How to get there

By Air

RYANAIR go directly to Carcassonne from: Brussels, London Stanstead and Dublin (5 days

per week at time of writing); and Shannon Airport in Ireland and Liverpool and East Midlands

Airports in England (2 days a week). Flights are planned from Edinburgh and Cork.

Flights are free if you book far enough in advance but the same flight can be over £300 if booked

at short notice in the summer. Ryanair have revolutionized air travel, but they can be difficult.

-Use the internet to book, not the telephone.

-Read the small print on the booking form carefully, and travel light.

- Ryanair staff are ABSOLUTELY MILITANT about boarding and checkin times and if you

are one minute late you won't get on. Best to allow 2 hours unless you know the airport.

INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS go to Toulouse or Montpellier. If you're flying into Toulouse

and hiring a car, better to be prewarned about the chaotic one-way system. The airport shuttle

plus the train only costs 25€ per person

Driving from Britain and Ireland

PLEASE NOTE All estimates of road times and charges (including motorway tolls) are taken from

ViaMichelin.com. I think they must use an 800hp vehicle doing 200mph; I would add at least 30%

to both times and cost.

ALL PRICES ARE ONE-WAY

THE CHANNEL TUNNEL cost betwen £50 and 115 at tie of writing. Add a 9hr drive and

135€ at this end, plus the cost of getting to Folkestone.

EUROSTAR from Ashford Kent (easier parking than Central London) to Avignon is a popular

alternative in the summer holidays; 5hrs on the train +£200, and another 2hrs in the car & 40€ at this

end. BOOK EARLY.Other times of year, it can take 12 hours with a stopover in Paris.

BRITTANY FERRIES run from Portsmouth to Cherbourg (4hrs, £110-195), St Malo (all-night

journey, same price) and Caen (£130-265).

FROM IRELAND, there is a service from Rosslare to Cherbourg, 7pm to 2pm the following day,

(235€-375€). Also Rosslare to Roscoff and Cork to Roscoff.

Petrol and time from all the ferry stations is around the same, 8-10 hrs and 125-140€; plus the cost

the other end.

Car Hire

As you see, it's very expensive to bring a car over the Channel - not worth it for less than a 10-day stay.

If you're only coming to see the historic town you won't need one - everything in the City and the

Bastide is within walking distance. On the other hand, it's definitely the best way to introduce yourself

to the surrounding countryside.

Ryanair have a special deal with Hertz (only available if you fly in with them); a Fiat Panda on the

English website at time of writing was only £167 a week, but on the French website it was 267€.

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