Toulouse + Languedoc/Roussillon: Where Should I Stay?

My husband and I were in this region last spring. Unfortunately, none of the winery tours worked for our schedules, so we didn't get to use a company. However, we did take the train from Toulouse to Gaillac one day. At La Maison des Vins, you can sample the wines of the region and buy bottles. If you have a car, you could visit the wineries in the area.

We really enjoyed our day in Gaillac. We visited Saint-Michel Abbey & Musée de L'Abbaye (same area as La Maison des Vins) and Parc de Foucaud. We had a picnic lunch in the latter. Musée des Beaux-arts is located in the park, but we didn't have enough time to visit it. We also walked around the town and stumbled into another church and a fromagerie. We ended our night dining al fresco at Au Fil Des Saisons.

I highly recommend Narbonne. It provides a full day of sites. Also, it makes for a good base to visit surrounding towns. In the evenings, Narbonne offers pleasant strolls. We stayed at Hôtel La Résidence. It was our 10th wedding anniversary, so we sprung for a balcony room. It was lovely. We even ate lunch from the market on the balcony one day. (Speaking of the market, it is a must visit!)

I wish I could comment on Collioure, but a stomach bug knocked me out for a couple days in Perpignan, which was the town we had planned to day trip from. Multiple people on this site have raved about Collioure. Hopefully, we'll be able to go back some day and visit it.

Montpellier was pleasant. It is extremely pedestrian friendly. Even though you are in a city, it's easy to get away from traffic. This makes it feel like a smaller place than it actually is. There are lots of good train connections from Montpellier. We had planned to take this wine and oyster day trip, but my stomach was too touch and go.

One day, we took the train from Toulouse to Carcassonne. That was more than enough time to explore La Cité. There wasn't a lot of information in the museum/along the city walls. I felt like it was a place to get good pictures, but there wasn't any depth to the experience. If you had a tour guide, you would get more out of it. We stayed into the evening, and the atmosphere was pretty dead. We ended up leaving before dinner in order to spend more time in Toulouse.

Since you are going in November, I would advise you to stick to bigger places. We were there in late April and early May. Many museums and attractions were operating with reduced hours. Outside of the summer season, some of the small town sites are closed completely.

Assuming you stay four nights in Toulouse, that's five days.
I think you'll have to make some choices about the others places where you want to go. Especially if you're relying on public transportation, which will take much longer than a rental car (assuming there's public transportation to get where you want to go).

Gaillac, suggested by LaurieC, is a good option for the small town and wine region aspect.
There's even Route des Vins de Gaillac (Wine Route - but of course you'll need a car).

Regarding "...that aren't the typical 'touristy' thing," there are quite a few places known to French and European tourists but little-known to North American tourists who have only heard of Carcassonne, Albi, and Collioure. I have this map that covers some of the places you'll be interested in:

https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1SrAtdgxHVZnob6W3FwLoW4bqrLmZCuU&usp=sharing

And another map about Toulouse:

https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1Z1sSFFM4Injq9W_WArpkpYN_6SanFjw&usp=sharing

Remember that Collioure is only a village of 2,500 people, which in November won't be exactly what you see in the tourist brochures. In good weather, the town can be lively, but in cold, rainy weather, the atmosphere will be depressing and as an occupation you'll only have the option of watching a football match on TV in the hotel lounge. :)

Also note that the administrative name for the region "Languedoc/Roussillon" has been discontinued since 2016. But it does indeed correspond to some of the places you're talking about.
This entire area is now part of the Occitanie region.
This is just a clarification in case you're searching online or in travel guides.

From JoLui’s list, you should take a look at Cordes-sur-Ciel and inquire about transportation there. It’s a gem not on North American’s itineraries.

I agree with the others that a November trip means less than ideal weather and closed places. Be sure your small places have good transportation so you can leave quickly if it’s a dud off season. We stayed 10 nights in Carcassonne once and think it’s very interesting.

Carcassonne was a real favorite for us. Both the old walled city and the modern village have a lot to explore. The riverbank and the bankside of the Midi Canal both offer beautiful walks.

I was not charmed by Narbonne or Agde, though in November the crush of tourists at Cap d'Agde will probably be gone and you might get some beach time.

I haven't been to all the places you've mentioned, but will just add that we stayed a night in Carcassonne (just outside the city walls) and really appreciated having the time there to walk around after most people left. We also loved Perpignan which is slightly further south towards the Pyrenees- beautiful city, and some great sites to visit like the palace of the kings of Mallorca.

Just left Roussillon and really liked it. Stayed at Hotel Omma there. Lovely room with terrace and great view. Restaurant in hotel is good. Will need a reservation. Did two day trips by car visiting Buoux, Bonnieux, Menerbes, Gordes, Isle-sur-la-Sorgue and Fontaine-de-Vaucluse. Will warn you that Sunday market in Isle-sur-la-Sorgue is packed and parking is a nightmare, but the market is huge. Especially liked quaint Fontaine-de-Vaucluse where we enjoyed lunch along the river. Was not on the lookout for wineries so can't comment there.

gregoryabell is confusing the regions. The places he is talking about are not in the Roussillon region, nor in Languedoc, but much further east in the Provence Côte d'Azur region.

Carcassonne is definitely worth an overnight. Its a different place at night, after the crowds leave. You can almost imagine the medievalness of the place.

You already noted the other place I would recommend in the area: Collioure. Get some seashore time.

In terms of medievalness, and if you're interested in history, the Cathar castles would be a better choice than Carcassonne, whose city, abandoned for centuries, was restored in the early 19th century in a not very "medieval standards".

That being said, the Cathar castles were never actually Cathar either, since most of their construction took place after the crusade against Catharism. But in any case, they weren't remodeled in the 19th-century style.

Nowadays, you can't trust anyone! :)

In October 2023, my wife and I stayed/dined at the La Mécanique des Frères Bonano, which is a charming hotel and restaurant on the River Orb. The rooms were fine (not fancy, but clean and reasonably nice) but the restaurant was outstanding. The setting and hotel grounds were also amazing. If it's anywhere near your itinerary, we absolutely loved it there.

We stayed three nights, June, 2025, in Mirepoix. This large village has a center which oozes with medieval atmosphere. There is a large square with covered walkways on all four sides and all of the buildings have medieval facades. Lots of good restaurants. From there we day-tripped to "Cathar" castles in different directions. Access to those castles is steep - you might want a walking pole, especially if it is damp.

Thank you for all the recommendations!

I have added Gaillac to my list of places to visit, and will look into the wine route. I am also adding Mirepoix as an option to stay in, knowing I will have to rent a car.

I appreciate the insights in Narbonne, as I am still considering it as a base. I know November is not an ideal month to travel, so I am trying to plan for both good and bad weather. I will need to be as flexible as possible with the plans so I can adjust depending on the weather.

Also, great point about the Cathar castles. This is on my list of things to do -but will have to be weather-dependent. If it is raining, I will have to reevaluate how adventurous I will want to be (I have little desire to climb up to a castle in the rain). Thank you all again for taking the time to share some valuable insights with me.

If you want to see Cathar castles, Carcassonne is not a good starting point; you should stay further south, between Narbonne and Perpignan, or further inland.

The castles of Aguilar, Peyrepertuse, and Quéribus are in the same area. If the weather is good, I would recommend visiting these castles to optimize your travel time. It's a very windy region, even if it's not raining, strong winds can make visits difficult.

Aguilar Castle will be closed to visitors from November 12, 2025 (reopens in March 2026).
A parking lot is located right at the foot of the castle. Access to the castle is easy.

Peyrepertuse Castle is open in November from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Allow a 20-minute walk from the ticket office to the castle.

Quéribus Castle (one of the most famous Cathar castles) is open in November from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. A 10-minute walk from the parking lot takes you to the castle.

Just 15 minutes drive from Carcassonne, you can reach the 4 Castles of Lastours (Cabaret, Tour Régine, Surdespine, and Quertineux). They are open in November from 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
But it's a steep path that requires at least two hours on foot to tour the castles.

The castles of Puilaurens and Montségur are a little out of the way.

Puilaurens Castle is open until November 11, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. in November.

Montségur Castle is open in November from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Allow about 40 minutes for the very steep climb from the entrance.

Here's roughly what the route looks like on a map, including all these castles:

https://maps.app.goo.gl/ctBhvLf5gSc1DgGf8

Believe JoLui when he says the Tramontane wind can blow strong and cold out of the mountains to the north. On those days, it's much more comfortable to do city sightseeing. I've packed it in for the day in that area more than once when the wind was blowing.