We are renting a house between Carcassonne and Castelnaudary this summer, we are a family of 5 (children 15,11,8) A few queries - we would like to take the children to visit Barcelona for a day, any advice on travel, we are not opposed to rising early and hitting the road, we were probably looking for the most direct route as we can spend time exploring the border area another time during the holiday. Should we drive and leave the car on the outskirts of Barcelona and travel by train the last part of the journey. I did look at train travel from Perpignan, but was quoted a crazy price of £750!! is this correct? Any other recommendations would be readily accepted, anyone any info on rafting in the area, restaurants, markets? Finally, we are due to depart the house on the 14th July, I have read that the firework display in Carcassonne is very good, is it worth trying to get accommodation in the area to watch the display, will this be difficult, any reccommendations?
thanks!
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If you are planning to drive from Castelnaudary to Barcelona by car, the fastest way is to take the motorway via Narbonne, Perpignan, Girona (and to get up early - it%26#39;s about 250 km one way). I would leave the car at the airport (exit before entering Barcelona) and take a bus/train to Barcelona.
There is not much point in leaving the car in Perpignan : the Talgo leaves at 8.56 am, gets to Barcelona at 11.46. You%26#39;d have to leave Barcelona at 4.42 pm to be back in Perpignan at 7.33 pm.
No, the price of £750 is not correct!. It%26#39;s about 35€ - more if you take an express train.
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Hi
The train is much cheaper than that.
It is an easy drive. I would recomend using public transport in the centre.
The tourist website has a transport map. One of the motorway spurs arriving from the North has an exit next to the end of the metro. There is a multi storey parking here that I have used.
Peter
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Having been to both , Carcassonne %26amp; Barcelona in November of %26#39;05 , I%26#39;d strongly recommend you plan on staying over 1 night in Barcelona. However , this may prove difficult with a party of 5. For all intents and purposes , it is more than just a %26quot;day trip%26quot; from Carcassonne (especially with train transfers etc. and kids in tow). The Barcelona attractions are somewhat spread-out thru the city and unless you only plan on seeing the Las Ramblas %26amp; Gothic Quarter areas (right next to each other) , you will be doing some %26quot;walking%26quot;. There is a fairly good metro system but even with this , you%26#39;ll still be doing some walking. Among other sights (see the left bottom corner of the www.barcelona-turisme.com homepage for details) , I%26#39;d recommend seeing Gaudi%26#39;s fascinating Parc Guell (the kids love this place). Warning: while in Barcelona , beware of large numbers of the notorious , very talented and brazen pickpockets , especially on Las Ramblas and on the metro (don%26#39;t flash cash %26amp; keep valuables close to body -- under your clothes). There are many options other than Barcelona (that are accessible by car) -- there are some interesting places over the border like the seaside villages of Roses and Cadaques. Roses has some interesting Roman and Greek ruins as well as beautiful beaches --and-- Cadaques is a favorite with locals and was where Picasso lived. These locals could be visited as a day trip. As for your question on the fireworks --- check the picture on the www.carcassonne.org homepage for an example of this beautiful display (reportedly one of the best in the world -- not to be missed -- best seen from the bridge over the river). If you%26#39;re having to make special arrangements to stay over for the fireworks , you better get reservations early.
Other possible daytrips: (check www.viamichelin for mileage , maps and itinerary planning) %26quot;Google%26quot; %26quot;Goeffre de Padirac%26quot; --- a fascinating cavern north of Carcassonne in the %26quot;Lot%26quot; area. After entering this cavern , you traverse cavern sections via an underground river in %26quot;boat%26quot; --- or --- check-out the village of La Roque Gageac thru www.best-of-perigord.tm.fr ------ a beautiful medeival village -- w/ boat cruises and canoe rentals available for traversing their beautiful (but safe) river .
Further warning: Once you%26#39;ve seen these beautiful places , you%26#39;re not going to want to leave.
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Correction; My memory failed me a bit on Cadaques. This was the hang-out for Salvadore Dali , not Picasso. To be more exact , his home is at Casa Dali in Port Lligat , 1km. north of Cadaques. For additional info onthis area , check www.virtualtourist.com
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Actually DMcD I think Picasso did have a place at Cadaques - although it is more famous for Salvador Dali.
EW
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Live and learn ----- thats a good thing.
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About 30 years ago I had a friend in Cadaques who was asked by Dali to pose for a new painting of Christ on the Cross.
He asked to be paid, so Dali told him to get lost.
Cadaques used to be much nicer when Dali was alive, he used to allow us yacht visitors to take water from his tap in an old boat outside his house.
Now they would let you die of thirst.
King Juan Carlos used to go to visit Dali at his house in Ligat, which is now a museum.
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Definitely stay on for the fireworks if you can - they are spectacular with La Cite giving an awesome backdrop - claimed to be the best in France on 14th. Do not know if you would get a hotel in Carcassonne, but you shouldn%26#39;t have a problem booking a hotel or chambre d%26#39;hote nearby, but book soon. Barcelona about three and a half hours if the roads are clear, but in summer that autoroute can be very congested especially around Perpignan and at border.. If you do go avoid Fridays or Saturdays when traffic can be particularly bad.
There are plenty of places to visit in the area. Gouffre de Padirac is over 200 Km and would not recommend travelling that distance in the middle of summer! There are caves in the Pyrenees and north of Carcassonne (Limousis and Cabrespine) which although not as impressive as Padirac at least do not require having to spend 6 hours of the day in a car. Make sure you visit Mirepoix - lovely old town south of Castelnaudary. Many old Cathar castles in the area worth visiting. Chateau de Termes(south east of Carcassonne), Montsegur(south of Lavelanet), and Lastours (north of Carcassonne) all require all require an enjoyable walk up to them and your children wil enjoy scrambling about the ruins. If your staying near to Carcassonne then Lagrasse (SE of Lezignan) and Minerve (north of Lezignan) are definitely worth visiting. There are are plenty of of scenic routes and lovely places to visit - make sure you get a goog guide book.
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Thankyou all for your suggestions and advice, I think perhaps Barcelona will be another trip for us, we will certainly explore the surrounding area and plan accomm for the fireworks on the 14th.
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Hope you managed to get that extra night booked for the fireworks, they are awesome !! Make sure you get there early to reserve yourself a good seat. If you park near the camp site and walk along the River Aude,( where people will have set up tables and chairs for their picnics) you will get a brilliant if noisy view. The outskirts along the motorway are a popular vantage point too. Whatever you do don%26#39;t park in the centre unless you plan to stay for hours afterwards. Oh and Mirepoix have their lively maket on a Monday morning.
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