I can help with the cassoulet in Carcassonne--after you cross the drawbridge and start climing upwards on the main street (it will slightly dog-leg to the left if I remember correctly) If you are on the right side of the street it will be easier to see...It is called the Café/bar (maybe Bistrot) du Chateau and will actually be on the LEFT hand side of the street at the first major intersection, more like a square, that you come to. It has an entrance on both streets and restaurant seating upstairs during regular meal hours. We arrived at off hours (18:00) and they fixed us early cassoulet which we enjoyed on the main floor bar/café area with their special wine of the day: Sangria. Most of the tourists had left (this was Sept) for the day and it was obviously a favorite haunt for the locals. Tiny cooking area is in one back corner and it seemed to be run by 2 guys--best cassoulet I've had-cooked long and slow with lots of meat, and the Sangria was so good we both had another glass, unusual for my husband. YUM!

As to luggage in your car--we do it if we have to, but always leave it in the back trunk, with nothing left in the backseat that would indicate we are on the move travelers i.e. snack supplies, guidebooks/maps, day packs, etc. Most importantly, take care of this BEFORE you get to your deistination and do NOT open the trunk once you have arrived. Leave nothing in your luggage that is of value or could be used for identity theft. I learned this the hard way down in the calanques along the Riviera where it was obvious they had watched us arrive from above, watched me put my valuables away, waited til we made our way out on the sentier and then just broke the side window and entered that way. Parking in a highly visible spot is better than at the end of a row where there's little traffic. But you can't obsess over it and let it ruin your trip, either.

If you do get on the autoroute, one of the nicest Aires (rest stops) we have been to is at Agen. Very nice restaurant at reasonable prices and guaranteed fast service.

Enjoy your trip!

Many thanks, klondike. I could use a tall glass of the sangria right now. We'll head for that cafe first thing.

Sorry about your car break-in. Who'd have thought they'd be so sneaky?

Klondike - thanks for the tip about cassoulet in Carcassonne - it's a possible stop off on our September trip to the toulouse area. Any tips for restaurants in Toulouse itself?