Arrival
France > Languedoc > Toulouse > Arrival, information and accommodation
The train station, gare Matabiau, and gare routière (tel 05.61.61.67.67), stand side by side in boulevard Pierre-Sémard on the bank of the tree-lined and imaginatively planted Canal du Midi. This is where you'll find yourself if you arrive by train, bus or air, for the airport shuttle (every 20min; 20min journey; €3.70) puts you down at the bus station (with stops also in allées Jean-Jaurès and at place Jeanne-d'Arc). It's also the best spot to aim for if you're in a car: leave the boulevard périphérique at exit 15.To reach the city centre from the train station takes just five minutes by métro to stop "Capitole" (€1.25, covering one hour's transport by métro and Semvat city buses within the city centre), or twenty minutes on foot. Turn left out of the station, cross the canal and head straight down allées Jean-Jaurès, through place Wilson and on into place du Capitole, the city's main square. Just before it lie the shady and much-frequented gardens of the square Charles-de-Gaulle, where the main tourist office (June–Sept Mon–Sat 9am–7pm, Sun 10am–1pm & 2–6.30pm; Oct–May Mon–Fri 9am–6pm, Sat 9am–12.30pm & 2–6pm, Sun 10am–12.30pm & 2–5pm; tel 05.61.11.02.22, www.ot-toulouse.fr) is housed in a sixteenth-century tower that has been restored to look like a castle keep; the Capitole métro stop is right outside. The best guide to what's on in and around the city – and usually there is a lot, from opera to cinema – is the weekly Listings magazines Toulouse Hebdo (€0.50) and Flash (€1). More highbrow interests are covered in the free monthly Toulouse Culture, available from the tourist office, among other places. The best place to stay is in the city centre, where there are a number of excellent-value hotels, as well as many more upmarket establishments. The area around the train station, though charmless and still retaining some of its red-light seediness, has a few acceptable options if you're stuck. There's no hostel, but there are a number of accommodation centres for visitors who plan on staying for more than a few days: the CRIJ and the Club UNESCO Midi-Pyrénées, forum des Arènes (tel 05.62.13.62.13, fax 05.62.13.62.14) can provide details. The closest campsite is Camping de Rupé, chemin du Pont du Rupé (tel 05.61.70.07.35; bus #59, stop "Rupé").
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