Hello - I will be in Toulouse for a couple of days before a tour. I'm very interested in the Cathar history and thought I might go to Carcassonne. Since I dont have much time, would it be worth it to take a train (looks like 5 a day and takes about an hour) to Carc, look around the Cite, maybe have lunch and then head back to Toulouse? I saw somewhere there is a 2.5 hour Canal du Midi RT cruise from Carcassonne - sounds lovely - maybe Cite tour, Canal cruise and then back? I dont want to overtax myself - I'm traveling alone and dont speak French...but I am very interested in the history of this area. Ideas? I leave 4/28 - so not much time for replies here!

If you're into history, it's a really impressive site, worth the daytrip, in my books. I don't know if you could squeeze in a guided tour plus canal ride in one day, but there's a ramparts carriage (caleche) ride which departs from the Narbonnaise gate every seven minutes, and the Helios et Lou Gabaret morning cruises past the Old City take about 1.5hrs. that still leaves time for a good wander around the Old City, and make sure you visit the beautiful church in the far corner. If you could manage to stay overnight, this City is really stunning at sunset.

While in Toulouse, you might want to take this city tour: www.toulousewalkingtours.com. We went on this tour last September and thought it was terrific! Check out the "Guests Page" on the website to see what others have said about Penny Dickenson's walking tour.

I've been to Carcasonne several times, and will probably go back again.

There's something nice about being in a mostly pedestrian area above the city itself. Taxis and service vehicles are the only cars I've seen.

It's quiet and you can walk the ramparts, being almost alone. Very tranquil.

Thanks! I found a small 1/2 day tour on a minibus with max 12 people leaves at 2p for Carc and comes back in the evening. A little spendy but will maximize my time I think. Thanks everyone!