How to get there: Direct flights to Toulouse from all over the UK with BA, FlyBe, EasyJet, BMIbaby and others. The central station, Gare Matabiau, is 40 minutes from the airport by shuttle bus. Buses leave every 20 minutes each way and cost €6.30 return.

Where to stay: There are plenty of hotels available at reasonable prices across town. Grand Hotel d'Orleans is our pick near the station, a stylish former coaching inn just yards from Matabiau. If you want to be closer to the town centre, a few euros more will get you a room in Hotel Albert 1er, and a double at the Hotel du Taur yards from the central square at Place du Capitole will get you enough change from €100 for a couple of good meals.

The stadium: Two to choose from. The club's regular ground, Stade Ernest-Wallon, is out near the airport, and holds 19,000 supporters. To get there, take a No.16 bus from town to Sept Deniers, or hop on the brand new Metro as far as Barriere de Paris and take the free shuttle bus to the ground. Big Top14 games and some Heineken Cup ties are played at the 38,000-seater Stadium de Toulouse. This is a 40-minute walk out south out of town along the Garonne, or a few stops on Metro line B down to Saint-Michel Marcel Langer, where it's a 10-minute walk to the stadium - just follow the crowds.

L'atmosphere: Better at the compact Ernest-Wallon than at the cavernous Stadium. Get seats in blocks 16-18 if you're going to the former, and take some earplugs in case you find yourself sitting in front of the non-stop bank of drummers. The locals sit high up behind the posts at Le Stadium, which is known as Le Petit Wembley, possibly because of the crap views from the shallow lower-tier seats.

The bars: Toulouse's most famous rugby drinking den is now De Danu, owned by the club's former lock turned crowd-surfing pugilist Trevor Brennan. This Irish pub is on the Canal du Midi, about 10 minutes' walk east of Matabiau, although other than a chance to meet some of the local rugby stars, it offers little beyond the usual plastic-paddy-signs-to-Tipperary fare. Ditto the Melting Pot on Boulevard de Strasbourg. A lot of the local rugby fans head instead for the Place St Pierre down by the banks of the Garonne, where Bar Tonton, Bar Basque and Bar St Pierre compete for your trade. But Le Rugby's tip is to avoid the pricey tourist traps on Place Capitole and head south towards Quay de la Daurade, hang a left into Rue Peyrolières and keep an eye out for Bar La Soule - it's a rugby-mad Basque bar where the big screen shows live games, Top 14 highlights and classic Five Nations matches into the night.

The restaurants: Again, the choice is endless. Place Wilson is ringed by touristy pavement cafés and there are plenty of places to eat on the Boulevard de Strasbourg and off the Rue d'Alsace-Lorraine in the centre-ville. But for the best value lunches in town, head for the city's covered food market, Marché Victor-Hugo, and after you've salivated over the merchandise downstairs, fight for a seat in one of the six restaurants upstairs. Each one specialises in different types of food from fish to terroir, but our favourite is Le Louchebem Le Boucher, bedecked by rugby flags and always busy - the restaurants open at 12 so get there at ten-to for a table or you may have a long wait for the steak of your dreams as you sip an aperitif at the crowded bar. The market restaurants are only open at lunchtime, but if you fancy an evening meal, seek out Rue des Gestes, a tiny alley on the east side of Place Capitole with more restaurants than dog turds, including the classy-but-good-value Benjamin and La Cote de Beouf, a Toulouse meat-eater's institution.

The culture: If you can tear yourself away from the bars and restaurants, Toulouse has plenty to offer the vautour de culture. Place Capitole is a beautiful open square overlooked by a town hall created in pink marble; the brass inlaid Langudeocian cross at its heart is a popular meeting place and the town market visits regularly. A short walk down Rue du Taur leads to the city's cathedral, Basilique St Sernin, with its 'wedding cake' spire, and the river that splits the town, the Garonne is home to the Pont St Pierre and Quay de la Daurade, a grassy recreation area in spring and summer. The city's other waterway is the Canal du Midi, an 18th century canal built to link the Atlantic with the Mediterranean: these days the canal is teaming with pleasure cruisers but a short walk alongside its waters is a good hangover cure. Another way to get around town is to rent one of the city's bikes from the many bike parks around the city; you can pick up a bike from one location and drop it off at another for a small charge.

Excursions: Toulouse is home to European aeroplane giant Airbus, and flaps fans can visit the company's visitor centre near the airport in Blagnac but need to call in advance to book a tour. Cité d'Espace on the outskirts of the city is a lively museum dedicated to the discovery of space, but if your interest is in history rather than the future, the walled city of Carcassonne is less than an hour away by train. But Le Rugby's recommendation for a day trip is to head north to the town of Gaillac, centre of the region's wine industry, for a day tasting reds, whites and rosés in the town's many caves and, if you have a designated driver, chateaux. Birthplace of former French coach Bernard Laporte, Gaillac even boasts the best transport caff in the area, less than 10 minutes' walk from the station: don't be put off by the lorries outside, this three-courser really is the best value in town.

Double-teter: Toulouse offers more double-headers than a Chernobyl orphanage. The city itself boasts a Pro D2 team in the shape of former Heineken Cup finalists Colomiers, and it's only a short train ride from Matabiau to any number of top 30 clubs, including Auch, Castres, Montauban and Albi, with the sleeping - some may say comatose - giants of Narbonne and Beziers only a little further afield and well worth a visit.

Going native: Kit yourself out with some gear from the Stade Toulousain shop in the centre of town at the top of Rue Alsace-Lorraine – its clothing range is as big as the club's roll of honour. At the game, wave your black and red flag with pride and blend in with the tifosi by jumping up and down chanting "Qui ne saute pas n'est pas Toulousain!"

Dragon food: It's unlikely the missus is going to thank you for a tin of the local cassoulet, but fortunately the club shop has a fetching range of women's wear. Well, it looks great on young Magalie here, anyway.

Le Rugby's Tour rating: 8/10. The capital of French rugby, Toulouse is so big that you could miss out on the best it has to offer, but follow the crowds - and our guide - and you won't go far wrong.