The Perfect Day Trip From Toulouse – Visiting Albi France
If you are looking for an easy day trip from Toulouse, then the medieval town of Albi should be at the top of your list. The entire historic center of Albi France – called the Episcopal City of Albi – is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is so-recognized because it’s an outstanding example of a typical medieval urban center from the Middle Ages, and it’s still very well preserved. Plus, a standout feature in historic Albi happens to be largest brick Cathedral in the world. You can’t miss that!
Fortunately, it’s very easy to get back and forth from Toulouse to Albi by train. Plus, all the things to do in Albi are close together. This results in one of the easiest day trips from Toulouse. Here’s a detailed look at our own day trip from Toulouse to Albi France.
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Contents
Taking The Train From Toulouse To Albi
Albi is located about 50 miles northeast of Toulouse. It only takes about an hour to get from Toulouse to Albi by train. Multiple departures leave from the main Toulouse-Matabiau Train Station throughout the day. You shouldn’t have any difficulty finding times to accommodate your Albi day trip schedule.
While you can buy tickets at the station, I think it’s much easier (and wiser) to purchase them in advance on your phone via the SNCF App. SNCF is France’s national rail company. We traveled all across France by train, and this App became an essential travel tool for us. It was easy to use, it offered an English language option, and I was able to transfer my purchased e-tickets directly into my Apple Wallet. Once on the train, a conductor simply scanned the QR code.
Our own train to Albi departed at around 9:20am. We didn’t have any difficulty finding our assigned platform at the Toulouse station. We then simply boarded the train and chose our own seats – no seating assignments for this particular journey. The train from Toulouse to Albi is modern and comfortable. But its not one of France’s TGV high speed trains (you can read about those in my post on traveling by train from Paris to Lyon).
The seating arrangement is quite roomy and the train offers huge windows. For our particular journey in mid October, the train was fairly full, but no one needed to stand.
Our train from Toulouse to Albi departed on time. It did make a handful of stops along the way, but it’s a scenic ride through the southern French countryside. And after just a little over an hour, we arrived at the Albi Ville Station. You’ll want to take note that Albi has two train stations. When purchasing your tickets, Albi Ville is the station you’ll want to use for easiest access to the historic Episcopal center.
Arrival in Albi
The Albi Ville station is located a little bit outside of that historic center. The exact distance from the station to the Cathedral is 1 km – an approximately 15 minute walk. And walking is the simplest way to get there. I couldn’t find mention of bus routes online prior to arrival. And Uber is not available in Albi. I suppose taxi is an option, though I didn’t see any.
However, the walk isn’t hard. The route is mostly flat, will take you through a more modern part of Albi, and is easy to follow on Google Maps.
I did stop in the Albi Tourism Office at one point during the day and asked about transportation options from the train station (since I’m always thinking about my future readers). The friendly lady inside told me that there aren’t any great options. Any buses that leave from the station do not go directly into the medieval center. So plan on walking!
Albi’s Cathedral is in the very center of the medieval city. So just set a route to the Cathedral on Google Maps like we did. And before long you’ll find yourself standing in front of this red brick masterpiece!
The Toulouse-Lautrec Museum & Berbie Palace
However, we didn’t start our day at the Cathedral – despite the temptation. After all, it’s definitely the #1 highlight of any day trip from Toulouse to Albi. Instead, we first toured Albi’s second best site – The Toulouse-Lautrec Museum. In the photo above, it’s located adjacent to the Cathedral. Yes, it is a very impressive building for a museum dedicated to a single artist. I’ll explain why shortly.
We went to this museum at the beginning of our Albi day trip for time management reasons. From October through May, the Museum closes everyday from 12:30-2:00pm. With our late morning arrival in October, I wanted to tick this site off our list of things do in Albi before it closed for that long lunch break. (From June through September the museum remains open from 10-6 without closing. Consequently, you won’t need to manage your timing as tightly if you are visiting during those months.)
Henri Toulouse-Lautrec was a French Post-Impressionist painter who was born in Albi. But he is most well-known as a graphic design pioneer and is widely considered the greatest poster artist of all time.
The museum displays a wide range of his work in a very unique setting – the former Palais de la Berbie or Berbie Palace. It’s an amazing location for an art museum and is actually an entire attraction unto itself. In fact, the building is a significant part of Albi’s UNESCO World Heritage designation.
In the 13th century, the Catholic Bishops of Albi had become very rich and powerful, and wanted a symbol of this power. So they built this fortified palace as their residence and built the massive Cathedral next door. The Church and the Bishops very much ruled this city – not a King. This is why historic Albi is called an Episcopal City.
This Palace is very impressive. In fact, along with the Popes’ Palace (which we visited in Avignon a few years ago), it is one of the best-preserved Episcopal Palaces in France. And definitely be sure to visit the Palace Garden in the back. It alone is often listed as one of the best things to do in Albi. The garden’s own grandeur perfectly compliments that of the adjoining buildings.
And from the garden’s elevated walkways, you’ll also discover one of the best views in Albi. A view that includes the Tarn River and the thousand year old Pont-Vieux or Old Bridge – one of the oldest bridges in France.
Lunch in Albi
After touring the Museum and Palace, it was time for Lunch. Picking the perfect lunch is essential for all of my day trips. I did my research ahead of time and chose one of the highest-rated Albi France restaurants on Google Maps (4.8 stars). A restaurant name Au Hibou.
Lunch reservations are always a good idea at popular locations in France, but Au Hibou doesn’t have an online booking option. So instead, I confirmed availability and made our reservation personally when we first arrived into town. Au Hibou is located only a few steps from the Cathedral.
If you’ve been reading my other blog posts from this particular trip, you’ll know that we regularly took advantage of the lunchtime Menu Midi in France. This is a reasonably-priced 3-course lunch menu that often changes weekly, and is offered by many restaurants throughout the country. Here’s a look at my three courses from Au Hibou.
An emulsion of lemon and artichoke topped with a poached egg…
Haddock on a bed of quinoa and Japanese chard, topped with a green curry coconut sauce…
And their version of Sticky Toffee Pudding for dessert….
An international Menu Midi for sure, but delicious all the same. And it only cost 20 Euros! The staff at Au Hibou were very friendly too. It’s deserving of its high Google rating, and would be an excellent choice for your own day trip from Toulouse to Albi.
Albi Cathedral
After lunch we headed straight over to the Cathedral. It’s a massive and impressive structure that dominates the center of historic Albi France. It rightfully tops the list of best things to do in Albi.
Formally known as the Sainte-Cécile Cathedral, it is the largest brick Cathedral in the world. As you stand at its foundations, you will definitely get a kink in your neck the longer you try and take in some of its exterior detail.
To enter the church, you’ll walk up a massive staircase and pass under a tall portico (called a baldaquin). This highly ornate baldaquin gives you a taste of what’s to come inside the Cathedral.
We’ve previously visited the second largest brick church in the world – the medieval St Mary’s Church in Gdansk Poland. And as I explained in my blog post about Gdansk, that church was surprisingly plain on the inside. Albi’s Sainte-Cécile Cathedral is far from plain – it happens to also be the largest painted church in Europe. And the interior is a visual feast!
You can enter the church for free. However if you want to access the the intricately decorated Choir and Apse, you will need to pay an admission fee (6 Euros at the time of our Albi day trip). But it’s worth it! The Choir is very impressive, and along with the Apse, this is the most beautiful and photogenic part of the building.
Visiting the Sainte-Cécile Cathedral was definitely a major highlight of our day trip from Toulouse to Albi. Which isn’t always a guarantee with Cathedrals for us anymore, since we are known to suffer from “European Church Fatigue”, especially towards the end of our long trips. Don’t skip going inside.
The Train Bridge
When I stopped into the Albi Tourist Center to ask about transportation options from the train station, I also asked the guide about her recommendations for things to do in Albi. And she strongly recommended that we walk across the still-functioning Train Bridge. I asked her if it was safe. She smiled and said we’d be fine. So after we were finished at the Cathedral, we walked through Albi’s medieval streets towards her recommended site.
This bridge does still function as a railway bridge across the Tarn River. But a pedestrian walkway has been attached to one side (on Google Maps this is called La Passerelle.)
As we strolled along the walkway, we discovered benches strategically located underneath each arch. This was the perfect spot to sit and take in the view of the river, the Old Bridge, the Cathedral, and the medieval city. It’s certainly one of the very best views in Albi France. Kudos to the Tourist Office guide for the recommendation!
You can also find a pathway along the Cathedral side of the river. And you can walk across the Old Bridge as well. We just didn’t have enough time on our own day trip from Toulouse to Albi to stroll all of these scenic possibilities.
Explore The Medieval City Streets
However, we did take the time to stroll through various sections of Albi’s narrow and winding medieval streets. I absolutely love wandering old medieval villages (like this one in Slovenia), and Albi France did not disappoint. In my opinion, this is one of the very best things to do in Albi. From the street level especially, this is a very scenic town.
Plus as you explore, you’ll catch one new view after another of the massive Sainte-Cécile Cathedral
How Much Time For An Albi Day Trip?
We returned to Toulouse from Albi on a 3:15 train. In total, we spent about 5 hours in Albi from arrival to departure. Was this enough time to adequately explore all the best things to do in Albi on this day trip from Toulouse? I think so. We may have been able to fill another hour with wandering. But we did have adequate time to see the top Albi France highlights and also enjoy a 3-course lunch.
What About Other Days Trips From Toulouse?
The other really popular day trip from Toulouse is Carcassonne. Carcassonne is one of the world’s best-preserved fortified medieval citadels. We ultimately decided not to go to Carcassonne. Online opinions about this site vary. Many love it, but an equal number don’t. The haters say that Carcassonne is too much like a medieval theme park. I felt a similar way about the fortified medieval city of Mdina in Malta, and so wasn’t overly enthused about going on a day trip to Carcassonne.
Like Albi, Carcassonne is located only about an hour by train from Toulouse. However, unlike Albi, getting from the Carcassonne train station to the site is more complicated. It’s a 30 minute walk. Or there is also a public bus system. But any practical online information about using the bus system is lacking. Taxis are also an option. (Parking is available near the site if you’ve rented a car.)
I did consider taking an organized day trip from Toulouse to Carcassonne purchased through Viator (like this one). But again, the reviews were hit and miss.
We ultimately decided to spend an extra day enjoying Toulouse instead. And that was no problem at all since Toulouse is now one of our all-time favorite cities (as I explain in my post Is Toulouse Worth Visiting?).
Final Thoughts
Taking a day trip from Toulouse to Albi really should be a strong consideration when planning your time in this scenic and historic part of France. The journey itself is easy, the sites are unique, and the history is interesting. Plus, now you know where to eat a great lunch! I’m confident you’ll have a great day in Albi France!
If you want to read more France travel advice, then be sure to check out these posts: