Difference between revisions of "Toulouse"

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== Sleeping ==
 
== Sleeping ==
  
Toulouse has an unfortunate lack of cheap hostels, so if your not couchsurfing then it can be an expensive night. There is nice roof to sleep on near the main train station. Walk along the street that runs in front of the station in the same direction as the traffic for 150 metres, before you come to an intersection and a bridge over the canal. On the corner to your left there is a roof which comes quite low, almost to head height. Its easy to hop on here when pedestrians are few, and then get further up on to the main roof. Totally out of view from the street, and with some nice soft gravel and even a bit of shelter. Not the quiestest spot but it beats 40 euros.
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Toulouse has an unfortunate lack of cheap hostels, so if your not couchsurfing then it can be an expensive night. There is nice roof to sleep on near the main train station. Walk along the street that runs in front of the station in the same direction as the traffic for 150 metres, before you come to an intersection and a bridge over the canal. On the corner to your left there is a roof which comes quite low, almost to head height. Its easy to hop on here when pedestrians are few, and then get further up on to the main roof. Totally out of view from the street, and with some nice soft gravel and even a bit of shelter. Not the quiestest spot but it beats 40 euros. (If you feel its too cold to sleep outside, you can also call me +33637819424)
  
 
Alternatively, try sleeping in the train station. It officially closes at 1am, that's when the guards kick all the homeless out. After saying that she had a train ticket for the morning, the guards showed mercy on [[User:Kimmietaylor28|Kimmietaylor28]] and let her sleep in a very warm room at the back. The station opens again at 4am, but those three hours of free sleeping were useful.
 
Alternatively, try sleeping in the train station. It officially closes at 1am, that's when the guards kick all the homeless out. After saying that she had a train ticket for the morning, the guards showed mercy on [[User:Kimmietaylor28|Kimmietaylor28]] and let her sleep in a very warm room at the back. The station opens again at 4am, but those three hours of free sleeping were useful.

Revision as of 21:51, 26 December 2012


Toulouse is a city in southwest France.

Several motorways meet at Toulouse so it's a great place to change routes if your driver is no longer going the same way as you. Toulouse's bypass is complicated, so try to change vehicles at a péage when entering the motorway. If you change at the exit péage before entering the Toulouse bypass a lot of passing traffic won't be going the same way as you.

Hitchhiking out

<map lat='43.6186793498257' lng='1.429595947265625' zoom='10' view='0' float='right'/>

North towards Bordeaux, Agen, Limoges, Paris E 9 E 72 A62

To get to the large péage where all the traffic in this direction must stop, take the metro line B, get off at the stop "La vache" then get the bus 60 or 69 and get off at "Laparrou". Near to this bus stop there is the small dead-end street "Impasse des Horticulteurs", at the end of which you can see the peage behind the tall metal fence and there is a rail gate on the right hand side. Just beside the gate, you will see a net fence has been tramped down. Go through it and climb to the top of the mound and jump over another net fence, you then can walk down the slope and along the edge lane to the péage directly.


July 2012: You're not obligated to climb to the top of the mound! Behind the gate, continue straight to the end of the path. At the end, you'll see two red doors. Go to the right door, which is always open, and you will find yourself at the best point in the peage(pay toll) to go to bordeaux!

Second opinion : you can walk to the entrance of the "périphérique" (ring road) at Pont Jumeaux as well (10mns walk from metro Canal du Midi), there are 2 traffic lights there. Easy to go there (plus standing at the péage might be forbidden), nice spot, but took me like 1 hour to get a ride, both times.

Northeast, towards Albi A68

Take metro line B to stop Borderouge, then change bus 40 or 73 or walk to stop Atlanta. Just walk along the Route d'Albi to the road sign post before the road splits to ramp onto A62 and hitch with a sign. The passing traffic goes to Albi via D888 or A68.

The Péage towards the South-East

First, take metro line B in the direction Ramonville to the very last stop. Then you can get to the péage :

  • on foot, is about 30 minutes walking (3km). Turn left at the traffic circle just out the metro station. Follow the autoroute/Montpellier signs until the entrance of the motorway (you should find cardboard there) the péage is only 2km further.
  • by bus, get directly in the 79 (PDF with the route and the timetables of the bus 79) Get off at the bus stop Commerce. At the roundabout in front of you, turn right and cross a fast road (not the motorway though), take left, then get on a bridge above a canal. There is a gate at the end of the bridge you might have to climb but so far, it was open. Otherwise below the gate, on the sides, a part can be removed and you (even if you're fat!) can crawl under. You can see the small bridge on the map. Phlyming found the gate too high to climb over for normal people and it was easier to directly walk along the edge lane onto the interchange bridge in the north, follow the direction to A61 and get to péage.

Towards Carcassonne, Montpellier, Barcelona (Spain)

Most of the cars are going this way, you should get a ride in a few minutes. Last successfully used April 13, 2011.

Towards Foix, Andorra

A few kilometers after the péage the motorway splits, with most traffic going on to Montpellier and no way to drop you. Therefore a sign reading direction Foix is essential.
If the driver is not going all the way to Foix or Andorra, he might be able to drop you off at the péage Pamiers, from which one can easily continue on.

Towards Tarbes, Pau, Bayonne on highway A64

There is a toll gate near the small town of Roques, on the highway A64 direction Tarbes/Pau/Bayonne. Take the red Metro to Baso Cambo (last stop) then bus line 50 from Baso Cambo to Roques Acacias (last stop) (buses every 30min at the most, careful not all line 50 buses go to Acacias!)

From the stop, walk in the direction the bus came from, through a small lot, following the sound of the motorway (you can hear it). After a while you have to climb over a small grassy knoll, and you arrive on a route nationale, parallel to the motorway, and from the top of the hump you can see the toll gate in the distance. Walk along the route nationale to your right until you arrive at a roundabout. Go left, over the bridge that crosses the motorway, you're now on the right side, follow the motorway to the toll gate. If no cops are around and you feel lucky you can hitch from the inter-lane spaces (effective but illegal...) or otherwise go to the small service-area just behind (no petrol pumps but people do stop occasionally, and you can always wave a thumb at passing cars).

Towards Auch, N124

There is a spot at the roundabout just in front on the Purpan Hospital (a bunch of public transport stop there).

Public transport

Even though it's hard to get in the metro without ticket, is good to know that tickets are valid during 1 hour after the first punch. That means trash bins are full of valid tickets ;)

Sleeping

Toulouse has an unfortunate lack of cheap hostels, so if your not couchsurfing then it can be an expensive night. There is nice roof to sleep on near the main train station. Walk along the street that runs in front of the station in the same direction as the traffic for 150 metres, before you come to an intersection and a bridge over the canal. On the corner to your left there is a roof which comes quite low, almost to head height. Its easy to hop on here when pedestrians are few, and then get further up on to the main roof. Totally out of view from the street, and with some nice soft gravel and even a bit of shelter. Not the quiestest spot but it beats 40 euros. (If you feel its too cold to sleep outside, you can also call me +33637819424)

Alternatively, try sleeping in the train station. It officially closes at 1am, that's when the guards kick all the homeless out. After saying that she had a train ticket for the morning, the guards showed mercy on Kimmietaylor28 and let her sleep in a very warm room at the back. The station opens again at 4am, but those three hours of free sleeping were useful.


trash:Toulouse