Planning a trip to the Languedoc region in early May 2010. Looking at staying in Carcassone and then in the Collioure area along the coast. How much time should we allow for Carcassone? We are thinking of renting a house or apartment for a week at each location as our "home base." We love history, museums, exploring old towns/villages, marches, photo ops, food, people! I wonder about driving to Barcelona as a day trip and also a trip to the St. Remy-de-Provence area to visit two French couples whom we met in 2008. Are these possible as day trips? Any places - villages we should make a point to visit? Places to stay?

Rosie-- I would rent a home base in/near Carcassone and day trip from there; the other week either around Barcelona (or an apartment IN Barcelona) or another home rental in Provence. This way you maximize your sightseeing and experience different regions.

Barcelona is about 300 kms from Carcassonne; yes doable (approx 3-4 hours), but why would you do this a day trip with time in your hands? Both places are worth a couple of days min. I have been to both places in early May and the weather is fantastic. That said, STRONG WORD OF WARNING: BEWARE OF PICKPOKETERS IN BARCELONA. Nothing like it anywhere in the world. For sure.

St-Remy is a bit closer (not by much). Same deal; why rushed it? Tolls are high and traffic is busy on these roads, so add a considerable allowance for both.

As far as villages, I think you have a good idea; get the latest edition of "The Prettiest Small Villages in France" and take it from there!

I certainly wouldn't plan on staying in Carcassonne for a week - get in, spend about 3 hours, and get out.

I would spend a week around Rodez, visiting Figeac, Millau, St-Affrique, Albi, Castres, Toulouse, and all the tiny towns of interest like Graulhet, Revel, Castelnaudary, Villefranche-de-Rouergue, Castelnaud-de-Montmiral, La Salvétat, Gaillac, Lavaur, St-Férriol, etc.

Then I'd move on to Collioure, which will be lovely in May, and focus on the coastal areas of southern France and the Costa Brava. I don't know about Barcelona as a day trip - it's not exactly a breeze to drive down the coast from Collioure and back in a day. Nor is it really a day trip from Collioure to St-Rémy. But there are plenty of lovely spots to visit from Collioure, including Port-Vendres, Roses, Banyuls, Perpignanc, Narbonne, Béziers, Sète, and Montpellier on the French side, or you can head inland to Foix and Cathar territory.

Just a note on three (3) wonderful fiction books set in France that I read this year: "Suite Francaise", "The Virgin Blue", and "the Dream of Scipio". All of them blew my mind.

I agree with St Cirq. Carcassonne is a 3 hr visit, and the area immediatly around Carcassonne is not as interestng as the area around Collioure or the Lot/Figeac/Albi/Gorges de l'Aveyron region. We spent 2 weeks in a Gite near Collioure (near Ceret), 2 weeks in a Gite near the Gorges de l'Aveyron, and 2 weeks in a Gite near Espalion on the Lot.

While in Ceret (Collioure) we did an overnight trip to Barcelona by train - a day trip would not be practical. we visited Carcassonne as a day trip. We've spent 18 weeks vacationing in Provence - and a day trip to St Remy is not a good idea (too much driving & not enough time "being there")

I posted something about things to do & see near Collioure recently - here it is.
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...e-we-crazy.cfm

Look for my longer post near the end of the thread.

BTW, while we were near Ceret for 2 weeks - we were busy seeing thing all the time - so you won't have trouble finding stuff to do for 1 or 2 weeks

Stu Dudley

I agree with the above regarding Carcassone 'get in - get out' - one of my least favourite places, but I adore the Languedoc area. There are some gems here both West and East of Perpignan.

I beg to disagree. There is a lot to see and to do around Carcassonne : the Corbières, the medieval village and castle of Villerouge Termenès, the Cathar castles of Lastours, Queribus, Lapradelle Puilaurens, Rennes-le-Château, Esperaza, Abbeys of Lagrasse, Saint Hilaire, Fontfroide, Montolieu the "Village du Livre" built around a former royal manufacture, Mirepoix, the Canal du Midi, etc.....

Respectfully disagree with Stu regarding Barcelona not being appropriate as a daytrip from Collioure.

I know the area well - my in-laws live in Perpignan - and we regularly use the autoroute to get down to Barça for shopping or even a night out; it's only 2.5 hours away from Ppg (so a similar time from Collioure).

Stu mentions that he was staying in Ceret - take his hint and make sure you visit this wonderful Catalan town, and travel further up the Vallespir to visit Prats-de-Mollo too. Travel further on into Spain and down into Camprodon which is a delightful small Catalan town with a wonderful feel - nothing truly remarkable but all together a joy nontheless.

If you want further excursions across the Spanish border consider Vic & Girona, Girona is less than 2 hours from Collioure, Vic'll be closer to 3.5. Both have more than plenty to see.

Then there's the Dali stuff - an entire tourist industry has grown up on the back of the painter in both Figueres and Cadaqués.

Back in France I'd say don't miss a daytrip which will take in both The Châteaux de Quéribus and Peyrepertuse (two of the five "daughters of Carcassonne")and also the Gorges de Galamus.

Anyway - there's more than enough to see and do just around Collioure. I would suggest dropping plans to base yourself near Carcassonne altogether and do <i>that</i> as the daytrip from Collioure. This'll save you having to pack and unpack when moving from one base to another and probably save you some money by negotiating one two week let as opposed to two one week lets.

Anymore advice, or more specific detail please ask... and if I don't know I'm sure my wife will!

Best wishes
Dr D.

If you spend time in Carcasonne, I suggest doing so at night after the tour busses have gone.

Hi RK,

IMO Carcassone itself is worth a half day, preferably late afternoon and dinner time. It's lit up at night.

Rosie; You mentioned history. Carcassone for us is not an in and out visit. While the old city was rebuilt, it reaks of history. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/carcassone I would add to what Pvoyageuse said. The wonderful town of Castres is probably one hour north. The city of Toulouse is an easy day trip. But where are you flying into and out of. With the places you have mentioned, you might consider three or four locations of three or four days.

iris1745 - I echo your sentiments about Carcassonne. I think for a lot of folks all they can sense is the overwhelming crush of tourists and souvenir stores selling plastic swords and such and there's no denying it does tarnish the luster a bit. But I have read a few books about The Cathars and if you have some historical background about what an important place Carcassonne was during its heyday and the time of the Cathar persecution then I think it is a much more worthwhile and meaningful visit. And though it was rebuilt it was done with careful study and analysis by Viollet-le-Duc, despite some inauthentic additions.

Whilst I can see it has appeal for many, I'm not a huge fan of Carcassonne. The citadel was not as it was restored to at the time of the Albigensian Crusade - it was "restored" to something like that which the French rebuilt it as after it was captured.

If you're looking for places more redolent of the Cathars you'd be better off visiting Montségur and/or Puilaurens, Quéribus, Peyrepertuse, Termes and Aguilar. Any of these sites are more atmospheric by far than Ccsn. You need to have a certain degree of fitmess, however, to get to each, particularly Peyrepertuse and Puilaurens. The latter is accessable by footpath from the small town of Axat from where you can also catch the Pays Cathare tourist train which runs about 50km to Rivesaltes through some pretty spectacular scenery. You ride in open carriages so check the weather forecast!
[Incidentally Rivesaltes is the site of a French Internment & Transit camp, initially used to hold refugees from the Spannish Civil War, but gradually, under Vichy control used for holding Jews and Gypsies before their transfer to Drancy and thence to Auschwitz. More than 2000 were sent to their deaths in this fashion. It was finally used as a POW camp for Grman and Italian POWs, many (several hundred) of whom died there in the 12 months following the end of the War.]

So I re-iterate: Rent somewhere in or near Collioure for two weeks and take a trip up to Carcassonne (it's a couple of hours on the autoroute) along with trips to Barcelona, Vic, Ceret and the Cathar castles. I'd also take a look at The Fort de Salses, which will give an interesting point of perspective to the older Cathar Chateaux, but maybe you'll be castled out by then. Perpignan and Beziers are pleasant cities for shopping and there are great, if unfashionable, local wines to be drunk (Limoux, Fitou, Corbieres etc). Honestly, you've chosen a great place to spend your hols!

Dr D.

I agree with Dr Do_Good's analysis of Carcassonne. I have been there a half-dozen times and have done plenty of reading about its history and appreciate it very much....yet it remains, unless you go in the very off-season, a place that one tires of after about 3-4 hours at most. Yes, there are probably scads of people who go there just thinking they're visiting a "castle" and who don't know the history and who are just put off by all the tourists and trinket sellers, but even if you can get past all that and are there to get a sense of its historical import, let's face it, it's impressive as all get out, but still a pain to hang around in. I've often found myself going down to the rather dowdy lower town and wandering around just to get away from it.

To be clear, I wasn't advocating the use of Carcassonne as a base. I would not want to have to get in and out of here every day for a week or more during the tourist season. And even if you are interested in and know about its history I think three or four hours suffices for a visit. I was merely pointing out its visit worthiness despite the overabundance of tourists. If you happen to be based in the area it is certainly something to add to the "must see" list, as are all the other famous Cathar castles mentioned.

The castle of Puilaurens is accessible from the village of Lapradelle-Puilaurens. Axat is located 6 km from Lapradelle on the road to Quillan.
BTW none of the so-called "Cathar Castles" was built by the Cathars. They were built by the local noblemen and taken over by the French kings to protect the border with Spain. Salses was built by a Spanish architect when Roussillon was still part of Spain.

I have a very similar trip booked, but we're leaving just after Christmas. I know it'll be cold, but we've been in the area in the past during winter and we enjoy it.

Looking for a gite in the area, lead us to one near Carcassonne. We will be day tripping from it. We fly in and out of Barcelona. Here's my planned itinerary, which may be of some help to you.

If others have any tips, I'm open to them.

Day 1 arrive at BCN drive to Madremanya, north of Barcelona, near Girona. See Peratellada and Pals if time.

Day 2 Girona, Besalu p.m. in Madremanya

Day 3 Empuries, Salvador Dali museum at Figueres, p.m. in Cadaques

Day 4 Port Ligat (Dali house) & Sant Pere de Rodes Monastary p.m. in Cadaques

Day 5 Perpignan for Christmas market and then p.m. in Collioure New Years Eve !

Day 6 Drive to gite via Ceret and Queribus, Peyrepertuse. These are closed in winter, but the road here is beautiful. Arrive near Carcassonne at gite.

Day 7 Albi, Lautrec, Lavaur, Ravel

Day 8 Fanjeaux, Mirepoix, Carcassonne

Day 9 Perpignan then drive up N116 The Train Jaune Hiver ticket is available if we decided to do that instead.

Day 10 Toulouse, Castelnaudary

Day 11 Narbonne, Gruissan, Abbaye de Fontfroide

Day 12 Pezenas, Marseillan, Sete

Day 13 Return to Barcelona seeing Fort de Salses on the way.

Day 14 Barcelona We've been here several times in the past and will just overnight before our flight home.

This is more than we can see, but it's our outline. It may help you as you begin to plan!

Day 9 will be a long day. Where do you plan do drive up to on N116? Snow tires or chains may be compulsory after Olette in January. If you want to take the Train Jaune, you'll have to be at Villefranche-de-Conflent station before 9 am.

Day 10 : visit Toulouse and Castelnaudary in one day?

Thanks for your information Pvoyageuse. Have you taken this train in the winter? The schedule says it leaves from Perpignan at 7:46 a.m. also. Is it worth the time, or should we drive the route as far as possible?

I didn't think there was to much in Castelnaudary. It's on the way back to our gite so I thought we'd quickly stop here on our return. If you have suggestions on visiting Castelnaudary I'm happy to listen. We've been to Toulouse in the past but spent more time at the Airbus site than in town.

I don't think anyone is implying that Cathars built any of the "Cathar Castles" but are merely using it as an associative term linking these places to some of their most historically memorable events.