Whether you're staying in Toulouse alone, with your family or in a group, you would no doubt like to explore the town without having to put your hand in your pocket. When you find a bargain-priced or even free activity, it makes it all the more accessible. Whether visiting with the kids or friends, you no longer have to work out how much to spend on that sought-after museum visit, which won't necessarily please every member of your party. Enter free of charge and relaxed and fully enjoy the exhibition. And if you need to leave suddenly or you're expected elsewhere? No worries, you can just move on to something else. Is that not the true holiday spirit? The Pink City is packed with places to visit at affordable prices or free of charge.
Here are the top 10 tips for visiting Toulouse on a budget to make the most of the many attractions the capital of the Occitanie region has to offer, without breaking the bank.
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Tourist Pass
Free entries and discounts to visit Toulouse
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A Tourist Pass (Pass Tourisme) is the best way to visit Toulouse on a budget and offers a wide range of possibilities. It includes unlimited travel on the Tisséo public transport network (bus, metro and tram), free access to some museums and monuments, reduced rates on many activities and a guided tour of your choice from the tourist office's programme. Several options are available: 1, 2 or 3 day passes, according to the time you have to discover the Pink City. With the pass, sites and museums in the town centre are free of charge, including the natural history museum, fine arts museum, contemporary art museum and Jacobins convent. The Cité de l'espace, the Aeroscopia museum and Let's Visit Airbus are available at a reduced price, and the same goes for great excursions like the CityTour aboard an open-topped minibus, tourist trains and cruises on the Garonne or the Canal du Midi. Le Pass Tourisme is definitely a good investment!
Lage: Donjon du Capitole, Square Charles de Gaulle, 31080 Toulouse, France
Öffnungszeiten: June–September: Monday–Saturday from 9.30 am to 7 pm, Sunday and public holidays from 10 am to 6 pm. October–May: Monday–Saturday from 9.30 am to 6 pm, Sunday and public holidays from 10 am to 6 pm
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Les Abattoirs Musée
A free and unusual cultural outing on the first Sunday of the month
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Les Abattoirs Musée is housed in a 19th-century building situated on the left bank of the Garonne and a stone's throw from the historic centre of Toulouse. It contains permanent collections of modern and contemporary art, a library, a gallery, workshops, an auditorium, a bookshop and a restaurant. Les Abattoirs museum also has temporary exhibitions highlighting major and emerging artists. Reduced rates are available for seniors, students and children over the age of 13. An evening event is held every Thursday with a significantly reduced entry fee. Free admission for children up to the age of 12 with a family, for holders of the Tourist Pass and every first Sunday of the month.
Lage: 76 Allées Charles-de-Fitte, 31300 Toulouse, France
Öffnungszeiten: Wednesday–Sunday from 12 pm to 6 pm, Thursday evenings from 6 pm to 8 pm (closed Monday–Tuesday)
KarteFoto von MOSSOT (CC BY-SA 3.0) bearbeitet
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Les Halles de la Cartoucherie
Discover an alternative universe
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Les Halles de la Cartoucherie, located in a former arms factory, combines culture, gastronomy, work and well-being. It's the ideal place to let off steam, have a drink, visit an exhibition or eat on the go, thanks to the 25 or so food stalls offering world cuisines at great prices. To get to this unconventional place, take public transport and get off at the Casseldardit stop. By car, park at the Indigo car park 200 metres from the hall.
Lage: Zénith Toulouse Métropoloe, Rue des Munitionnettes, 31300 Toulouse, France
Öffnungszeiten: Thursday–Saturday from 4 pm to 11 pm, Sunday from 10 am to 5 pm (closed Monday–Wednesday)
KarteFoto von Olybrius (CC BY-SA 3.0) bearbeitet
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Japanese Garden
A change of scenery in the lush, green heart of Toulouse
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The Pierre Baudis Japanese Garden, nestled in the Compans-Caffarelli park, one of Toulouse's green lungs, offers a change of scenery and relaxation in the heart of the business district. As you stroll around, you'll find all the characteristic elements of the East, including not only typical decorative objects, but also great examples of plants, minerals and aquatics from across the globe. The Japanese rock garden is particularly conducive to a Zen break, with its tea pavilion, Japanese footsteps, islands, Mount Fuji, red bridge and lantern. It's a pretty Asian interlude with free access. There's also a children's play area with many activities.
Lage: Jardin Compans Caffarelli, Boulevard Lascrosses, 31000 Toulouse, France
Öffnungszeiten: Daily from 7.45 am to 6 pm
KarteFoto von PierreSelim (CC BY 3.0) bearbeitet
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The Jolimont Observatory
A visit to put stars in your eyes
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The Jolimont Observatory, built on the outskirts of Toulouse in 1846, is one of the best-preserved in France and the headquarters of the Société d'Astronomie Populaire (Astromony Society). It includes some instruments listed in the heritage inventory like a meridian telescope, a 'sky map' telescope and an 830 mm telescope. Its volunteers are eager to pass on their passion to the general public in their 2-hour evening sessions. This is particularly the case during key events like Star Night, the Science Fair, Heritage Days or when certain astronomical phenomena occur. This unique place is accessible free of charge. It's very well served by public transport: The Toulouse Matabiau train station is only 1 kilometre away, as is the Jolimont metro station.
Lage: 1 Avenue Camille Flammarion, 31500 Toulouse, France
Öffnungszeiten: Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 9 pm (closed Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday–Sunday)
KarteFoto von Didier Descouens (CC BY-SA 4.0) bearbeitet
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Toulouse Cathedral
An iconic religious building with an explosion of architectural styles
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The Toulouse Cathedral, built over several centuries, is a slightly skewed cathedral that perfectly marries the very masculine, solid and powerful Southern Gothic style with the more feminine Northern Gothic style that's slender and luminous. Enjoy the richly carved stalls, the colourful stained-glass windows and the baroque high altar. It results in a suspended moment, as if frozen between 2 eras, that you can experience free of charge. Take public transport to get there and get off at the nearby François Verdier station. Once in the heart of the building, take a moment to think about Riquet, because it's here that the famous designer of the Canal du Midi rests.
Lage: Place Saint-Étienne,31000 Toulouse, France
Öffnungszeiten: Daily from 8 am to 7 pm
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Carmelite Market
Stock up on Occitanie specialities in the alleys!
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The Carmelite Market comes alive every day except Monday in the district of the same name. It's a morning event not to be missed, whether you're visiting Toulouse with your family, alone or in a group. What could be better than mingling with the locals in the market, checking out your holiday destination and stocking up on delicious local produce? The Carmelite Market has the advantage of being covered, so you can walk around it even if the weather is gloomy. There's a tram stop and a metro station within walking distance, so you don't have to carry your shopping far.
Lage: 1 Place des Carmes, 31000 Toulouse, France
Öffnungszeiten: Tuesday–Sunday from 7 am to 1.30 pm (closed on Mondays)
KarteFoto von hebdromadaires (CC BY-SA 2.0) bearbeitet
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Georges Labit Museum
An exotic museum which can be visited free of charge
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The Georges Labit Museum, established on the banks of the Canal du Midi between the Demoiselles district and the Busca, has been devoted to the arts of Asia and ancient Egypt since 1893. In this Moorish-inspired building surrounded by a botanical garden adorned with Asian and Mediterranean plants, you'll travel not only through time, but also between Egypt, Japan, the Indian world, Southwest Asia, China, the Himalayas and Mongolia. It's one of the most beautiful collections of oriental art and Egyptian antiquities in France. It's a real treasure that you can access free of charge, every first Sunday of the month, if you are under 18, a student or have a Toulouse Pass. Well served by public transport, this museum can also be visited as a family, with its bookable presentations and activities aimed at young people.
Lage: 17 Rue du Japon, 31400 Toulouse, France
Öffnungszeiten: Wednesday–Monday from 10 am to 6 pm (closed on Tuesdays)
KarteFoto von Didier Descouens (CC BY-SA 4.0) bearbeitet
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Prairie des Filtres
A gastronomic, rustic stopover a stone's throw from the city
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The romantic Prairie des Filtres, located in a vast green expanse near Pont-Neuf and Cours Dillon on the banks of the Garonne River, is the ideal place to picnic as a couple, with family or friends. Residents of Toulouse like to come here to go jogging or read a book in a quiet spot. Enjoy its magnificent views over the river and the quais de Tounis, which reveal the splendour of the aptly named Pink City. In summer, the greenery leaves a little room for golden sand, lending a 'beach' atmosphere conducive to many cultural or festive events. The Prairie des Filtres owes its name to the filtration and pumping system by which the Garonne River feeds the city's fountains. If your youngsters are restless, this is the perfect place for them to let off steam, especially in its well-equipped playground.
Lage: Cours Dillon, 31300 Toulouse, France
Öffnungszeiten: 24/7
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Place de la Daurade
All the beauty of the sunset in the heart of the historic city centre
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The Place de la Daurade, in the heart of the Capitole neighbourhood, the historic centre of Toulouse, is a popular meeting place for the city's inhabitants. Located a stone's throw from the river, it offers a dream setting for pétanque players who come here to aim for the jack with friends in the shade of the trees, never far from the refreshment bar set up on the upper part of the square. In the summer, numerous events further enhance the friendly atmosphere. Take a walk at the end of the day to capture that magical sunset moment. Enjoy the view of the dome of the Hospital de la Grave and savour the poetry of the night gradually moving in to take over from the day, as it blends its shady and glittering veil with the delicate colour of the bricks of the Pink City.
Lage: La Daurade, 31000 Toulouse, France
Öffnungszeiten: 24/7
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