Minervois Leisure

Travel Options

By Road

Driving from a channel port to Le Somail is not as daunting as it sounds. With an overnight stop in central France (many motels are available at around €35 per room), it can be a very pleasant journey of two 5 to 6 hour legs. Check Norfolk Line, Sea France, or Hoverspeed for cheap channel crossings, or try Ferry Savers.

• From Calais to le Somail is 675miles / 1086km.
• Minervois Leisure's base is located in the attractive hamlet of Le Somail, 8 miles (13 kilometres) northwest of Narbonne.
• From Carcassonne, take the N113 eastwards, towards Narbonne, but turn left after a few kilometres into Trèbes, and follow the D610 towards Béziers via Puicheric and Homps, where it becomes the D11 and then the D5. At a roundabout after Pouzols, turn right onto the D607 towards Narbonne; Le Somail is on your left immediately after the road crosses the canal.
• From most other directions, take the Narbonne Sud exit from the A9 autoroute, and follow the N213 clockwise around Narbonne until turning left onto the D607 (direction St Pons). Proceed through Marcorignan and St Marcel; Le Somail is on your right just before the canal bridge.
• In the centre of Le Somail you will see the famous stone bridge over the canal, with the chapel on its western end. Our office is behind the large stone building on the eastern end of the bridge.
• If renting a car, please bear in mind though that if you travel outside the country of rental, you may be liable for the cost of any loss to a car driven into a non permitted country, including the cost of repatriating the car if necessary. We recommend you carefully check with your chosen rental company before booking your rental car.
• www.viamichelin.co.uk is a useful site for route planning, examples of tolls etc.

Please note that Motoring Laws in France are very strict, especially with regard to SatNavs and Radar Detectors (regardless of whether they are being used or not). If you need further information see the advice from the AA .

Please also note that certain major French cities have now introduced a law for your car to have a 'clean air sticker' to identify vehicle emission levels. See this RAC site for more information

For a full checklist of requirements when driving in France, this site is very useful.

By rail

Check with Rail Europe or SNCF for special fares from London to Narbonne. With one change this takes only about 8 hours, and is usually priced at around £130 return. There is also a useful website about train travel in France at http://www.seat61.com/France-trains.htm#How. If travelling from Spain you may wish to try RENFE.

By air

cheapoair.co.uk is a unique resource to help you make the most of budget flying in Europe. With the distinct aim of being the most accurate and complete resource available.

Béziers

• Our nearest airport is Béziers, served by Ryanair from London Stansted, Luton and Bristol. Taxis cost from around €90 one-way, except before 07:00 and after 19:00, and all day Sunday & public holidays, when the charge is €130 .

Carcassonne

• Our next nearest airport is Carcassonne, served by Ryanair from London Stansted, East Midlands, Liverpool, Dublin, Shannon, Cork and Brussels. Taxis from Carcassonne cost about €100 one-way, except before 07:00 and after 19:00, and all day Sunday & public holidays, when the charge is €140. There is also the option of an 8-passenger minibus for a charge of about €130 (€145 night-time & Sunday).

Perpignan

• Ryanair also fly from London Stansted, Brimingham and Brussels to Perpignan, which is almost as close to our base as Carcassonne. Taxis are around €120 on Saturdays, and €180 on Sundays & public holidays, (or between 19:00 and 07:00 on other days). A Minibus, taking 8 passengers, is around €185 on Saturdays, and €242 on Sundays (or between 19:00 and 07:00 on other days)

Toulouse

• British European from Birmingham is an ideally timed flight. Taxis cost €260 - €400 so you will find a hire car from holiday autos much more convenient & cheaper (around €150 for an economy 4 door). The drive takes 1 hour 45 minutes. British Airways and Air France also fly into Toulouse. Taxis are around €260 on Saturdays, and €360 on Sundays (or between 19:00 and 07:00 on other days). A Minibus, taking 8 passengers, is around €305 on Saturdays, and €400 on Sundays (or between 19:00 and 07:00 on other days)

Nîmes

• If you're on a budget and/or keen to see more of the Midi, consider flying Ryanair from Luton, East Midlands, Liverpool or Brussels to Nîmes. These fares are often cheaper, and the airport bus connects directly with Nîmes railway station, from where trains run frequently to Narbonne, about 8 miles from our base.
  Taxis from Nimes are around €300 on Saturdays, and €395 on Sundays (or between 19:00 and 07:00 on other days).
  A Minibus, taking 8 passengers, is around €302 on Saturdays, and €389 on Sundays (or between 19:00 and 07:00 on other days).
  Taxis from Narbonne are around €30 on weekdays and Saturdays, and €40 on Sundays (or between 19:00 and 07:00 on other days).
  A Minibus, taking 8 passengers, is around €55 on Saturdays, and €65 on Sundays (or between 19:00 and 07:00 on other days)

Montpellier

• Another airport in the general area is Montpellier. (British Airways, Air France, and Ryanair from Stansted, Brussels or Frankfurt). Easy connection by bus and train to Narbonne, or again, consider the car hire option.
  Taxis are around €180 on Saturdays, and €260 on Sundays (or between 19:00 and 07:00 on other days).
  A Minibus, taking 8 passengers, is around €295 on Saturdays, and €345 on Sundays (or between 19:00 and 07:00 on other days)

Spain

• Another holiday option would incorporate a flight to Gerona in NE Spain, which is a major airline hub for Ryanair, giving an option from many major UK and European cities.
• Barcelona can be reached by Easy Jet from Luton, Gatwick, Liverpool, Amsterdam and Geneva. At Barcelona a Mercedes 160 may be hired from Easy Car at a cost usually less (for 8 days) than the return taxi fare from Carcassonne airport to our base. It's only a 2.5 hour drive from Barcelona to our base. Please bear in mind though that if you travel outside the country of rental, you will be liable for the cost of any loss to a car driven into a non permitted country. including the cost of repatriating the car if necessary. We recommend you carefully check with Easy Rentacar car before booking your rental car

Bed & Breakfast

• Should you require bed and breakfast before / after your holiday, we suggest "Les Volets Bleus" (The Blue Shutters). Close to Our base, they also operate an air conditioned minibus service to / from the Airports/ station: