Toulouse is a vibrant and picturesque city in France, known for its pink-hued buildings, its aerospace industry and its cuisine and local specialties. Toulouse is a hotspot for a wide range of excursions, tours and activities, and although the city has a good public transport system, many travellers find it easier to rent a car to get them around the city and its surrounding towns. If you do decide to hire a car, check out the options available on Holiday Cars’ site. We offer a wide range of hire cars to choose from, whether from Toulouse city centre or Toulouse Airport, and you can find the best deals on your car hire when you book through our site.
Holiday Cars is your go-to for all things car hire in Toulouse. Not only is our site incredibly easy to navigate, but we also allow up to 48 hours’ cancellation, giving you the flexibility and peace of mind that you won’t be charged for cancelling your booking up to 2 days before. We also liaise closely with a range of Europe’s top car hire companies to bring you the best deals and variety of hire cars to choose from. Whether you’re looking for an economy car, SUV, minivan or luxury car, you’ll find your ideal hire car in a matter of minutes when booking with us.
Driving Rules and Regulations in Toulouse
If you decide to hire a car in Toulouse, while you’re unlikely to encounter any major problems on the road, there are still several rules and regulations to bear in mind and follow before driving. Toulouse isn’t particularly challenging to get around, but traffic can be quite heavy and some areas of the city may be difficult to navigate, as well as Toulouse being a Low Emissions Zone. Here are some of the top rules and regulations to understand before driving in Toulouse:
- Toulouse’s driving and car rental age requirements mirror that of the rest of France – to drive, you must be aged 18 and over, and to rent a car it’s normally required that you’re aged 21 and over, although this varies between suppliers. Bear in mind that some suppliers may charge a young driver fee for anyone under the age of 25.
- Toulouse has toll roads on roads connecting to other cities and surrounding the city. When you’re renting a car, toll fees can either usually be paid for automatically via a built-in transponder in the hire car, or the fee can be added to your rental amount at the end.
- You don’t need an IDP to drive in France if you have a UK or EU driving licence, but you may find it necessary to have one if you want to avoid any potential complications or hassles.
- To hire a car in Toulouse, there are various documents you need, such as driving licence/ID, credit card and any registration or insurance documents. Having these things to hand can make the car hire process run a lot smoother and more quickly.
- It’s a good idea to familiarise yourself with driving on the right hand side of the road before driving on large roads, particularly if you’re from the UK and are used to driving on the left hand side.
- Toulouse is a Low Emissions Zone, meaning you’ll need to ensure your car has the correct Crit’Air sticker.
Top Tips for Driving in Toulouse
There are a number of helpful tips to keep in mind when driving in Toulouse, whether with your own car or with a hire car. When driving in the city, certain areas of the city may be harder to navigate than others, and you’ll need to make sure your car fits with the city’s Low Emissions Zone regulations. Low Emission Zones (ZFEs) are widespread across France in an effort to reduce emissions and pollution. With car rental, your hire car will usually have the relevant sticker already on it, but if you’re using your own car to drive around, you’ll need to obtain a Crit’Air sticker before you drive in Toulouse – you can order Crit’Air stickers on France’s official government website.
Parking in Toulouse – A Guide
Parking in Toulouse can initially be hard to get your head around, but once you understand the parking areas and rates, it’s a lot easier to find somewhere to park accordingly. Parking in Toulouse is split into 3 coloured levels – the red zone is the most expensive in terms of parking rates, the orange zone offers 30 minutes free parking, and the yellow zone offers the cheapest parking rates. However, during peak hours, it may be hard to find parking spaces, so you might want to consider park and ride facilities instead.
Hiring your Car from Toulouse Airport
Aside from Toulouse city centre, Toulouse Airport is another major hub for car hire, with a wide range of Europe’s top car rental suppliers and an extensive array of car types, from economy cars to luxury vehicles and minivans. When you hire a car from airports, it’s likely you’ll find cheaper deals and rates on car hire than when you hire from a city centre location. Toulouse Airport offers car hire from a number of top suppliers, such as Hertz, Thrifty, Sixt, Avis and Budget, among others.
Renting a car from an airport location is the perfect jumping off point or gateway into the city, as you can simply step off the plane, locate your car and start your journey– this is also why you should book your car hire in advance online. Holiday Cars offers excellent rates on car hire from Toulouse Airport, and we work closely with the suppliers at the airport to give you the best range of cars and rates.
Types of Vehicles to Hire in Toulouse
You can find a huge range of vehicles to hire from both Toulouse city centre and Toulouse Airport. The cars you can find include economy cars, SUVs, station wagons/estate cars, luxury cars and convertible vehicles of varying makes and models, from the reliable and practical Toyota to the stylish Mercedes.
Currently, the cheapest car you can hire on the Holiday Cars site is the Peugeot 208, which has a daily price of around £35. The current most expensive car you can hire in Toulouse via Holiday Cars is the Renault Espace, with a daily rate of £225. The Renault Espace also has 7 seats, which would make it the perfect choice for large groups or families who need a little extra storage space, seating or legroom.