Carcassonne

Day 1: First encounter with the walled city

Settle into the rhythm of Carcassonne by approaching the Cité the slow way, on foot, so the silhouette of towers and battlements grows with each step. Today is about getting your bearings, seeing the big picture, and then diving into the ramparts for a close-up of two millennia of fortification.

• Morning: Park in the Bastide Saint-Louis and stroll 15–20 minutes across the Pont Vieux for the most atmospheric approach. Enter via the Porte Narbonnaise, detouring around its barbican to understand how attackers were funnelled. Walk a first stretch of the lices on the southern side to feel the scale before the crowds build (best light is before 10:00).
• Midday: Visit the Château Comtal and take the paid rampart walk along the western inner walls. Book the earliest slot you can and check the CMN site for any temporary closures due to restoration (work often focuses near the Porte d’Aude). Expect many stairs and uneven stone; hats, water, and hands-free bags are best in summer.
• Afternoon: Continue exploring the inner enceinte, pausing by towers where Roman brick courses are visible. If you like tech, try the official app or AR features to compare the medieval reality with Viollet-le-Duc’s 19th‑century vision. Slip into the quiet lanes near the Basilica of Saint-Nazaire for a late coffee and stained-glass gawp.
• Evening: Exit by the Porte d’Aude and take the steep path down for sunset views, then plant yourself on the riverbank or the Pont Vieux to watch the night illumination (now an energy‑efficient LED scheme with special colours on event nights). In July, arrive very early to claim a spot for the Embrasement fireworks on the 14th; otherwise, dine in the lower town to avoid the Cité’s peak dinner rush.

Day 2: The lower town, viewpoints, and the quiet side of the walls

After yesterday’s headline act, today balances the lively medieval city with the lived‑in Bastide Saint‑Louis and some of the best vantage points. You’ll also experience the lices as a free, crowd‑beating alternative to the paid ramparts.

• Morning: Wander the Bastide grid, looping past the Porte des Jacobins and the Bastion de Montmorency to trace the lower town’s own defences. Coffee in a square and a peek into local shops sets a very different tone from the tourist bustle atop the hill (note many businesses pause mid‑afternoon).
• Midday: Picnic or lunch along the Aude, then follow the Chemin des Anglais on the left bank for that postcard view of the entire Cité. It’s shaded in parts and breezy on tramontane days—bring a light layer even in summer.
• Afternoon: Make a full, free circuit of the lices between the two walls; prioritise the northern section, which is quieter and rich in Gallo‑Roman fabric. Treat it as an open‑air textbook of siege design: open‑backed 13th‑century towers outside, higher inner curtains above you, and the “killing ground” space you’re standing in.
• Evening: Return up through the Trivalle neighbourhood for a relaxed dinner at the foot of the ramparts. In peak season, consider an after‑hours sound‑and‑light or evening ramparts programme if offered; in low season, enjoy near‑empty lanes and the golden hour glow on stone before turning in.

Day 3: Deep dive, legends, and flexible finishes

Use today to pick a theme: architecture in detail, stories and legends, or a taste of the wider “Cathar country” without straying far. Keep plans flexible to weave in seasonal events or extra rampart time now that you know your way around.

• Morning: Join a guided tour focused on gates and towers, or DIY a loop: pore over the drawbridge slot, portcullis grooves and murder holes of the Porte Narbonnaise; compare tower shapes along the outer enceinte; spot Roman moellons and brick bands on the inner wall. It’s the best way to decode “what’s Roman, what’s royal, what’s Viollet‑le‑Duc.”
• Midday: Track the legend of Dame Carcas near the main gate, then duck back to the Bastide for lunch. If summer heat is intense, schedule indoor stops around midday and save wall walking for late afternoon when stones cool and the light turns honeyed.
• Afternoon: Choose your finale:
  • Ramparts redux to cover any sections you missed (recent works have expanded access—check on the day).
  • A slow architectural photography session from the quiet northern lices and the western façade above the Porte d’Aude.
  • Or a short nearby foray to a vineyard tasting in the Minervois/Corbières or to a close fortress like Lastours if you’re keen on the wider defensive landscape.
• Evening: Farewell circuit: one last amble through the lices, then descend for panoramic twilight from the Pont Vieux. If the Festival de Carcassonne is on, catch a concert; otherwise, celebrate with a cassoulet and a local red, toasting a city that is at once ancient stronghold and living backdrop.

Notes for all days:

• The Cité and lices are free and open 24/7; the château and ramparts have set hours with last entry about an hour before closing—always check the CMN site.
• Surfaces are cobbled and uneven; sturdy shoes are essential, and the rampart walk isn’t wheelchair accessible.
• Avoid driving up to the Porte Narbonnaise; parking is easier below the hill, and the approach is half the magic.

By Air

• Carcassonne Airport (CCF): 3 km from the centre; 10–15 minutes by taxi. Shuttle buses run to the railway station and the Cité (timed to flights). Mainly low‑cost, largely seasonal services from the UK/Ireland/Belgium.
• Toulouse–Blagnac (TLS): ~95 km; 1h–1h10 by car. Tram/shuttle to Toulouse Matabiau, then TER/Intercités to Carcassonne (total 1h45–2h15).
• Perpignan (PGF): ~110 km; ~1h by car. TER via Narbonne takes ~1h–1h20.
• Montpellier (MPL): ~150 km; 1h45–2h by car. Trains from Montpellier St‑Roch via Béziers/Narbonne ~1h30–2h.
• Béziers Cap d’Agde (BZR): ~100 km; ~1h10 by car. Rail via Béziers/Narbonne ~1h30–2h.

By Train

• Main station: Carcassonne (SNCF), on the Toulouse–Narbonne main line; short walk to the Bastide and bus links to the Cité.
• Typical journey times:
  • Toulouse Matabiau: 45–60 minutes (TER/Intercités).
  • Narbonne: 35–45 minutes (TER/Intercités).
  • Montpellier St‑Roch: ~1h30–1h45 (via Narbonne).
  • Perpignan: ~55–70 minutes (via Narbonne).
  • Marseille St‑Charles: ~3h50–4h (direct Intercités).
  • Paris: ~5–6 hours with 1 change (via Toulouse or via Montpellier/Narbonne).
  • Barcelona: ~3h30–4h30 with a change at Narbonne/Perpignan.

By Bus

• Gare routière (coach station): Square André Chénier, next to the SNCF station.
• Operators/links: FlixBus and BlaBlaCar Bus to Toulouse, Montpellier, Narbonne, Perpignan, Barcelona (frequencies vary by season).
• Indicative times: Toulouse ~1h20–1h40; Montpellier ~2h–2h30; Perpignan ~1h20–1h40; Barcelona ~4h30–5h30.

By Car

• Motorways: A61 (Autoroute des Deux Mers) links Toulouse ↔ Carcassonne ↔ Narbonne; exits 23 (Carcassonne Est) and 24 (Carcassonne Ouest). Tolls apply.
• Approximate drive times: Toulouse ~1h; Narbonne ~45 minutes; Perpignan ~1h; Montpellier ~1h45–2h; Barcelona ~3h.
• Parking: Large paid car parks around the Cité (P0, P1); busy in summer. A good alternative is to park in the Bastide and walk 15–20 minutes via the Pont Vieux.