KEY POINTS:
We will soon be in Toulouse for a couple of days. What places should we visit? - Kris
Toulouse is the spiritual heart of Languedoc and southwest France. The city is the region's prime attraction, with a lively student population, a Spanish flavour and Gascon cuisine to
sample.
The architecture, museums and sense of history in this part of the world are heady, so you'll find plenty to keep you entertained.
The city's atmospheric old quarter is a web of narrow lanes and squares, and there's a "beach" of sorts beside the River Garonne, complete with a floodlit Pont Neuf.
Toulouse boasts several notable churches, buildings and museums in its easily navigable centre, including the Benedictine Basilique St-Sernin, once an important stop on the Santiago de Compostela pilgrimage route; the 12th-century French Gothic St-Etienne Cathedral; the Gothic Eglise des Jacobins, with particularly stunning stained-glass windows; the array of art in the cloistered Musee des Augustins (http://www.augustins.org), a former Augustinian monastery; and Roman-era history at Musee St-Raymond.
As well, there are about 50 handsome hotels particuliers (grand private mansions dating from the 16th century), in particular the Hotel d'Assezat, which now houses the Fondation Bemberg collection (http://www.fondation-bemberg.fr); and plenty of space-age exhibits at the Cite de l'Espace (http://www.cite-espace.com). For more ideas visit http://www.uk.toulouse-tourisme.com.
For accommodation try the two-star Hotel de France (http://www.hotel-france-toulouse.com; doubles $122) or Hotel Albert 1er (http://www.hotel-albert1.com; doubles $133).
There are plenty of attractions in the greater Toulouse area, including trips on the Canal du Midi, exploring the birthplace of Toulouse Lautrec, and visiting the 18th-century hotels particuliers in the unfortunately named but undeniably attractive town of Condom. Heading east into Languedoc-Roussillon there are several notable towns, including Montpellier with its pedestrians-only old city, hotels particuliers and fine history museum; the waterways, beaches and cafe life at Sete on the coast; Narbonne, with its splendid St-Just Cathedral, Roman relics and Art Nouveau market.
Try to get to Rennes-le-Chateau, (http://www.aude.fr), with its mysterious Da Vinci Code connections; the fairytale medieval walled city of Carcassone; Roman-era Nimes; and Catalan-flavoured Perpignan. If you're not planning on hiring a car and driving, a combination of buses and trains should get you to most of these places.
Border bother
We plan to travel from Venice to Dubrovnik using one of the tax-free rental-car schemes. The Michelin guide says to take the E65 freeway, which goes for 10km through Bosnia and Herzegovina. But the car insurance doesn't cover that area. I understand that this part of the E65 was given by Croatia to Bosnia to allow sea access. Does this mean the 10km freeway is officially Bosnian territory? - Anton Simis
You will need to contact your car rental company to find out exactly what their policy is on this short section of the E65. Many car rental companies in Italy won't cover you for travel in Croatia. If yours does not, you may need to travel to Croatia another way and then hire a car in Rijeka in northern Croatia (near the border with Slovenia).
In this case, as long as you have your passport and your car rental and insurance papers ready for inspection when you pass through the border points of Bosnia and Herzegovina along this section of the E65, then you will have no insurance problems. It is standard policy of car rental companies in Croatia to cover you for this section, but often you are not allowed to cross borders.
Generally, when you drive into a country that is not covered by your car rental company's insurance policy, you take out separate third-party cover at the border.
Consult the rental company for their policy and be prepared to be flexible about travelling from Italy to Croatia.
There are three trains each day from Venice to Ljubljana ($45, four hours) via Trieste ($29), and many buses and trains each day between Ljubljana and Rijeka, taking from two to three hours and costing $25).
