Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Planning Your Time
Albi or Puycelci make a good day or overnight stop between the Dordogne region and
Carcassonne (figure about two autoroute hours from Albi to either place; Puycelci is 30
minutes closer to the Dordogne. Plan your arrival in popular Carcassonne carefully: Get
there late in the afternoon, spend the night, and leave no later than 11:00 the next morning
to miss most day-trippers. Collioure lies a few hours from Carcassonne and is your Medi-
terraneanbeach-townvacationfromyourvacation,whereyou'llwanttwonightsandafull
day. To find the Cathar castle ruins and the village of Minerve, you'll need wheels of your
own and a good map. If you're driving, the most exciting Cathar castles—Peyrepertuse
and Quéribus—work well as day stops between Carcassonne and Collioure. And if nature
beckons, the Gorges du Tarn make an idyllic joyride a few hours east of Albi. No matter
what kind of transportation you use, Languedoc-Roussillon is a logical stop between the
Dordogne and Provence—or on the way to Barcelona, which is just over the border.
Getting Around Languedoc-Roussillon
Albi,Carcassonne,andCollioureareallaccessiblebytrain,butacarisessentialforseeing
the remote sights. Pick up your rental car in Albi or Carcassonne, and buy Michelin Local
maps #344 and #338. Roads can be pencil-thin, and traffic slow.
For a scenic one-hour detour route connecting Albi and points north (such as the
Dordogne), take D-964 between Caussade (30 minutes south of Cahors), Bruniquel, Gail-
lac, and Albi. With a bit more time, link Caussade, Saint-Antonin-Noble-Val (D-5 and
D-926), Bruniquel, Castelnau-de-Montmiral, Gaillac, and Albi (using D-115 and D-964;
see “Route of the
Bastides
” on
here
). If you really want to joyride, take a half-day drive
through the glorious Lot River Valley via Villefranche-de-Rouergue, Cajarc, and St-Cirq
Lapopie (see the “Dordogne” chapter). If speed is of the essence, connect the Dordogne
with Albi on the autoroute to Montauban.
Languedoc-Roussillon's Cuisine Scene
Hearty peasant cooking and full-bodied red wines are Languedoc-Roussillon's tasty trade-
marks.Beadventurous.Cassoulet,anoldRomanconcoctionofgoose,duck,pork,mutton,
sausage, and white beans, is the main-course specialty. You'll also see
cargolade,
a satis-
fyingstewofsnail,lamb,andsausage.LocalcheesesareRoquefortandPelardon(anutty-
tasting goat cheese). Corbières, Minervois, and Côtes du Roussillon are the area's good-
value red wines. The locals distill a fine brandy, Armagnac, which tastes just like cognac
and costs less.
