One of the pleasures of spending some time in Toulouse is the ability to take day trips into the surrounding areas. The choice is impressive.
Yesterday I had an excursion to Albi, 50 miles (80 km) by road to the northwest. I took the train, but both amount to an hour of travel in each direction.
The trains leave from SNCF’s Toulouse Matabiau station, on the northern edge of the city centre and on the Canal du Midi. Mine were operated by TER Occitanie – regional trains as opposed to (for example) intercity or TGV.
I paid €14.40 each way, but I suspect I could have saved money by booking in advance. The trains were modern and comfortable – on time too.
Remember to composter (“validate”, in English) your ticket before boarding by means of one of the yellow boxes on the station concourse.
Albi is a gorgeous town of about 50,000 people straddling the River Tarn. It is full of history.
I had visited the cathedral previously, so this trip was about the Musée de Toulouse-Lautrec, housed in the Palace de la Berbie.
It was well worth the journey and the €9 entrance fee.
ⓒ iain taylor, 2018 🇫🇷 🇪🇺