Author's product rating: 
| Advantages: |
One of very few space museums in Europe, great exhibits |
| Disadvantages: |
Difficult to get to |
| Recommend to potential buyers: |
yes |
Cite d'espace is on the outskirts of Toulouse. If you visit by car, the attraction itself provides plenty of parking facilities and the locality is a pleasant enough drive. Driving through Toulouse is nightmarish though so I recommend you carefully plan your route.
Once you get there, it's a wonderful museum for all the family. Admittedly it's rather techy and male-orientated, but there were plenty of families and school parties there when I visited. I also happened to choose one of their free Fridays, so I got in for free!
The counter staff and guides all speak English as well as French. I was shown around the Russian exhibits by a very knowledgeable English-speaking guide, went in MIR, sat in Soyuz. Certainly a rare experience for anyone.
The "trip to Mars" exhibit with robots and futuristic computers etc was also very interesting. The schoolkids who were there visibly loved it. There were other more-technical exhibits of engines, re-entry modules in the Ariane building which would be of more interest to adult visitors. Films too.
The day I visited it was overcast and rainy, so the "space garden" wasn't so appealing. In the summer, I'm sure this is fun too.
Highly recommended if you're ever in the area. It makes a nice change from all the castles, caves etc that are more in keeping with what you'd expect in the South of France.
