Weekends away ...

[peter]

Aimed at Languedoc residents, this is intended to build into a useful resource.

[peter]

Toulouse



But for a slip of a fonctionaires pen, Toulouse would have been the Languedoc regional capital, rather than Montpellier. Traditionally much of Languedoc fell under the jurisdiction of the County of Toulouse.

In defining todays political borders, departments and capitals were locked together with little respect for history.

Today Toulouse is the regional capital of Midi Pyrenees.

Toulouse has a metropolitan population of 1.1m (inc 100,000 students). It is a roman town and the roman roads were later used by Compostella pilgrims. The river Garronne , gateway to Bordeaux and the Atlantic, flows through the city and is linked to the Canal du Midi making Toulouse powerful trading position historically.

It has a fine old centre with many important buildings, whilst the exterior suburbs house the aero and space industries that generate todays prosperity.

More vibrant than Montpellier, with an extensive nightlife, it makes an ideal weekend destination.

To do :

Accommodation :

Central traffic and parking is difficult, so a lower cost hotel on the on the edge of the centre near the canals is convenient. This aparthotel has breakfast service, is well situated and has an underground garage - http://www.athome-ah.com/ . Rooms are rather small, but acceptable for a short stay.

The top hotels are grouped together in the magnificent Place du Capitole - e.g. http://www.grand-hotel-opera.com/uk/index.php



Getting there :

A9 / A61 just under 3 hrs from Montpellier
or use the rail connections

Air -

Belfast Thomas Cook Airlines
Belfast Jet2
Birmingham Flybe
Bristol Thomas Cook Airlines
Bristol Easyjet
Dublin Aer Lingus
Edinburgh Jet2
Gatwick Thomas Cook Airlines
Gatwick Easyjet
Heathrow BA
Leeds Bradford Jet2
Manchester Thomas Cook Airlines
Manchester BMI baby
Newcastle Jet2

See :

The tourist office has a range of guided tours in the centre which are worth taking : http://www.toulouse-tourisme.com/accueil/index_fr.php

More : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toulouse

[peter]

Carcassonne



Carcassonne is about 100km from Toulouse and quite a small market town (pop 50,000) despite being the Aude prefecture. It has roman origins and has been substantially rebuilt over the centuries.

The hilltop to the East is dominated by a walled chateau and inner village, and the old city itself is near the banks of the Aude river to the West.

The walled city is a very well known tourist destination and the centre is congested with coachloads of tourists during the day. The city had fallen into disrepair and was renovated in 1850 to resemble a typical medieval walled city. The originally crenolated towers were remodelled with conical rooflines and other historically inaccurate features created.

The city (Ville Basse) has typical old France small town charm with some interesting architecture, squares and galleries.

To do :

Accommodation :

Parking is a problem, so check out the facilities before booking anything. Hotels within the walls are expensive, but provide a more peaceful evening experience of the inner village.

The Ville Basse has several small B&B's and hotels that are quiet, close to all facilities, provide views of the walls and are within walking distance of the walled city. Try :

http://carcassonneholiday.wordpress.com
http://carcassonneguesthouse.com
http://www.42ruevictorhugo.com
http://www.hotelduchateau-carcassonne.c ... gation.htm




Getting there :

A9 / A61 about 2.5 hrs from Montpellier
or use the rail connections

Air -


Cork Ryanair
Dublin Ryanair
East Midlands Ryanair
Leeds Bradford Ryanair *
Liverpool Ryanair
Prestwick Ryanair
Stansted Ryanair

More : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carcassonne