Getting to Carcassonne
By train
Carcassonne has direct train links to several major cities in France (Toulouse, Bordeaux, Marseille, Lyon). You can also travel easily from cities like Paris (one change at Toulouse) and Barcelona (one change at Narbonne). Tickets within France can be booked via the SNCF website. See this PDF to find out when tickets go on sale. From Spain, book on the Renfe website.
The train station and most accommodation options are located in the lower town. The conference venue is about a 25-minute walk from the station, mostly flat but the final 500-metre stretch is uphill. See Getting around Carcassonne.
By coach
FlixBus and BlaBlaCar operate bus links to various French and European destinations. See the ComparaBUS website to compare routes and prices.
By car
Take exit 23 (Carcassonne-Ouest) off the A61 motorway for the city centre, or exit 24 for the citadel (Carcassonne Est / Carcassonne-La-Cité). Note that the citadel itself is out of bounds to cars (including taxis).
Parking
Large car parks are located outside the citadel entrance, but these can fill up quickly at busy periods. Cost: approx. €20* / 24h. Other fee-paying car parks can be found in the lower town. Some accommodation may also include parking facilities.
Ride shares
You can search for and book ride shares (covoiturage) on the BlaBlaCar website, generally only a short time before travel. The METM24 Facebook page is also a great place to find travel buddies.
By air
Ryanair is currently the only airline offering scheduled passenger flights to the city and operates a reduced schedule in October. It flies from Brussels, Bournemouth, Cork, Dublin, East Midlands, London Stansted, Manchester and Porto.
Transfers
A shuttle bus (€6) connects the airport to the city centre, train station and medieval citadel, with departures timed to leave 45 minutes after each flight arrival. Tickets can be purchased directly on board. A taxi rank is also located in front of the terminal and drivers are available 24 hours a day.
Direct flights are available from many European cities. Toulouse Blagnac is about 90 minutes from Carcassonne by car or train (via Toulouse city centre).
Transfers
Due to construction work on the T2 tramway line, the best way to access Toulouse bus and train stations (located next door to each other) is currently via the airport shuttle bus. Single tickets (€9) can be purchased on board, at Tisséo offices and at metro or tramway station ticket machines (card or coins only).
Another option is to take a taxi to Toulouse train station. Taxi ranks can be found outside the airport between gates B3 and C1. The flat-rate fare is €35, but small surcharges may apply. Trains run from Toulouse to Carcassone about every 45 minutes and the journey time is just over an hour. See times and prices on the SNCF Connect website.
Other nearby airports:
- Montpellier Méditerranée (2h)
- Perpignan Rivesaltes (1h30)
- Béziers Cap d’Agde (2h)
Travel buddies
Our private METM24 Facebook group is the perfect place to find a travel companion. You can join the group once you have registered for METM24. If you have any questions in the meantime, Helen Spottiswoode and Karen Grimwade can give you transport advice; drop them a line.
*All prices are correct at the time of writing (September 2023).
