Greetings,

We are considering spending 3 or so days in the Ariege in September, visiting the caves and small towns in the region. Can anyone offer--1. some thoughts on places you have been which you would recommend and 2.recommend a b & b or hotel in the Foix area. Are we correct in considering that Foix would be a pleasant place to stay? Visited Mirepoix once and thought it was delightful, albeit, very tiny. We would be visiting the grottes de Niaux one day and are open to other recommendations.

Many thanks.
Robyn France

I enjoyed Foix a lot and found it unusual and pleasant. It's also not a big place, but big enough to have some good hotels and restaurants.

Don't know a B&B, but a nice hotel for a reasonable price is the Hotel Lons in the heart of the old town, e-mail [email protected]. Good luck.

It's been a few years since I was last in Foix, but I have stopped there a couple of times - my impression was of a rather grim and seedy place, with very few decent-looking restaurants. I wasn't looking for hotels, but I'm sure there are at least a few choices.

It was February/March the times I passed through - perhaps that explains how different my impression was from Wayne's. Some French towns really change character in the off-season.

In that area, you could check the Logis de France. It's a beautiful section of the country and Logis de France usually has a choice of logis with photos and prices. Many have their own web sites for you to check. Their English language web address is http://www.logis-de-france.fr/uk/

Have a good trip.

Thanks Wayne and St. Cirq--any additional thoughts on other villages to visit in the area--have found some ideas in guidebooks, but I always enjoy my Fodor companions' recommendations.

Any further comments also on Foix--Wayne, would u have any comparisons to other towns? Many thanks.

Take care,
Robyn France

Last summer we visited Foix, Cave of Niaux and stayed in Ax-les-Thermes, a great area, the Pyrenees are beautiful. We stayed at Hotel Grillon, easy walk to the town center, access to Andorra if you wish. For us it was a good location to explore the area. Alas, we did not have enough time but enjoyed what we saw. have a great trip. Deborah

I concur that Aix-les-THermes is a great destination. Auch is also, but not so close by what you want to visit.

I checked in Alistair Sawday and Fodor's Rivage series, and neither has much to offer in the region, unfortunately. My Guide du Routard, which I do count on for accurate info, suggests the Hôtel Lons, a three-star in Foix, plus the Hôtel Restaurant La Barguillère in nearby Saint-Pierre-e-Rivière.

Hope this helps.

Drove through Foix last spring, and while centrally located for the northern Ariege, it did seem a bit on the gritty side.

We stayed in Mirepoix at the Maison du Consuls, which was right in the center of town, under the arcades, and very charming. But there sure isn't a lot going on in Mirepoix (although I think they have an apple festival in the fall?)and it takes quite a while to get anywhere else.

Limoux may have a bit more to offer. If you're willing to go a bit more south, Quillan is quite pleasant. The Aude runs through the center of town--you can stand on the bridge and actually see the fish swimming below.

We stayed last month in Mirepoix and loved the village and the region. We stayed at a new hotel which opened last year. It is not in the guides yet, but it is the only four star hotel in the ariege. It has a fantastic restaurant, so if you are staying in this region, you have to visit it. The hotel is called the Relais Royal and the restaurant is called Le Ciel d'Or. For more information about the hotel, you can have a look at their website www.relaisroyal.com It is located only 40 km from Carcassonne Airport and 100km from Toulouse Airport.