Getting around Toulouse

Public transport

The buses and metro in Toulouse are very easy to use and are operated by Tisséo (tel: +33 5 6141 7070; www.tisseo.fr). You can buy one-, two- and three-day passes or books of 10 tickets.

Taxis

You can find taxis at the airport, the railway station and at the central place du Capitole, but it can be difficult to flag one down in the street. As with most things in Toulouse, tipping is not expected. Try Capitole Taxi (tel: +33 5 3425 0250) or Taxi Radio Toulousains (tel: +33 5 6142 3838).

Driving

Both driving and parking can be tricky in Toulouse. In fact, if you’re only visiting the city then it’s much easier to walk or use public transport. You'll find plenty of car parks in Toulouse – but at a price, unless you park out of town at the following metro stations: Jolimont, Basso-Cambo, Arènes, Argoulets and Balma Gramont.

Car hire

If you’re over 18, have a passport, a driving licence and an element of fearlessness, you can hire a car in Toulouse at either the station or the airport.

Main operators include Avis (tel: +33 820 611 677; www.avis.fr), Budget (tel: +33 6 6531 3394; www.budget.fr), Hertz (tel: +33 5 6273 3947; www.hertz.fr) and Sixt (tel: +33 8 2000 7498; www.sixt.fr).

Bicycle hire

Toulouse has plenty of cycle lanes, plus a bikeshare system across the city called VélôToulouse (tel: 0800 112 205, in France only; www.velo.toulouse.fr).

For longer bicycle rentals, visit Maison du Vélo Toulouse, 12 boulevard Bonrepos (tel: +33 5 3440 6472; www.maisonduvelotoulouse.com).