In need of assistance

I have been reading guidebooks and this valuable board trying to plan a trip to this are for the last days of August %26amp; first week of Sept. Flying into Orly..will probably fly to Monpellier and drive in a loop to fly back. ?as south as Colliour with Albi our most northern city. Looking for combo of reputed [eg Le Jardin des Sens] and quaint, laid back hotels %26amp; restaurants. We are foodies. Want to see Cathar castles [1 day], perhaps Sete. Can you help me get organized as I seem to be floundering. Thanks Paula

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In Sete, we have stayed twice in the Grand Hotel in a large corner room overlooking the canal. It is a good hotel, with secure private parking about 50 metres away. It is a good 3* hotel, nice indoor courtyard for breakfast, excellect modern cuisine restaurant, Quai 17.

www.legrandhotelsete.com/anglais/intro.htm

In the Cathar area, Mirepoix is very pleasant and old. Maison de Consuls is a very authentic hotel, on the covered arched square with good lodging.

maisondesconsuls.com/welcome_maison_des_cons…

In Collioure, I recommend Hotel Les Templiers for somewhere a little different. It is in the old town on the canal, with loads of original art by masters on display.

www.hotel-templiers.com/gb/sommaire.htm

While down that way, inland near the Spanish border is a lovely old walled town, Villefranche de Conflent, with nearly incredible limestone caves, La Grotte des Grandes Canalettes.

Another lovely old hotel within an old abbey, with fine dining is Abbaye Chateau de Camon, in Camon 09500, about 15km SE of Mirepoix.

http://www.chateaudecamon.com/

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Unfortunately, you are planning to be along the coastal areas of southern France at the same time as the annual national holiday month - August. It will be difficult to obtain reservations (hotel or restaurant) at this late date for many of the most popular places.

I can make several recommendations to help:

1. The network of Table - Auberges which are well know restaurants and corresponding hotels:

http://www.tables-auberges.com/

2. Purchase a copy of the Michelin Red Guide. This book lists a great number of the best places to eat and stay at all price levels throughout all of France. I consider it my most coveted resource for finding the best of what a region has to offer. The guide is sold at better bookstores throughout North America and on line.

3. The interior cities will be much less crowded. You will most likely want to include Carcassonne on your list of places to visit. If you do make it as far away as Albi, I suggest you include Corde-sur-ciel, at least pass by for lunch as this is one place that should be, but as of yet, has not been overrun by tourists.

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The last days of August will not be that bad as school starts on September 1st and many people will have left. But it will be difficult to find rooms in and around Perpignan during the first 2 weeks of September as the town holds the VISA International Photography Festival.

A few suggestions :

www.domaine-d-auriac.com near Carcassonne

www.chateau-de-floure.com also near Carcassonne

www.chateau-des-ducs.com , near Carcassonne

www.chateaulignan.fr near Beziers

www.couventherepian.com, a hotel in a former convent near Pezenas and Montpellier

www.terrasse-au-soleil.com near Ceret

www.verchant.com in Castelnau-le-Lez

www.lelodge.fr in Lattes near Montpellier

Also check gites at :

www.sejour-de-charme.fr

www.demeure-de-charme.fr

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Thanks to all for your generous replies and ideas. I am exploring all of them. The problem I am having springs from notknowing this region at all. First I need to get my route down adn then the reservations. We like to spend some nights in one location and do day trips from there. Would you comment on my current route idea [which seems too choppy to me].

Monpellier 2 nights

Sete 1

Colliourie [or Perpignan] 2

Mirepoix 2

Carcassonne 2

Toulouse 2

Are the Mirepoix and Carcassone rather redundant/un necessary?

Thanks Paula

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In my opinion, it is a lot of packing and unpacking! I would spend 4 nights in or around Montpellier and visit Sete on a day trip. The harbor is cute but there is not much else to see unless you want to drive around Etang de Thau and this can be easily done the same day.

From Montpellier I would spend 4 nights somewhere around Narbonne. From Narbonne you can visit Perpignan, Collioure, Carcassonne and the Cathar Castles (Peyrepertuse, Queribus) and then move on Toulouse or area to visit Foix, Mirepoix, etc...

Maybe you should look at a map and get an idea of the distances involved :

Montpellier to Perpignan is approx 150 km

Perpignan to Collioure : 30 km

Narbonne to Perpignan : 55 km

Narbonne to Carcassonne : 50 km

Narbonne to Toulouse : 140 km.

In other words, by basing yourself in the 3 places above, you can do a lot of day-trips without spending all your time driving.

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Hi Paula

You are probably the best judge of whether you are better off using 2 or 3 bases and day trips or 1 -2 nights in each place, even if they are only 30km apart.

I personally don%26#39;t have a problem with packing/moving/unpacking and I tend to get bored after a couple of nights in one place. I like to find nice restaurants in different towns and villages for long dinners, so I think your itinerary is fine, although I would stay in Collioure rather than Perpignan.