You don't need a car
Carcassonne has a small state-owned airport which is served by cheap and frequent RyanAir flights from London Stansted.
There are always plenty of taxis waiting at the airport when a flight is due, and the driver will know where your apartment is when told or shown the address. The taxi ride takes about seven minutes and costs ten Euros.
During the summer months the streets around the Place Carnot are occasionally blocked off because of some event taking place in the square, so your taxi may not be able to take you right up to the door of your apartment. However you may use a "touc", a small electric vehicle that can be hailed anywhere, like a taxi, and goes up on the pavement if necessary to avoid the barriers that prevent the passage of other vehicles. It is free. Details are enclosed with the information pack.
The areas of Carcassonne which will be of interest to the tourist are mostly within easy walking distance of the apartments. However there is also excellent public transport.
Buses
If you don't want to walk to the Cite there is a free bus from the Square Gambetta (five minutes' walk from the apartments) or the normal bus (no 2) from the Post Office (even closer to the apartments).
For more information about the urban buses (Agglo'BUS) visit the kiosk at the bus station, which is opposite the Tourist Office (28 rue de Verdun) or telephone 04 68 47 82 22.
Regional buses leave from the gare routiere on the boulevard de Varsovie. The two bus companies are Cars Teissier, tel 04 68 47 85 20, and Cars Bourdiers, tel 04 68 25 85 45.
Trains
The railway station is seven minutes walk from the apartments and there you can help yourself to timetables for all the routes that interest you. Their telephone number is 04 68 71 79 14. You will sometimes find that part of your journey is in fact by bus. Many interesting destinations can be reached easily, for example Bram (a ‘Circulade’ village), Toulouse, Castelnaudary, Narbonne, Beziers, Agde, Sete, Montpellier, Nimes, Perpignan, Collioure, Port Vendre, Limoux, Alet-Les-Bains, Esperaza, Quillan, or go further afield to Barcelona or Lourdes.
Taxis
There is a taxi rank opposite the station where you will usually find two or three taxis waiting. Alternatively you can telephone a taxi to pick you up on 04 68 71 50 50. The person who answers will usually speak English.
Tourist information
The local tourist office at 28 Rue de Verdun (5 minutes' walk from the apartments) is an excellent source of information on just about anything a tourist might wish to know. Much of the information is filed away and not on display, so if you do not see what you are after, don't hesitate to ask. The staff all speak good English and are very helpful and knowledgeable. The location is shown on the map that is sent with the information pack.
We also strongly recommend the official Carcassonne tourism website, which is well worth visiting before your stay in Carcassonne.
