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Toulouse City Guide

Toulouse is one of the most distinctive cities in France, blessed as it is with equal measures of urban modernity and old world charm. Serving as the natural border between Spain and France, Toulouse’s quaint architecture and rich cultural heritage makes it a feast for the senses.

Residential Places in Toulouse

As far as residential areas in Toulouse go, you have the option to live right in the city or opt for the suburbs. In the city, you will obviously be in close proximity to the smaller shopping centers, the daily market, the schools, and the cultural centers. Another definite advantage to living in the city is that you will probably not need a car, as there are numerous buses available. There is also the metro, which is a fast and efficient way to get around. The downside is that if you do have a car, parking tends to be scarce, and of course, there is the noise of the city to contend with. The suburbs are a better option if you want to live somewhere quiet and somewhat slower paced. Many of these areas are located only a few minutes outside of Toulouse, but the difference in surroundings is striking. 

Be aware that houses in France do not normally come with fully equipped kitchens and that the electrical service connection is the responsibility of the tenant.


Hospitals and Universities of Toulouse

  

The schools in Toulouse, an indeed throughout the rest of France, are generally considered to have high standards of educational instruction. The majority of schools are écoles publiques or public schools, with about 15% being Ecoles privées or private schools. The Catholic Church runs many of the private schools.

 

Toulouse is second only to Paris in the number of actively enrolled students. The University of Toulouse or Université de Toulouse, was established in 1229, and is one of the oldest educational institutions in Europe. It is also the second largest university campus in France, registering more than 120,000 students at last count.

 

Toulouse is also the home to the Industrial Economics Institute or Institut D'Economie Industrielle, IDEI, which along with its associated graduate school, the MPSE or Midi Pyrénées Sciences Economiques, has garnered a reputation as one of the foremost European Research Centers in Economics. Medical care in France is also generally excellent and surprisingly inexpensive compared to other countries. Here is a listing of some of the public hospitals in Toulouse that have emergency care facilities: the CHU La Grave, Place Lange (Tel: 05 61 77 78 33), the CHU Purpan, Place du Docteur Baylac (Tel: 05 61 77 22 33), the CHU Rangueil, Avenue Jean Poulhes (Tel: 05 61 32 25 33), the CHU G.Marchant (psychiatric hospital), Rte d’Espagne Tel: 05 61 43 77 77, the Hôpital Joseph Ducuing, 15 rue de Varsovie Tel: 05 61 77 34 00 and the Centre Claudius Regaud, 20-24 rue du Pont St. Pierre Tel: 05 61 42 42 42.

Commercial Places in Toulouse

Shopping in Toulouse is an adventure in itself. It will take some getting used to, as the shopping customs here are markedly different from what you may have been accustomed to, but a little perseverance will pay off in some good finds. The two largest department stores in the city are the Nouvelles Galeries and the Galeries Lafayette. 

As you can imagine, there is an absolute wealth of dining establishments in the city, from fast food establishments to chef-owned dining rooms. Check out the Bar Basque at the Place St. Pierre, which is located in one of the city’s oldest districts, or The London Town at the Place des Carmes.

Service Establishments of Toulouse

There is one company in France that is solely responsible for providing both gas and electrical services in Toulouse. This is the EDF - GDF Electricité De France - Gaz De France. The electrical current in France is set at 220 volts (V) and 50 cycles (Hz), although you may need adapters for your electrical equipment in order to use the French outlets. In order to connect or disconnect gas and electrical services, you will have to contact the EDF-GDF office ten days in advance, although they will typically perform the service in less time than that. You can either make the request over the telephone, by letter or in person and any charges will be applied to your next bill or first bill as the case may be. Cable television services in Toulouse are provided by a number of companies among them: Sky Broadcasting Network, TPS and CanalSatellite. They offer a good selection of programs geared for both children and adults. There is one cable television provider in located right in Toulouse, the Maison du Satellite, which you can find at Boulevard du Libre Echange, 31650 Saint Orens. You can call them at 05 61 00 17 20 or check out their web site at www.maison-du-sat.com. There is also an English newspaper that you can pick up in the city called “The News”. Containing listings for UK satellite television providers, “The News” is published monthly and is widely available in many newspaper stands and magazine shops all over the city. Telephone service in France is handled by France Telecom and they usually have a customer representative who can understand English if you visit their offices.

Embassies in Toulouse

For any diplomatic concerns you may have, you can get in touch with the Honorary Consul in Toulouse. You can call or fax them at (33) (5) 61 30 37 91. Alternately, you can also get in touch with the British Embassy in Paris at 35 Rue Du Faubourg St. Honoré, 75383 Paris. You can reach them by telephone at (00) (33) (1) 44 51 31 00 and you can fax them at (00) (33) (1) 44 51 34 83. For more specific concerns, you can call them at the following numbers: (00) (33) (1) 44 51 32 88 for Management concerns, (00) (33) (1) 44 51 34 01 for commercial interests, (00) (33) (1) 44 51 34 85 for political and economic issues, (00) (33) (1) 44 51 32 34 for press & public affairs, (00) (33) (1) 44 51 34 40 for defense and global issues, (00) (33) (1) 44 51 31 27 for your consular needs and (00) (33) (1) 44 51 31 28 for Visa-related inquiries.
 
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