France - Carcasonne, Narbonne, Perpignon - Recommendations
Discussion
Hi Guys
My Mrs and I have a couple of trips planned this year in a view to buying somewhere within the SW triangle of Carcasonne, Narbonne and Perpignon. I am looking for recommendations of small towns around the area that are worth a visit to look at whilst we're over there, any ex-pat experiences and knowledge welcome.
Thanks
Chris
My Mrs and I have a couple of trips planned this year in a view to buying somewhere within the SW triangle of Carcasonne, Narbonne and Perpignon. I am looking for recommendations of small towns around the area that are worth a visit to look at whilst we're over there, any ex-pat experiences and knowledge welcome.
Thanks
Chris
Narbonne sur Plage.
That would be my choice for down there. Everybody knocks off at 4pm and hits the long beach. Cracking lifestyle, great heritage. The Romans had it right.
Do you know the area well? Do you understand just quite how blistering hot it can, well, more like - does - get? And if you go up into the Midi, just how relentlessly blistering it can be?
Toulouse and Carcassone are murderous in summer.
That would be my choice for down there. Everybody knocks off at 4pm and hits the long beach. Cracking lifestyle, great heritage. The Romans had it right.
Do you know the area well? Do you understand just quite how blistering hot it can, well, more like - does - get? And if you go up into the Midi, just how relentlessly blistering it can be?
Toulouse and Carcassone are murderous in summer.
DeejRC said:
Narbonne sur Plage.
That would be my choice for down there. Everybody knocks off at 4pm and hits the long beach. Cracking lifestyle, great heritage. The Romans had it right.
Do you know the area well? Do you understand just quite how blistering hot it can, well, more like - does - get? And if you go up into the Midi, just how relentlessly blistering it can be?
Toulouse and Carcassone are murderous in summer.
Apart from when the mistral blows through.;)That would be my choice for down there. Everybody knocks off at 4pm and hits the long beach. Cracking lifestyle, great heritage. The Romans had it right.
Do you know the area well? Do you understand just quite how blistering hot it can, well, more like - does - get? And if you go up into the Midi, just how relentlessly blistering it can be?
Toulouse and Carcassone are murderous in summer.
Anyhow recommend Collioue if you've time.
DeejRC said:
Narbonne sur Plage.
That would be my choice for down there. Everybody knocks off at 4pm and hits the long beach. Cracking lifestyle, great heritage. The Romans had it right.
Do you know the area well? Do you understand just quite how blistering hot it can, well, more like - does - get? And if you go up into the Midi, just how relentlessly blistering it can be?
Toulouse and Carcassone are murderous in summer.
Thanks for the response.That would be my choice for down there. Everybody knocks off at 4pm and hits the long beach. Cracking lifestyle, great heritage. The Romans had it right.
Do you know the area well? Do you understand just quite how blistering hot it can, well, more like - does - get? And if you go up into the Midi, just how relentlessly blistering it can be?
Toulouse and Carcassone are murderous in summer.
Yes we've been a few times at that time of year. It's funny as the houses we've been looking at say "AC is a must" but some fail to mention it can get pretty cold in the winters and few houses have central heating.
I'll add your recommendation to the list.
Thanks
We spent a lovely 10 days in le somail on the canal du midi. Sleepy little village , 4 typical French restaurants, bobbing boats, stayed in a canal side villa with pool , villa napoleon. Would go back in a heart beat. Treated mrs to a birthday meal in carcassone , Michelin star tasting menu in la barbacane. Fabulous.
smifffymoto said:
It depends what you want ,holiday home just for the summer,or do you want year round use.
Do you want to retire there when the time comes?
Exactly that. A place that would probably start as a holiday summer place then gravitate to a year round retirement place.Do you want to retire there when the time comes?
Any suggestions?
Thanks
Forget the seaside resort town,as it’s dead from October until Easter.Most tourist towns are the same,dead in winter.
If you want rental income,year round restaurants and somewhere to retire to you want somewhere near where Lot et Garronne,Dordogne and Gironde meet.
This area is booming at the moment but Winters can be wet and cold,Summer can hit 44 degrees and no where has air con.
If you want rental income,year round restaurants and somewhere to retire to you want somewhere near where Lot et Garronne,Dordogne and Gironde meet.
This area is booming at the moment but Winters can be wet and cold,Summer can hit 44 degrees and no where has air con.
We had a holiday in Vilasavery (https://www.francethisway.com/places/a/villasavary-aude.php) some years back and came close to buying the house we were staying next to. It's a shame we bottled it!
About 26kms from Carasonne.
It was by some measure the most delightful, lovely and welcoming place I've been to in France.
About 26kms from Carasonne.
It was by some measure the most delightful, lovely and welcoming place I've been to in France.
smifffymoto said:
Forget the seaside resort town,as it’s dead from October until Easter.Most tourist towns are the same,dead in winter.
If you want rental income,year round restaurants and somewhere to retire to you want somewhere near where Lot et Garronne,Dordogne and Gironde meet.
This area is booming at the moment but Winters can be wet and cold,Summer can hit 44 degrees and no where has air con.
Thats a little too far north or where we were considering. I think rental income would be nice to begin with but as we use it more, then I think the reliance on it would be less.If you want rental income,year round restaurants and somewhere to retire to you want somewhere near where Lot et Garronne,Dordogne and Gironde meet.
This area is booming at the moment but Winters can be wet and cold,Summer can hit 44 degrees and no where has air con.
I'll have a look though so thanks.
C
ChrisPackit said:
smifffymoto said:
Forget the seaside resort town,as it’s dead from October until Easter.Most tourist towns are the same,dead in winter.
If you want rental income,year round restaurants and somewhere to retire to you want somewhere near where Lot et Garronne,Dordogne and Gironde meet.
This area is booming at the moment but Winters can be wet and cold,Summer can hit 44 degrees and no where has air con.
Thats a little too far north or where we were considering. I think rental income would be nice to begin with but as we use it more, then I think the reliance on it would be less.If you want rental income,year round restaurants and somewhere to retire to you want somewhere near where Lot et Garronne,Dordogne and Gironde meet.
This area is booming at the moment but Winters can be wet and cold,Summer can hit 44 degrees and no where has air con.
I'll have a look though so thanks.
C
It’s 1.5 hours to Bordeaux,1.5 to Toulouse,3 hours to the Pyrenees and 2 hours to the West coast.
I like the area to the north of Beziers, which is a bit further east/north of where you're looking OP. I find the landscape there a bit more "Provencale" if you see what I mean. It's a bit greener, a bit more pleasant, and bit less arid than other parts of Languedoc. More vineyards than olive groves. I find the Carcassonne area a bit more dry and infertile feeling. I like the towns in and around the Orb valley, like Cessenon-sur-Orb for example.
I suppose what I'm saying is that you seem to be wanting the Aude area, but you might want to consider the Herault area too.
I suppose what I'm saying is that you seem to be wanting the Aude area, but you might want to consider the Herault area too.
Rural France out of season is similar everywhere. It’s cold, bleak and very much like the UK 30-40yrs ago. A lot of place don’t have central heating, most of the nicer places are on oil and you realise your summer holiday gaff isn’t actually a yr round home. You then have to change how you have the set up to make it more “homely”. Then you settle into the standard Auchan and L’Eclerc weekly shopping runs. Most of the restaurants close, except the small little local ones which only offer you menu du jour cos it’s out of season. You don’t like it, tough luck. And of course your pool is closed up cos it’s winter and it’s an outdoor pool.
It’s actually amusing to do because you realise it’s a different life to what you have normally experienced there and what you expected.
30+ yrs down nr Bordeaux.
It’s actually amusing to do because you realise it’s a different life to what you have normally experienced there and what you expected.
30+ yrs down nr Bordeaux.
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