Sete to Carcassonne by Train

Hello CC,

Has anyone taken the train from Sete to Carcassonne and, if so, did this transportation method work well for this port?

Thank you,

Marilyn

Sete, France (Carcassone)

A free shuttle was provided by the town to take you from theship to the edge of the port where you could walk into thetown. It is described as a movie set, an idealseaport town with art deco buildings along the Canal Royal. We did not see it. Instead, we went to Carcassonne, thenumber two most visited site in France behind the EiffelTower. But getting started was the hardpart. In researching options, I found some optedfor a train to Carcassone and others chose a rental car. Ofcourse the ship tour is always an option aswell. Before the trip, I didn’t see anyinformation about how to get to the train station. In addition, amap showed it was not near the ship. I alsodidn’t see much information about how to get from the train station to thehistoric site. I saw one person mention using Europcar for arental. But again, the office didn’t appear close to theport. I chose to use Hertz and got a fantasticdeal with my corporate code (less than $50 for an automatic) for a somewhatdecent sized car. By looking at the map, I was going tohave to take a taxi to either the train station or a rental car location, so Ichose Hertz for the price and to get points J. On the ship, I had the hardest time getting information about how/where tocatch a taxi in the port. When we got off, Sete shorerepresentatives were super nice and called a taxi to meet us at the shuttledrop off location at the edge of the port. It took30-minutes for a taxi to arrive. I’m not sure what wewould have done if we had taken the shuttle directly to the port gate because Ididn’t see any cabs. The taxi took us to the Hertzlocation (which was actually part of a Toyota dealership). Ittook quite some time to complete the paperwork even though I’mgold. Once we were in the car we followed Mapquest or an hourand 20-minute ride. Whew! Carcassone wasneat. It’s a walled city that dates back to Romantimes. Walking around inside the walled village is free. There are restaurants, candy stores, bakeries, clothing shops and even ahotel. It was easy to think you were in a manufacturedfantasy land at an amusement park, but the buildings wereREAL. The main attraction is thecastle. The entrance fee for that includes an audioguide. While standing in line to buy entrance tickets,a group of people wearing the cruise ship tour stickers came up behindus. In other words—the ship “tour” was transportationto Carcassone—They still had to buy tickets to visit thecastle. The castle history wasinteresting. I note there were no furnishings in therooms. After our tour, we walked along theramparts (along the top of the walls). There was a beautifulcathedral in the village and a music concert happened to be going on insidewhen we were there. We left around 2:30 andstarted back to Sete. There was a shopping centerwith a grocery store and a McDonald’s and gas station. Wezoomed in there to refill the tank. The gas pumpwouldn’t take my card and I had trouble finding someone who spokeEnglish. Finally I figured out I had to fill up my tank and thendrive to a booth and then pay before I could leave the gatedarea. Once back at Hertz, we asked them to drive usback to the port. We didn’t have enough time toreally see or walk around Sete. I would estimate our totalcost of the day was around $125.

My full review: https://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=583756

Our ports of call:

Rome (Civitavecchia)

Livorno, Italy (Pisa/Florence)

Monte Carlo, Monaco

Villefranche-sur-Mer, France (last minute change from St.Tropez,France)

Ajaccio, Corsica, France

Almeria, Spain

Ceuta, Spanish Territory

Marseille, France

Sete, France (Carcassonne)

Barcelona, Spain

We have previously posted about our experience simply renting a car and driving to Carcasonne. But when renting cars at any port, one should always do their homework on where the rental car agency is located...in conjunction with the docking location. Saving a few Euros by booking the lowest price car, can often end up costing you more money (when you add in taxis to get you to and from the agency) and a lot more time. In the case of Sete, I believe that Hertz is about as far away from the port as one can get....when seeking a rental car agency. Rent-a-Car, Avis and Europcar are all within walking distance of the port (assuming that one is mobile). A rental car is a great option...especially if you have a 2nd couple to share the cost. Personally, we like to rent cars at many ports (all over the world) because we love the freedom and flexibility to do what we want, when we want...with who we want. Because of the distance to Carcasonne, the ship's transfer excursion can also be a decent option...although more and more cruise lines are now pricing their excursions beyond reasonable bounds.

As to the train station, folks who like to walk can make it to the station from the port. The Carcasonne Station is about 2K from the tourist part of town. Frequent cruisers/travelers who like doing their own thing (that would be me) will often debate the benefits of train vs car. But if the train schedule works on the day of your visit, it is certainly a good option. Personally, I just like having a car and not being concerned about train schedules, late trains, etc. Some of my train loving friends prefer trains because they do not like to drive, worry about traffic jams, flat tires, etc. No right or wrong...simply preference.

Hank

If you take the train to Carcassonne, you also have to walk or take a taxi to the medieval city. It is 20-30 minute walk. There are taxis outside the station.

It is best to arrive to Carcassonne as early as possible. Renting a car near the port is the most efficient way. Visit the chateau first. Then walk the ramparts, visit the cathedral and walk around the town.

The city walls were restored extensively in the 19th century. The middle of town is packed with tourist trinkets. Most restaurants serve a mediocre cassoulet. But it is well worth visiting.

Marazul forgot to add, that when you have lunch in Carcasonne.. you might want to try Cassoulet. The town is known for this dish....although we suspect it was developed elsewhere in the south of France. On the other hand, for you taking cruise ship excursions, the thought of being on a bus with 50+ folks having had beans for lunch....makes one want to rent a car :).

Hank

Hank-

Europcar just got 50 new customers. :eek:

They owe you a commission.

M

Hank-

Europcar just got 50 new customers. :eek:

They owe you a commission.

M

You think they include an "air freshener" with their rentals :).

Oh my. We better quite while we are ahead.

Hank

I would second renting a car over the train. The main reason for this is that you can make stops on your way from and to Sete. One interesting spot we stopped at was Beziers to look at the Canal du Midi (from Toulouse to Sete). You can see the canal anywhere in the area including Sete and Carcassone but it's extra interesting in Beziers due to a set of 7 locks and also the interesting sight of boats sailing the canal on a bridge over the River Orb.

Following everyone's advice I booked a car (didn't pay yet so we can change our minds) from Europcar. As noted, Hertz is further away from the port. Avis doesn't open until 9:30 or 10 (not clear from website). We dock at 8 am and leave at 6 pm.