Trip to the Tarn May 07

Carcassonne airport

We flew out of Liverpool into Carcassonne airport. Liverpool facilities are pretty sensible with car parking right on top of the entrance area. Carcassonne on the other hand is tiny with no space to move but the car rental offices are very close as are the car parks associated. It is not obvious how to get out of the airport but from the car parks you turn left at the first roundabout. We joined the motorway and headed off towards Millau. After the motorway the section of the road along the Tarn is very wiggly and I suspect pretty slow in the high season when it is lined with caravans.

We planned to stay with another couple in a Gite, we tried to use Gites de France but found that they were either too expensive or in the middle of nowhere. In the end we trawled the tourist information of the two Departments of France we were interested in until we found the right village (in our case lots of restaurants and a Gite with two bathrooms) and searched and searched until we found two or three possibles. We then booked via the telephone (all those French lessons) and had to send a deposit by international money transfer (no Paypal with our Gite owner) The upside was that the whole thing only cost Euro 500 for the week.

Our friends have already picked up the keys for the Gite (she spoke Frengh they waved their hands about a bit) and picked up supper from Rozier which is a lovely little village on the confluence of two rivers the Tarn and one other. Rented linens, house was clean and all the equipment worked.

Things to do
The walking is fine with lots of old paths leading along the flanks of the valley. Canoeing is for rent all the way along the valley. At Millau there is a specific white water course.
Tree walking and wire sliding exist at various points but these were not open in May.

One of the old railway lines have been taken out of use and one has a bike rolling on the line. We enjoyed a happy afternoon in the middle of nowhere with fine views over the valley on a weird bike train. http://www.veloraildularzac.fr/

Les Bateliers de la Malène offer a guided tour by boat down the Tarn speaking only in French but a surprisingly interesting and enjoyable for Euro 19 or 76 the boat. http://www.gorgesdutarn.com/

La Source, http://www.gites-gorgesdutarn.fr/fr/acces.html. Euro 500 for a week’s use of a three bed roomed house with a fine garden going down to the river, barbecue etc.

Millau. Is an old leather working town with strong links to the Knights Templars. The centre of the town is mainly for walking with a fine Tourist Information centre, good food shops and fine restaurants.

Millau wine tasting. Côtes de Millau.
And world class supplier 80 km south of Millau is daumas de gassac winery. http://www.daumas-gassac.com/us/bienvenue.php

Roquefort. http://roquefort.fr/gb/
http://www.roquefort-societe.com/anglais/index.html

Millau bridge

The templars villages http://www.aveyron.com/english/tourism/vilgtemp.html
http://www.lacouvertoirade.com/
http://www.lacavalerie.fr/fr/html/accueil.htm
http://www.conservatoire-larzac.fr/e...-de-cernon.htm

Rozier?

Do you mean Rodez?

Thanks for the useful tips on this area, which I love.

Rozier, a small one bread shop village but luckily two good restaurants in the centre (and one bad one, had a fat dog which is my new best indicator) and a number of outlying restuarants

Thanks for this, bilboburgler. Brings back great memories. We toured the Gorges de Tarn from the east, turned around at Rozier, and retraced our steps back to Uzès, where we were renting a house.

Anselm

Thanks, we loved th Tarn and the area surrounding iut. i hope you drove over the bridge in Millau.
mimi, who also loved Liverpool.

Thanks for sharing, B.