France city break with an elderly parent

You can stay at a hotel within the walls at Carcassone. Carcassone was rebuilt so not really historic if that is important to you.

Ah really? The castles look so interesting! Do you recommend it for a weekend? The flight days suit me and it's the also the cheapest. I'd go to Avignon if that was an option as it's one of my favourite places in France but it'd be too difficult and expensive to get to.

Don't let the fact that not all the stones you see are original bother you. A lot is still in place, even as old as Roman blocks and a bit of Roman wall. Indeed Carcassonne was restored in the late 19th century, but so were Vezelay and Notre Dame, and a lot of other monuments. There was a bit of controversy over how authentically it was rebuilt, but recent scholarship supports the choices made by Viollet-le-Duc, the architect in charge of all these restorations. It's hard to consider authentic since the hill has been occupied since the Celts and other castles preceded the present walled city.

That said, Carcassonne is a half-day visit inside the walls for most people, but if you are a history buff, you'll find more. The lower town, outside the walls (16th C.) , is a depressed area but has some interesting buildings. The regional museum is worth a visit. The market is Saturday morning. We spent ten days using Carcassonne as a base to visit the area. On top of the hill, it's fairly flat and the main entry is a gentle slope.

We also spent ten days in Toulouse and think it's a very interesting, historic city with a lot to offer. You have to walk more to see all the different sites because it is a city. I don't remember unpleasant hills and steps, though there are steps to walk down to the Garonne River or back up to the city.

Limoges is on hills and the historic area is very small but it's a very old city, again going back to the Celts. I haven't been to Bergerac.

I like Carcassonne, but visitors should be aware that during much of the day it is crowded and the crowds feed a lot of tourist crap (plastic swords, museums of torture, etc.). It is worth having a retreat or plan B (drive to see other sights midday) in you back pocket if that gets to be too much.

Like Bets, I enjoyed Toulouse a lot (haven't been to Carcassonne). I agree that it seemed basically flat but isn't small. I was there in June of this year and the streets were lively/busy, but I felt like I was surrounded mainly by locals. It was very, very hot, but I suspect you're planning to travel earlier in the year.

This high-end hotel within Carcassonne's walls provides valet parking and a shuttle. That website also accesses a couple of "sister" hotels within the walls that may be more affordable. (I have not stayed in any of these, we stayed outside the walls.) Spending the night inside the walls lets you experience the city after the day trippers have gone and before they arrive next day. Walking inside the walls isn't that difficult, there are lots of dining options, the museum and church are very good.

Too many tourists for me in Carcassonne and a lot of it had too much of a "stage-set" feel for my taste. On the other hand I really liked Narbonne, whose historic centre is both flat and compact. It would be a short train journey there from Toulouse, Carcassonne or Béziers (which also has flights from Manchester), but you would need to research the shuttle bus (navette) connections between the airport and the train station in each case.

If I had my choice, I'd suggest going to Albi. It is relatively flat, and there is a lot to do there.
If you choose to go to Carcassonne, the trip to Albi is around 35 EU and takes 2.5 hours.

Thanks so much, everyone! We would have to pick somewhere close to an airport and stay there for the weekend as Mum doesn't like too much travelling and this will be her first time on a plane in over fifteen years! Carcassonne, and Limoges are the only places within my budget but also considered Beziers- would people recommend it? I have been here but only on a cycling holiday where we stopped for one night so didn't see any of the sights. We're going in either March or April so would prefer somewhere in the south as the weather will be slightly better.

There is a free app here, which lists almost everything in Beziers.

http://uk.beziers-mediterranee.com

The Beziers tourisme office lists lodging and restaurants:
/fr.hotels.com/de1637084/hotels-beziers-france

Just wondering... is your mother open to using assistive devices?

Several elderly ladies I personally know with similar ailments have experienced those wheeled walkers (rollators) to be something of a revelation. They will support a bad knee, and for someone who tires easily, they will provide a seat wherever you happen to be and make you independent of constantly being on the lookout for the next public bench.

I would suggest that your mother bring along a folding seat, if possible. This will make it easier for her to sit down in long lines.

Make sure you agree on who is going to carry that thing though if you decide on that kind of a solution. I can't imagine mom will be able to carry any additional stuff if she is already struggling with the mere walking.

As a general rule, from my experience, you might say: the lighter the less comfortable. Some of those really lightweight outdoor folding chairs would be impossible for an elderly person to even get down on, much less get up from.

That's one of the advantages of a wheeled walker. It doesn't need to be carried around, it is adaptable to the person's size, and it gives support not only for seating but also for walking. Plus, most of those have a basket of some sort to put non-valuables like an umbrella or some small groceries.

It may however take a process of accepting by the person using it.

The folding seats, as suggested above, unfortunately are not very stable, or so a friend has found. Be aware.