Hello,
In a couple of weeks I'm heading to France with my husband, 9 year old and 11 year old.
We're spending a week in Paris, 5 days in Gordes in Provence, then we travel to Carcassonne.
My question is about our day driving from Gordes to Carcassonne. I was originally thinking we could stop and have a look around Nimes in the morning, have lunch then drive to Montpellier and go to the Musee Fabre, before driving through to Carcassonne arriving late afternoon.
Is this a good plan or do we need longer than a morning in Nimes to do it justice?
Is Montpellier tricky to get in and out of? Should we drive past and stop somewhere smaller like Narbonne instead?
I can see on the viamichelin site it will be about 4 hours driving in total - want to break it up with some interesting stops - but also have a relaxed enjoyable day getting to Carcassonne.
Any suggestions much appreciated.
Many thanks,
Rebecca
Posted by
🏝️ Hobe Sound, FL⛱️
3179 posts
Since you're going to Paris, I'm assuming that you will be visiting the Louvre and Orsay museums. I would spend additional time in Nimes and visit the Roman arena, Maison Carrée and the spectacular Pont du Gard and skip Museé Fabre. With an almost 3 hour drive, you don't have a lot of time for multi-city stops.
Posted by
Nice, France & San Francisco
689 posts
If you have not done so already, I agree you should go to the Pont Du Gard. Nimes does have a lot of offer on a scale that is kid friendly.
Getting in and out of Montpellier is not too bad, considering the size, although it is often easier to simply park once and then walk or take the tram to the various parts of town. It's a lively and definitely a student city, filled with cafes that pour out onto the squares and the central place. Narbonne is a more sleepy town and easy to get in and out of.
Posted by
Boston
4132 posts
Why don't you see what time it is, and how you feel, when you leave Nimes? Consider Montpelier to be on the margin.
If you really want a full day, leave early. Maybe you can visit both. You don't want to get to Carcassonne before 5 anyway.