Welcome to the first episode of my Armchair Exploring series! 🌍
This week, I’m taking you on a virtual visit to Carcassonne, France — the real-life fairy tale city that first captured my imagination long before my husband and I began planning our move to France.
We’ll talk a bit about Carcassonne’s fascinating history, what life there is like today (thanks to expat writer Rich Kagan’s wonderfully funny Substack), and whether living inside a medieval fortress would be a dream come true or a logistical challenge.
🎬 Featured topics:
• The walled “Cité de Carcassonne” and its Hollywood moment in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves
• How I first discovered Carcassonne through the board game 🎲
• Insights from expats living in the city today
• What daily life might really looks like beyond the fairy-tale walls, and without a car.
If you enjoy daydreaming about life in France, hit Subscribe for more Armchair Exploring adventures each week.
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#Carcassonne #FranceTravel #MovingToFrance #ExpatsInFrance #FrenchLifestyle #DreamingOfFrance
12 Comments
I just caught a mistake – I said Toulouse was northeast of Carcassonne – it's northwest. Duh. Anyway, Have you ever visited Carcassonne — or dreamed about living in a medieval town like this? 🏰
I’d love to hear whether the fairy-tale charm or the practical side would win for you.
You just got to choose the right house for your business some shops now close for 4 months of the year now, Carcassonne is a big tourist trap. no La Rochelle is the better choice , I have lived in a walled historic town you end up living in a old building that you wont be able to sell.
Your consistency is super impressive! Excited to watch this video 🙌❤
I totally understand people who wish to live without a car. The savings and the reduced issues of parking, maintenance etc are advantages. However I have tried it even briefly in Europe and found it not easy. Running on the public transport schedule takes effort and sometimes is impossible. For example some trains run until a certain hour to smaller towns outside larger cities. This means if you go see a concert, go to a dinner (after 7pm and likely until 9pm is common) means there are no trains back to the towns and villages we like or are nice to live in in the area we stayed in. Going to pick up toilet paper and paper towels are plenty light but bulky trying to carry it back home. Sure you can buy smaller packages but having a little extra is nice. Let alone larger or heavier items where carrying such items on public transport may be doable but often a pain. We tried it in Strasbourg central and found even mundane things to take more effort. In outer towns it became a real issue. Another example was when we went to see a concert in a Baroque church in a small town 20-25 mins away. There are no trains or busses between the 2 so any public transport meant a long journey to a more major city and then to a nearby town then a taxi or Uber to the church. All these issues can be overcome but some are a pain. I respect anyone who wants to go car free but there are considerations to make on both sides of the issue to think about.
Having lived for a spell 38 km up the road from there when I landed last May, and Carc being my "go to" place for that first month: there is a great and kind and helpful English-speaking group, truly, and it is actually quite large with Brits, Scots, Aussies, Canadians, South Africans, US people, and others who speak English. Outside of the cité and Place Carnot/bastide area, there was not enough for me in any realm of daily-living needs as a solo. It was one of my Final Three and did not make the cut. If I was you and knowing a bit about your goals/dreams? La Rochelle is a better fit.
Carcassonne is so beautiful and historic! When we had our consultation with French Connections, we told Richard we didn't want to own a car. He said that most everyone says that, but it's not realistic. We still want to live in a city where we can use the TGV and other public transportation often. We were so impressed with the trains while we were over there a few weeks ago! Although we're looking at Dijon, Strasbourg or Colmar areas, I would be interested in hearing more about that city you mentioned in the southeast part of France. The coastal areas are pretty, but for us, it's too far away from the other parts of Europe that we want to explore.
Il ne faut pas confondre Toulouse avec Carcassonne. Enfin, ce conseil s'adresse à la mariée pour sa nuit de noce, si elle oublie les conseils que sa mère lui a dit la veille pour gâter son mari.
I am definitely visiting Carcassonne when we move. It looks so inspiring and interesting. And yes, I know what you mean — I inevitably think about the board game (which I actually haven't played) every time the city is mentioned.
When it comes to cars, I'd kinda like the best of both worlds — ability to walk or bike to shops and public buildings, convenient to transit…but also still have a car for when it's needed. Also because I've been a car enthusiast since forever, and they're like pets to me.
FWIW, I’m going to offer unsolicited advice. I’m older than you & I’ve been married to a guy born & raised in Paris for 41 years.
His parents bought 2 properties in France, one in the Loire Valley which we are in the process of trying to sell because it’s way too rural for us & another on the Provençal coast which was sold a long time ago. So, I’ve spent a huge amount of time in France.
If you’re sure France will be your forever home, buy. It’s so much cheaper over there, even in big cities like Nice.
If you’re not reasonably fluent in French, buy where there’s an expat community. Obviously, you must strive to learn French at a B2 minimum, but having support is important.
If you’re selling a home, you can definitely afford to buy.
Lastly, we all age & at some point, shouldn’t drive. Apart from the cost of buying & maintaining a car over there, I recommend thinking about where you will be able to easily access groceries & doctors as you age. It’s honestly a big deal since you won’t have children able to take you to the places you need to go.
Just my thoughts….
We are excited about not owning a car. We are city people who enjoy walking and are looking forward to good public transportation.
If you like old fortified cities, Entrevaux is also very nice, if much smaller. The nearby Gorges de Daluis is absolutly beautifull (~70km north of Nice)
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/gps-cs-s/AG0ilSyHRtq5XI6_33MlVR4sM8agVQtVRIyJ9Ti8afGY3jPbha2fa_8qZwDFFvhSlERwK6Rh05acvBXrCaMXV55JLbftktn70niQOWUo7BbNmsAg7PD920xdaMdeW7LlozmVAwJioQTS=w540-h312-n-k-no
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/licensed-image?q=tbn:ANd9GcTBgn9_SGxVSN4c5XlN5MLRzO-cGJi-ro8dp20_9nXFKPYtF5ZOYTlFZxsd_rVvWrIvCG2uqrXUL-6rLHGivfYgxkg&s=19
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/67/Daluis_gorges_du_var_03.jpg/800px-Daluis_gorges_du_var_03.jpg
My apartment is here in the centre of the bastide Saint Louis. I didn’t know how accessible Carcassonne was till I went the third time. I now come here at least 6 times a year and my mother of Indian origin who never went anywhere but India loves it. A car is important based on where you want to go but otherwise it’s like isle of white you can see it in less than 2 days. Train station ten minute walk and because I have all the shops near me I really don’t need a car