Gastronauts, Toulouse to Paris

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chris.kesihai
chris.kesihai

Hi all, in theory I'm an experienced traveller but I haven't been in France for decades so I'm putting my "newbie" hat on again!

We're flying into Barcelona and meeting some friends who are driving down to meet us, stopping at Figueres (Dali museum), and then motoring to Toulouse to stay with our friends for a couple of days. After that, .... and Paris.

My wife is usually not interested in museums, and doesn't have any grand designs for Paris beyond a Facebook photo in front of the Eiffel Tower, and maybe the Louvre. So we could be there for just 1-2 days, which would save some money, but we have 5-6 days available. So what do we do with the rest of the time?

My wife is from Asia, it's her first time in Europe, and the trip is for her - lots of photo opportunities, rather than cultural experiences.

We were planning to take the couchette train overnight Toulouse to Paris, but we could look for alternatives. Blablacar is cheap, I would be willing to hitch-hike it, just for fun, if the weather is good, but actually we have an OK budget. And we don't want to spend our entire holiday travelling from place to place.

Also, I am insisting we have at least one really good meal - the sort of 5-hr multi-course culinary adventure she will never forget. (The trip includes my birthday and our friends in Toulouse don't have a lot of cash, so I'm determined to treat them as a thank-you for hosting us.)

So, any suggestions?

Favourite restaurants, interesting places to stay for a day or two along the way, destinations from Paris? Anything, really.

Thanks
Chris

Oh wow! I'm allowed a signature line! But I have nothing interesting to say.
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sfgirl42
sfgirl42

One of the forum members if from the Toulouse area, so you'll probably get very personal input there, but in the meantime, here's the LP guide:
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/france/toulouse/restaurants

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sjeanmarc1
sjeanmarc1

Hi
One of the best (if not the best) restaurant in Toulouse is Michel Sarran. I've been there twice and had each time a very enjoyable culinary experience. It's a 2 star restaurant in guide Michelin so it's one of the best restaurant in France (there are 26 three stars and 80 two stars restaurants in all France). The prices are those of this kind of places (around 100€ each without wine).
I tried several times to go to Monsieur Marius restaurant, each time it was full (so it means it's a good place...). I had good reports from this restaurant and hope to try it soon. It will be more affordable (31€ without wine each).
In the same range of prices, I went to Au Bon Servant and enjoyed it. The chef likes to innovate in his cooking. It's a very friendly place.
In the suburbs (Colomiers, near Airbus factory), l'Amphitryon (2 stars in Michelin guide - prices in the same range as Michel Sarran) is also a culinary experience. The chef (Yannick Delpech) is a kind of magician making fantastic meals...

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