious kids.

Makan

  1. CassouletToulouse claims this slow-baked bean stew too; the local version has Toulouse sausage, which is pork.Map ↗
  2. Violet sweetsCandied violets and violet sweets, the city's flower and its classic souvenir.Map ↗
  3. FénétraAn old Toulouse cake of apricot, almond meringue and candied lemon.Map ↗

Things to do

  1. Place du CapitoleThe huge main square, faced by the long pink-and-white city hall.Map ↗
  2. Basilica of Saint-SerninOne of the biggest Romanesque churches in Europe, with a tiered brick bell tower.Map ↗
  3. The Garonne quaysOn warm evenings everyone sits on the riverbanks around Pont Neuf as the brick turns gold.Map ↗
  4. AeroscopiaAn aircraft museum by the Airbus runways, where you can walk through a Concorde.Map ↗
  5. Cité de l'espaceA space park with a full-size Ariane 5 rocket and a Mir space station you can walk inside.Map ↗

Good to know

  • Arnaud-Bernard, right next to Saint-Sernin, is the city's North African quarter and the easiest place for halal food.
  • Aeroscopia and the Cité de l'espace are both out of the centre, so give each a half day.

Last checked October 2026. Things change, so check opening times, fees and transport before you go.