Travel
Travelling to Base Calames in the Ariege Pyrenees by air, train or road.
Toulouse and Carcassonne are our nearest airports, both just over an hours drive. Easyjet, Ryanair and BA are the main options from UK airports although there are other options particularly at busier times.
Other airports, a bit further away include Pau, Beziers & Lourdes & Perpignan and Bordeaux.
For anyone arriving by air but wishing to save on the cost of car hire, a train from Toulouse is a viable option. The train journey takes just over an hour and costs around €15 each way. Trains from Carcassonne travel via Toulouse. This may appeal particularly to rock climbers and walkers, with plenty to do setting off from the house.
The train journey from central London can be less than 8 hours, the overnight sleeper is also a good option. Sadly the cost cannot compete with the budget airlines, but in terms of low environmental impact and seeing a bit of the country the train wins hands down. We can arrange pick up and drop off from either Foix or Tarascon-sur-Ariège stations.
To plan the journey it is best to divide it into two sections:
1. UK to Toulouse
Firstly you will need to get to a Eurostar station (London St Pancras, Ebbsfleet or Ashford). Take the Eurostar to either Paris or Lille and the TGV or standard train to Toulouse. The TGV is the best option making the journey time from London less than 6 hours to Toulouse.
2. Toulouse to Tarascon-sur-Ariege
There are around 10 trains per day from Toulouse to Tarascon-sur-Ariege with journey time of around 1hr 30 minutes. Watch out for trains that only run on certain days. There are also connections between trains and busses (CAR) possible at Pamiers or trains that terminate at Foix to give additional options. A single journey costs around 17€ and tickets can be purchased at the station in Toulouse or onboard.
To get here without the need for a hire car it’s best to fly in to Toulouse. Shuttle busses run from the airport to Toulouse Matabiau station every 20 minutes throughout the day and cost 5 €. Tickets can be purchased from the office at the main entrance or onboard. The shuttle time is up to 30 minutes so allow 1 hr + disembarking and luggage collection to get to the station. If you are cutting it fine a Taxi is always an option. We’d be happy to arrange collection and drop off from Foix or Tarascon-sur-Ariege stations.
The drive from one of the Northern ports is around 10-12 hours and there are numerous excellent value options for overnight stops en route. Tolls are charged on some of the main routes which can be avoided by using the slower roads.
Approaching from the North follow the N20 through the Foix bypass tunnel towards Tarascon-sur-Ariege. At the Tarascon roundabout at the end of the dual carriageway take the first exit towards ‘Saurat’ and ‘Col du Port’. After 4 km enter the village of Bedeilhac and turn sharp left onto ‘Rue Caichalotte’ opposite the Restaurant. At the church turn left onto ‘Col Dijou’ and we are first on the right.
GPS Coordinates:
Lat: 42.87200°
Long: 1.56359°