I've driven past Carcassonne - lovely castle there! Wish we visited it and hope to go this year on our travels. So I'll be keeping an eye on this thread.
I've driven past Carcassonne - lovely castle there! Wish we visited it and hope to go this year on our travels. So I'll be keeping an eye on this thread.
I can't remember a whole lot about it though, so I'm not very useful I'm afraid. But it was lovely there, very pretty if I remember rightly. And I think we went to a beach at Toulouse.
I hope you have a good time if you're going there!
I can't remember a whole lot about it though, so I'm not very useful I'm afraid. But it was lovely there, very pretty if I remember rightly. And I think we went to a beach at Toulouse.
I hope you have a good time if you're going there!
I can't remember a whole lot about it though, so I'm not very useful I'm afraid. But it was lovely there, very pretty if I remember rightly. And I think we went to a beach at Toulouse.
I hope you have a good time if you're going there!
I went the summer before I went to university for a few weeks but it was nearly 20 years ago now, and it was just after they had used the castle for filming the Robin Hood film with K.Costner. From what I remember it was hot, a really good summer, quite inexpensive, we travelled around the place to Narbonne, Canet Plage, Collioure (loads of artists on the beach there). It was all laid back and chilled from what I recall.
My mate Chris got ripped off though buying a pizza, he couldnt understand a word of french and just held his hand out with a load of coins, francs they were then, the girl behind the counter took the lot
I can't remember a whole lot about it though, so I'm not very useful I'm afraid. But it was lovely there, very pretty if I remember rightly. And I think we went to a beach at Toulouse.I hope you have a good time if you're going there!
I thought Toulouse was inland?
I know it's the centre of the European Space industry.
We went to Carcassone a couple of years ago in June and it poured the whole time. The Castle is beautifull but just one big tourist trap full of shops selling tourist tat, and cafes were expensive, cheaper to eat in the town.
Carcasonne is a great place to visit. If you are going to the old town then my top tip is to get there early as the car parks fill up rapidly and everything becomes crammed, congested and horrible.
The restaurants in the old town are bound to be expensive but down in the new town are no worse than the rest of France.
Aaah, {Carcassonne}*! Lovely spot, but you really should have gone there forty years ago when it was cheap and before it got ruined....
(*Replace as appropriate with pretty much any place you're going to anywhere near the Med. Aaah, Alicante, etc...)
I seem to remember a weird tale about how Carcassonne got its name that involves Queen Carca, bell-ringing and flinging pigs stuffed with grain over the ramparts.
And there's a great crusader fort called Salses, just up the coast towards Narbonne.
Sounds good (up till the Milton Keynes bit). Thanks for the info - and thanks to all!
Can anyone recommend any good but cheap restaurants or cafes? Is it easy to find any that cater for vegetarians?
Most of the South of France is very bad news for vegetarians.
When we were in Carcassone a few years ago, and on the first night, my pal asked for a green salad in a restaurant and it came with bacon. Eek! She was not best pleased. Hardly any vegetarian dishes on any menu that we saw. She spent most of the holiday eating bread and tomatoes from the supermarket and when we went out at night, she had bread and wine and cake for her dinner. She began to see the funny side of it, about halfway through the fortnight.
If you've got a spare day and a car, I;d highly recommend a day in Andorra. It's awesome.
I flew to Toulouse when I was a sixth former years ago to get a summer job on a farm in a place called Cahors nearby. Although I didn't see that much of Toulouse itself, from what I remember it was quite laid back, not too built up and it was really hot. The ourskirts are hillyish with quite a few farms dotted everywhere and had a slightly Spanishy feel (even though I've never been to Spain if that makes any sense!).
Toulouse is LOVELY!! Its a really cool town with amazing shopping (outta my price range sadly). I suspect its not a major tourist destination due to the lack of obvious "tourist" sites although there are interesting things to see. The city far outstood my expectations!
Carcasonne. Theres a more "modern" town at the bottom of the hill, which is v non descript tbh. Its a bit of a trek getting up to the "old" bit. Its v pretty but also VERY touristy. Prices are high in the old quarter. also: dont wear high heels when visiting there, wear some sturdy summer shoes, its all cobbled streets & steep, so I didnt feel safe in flip flops.
Id also suggest visiting Albi which has an amazing v imposing massive Gothic church, and a fab Musée Toulouse-Lautrec
Comments
Here's the castle. Magnifique!
http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/01/03/46/6f/view-of-carcassonne-castle.jpg
I can't remember a whole lot about it though, so I'm not very useful I'm afraid. But it was lovely there, very pretty if I remember rightly. And I think we went to a beach at Toulouse.
I hope you have a good time if you're going there!
My mate Chris got ripped off though buying a pizza, he couldnt understand a word of french and just held his hand out with a load of coins, francs they were then, the girl behind the counter took the lot
I've been to both Carcassonne and Toulouse..........
Carcassonne is mainly about the castle............it's magnificent !
Toulouse i remember as sultry and hot...........had a north african feeling to it, white buildings etc
But I think maybe it's been heavily industrialised in the last few years, bit of a boom town, Milton Keynes stylee.........:o
Sounds good (up till the Milton Keynes bit). Thanks for the info - and thanks to all!
Can anyone recommend any good but cheap restaurants or cafes? Is it easy to find any that cater for vegetarians?
Albi?
I thought Toulouse was inland?
I know it's the centre of the European Space industry.
Aigues Mortes ?
No ! you'll have your work cut out
How long have you got ?
Yep, it was Narbonne I was thinking of, not Toulouse. >.< Sorry!
The restaurants in the old town are bound to be expensive but down in the new town are no worse than the rest of France.
(*Replace as appropriate with pretty much any place you're going to anywhere near the Med. Aaah, Alicante, etc...)
I seem to remember a weird tale about how Carcassonne got its name that involves Queen Carca, bell-ringing and flinging pigs stuffed with grain over the ramparts.
And there's a great crusader fort called Salses, just up the coast towards Narbonne.
Most of the South of France is very bad news for vegetarians.
When we were in Carcassone a few years ago, and on the first night, my pal asked for a green salad in a restaurant and it came with bacon. Eek! She was not best pleased. Hardly any vegetarian dishes on any menu that we saw. She spent most of the holiday eating bread and tomatoes from the supermarket and when we went out at night, she had bread and wine and cake for her dinner. She began to see the funny side of it, about halfway through the fortnight.
If you've got a spare day and a car, I;d highly recommend a day in Andorra. It's awesome.
I flew to Toulouse when I was a sixth former years ago to get a summer job on a farm in a place called Cahors nearby. Although I didn't see that much of Toulouse itself, from what I remember it was quite laid back, not too built up and it was really hot. The ourskirts are hillyish with quite a few farms dotted everywhere and had a slightly Spanishy feel (even though I've never been to Spain if that makes any sense!).
Yes! To both.
Toulouse is LOVELY!! Its a really cool town with amazing shopping (outta my price range sadly). I suspect its not a major tourist destination due to the lack of obvious "tourist" sites although there are interesting things to see. The city far outstood my expectations!
Carcasonne. Theres a more "modern" town at the bottom of the hill, which is v non descript tbh. Its a bit of a trek getting up to the "old" bit. Its v pretty but also VERY touristy. Prices are high in the old quarter. also: dont wear high heels when visiting there, wear some sturdy summer shoes, its all cobbled streets & steep, so I didnt feel safe in flip flops.
Id also suggest visiting Albi which has an amazing v imposing massive Gothic church, and a fab Musée Toulouse-Lautrec
Im a veggie.... the answer to your question is, NO, you're in France!!
I DO remember a well known veggie restaurant in Toulouse, but frankly cant remember the name (Google it!) It was nice btw...
Take a language book with you & attempt French, they're bloody snotty at anyone trying to speak to them in english!:rolleyes: