Carcassonne - October 2009

Hi all,

My wife %26amp; I are going to Carcassonne on October 19th for one week. We%26#39;re staying in our friends house in the village of Malvies from Monday October 19th until Friday October 23rd %26amp; we plan to stay in a hotel in Carcassonne from Friday October 23rd until our return on Monday October 26th.

I plan on renting a car from the airport for the five days %26amp; return to the airport %26amp; then head back by taxi into the city. The cheapest quote I have got so far for car hire is €149 via EasyTerra Car Rental. Does that seem reasonable? It%26#39;s for a Fiat Punto manual with a/c.

Is three nights in Carcassonne enough or too much?

I have checked the various hotels on TripAdvisor and I still am confused as to what to go for! If anyone has been in Carcassonne recently would you have a recommendation for a good mid-priced hotel?

This is our first visit to the region and any other general tips would be very much appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

Bridgewell

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Hi

I think one day in Carcassonne is enough.

Many stay longer, but use it as a base for driving each day.

As for the car hire - it seems slightly expensive, so try this :

*go to Ryanair booking site

*select %26quot;cheap rental cars from Hertz%26quot;

*look out for offers - often 7 days is cheaper than 4 or 5

*follow the booking procedure

*enter the Ryanair flight number nearest to the pick up time ( even if you are flying on a different flight or airline, you will get a discount)

*get an annual INS excess policy. This will pay for itself in 5 days (£49). See notes here : the-languedoc-page.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php…

Peter

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Thanks mpprh for your prompt reply %26amp; advice.

I note your comment re Carcassonne - we still haven%26#39;t decided how long we will stay there - I would like to stay there at least two nights so I can have a few drinks without having to worry or think about driving! I am considering booking accommodation in Le Jardin de la Cite, if they have availability. It%26#39;s No.1 on TripAdvisor for B%26amp;Bs.

I had a look at the RyanAir website for car hire %26amp; followed your instructions - it was dearer than EasyTerra car rental. For a similar car (Opel Corsa) it was €202 for five days or €223 for seven days.

It does appear to me that car hire is expensive in France, based on my research on the internet to date.

Thanks again for your advice

Bridgewell

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Stayed at the hotel Montmorency last year and was very happy with it. Cheaper than the Chateau, had car parking and was right at the city gate. IMO a whole day is long enough to see the main site. Its good to stay close as it`s much more pleasant after hours when the hordes have left.

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Thanks Hugo,

I%26#39;m still inclined to stay for two nights in Carcassonne i.e. the Saturday %26amp; Sunday night - we fly home on the Monday.

I previously had a look at Hotel Montmorency %26amp; on your advice I just had a look at it again. I am impressed %26amp; the cost seems reasonable - €195 for the two of us for two nights for a superior room.

Once again thanks for your advice

Bridgewell

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Just as an extra, we tried to book this through Planigo who claimed to have it available. Upon booking we were told it was unavailable due to the busy season. Got in touch with the hotel and successfully made our booking direct. Checkin, parking and breakfast are across the road at the Chateau. Two nights is good. One whole day!

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Hi again Hugo,

That%26#39;s what I thought too - Saturday afternoon/night and all day Sunday %26amp; evening in Carcassonne and fly home Monday morning.

The rate I quoted in my previous post was the one that I got off the hotel%26#39;s website.

Unusually it only appears that one or two third party hotel booking sites have Hotel Montmorency listed.

Bridgewell

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My husband, small son and I will be in Carcassonne from 10/20-27th, and we aren%26#39;t even renting a car. (We have rented a house in the old city wall.) From what I%26#39;ve read, if you%26#39;re OK with a laid-back vacation, there%26#39;s plenty to see and experience. We%26#39;re looking forward to poking around the city, sampling the local cuisine, and just exploring the area.

Enjoy your stay!

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Hi all,

Thanks for all your replies to my post above.

We%26#39;re off to Carcassonne tomorrow and looking forward to it.

We hired a car in the end with Europcar - €190 for 7 days plus €36 daily excess insurance with Insurane4CarHire.com.

As we%26#39;re selfcatering we decided to go ahead and book one night in Carcassone to break up our holiday %26amp; went ahead with Hotel Montmorency at €106 for the two of us for one night, booked directly with the hotel.

Looking forward to our holiday in Languedoc-Rousillon

Bridgewell

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Carcassonne is a town rich in culture, to only spend one day there would not be enough to scratch the surface. I am biased because I am lucky enough to live here, yesterday in the Autumn sunshine the streets were full of life, La Cité and the Bastide were vibrant. Look beyond the obvious spots and explore the Canal du Midi either by foot, boat or bike or enjoy the footpaths along the River Aude. You could head straight for the Tourist office for details of one of the very many events that are hosted all year round, many are free. Slightly out of town there is Carcassonne Plage, in all four directions a different wine appellation to savour. Enjoy your holiday !!