Toulouse in 4 Days on a Budget (Daily Costs)
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4 days fits both UNESCO day trips on top of the free core
This route keeps the 3-day itinerary’s free centre, one aerospace day, and Albi, then adds Carcassonne as its own full day, giving each UNESCO day trip the separate day it deserves rather than a single rushed combined loop. Expect roughly 55-100 EUR a person per day. Daily tables below.
Book these before you go
- Both the Albi and Carcassonne trains, a day or two ahead in July and August through SNCF Connect
- A slot for Cite de l’Espace or the Let’s Visit Airbus tour , ID required for the Airbus tour
- A room ahead if your dates land on Piano aux Jacobins (September) or the Christmas market (late November-December)
Day 1: Place du Capitole, Saint-Sernin, and the Jacobins
Free centre day: Place du Capitole, the nave of Basilica of Saint-Sernin (crypt 2 EUR extra), and the Jacobins (5 EUR, free first Sunday of the month), finishing on the Garonne quays at sunset.
| Day 1 cost (EUR, per person) | Low | Higher |
|---|---|---|
| Bed | 30 | 100 |
| Breakfast | 4 | 12 |
| Lunch | 8 | 18 |
| Saint-Sernin crypt / the Jacobins | 0 | 7 |
| Dinner | 15 | 35 |
| Transit | 0 | 4 |
| Day 1 total | 57 | 176 |
Day 2: one aerospace sight
Cite de l’Espace (21.50-24.50 EUR) or Aeroscopia (from 13 EUR), optionally with the Airbus tour (16 EUR, 26 EUR combined).
| Day 2 cost (EUR, per person) | Low | Higher |
|---|---|---|
| Bed | 30 | 100 |
| Breakfast | 4 | 12 |
| Cite de l’Espace or Aeroscopia | 13 | 24.50 |
| Lunch | 8 | 18 |
| Dinner | 15 | 35 |
| Transit | 2 | 6 |
| Day 2 total | 72 | 195.50 |
Day 3: Albi
The cathedral nave is free; choir and treasury cost 6 EUR, the Toulouse-Lautrec Museum 10 EUR (free under 18).
| Day 3 cost (EUR, per person) | Low | Higher |
|---|---|---|
| Bed | 30 | 100 |
| Breakfast | 4 | 12 |
| Albi train, round trip | 16 | 40 |
| Cathedral choir/treasury | 0 | 6 |
| Toulouse-Lautrec Museum | 0 | 10 |
| Lunch in Albi | 10 | 20 |
| Dinner | 15 | 35 |
| Day 3 total | 75 | 223 |
Day 4: Carcassonne, the walled citadel
Carcassonne runs 40 minutes to just over an hour by direct train, about 80km east. The concentric double-walled Cite is UNESCO-listed (1997), its joint chateau-and-ramparts ticket 19.50-24 EUR by season, the pricier of the two day trips but the most visually dramatic.
| Day 4 cost (EUR, per person) | Low | Higher |
|---|---|---|
| Bed | 30 | 100 |
| Breakfast | 4 | 12 |
| Carcassonne train, round trip | 20 | 45 |
| Chateau/ramparts joint ticket | 19.50 | 24 |
| Lunch | 10 | 20 |
| Dinner | 15 | 35 |
| Day 4 total | 98.50 | 236 |
Getting around on 4 days without overspending
Days 1 and 2 stay inside the walkable centre plus a Tisseo metro/bus hop to Blagnac; Days 3 and 4 run entirely on direct trains, both walkable once you arrive. Check current fares at tisseo.fr and book Albi and Carcassonne trains separately rather than same-day, they run in opposite directions and don’t combine into one loop. Full breakdown in the Toulouse day trips guide .
Give Albi and Carcassonne their own full days rather than trying to squeeze both into one long train day, the whole point of 4 days over 3 is not rushing either one.