2 nights in Toulouse...is it worth it??

It is a charming and lively place, on par with other cites in the area. With a toddler you might stroll along the canal and in the other public spaces. It is a good-sized city. Question for you: would you be happier in a smaller town or one with a beach? Have you compared it to other charming cities such as Narbonne?

Toulouse is definitely worth 2 days. There aren't many cities in France that are not. I didn't like Avignon at all, but I'd even spend 2 nights there.

Between Bordeaux and Le Lavandou (on the Med an hour west of St. Tropez) we stopped in Puycelci (pop 110) for two nights. If you want something bigger, you might consider Albi as an alternative to Toulouse. From Puycelci, we did day trip to Bruniquel (cute), St Antonin Noble Val (nice and more to it than Puycelci), and Castelnau de Montmiral (not one we'd recommend). We were looking for smaller villages than perhaps what you would want.

Thank you all for your responses. Albi does look beautiful and I actually had not researched it prior to planning my trip. We arrive the first week of November. Since I will only have 2 nights in Toulouse and we'd be arriving after lunch, would we have enough time to see the city and then make our second day a day trip to Albi? I'd like to stay 2 nights in the same place with my daughter who will be 2... I usually am the go go go person and want to see everything I can during my stay, but with my husband and daughter definitely won't be able to do that this time. I'd like to take it all in and really enjoy my vacation.

Hi there! I've been to both Toulouse and Albi this May on a quick trip (I was attending a conference in Albi) and I must say I didn't like much Toulouse, but found Albi much "cozier" and picturesque instead. Some of Albi's attractions: The Episcopal city, added to the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites in 2010, and its cathedral (Sainte Cécile)Toulouse-Lautrec museum, situated in the palace right next to the Cathedral (Palais de la Berbie) – Toulouse-Lautrec was born near AlbiRiver Tarn and the bridges (great views of the city, nice to walk alongside) Happy travel!

Although I previously recommended Toulouse, I'd opt for Albi if it fits your plans. It is beautiful.

I would have to recommend Albi.

Ok, so now I have a new idea in mind. I'm thinking about going from Bordeaux straight to Carcassonne and just skipping over the 2 night stay in Toulouse since there's not much to do and the hotel is the most expensive out of our trip. I'm going to add a night in Bordeaux and 1 night in Carcassonne. Does anyone have a suggestion for where to stay in Carcassonne?

No recommendation in Carcassone, but for Bordeaux, you'd be foolish to stay any place else but Hotel des Voyageurs. We stayed there in April, and at the time few Americans had stayed there, but the owner said that all of a sudden Americans were emailing him for reservations. Probably because it became #1 on Tripadvisor (http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g187079-d2054302-Reviews-Hotel_Des_Voyageurs-Bordeaux_Gironde_Aquitaine.html), since my blog review (http://www.mainelywinenews.blogspot.com/2012/04/bordeaux.html) had not yet been posted.