Getting There — Carcassonne is a major stop for trains between Toulouse and destinations south and east. Seventeen trains per day arrive from Toulouse (trip time from 48 min.; 16€ one-way), 16 per day from Montpellier (trip time: 1.5 hr.; from 10€ one-way), and 10 per day from Marseille (trip time: from 3 hr.; from 26€ one-way). Train information and schedules are on www.sncf-connect.com or call tel. 36-35. If you’re driving, Carcassonne is on A61 south of Toulouse.
Visitor Information — The Office de Tourisme has locations at 28 rue de Verdun (www.carcassonne-tourisme.com; tel. 04-68-10-24-30) and in the medieval town at Porte Narbonnaise (tel. 04-68-10-24-36).
Events in Carcassonne — The town’s nightlife sparkles during its summer festivals. During the Festival de Carcassonne (www.festivaldecarcassonne.com) from mid-July to mid-August, concerts, modern and classical dance, operas, and theater fill the city, with international stars appearing at the Théâtre Jean Deschamps, an amphitheater seating 5,000 in La Cité. Tickets run 9€ to 85€. On July 14, Bastille Day, one of the best fireworks spectacles in France lights up the skies at 10:30pm. Over six weeks in July and August, the merriment and raucousness of the Middle Ages take over the city during the Spectacles Medievaux, in the form of jousts, food fairs, and street festivals. For information, contact the Office de Tourisme.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
