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Travel guide
Carcassonne
4 days · 8 things to do
Best time to go: April to June, and September to October
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Welcome
Carcassonne, in a few days
Carcassonne is two towns split by the River Aude: a fortress of 52 towers on its hill, rebuilt by Viollet-le-Duc, and a 13th-century grid-plan bastide that few visitors bother to cross. The first gets around two million visitors a year; the second has the covered market, shady terraces and normal prices.
- Day by day
- D1 Day 1 2 things
- D2 Day 2 2 things
- D3 Day 3 2 things
- D4 Day 4 2 things
- Worth sorting before you go
- Words that help
- The practical page
- Packing checklist
The trip
Day by day
Map of the sights (numbers follow the suggested order). It prints with the base map.
D1
Day 1
2 things to do · at your own pace
- Morning · The medieval Cité free · half a dayThree kilometres of walls, 52 towers and two rings of ramparts, as much the work of Viollet-le-Duc from 1853 as of the 13th century.
- Afternoon · The Count's Castle and ramparts · about 1 h 30Cross the wooden bridge over the dry moat, then walk the ramparts from tower to tower above the plain and the rooftops.
🛏️ Where to sleep · Hôtel Le Donjon€130 a night
D2
Day 2
2 things to do · at your own pace
- Morning · The lists between the walls free · about 1 hA flat walk on gravel and grass between the two rings of walls, passing under the Bishop's Tower, the only building that spans the path.
- Afternoon · Basilica of Saint-Nazaire free · about 30 minTwenty minutes is enough: the Tree of Life and Tree of Jesse windows, tomb effigies in the floor and one of the region's oldest organs.
🛏️ Where to sleep · Hôtel Montmorency€110 a night
D3
Day 3
2 things to do · at your own pace
- Morning · Pont Vieux free · about 30 minAn early 14th-century stone bridge over the Aude, pedestrian-only since 1990, with the best view of the fortress on its hill above the river.
- Afternoon · Bastide Saint-Louis free · about 1 h 30A street grid centred on Place Carnot and its Neptune fountain; peek into old merchants' courtyards and end at the free Fine Arts museum.
🛏️ Where to sleep · Mercure Carcassonne La Cité€140 a night
D4
Day 4
2 things to do · at your own pace
- Morning · The Canal du Midi port free · about 1 hWatch a boat work through the lock beside the basin, gates closing and water dropping, then rest on a shaded bench among the hire boats.
- Afternoon · Lac de la Cavayère free · half a dayA man-made lake in the hills under seven kilometres from the centre, with three beaches, shaded picnic spots, a treetop course and a six-kilometre loop.
🛏️ Where to sleep · Hôtel L'Aragon€110 a night
Before you go
Worth sorting before you go
📶 eSIM data
Online the moment you land, no roaming bill.
Get one · Holafly
Online the moment you land, no roaming bill.
Get one · Holafly
🛡️ Travel insurance
Health, luggage, cancellation.
Cover it · Ekta
Health, luggage, cancellation.
Cover it · Ekta
💳 Fee-free card
Pay at the real rate, with no exchange markup.
Open one · Revolut
Pay at the real rate, with no exchange markup.
Open one · Revolut
🚐 Airport transfer
A private car at a fixed price from the moment you land.
Book it · GetTransfer
A private car at a fixed price from the moment you land.
Book it · GetTransfer
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Good to know
Flavours & local habits
🍽️ Worth tasting
- Baguette: the daily bread, bought fresh from the boulangerie. Ask for a "tradition", made with nothing but flour, water, salt and yeast.
- Croissant and pain au chocolat: breakfast pastries, best in the morning while still warm.
- The cheese course: served after the main dish and before dessert, from Comté to Camembert.
- Steak frites: the bistro standard. Order it "saignant" for rare or "à point" for medium.
- Galettes and crêpes: savoury buckwheat pancakes from Brittany filled with ham, egg and cheese, then sweet ones for pudding.
- House wine: ordered by the carafe or the "pichet" at lunch, and often better value than a bottle.
⚠️ Best avoided
- Say "bonjour" when you walk into a shop, a bakery or a café, and "au revoir" as you leave. Skipping it comes across as rude.
- Lunch runs from about noon to 2pm and dinner starts around 7.30pm. In between, most restaurant kitchens are closed.
- Most shops close on Sunday, and many small towns shut on Monday too. Bakeries and markets open on Sunday morning.
- Do not pay for bottled water at the table: ask for "une carafe d'eau", tap water that is served free with a meal.
- Around the big Paris sights, walk past anyone with a petition or a friendship bracelet. They are there to distract you while someone else takes your wallet.
Getting by
Words that help
English ↔ French
| English | French |
|---|---|
| Hello | Bonjour |
| Thank you | Merci |
| Please | S'il vous plaît |
| Yes | Oui |
| No | Non |
| Excuse me | Excusez-moi |
| Goodbye | Au revoir |
| Do you speak English? | Parlez-vous anglais ? |
| I don't understand | Je ne comprends pas |
| How much is it? | Combien ça coûte ? |
| Where are the toilets? | Où sont les toilettes ? |
| The bill, please | L'addition, s'il vous plaît |
| Help! | Au secours ! |
| Cheers! | Santé ! |
The essentials
The practical page
CurrencyEuro (EUR, €)
BudgetAbout €90 a day, mid-range
Best seasonApril to June, and September to October
PlugC/E · 230V
Tap waterSafe to drink
TippingService is included by law, round up
Emergency112
EntrySchengen area: an ID card or passport for EU citizens, 90 days visa-free for UK, US, Canadian and Australian passports.
HealthNo specific vaccination needed. Check that tetanus, diphtheria, polio and MMR are up to date.
Scan to open this guide online, always up to date.
https://offwegooo.com/en/guides/carcassonne
Don't forget
Packing checklist
Have a good trip.
Guide made on offwegooo.com · Photos via Pexels · Details are indicative, check before you leave.