Dordogne & Languedoc - Gorges, Castles & Caves Itinerary Need Help Please
Jul 20th, 2014, 08:33 AM
#61
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Hi Stu, your trip sounds wonderful. Perhaps we'll be able to spend a month in France some day. I'm afraid we'd gain a few pounds.
You mentioned "as you pass Carcassonne - determine then if you have the energy or inclination to visit". Via Michelin routes Ste Enimie to Albi though Rodez at about 2 hr 50 mins. To drive via Carcassonne would be 5 hr 15 mins. Ste Enime to Carcassone is 3:10 and Carcassone to Albi is 2:05. We could do that, but my last question (hopefully) would we not have enough time to tour Carcassone properly? TY
You mentioned "as you pass Carcassonne - determine then if you have the energy or inclination to visit". Via Michelin routes Ste Enimie to Albi though Rodez at about 2 hr 50 mins. To drive via Carcassonne would be 5 hr 15 mins. Ste Enime to Carcassone is 3:10 and Carcassone to Albi is 2:05. We could do that, but my last question (hopefully) would we not have enough time to tour Carcassone properly? TY
Jul 20th, 2014, 12:44 PM
#62
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If you want to sleep in Albi instead of Carcassonne I would do this:
Ste Enimie to Albi N88 02h47/164km (via Rodez)
or
Ste Enimie to Albi D44/D903 03h10/163km (see Millau adds 21 min)
or
Ste Enimie to Albi A75/D999 03h11/179km (More villages)
Then the next day select from two options.
Option 1. Drive directly Albi to Toulouse 01h02/76km
Option 2. Drive Albi to Carcassonne to Toulouse.
Albi to Carcassonne 02h06/111km
Carcassonne to Toulouse 01h18/94km
This gives you enough time to see Carcassonne.
Ste Enimie to Albi N88 02h47/164km (via Rodez)
or
Ste Enimie to Albi D44/D903 03h10/163km (see Millau adds 21 min)
or
Ste Enimie to Albi A75/D999 03h11/179km (More villages)
Then the next day select from two options.
Option 1. Drive directly Albi to Toulouse 01h02/76km
Option 2. Drive Albi to Carcassonne to Toulouse.
Albi to Carcassonne 02h06/111km
Carcassonne to Toulouse 01h18/94km
This gives you enough time to see Carcassonne.
Jul 20th, 2014, 02:36 PM
#63
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dugi_otok, thanks for the thoughtful response. I never thought about going the second day. We will probably end up saving Carcassone for next year. Gives us a reason to come back. This will give us a full day to see Toulouse. I like your options from Ste Enimie. Thanks so much.
Jul 28th, 2014, 10:45 AM
#64
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We just got back from a 10 day excursion to Southern Calif.
easygoer
My suggestion that you decide if you wanted to visit Carcassonne as you "passed by it" on the autoroute, assumed that you were going to head to Toulouse from the Gorges du Tarn over the Millau Bridge, and take the autoroute all the way to Toulouse and stay in Toulouse for 3 nights. Then visit Albi as a day-trip by train from Toulouse. Obviously, if you wanted to stay overnight in Albi just after Ste Enimie - you would instead take one of the more northern non-autoroutes to Albi, as suggested by dugi-otok.
We spent 2 weeks in a gite just north of Montauban & Albi, near Espalion for 2 weeks, and 5 mins from Lamalou les Bains for a full week. We explored the countryside between St Enemie & Albi a bit (Rodez on 3 different occasions). But we didn't find this area to be as interesting (including Rodez), as other sites in the Lot & Gorges du Tarn region. I suggest that you drive from the Gorges du Tarn to Albi as fast as you can and use any time that you gain by doing so, in the Gorges du Tarn, Albi, or Toulouse (or Cordes if you didn't get to it on the first part of your trip). Villefranche de Rouergue is OK - on market day (which I think is Wednesday).
Stu Dudley
easygoer
My suggestion that you decide if you wanted to visit Carcassonne as you "passed by it" on the autoroute, assumed that you were going to head to Toulouse from the Gorges du Tarn over the Millau Bridge, and take the autoroute all the way to Toulouse and stay in Toulouse for 3 nights. Then visit Albi as a day-trip by train from Toulouse. Obviously, if you wanted to stay overnight in Albi just after Ste Enimie - you would instead take one of the more northern non-autoroutes to Albi, as suggested by dugi-otok.
We spent 2 weeks in a gite just north of Montauban & Albi, near Espalion for 2 weeks, and 5 mins from Lamalou les Bains for a full week. We explored the countryside between St Enemie & Albi a bit (Rodez on 3 different occasions). But we didn't find this area to be as interesting (including Rodez), as other sites in the Lot & Gorges du Tarn region. I suggest that you drive from the Gorges du Tarn to Albi as fast as you can and use any time that you gain by doing so, in the Gorges du Tarn, Albi, or Toulouse (or Cordes if you didn't get to it on the first part of your trip). Villefranche de Rouergue is OK - on market day (which I think is Wednesday).
Stu Dudley
May 17th, 2016, 03:16 PM
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cybert
We spent 2 weeks in the Gorges du Tarn area and 2 weeks just outside of Carcassonne last year. I did a major update to my Languedoc itinerary that I've sent to hundreds of people on Fodors. If you would like a copy, e-mail me at [email protected] & I'll attach one to the reply e-mail.
Stu Dudley
We spent 2 weeks in the Gorges du Tarn area and 2 weeks just outside of Carcassonne last year. I did a major update to my Languedoc itinerary that I've sent to hundreds of people on Fodors. If you would like a copy, e-mail me at [email protected] & I'll attach one to the reply e-mail.
Stu Dudley
