Rugby Travel guide to Toulon
For any rugby fan, a trip to Toulon is an essential pilgrimage. As home of the iconic RC Toulon, triple European champions, where galacticos such as Tana Umaga, Bryan Habana, Bakkies Botha and Jonny Wilkinson have all played rugby, it’s bucket-list territory for rugby fans. This is what every travelling fan needs to know.
Toulon’s cable car at Mont Faron
What’s Toulon like?
Nestled on the Mediterranean coast between Marseille and Nice, Toulon is a dynamic city lined with sandy beaches, shingle coves and limestone peaks, but the port was the main reason for any fame before rugby came along, with naval submarines docked alongside fishing boats and ferries on the grand harbour.
What are Toulon’s claims to fame?
Toulon’s rugby history takes us back to 1908, when the RCT was founded, but it's only since the arrival of Mourad Boudjellal – the comic book millionaire – that Europe began to pay attention. His ‘galactico’ approach to recruitment saw the likes of Jonny Wilkinson, Matt Giteau, Bryan Habana, Quade Cooper, Semi Radradra and Sonny Bill Williams sign on. The result? Three Champions Cup wins in three consecutive years from 2013-2015.
How do I get there?
easyJet flies direct from London Gatwick to Toulon–Hyères Airport - a 30-minute shuttle ride away from the city centre - in around two hours. You can also take the Eurostar from London St Pancras to Paris or Lille and change over to the regional service to Toulon.
Jonny Wilkinson in 2014 at the final of the French Rugby League Championship in Paris
What else do I have to see in Toulon?
Toulon’s cable car (unique on the French Riviera) is the emblem of the region, whizzing visitors up the Mont Faron summit. There, fuel up at the Restaurant Panoramique – views stretching across the Bay of Hyères and La Seyne-sur-Mer – before heading back down to explore military, maritime and arts museums. Running short on time? Hop on the Little Train for a 45-minute sightseeing tour of the landmarks.
What can I do between games?
Delve into Toulon’s naval history from the water, boats travelling along the bay with top views of centuries-old forts, military installations and quaint fishing harbours, or snorkel the Olbia trail to discover the curiosities lurking beneath an ancient Greek port. But since Provence boasts 300 days of sunshine per year, it’d be a shame to miss the natural world above the surface – the coastal path to Hyères winds through hidden coves, woodlands and beaches. Enjoy an escape on the wonderful islands of Porquerolles and Port-Cros protected by a National Park, without forgetting the island of Embiez in Six Fours.
© Office de Tourisme Provence Méditerranée Julien Mauceri
Where do you go for a drink in Toulon?
Located in the heart of the city, microbrewery Bière de la Rade serves up limited-edition pours plus regular beer brewing classes for the dedicated drinker. Nearby Havana Café is the local haunt for regional pints (as well as an extensive wine list and cheese and charcuterie boards, if you’re feeling peckish) and Le Navigateur faces the waterfront, with classy interiors and a sun-soaked terrace.
© Office de Tourisme Provence Méditerranée Julien Mauceri
What’s the food like in Toulon?
High-spirited, simple and seasonal; a fusion of traditional and modern. Expect cade (chickpea pancake cooked over wood fire), fougasse (bread with olive oil, made with the likes of anchovies, onions and black olives) and chichi frégi doughnuts washed down with a glass of Côtes de Provence AOC rosé.
Microbrewery Bière de la Rade
What are the best places to eat in Toulon?
Local produce is stacked high at the food markets of Cours Lafayette and Les Halles - browse the stalls for some of the best farm cheeses, seafood and wines in the area. In the Old Town, follow the cobbled streets to Racines for mallard duck confit and, if you plan on recharging your batteries at the Le Mourillon beach, Le Local has got you covered with a hyperseasonal, veg-forward menu.
Les Halles food market – © Office de Tourisme Provence Méditerranée
What are the best places to stay in Toulon?
Ibis Styles Centre Port is a go-to for home-from-home comfort across the road from the Stade Mayol (doubles from £60), Holiday Inn Toulon City Centre if dipping in the pool is on your mind (doubles from £69) and Grand Hotel Dauphiné for spacious rooms and a rooftop bar overlooking the Old Town (doubles from £84). And if it's effortless elegance you’re after, opt for the OKKO (doubles from £98), or at the seafront Best Western Plus La Corniche hotel with a view of the typical little port of Mourillon and Fort Saint Louis (£180).
What’s near to Toulon?
The best of Provence to the north and the French Riviera all around. The location is ideal, so you could head into the winelands and sip France’s finest rosé, for which the region is famed, after a very short drive, or you could take in Marseille, renowned for its diverse food scene, to the west, or Picasso’s Antibes and everything that Nice has to offer to the east.
Musée Picasso, Antibes
Anything else?
Ex-England and current Bath lock Dave Attwood couldn’t resist the charms of this part of the world. He told Rugby Journal: “This part of the world has some amazing places – Nice is just up the road, St Tropez and its yachts, Cannes and its film festival, or even Monaco for Formula 1, just further up the coast.
“Passion for rugby in Toulon is on another level here. It's life and blood. Even on a Tuesday morning training session, you’d have 50-60 people watching [the RCT games] through the fence, trying to catch a glimpse, or to get autographs in the car park. Primary schools would run trips to watch, even just to stand outside.”
How do I find out more about Toulon?
For more information on Toulon visit toulontourisme.com