Carcassonne...aire or acsi campsite

[The Ciderfarian]

Hi, we are fledgling vannies and will be heading down to Provence next week. One of stops will be Carcassonne. Just a couple of questions:-
How many nights is it worth staying for
Is there a decent, convenient aire available and is it safe OR should we go onto a campsite.
I presume there is an acsi site there
Loving the forum, look forward to your replies

 

[Phill D]

i recommend the ACSI site its pleasant and secure and an easy walk to the old city. There is a n Aire nearby but not used it.

we stayed just 2 nights, arrived early pm went fotr an initial walk around the old city, next day had a good tour of the Old City and a nice leisurely lunch in one of the many restaurants in the place.

if you time it right they do a City Aflame fireworks at night but i'm not sure when that is, only seen adverts for it when we were there.

PS; watch the narrow one way streets if you drive near the center particularly on market day with all the cars parked halving the road widths gave me a few headaches.

 

[WillH]

We went to Carcassonne last year, specifically to visit the citadel, well worth it. Stayed at Camping la Citie Carcassonne, normal French site, fine as I recall and not expensive. Great thing about the site is you can walk either up to the citadel or into the city.

http://www.campingcitecarcassonne.com

Hope this helps.

Bill

 

[Phill D]

We went to Carcassonne last year, specifically to visit the citadel, well worth it. Stayed at Camping la Citie Carcassonne, normal French site, fine as I recall and not expensive. Great thing about the site is you can walk either up to the citadel or into the city.

http://www.campingcitecarcassonne.com

Hope this helps.

Bill

thats where we stayed and it was a simple, walk to the walled old city.

 

[funflair]

We stayed on the aire earlier this year. Right outside the walled city and no problems but it is just a big parking area with a dump point.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[magicsurfbus]

What funflair says - overnight MH parking is integrated into the Carcassonne parking system, with automated ticketing and within easy reach of the main gate. You can do the citadel in a day. Last time we were there it was mid-August, the aire is a gravel surfaced car park, and it was bleeding hot. Within the walls it's worth a look inside the castle - the streets have become increasingly commercialised in recent years, a bit like Mont St Michel but nowhere near as tacky.

 

[brynric]

We're with Funflair and Magicsurfbus. We've stayed on the aire, but never in the hight of summer. It's clearly a car park but it's very convenient for the old town. For us it's easy not to take the dog on some visits and it's quick to get back to her.
We found it very commercial during the day but much more atmospheric at night with imaginative lighting.

 

[Daveg]

We stayed at the camp site because it was laundry time. Its OK - good sized pitches and recently upgraded facilities.. Excellent MH service point. Easy to get to the old town on foot. Architecturally fabulous but full of stupendously naff tat shops.

 

[Allanm]

We stopped at the aire in February, we were one of 3 vans parked there. We went to Carcassonne a few years ago in July, it was incredible busy and we weren't impressed.
This year, we had lots of time to look around with minimal tourists. It was brilliant.
Heres a shot of the aire as we left. Plenty of room.....

 

[Reallyretired]

Note the Carcassonne site (Le Cite) is no longer ACSI. It is a municipal site, not a bad price but quite a bit more than ACSI so we don't usually stay more than a couple of days. Also no longer has toilet emptying at each shower block but only at the entrance, which is a bit of a trek from some pitches. That said it is a nice site with a good short walk to le cite along the mill (overflow) stream, very popular with our dog on a hot day. We usually combine toilet/grey emptying with a trip to the supermarket (LeClerke miles away as SWMBO won't use the much closer Geant, don't know why)

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Carol]

We stayed at la cite a couple of years ago, pleasant walk along the river into the town, personally I would want 4 days there to have a good explore of the place, if you have bikes with you so much the better you can have a really good cycle ride along the canal du midi. We took a picnic and was out all day along the canal. Well worth a visit.

 

[Cyclewalkbob]

We stayed at the Citadel site for two nights a few years ago. Great site and easy walk to Cite centre.

We have been many times but Two days are ample if you have not been there before

 

[TeeCee]

I'm confused...can someone help?
Off to Spain in May but want to spend a night or maybe two in Carcassonne but.....is Camping Cite Carcassonne the site that used to be ACSI and is now municipal and is this the the same as the aire that is very near the old city?

 

[Chris]

I think ( but don't know for sure) that there is only one actual site in Carcassone.

Avoid Carcassone like the plague in the summer school holidays.

It's bloody awful.

 

[Judge Mental]

Th Aire fine..nice walk along the channel. you are there to see, spend time in the citadel..why pay for a campsite

we were there summer holidays and it was buzzing with loads going on...table in restaurant no probelermo. much prefer the atmosphere in high summer!

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[TeeCee]

Cheers all.....usually prefer official sites and have never stayed on an aire before as bit concerned re security, etc but will give it a try....as long as I can find it!

 

[Chris]

Th Aire fine..nice walk along the channel. you are there to see, spend time in the citadel..why pay for a campsite

we were there summer holidays and it was buzzing with loads going on...table in restaurant no probelermo. much prefer the atmosphere in high summer!

Really?

I was there about 3 years ago in August and it was a queue into the place and then a mass of people which turned into a queue out of the bloody place.

It may have been a timing issue but I had previously visited in May and it was a lovely place to be.

 

[Judge Mental]

Really?

I was there about 3 years ago in August and it was a queue into the place and then a mass of people which turned into a queue out of the bloody place.

It may have been a timing issue but I had previously visited in May and it was a lovely place to be.

dont get me wrong it was busy as there was some sort of festival on, but no queing Broken Link Removed. Maybe you were there during a special event....

 

[Reallyretired]

In terms of the aire versus the site.

The aire is closer to the old fortified city which may be of consequence if you have any problem with walking up hills, but is basically just a car park and the last price I know was €10 a night.

The site is twice the cost, but is a reasonably nice secure site with big pitches, clean toilet blocks, swimming pool, shop, snack bar (I wouldn't call it a restaurant although they do) childrens playground etc and good dog walking close to the site, they even provide poo bags, though the French don't seem to use them. Pleasant walk to the main city or the old city, but a bit of a climb at the old city end.

We always stay at the site, even though we think everything except the price has gone down since the ACSI days, still much nicer than the aire.

Avoid like the plague in August, it gets very busy.

 

[laird of Dunstan]

I bought a bar of chocolate at Carcassonne last October it cost 22 euros ,stunning place but a real tourist trap

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[TeeCee]

Ok ..got it! Aire seems basic, safe and closest to old town but site (Cite) more expensive and nicer setting although longer walk to town. AND MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL....DONT BUY ANY CHOCOLATE!
Thanks to all for info...going in May on way to Spain...can't wait!

 

[Gaston aires]

We stayed on the aire earlier this year. Right outside the walled city and no problems but it is just a big parking area with a dump point.

The aire ( in the car park) at Carcassonne is the only one we have ever left for safety reasons. There was an old car with four dodgy looking Eastern Europeans driving around late on. Im sure they were up to no good, and we left along with another British couple who thought the same. We will never know, but it pays to be careful.
Best wishes Phil

 

[TeeCee]

Make you right Phil...think it's the Cite site for me then!