My partner and I have found reasonably priced flights to Carcassonne for September this year. However having read a little of the forum chat there is suggestion that its actually not a great place to hang around in for any length of time. We have a week for the trip so has anyone got advice about where in the surrounding area is a better bet if we were to stay in Carcassonne for a couple of days and then move on

Thanks

The first question is whether you will be renting a car or not, because it is true that you would not want to spend the whole week in Carcassonne.

The Roussillon region - Perpignan, Collioure, Ceret, etc. Great location for trips into Spain, the Pyrenees, coast, etc. We stayed there for 2 weeks in '04 and were busy seeing the sights almost all the time.

Dordogne - we're returning for our 9th & 10th week this June - LOTS if stuff to see there.

Agree that the Carcassonne region is not loaded with as many things to do & see as the above two areas. We've also spent 1 week close to Carcassonne near Lamalou les Bains - but that area was not as interesting as the above two. We've also spent 2 weeks between Carcassonne & the Dordogne (near Caussade), and it's motre intersting than Lamalou - but I'de still choose Roussillon or the Dordogne.

Stu Dudley

Hi Fiona; If you are flying 'in' and 'out' of Carcassonne, what I would do is rent a car and head for the Dordogne for five nights. Very easy driving to get there. There is so much to do in that area as Stu has suggested. Then head back to Carcassonne, Visiting Castres on the way, for two nights. Arriving in the late afternoon, you would have enough sights to see in the next full day. www.carcassonne.monuments-nationaux.fr/en/ iris1745/dick

Thanks guys for the great information. Dordogne sounds more like what we had in mind for a trip. Have yet to persuade myself to drive on the "wrong side of the road" so preference would be to try manage this by a combination of bus/train....is this feasible? Any particular towns/villages there that you would suggest given that we have to prioritise as the trip is short?

>>a combination of bus/train....is this feasible?<<

Nope - not really. You'll need a car to get to almost all the sites in the Dordogne. It's full of Brits, so you'll have lots of "wrong side of the road" company.

Stay within a 40K radius of Sarlat. I have a 20+ page itinerary I wrote about the Dordogne. I've sent it to hundreds of Fodors people. E-mail me if you would like a copy.
[email protected]

Stu Dudley