Trip to Carcassonne and meal (included) at a wine estate (from 8.15 to 16.15)

Periods of unavailability

> January 1st
> December 25th

Closing times for the following sites and monuments

> We don’t organise this trip on Sunday and Monday, as Liz and Joe O’Connell are closed
> Liz and Joe O’Connell are not always available in Winter. Contact us and we’ll check their availability.
> the Count’s castle (Chateau comtal) of Carcassonne : closed on January 1st, May 1st, November 1st, November 11th and December 25th. The medieval city stays open all year round, only the Count’s castle is closed on the dates detailed above.

Kilometres/Mileage

> 100 km (62 miles) from Toulouse to Carcassonne
> 15 km (9 miles) between Carcassonne and the wine estate in Villemoustaussou
> 100 km between the wine estate and Toulouse
> 200 km (124 miles) in total.

Shared tour (public prices)

> with an English, Spanish and French speaking driver : 275 € per person
> with an English, Spanish and French speaking driver-guide : 325 € per person

What is a shared tour ? you agree to share the tour with other passengers (a maximum of 7 people). The tour can run with 2 people minimum. If only one person wants a tour, he/she will be required to pay double, so as to ensure the tour costs.

Private tour (public prices)

> with an English, Spanish and French speaking driver : 430 € + wine estate visit+tasting+lunch (80 € per person), that means 142 € per person if you are a group of 7 people.
> with an English, Spanish and French speaking driver-guide : 540 € + wine estate visit+tasting+lunch (80 € per person)

Please note : other people may join us at the wine estate ; indeed, Liz and Joe O’Connell may accept other bookings.

What is a private tour ? the vehicle is booked for you and your party only (7 people maximum). No-one else can join us in the minivan or for the tour of Carcassonne.

Included / Not included / Entrance fees

Are included in our price :
> transport in an 8 seater minivan (petrol, tolls, parking costs) with driver or driver-guide (at your request), speaking French, English and Spanish.
> commentaries by the driver or driver-guide during the trip
> guided tour of the walled city of Carcassonne (according to programme) if you chose the driver-guide option
> bottles of water in the vehicle
> winery visit, wine tasting session and lunch at the wine estate for the clients (80 € per person included in our price).

Are not included in our price :
> entrance fees
> personal costs.

Entrance fees
> Carcassonne, Count’s Castle (in 2017) : 9 € per person (if you want to visit it during the free time).

Booking / Payment / Cancellation

Payment
> A 35% deposit must be paid on booking (by Visa or MasterCard), or 100% of the price if you book less than 30 days prior to the departure.
> the remaining 65% must be paid 30 days prior to the departure (by Visa or MasterCard).

Cancellation
> if you cancel the tour over 30 days prior to the scheduled departure you will get a full refund (no penalty).
> if you cancel less than 30 days prior to the scheduled departure you do not get a refund (you pay the tour as planned).

Please note that the refund is done to the credit card with which payment was originally made (or via PayPal if your card has expired).

Shared tour : if one person only is booked in for the tour
> in the eventuality of you being the only person booked in for a tour, 30 days or more prior to the scheduled departure: you can get a full refund if you chose to cancel. If you chose to maintain the trip you will have to purchase an extra ticket.
> if you have already paid for two people in order to maintain the tour, but that someone else joins the tour, you will get a full refund for the extra ticket you have paid for.
> please note : if you can’t pay 2 tickets to secure the trip, we are free to cancel your trip if we receive a firm booking for another trip. Of course, we’ll refund you the ticket already paid.

CARCASSONNE

Carcassonne is a town of 45 000, which is divided into the « lower city », where most of the population lives, and the Medieval city, where only 80 people live.
The most interesting part is undoubtedly the medieval city. Entirely restored during the 19th century, it is today the largest medieval fortress in Europe.

Defensive walls, towers, murder holes, crenelation, barbicans, fortified doors, moat : welcome to the Middle-Ages ! Carcassonne is a unique place where childhood dreams come to life!

If you chose to visit Carcassonne with our driver-guide, you will first discover the Narbonnaise gate, main entrance into the city. The tour takes you for a walk between the two defensive walls, before discovering the medieval streets leading to the Count’s Castle, former residence of the great Trencavel dinasty, who ruled the city until the 13th century. Finally the tour will take you to Saint-Nazaire church, where a fantastic collection of Medieval stained glass windows awaits you.

The city of Carcassonne has been enlisted as a World Heritage Site by the UNESCO since 1997. The increase in visitor traffic was followed by the opening of many souvenir shops and restaurants. Most shops open around 10 AM, everyday of the week, including Sundays and Bank Holidays.
The tourist season starts for the Easter Holidays (April) and ends in early November.
If you come to Carcassonne between November and April please note that most shops and restaurant may be closed.

WINE ESTATE VISIT, WINE TASTING SESSION AND LUNCH

First of all Joe will take you for a fascinating tour of their winery. You will get to taste their wine strait out of the barrels and tanks, before heading for the table where a generous five course meal will be laid out in front of you.

This meal will be home-cooked by Liz with fresh food from the market, served with a selection of their wine. An unforgettable experience!

For more information visit their website here: http://ovineyards.com