Arriving by train , you'll find yourself in the ville basse on the north bank of the Canal du Midi at the northern limits of the town. To reach the town centre from the train station, cross the canal bridge by an oval lock, pass the Jardin Chénier and follow rue Clémenceau, which will take you through the central place Carnot and out to the exterior boulevard on the southern side of town (a fifteen-minute walk). The gare routière is on boulevard de Varsovie on the northwest side of town, south of the canal, while the airport (tel 04.68.25.04.53) lies just west of the city, on the #7 bus route (15min;€1.14).

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The tourist office is at 15 bd Camille-Pelletan (July & Aug daily 9am-6pm; rest of year Mon-Sat 9am-12.15pm & 2-6.30pm; tel 04.68.10.24.30, fax 04.68.10.24.38, www.tourisme.fr/carcassonne ), at the end of square Gambetta, where the main road from Montpellier enters the town across the Pont-Neuf and the River Aude. There's also an annexe (daily 9am-6pm) just inside the main gate to the medieval Cité, Porte Narbonnaise. For information on the Cathars , consult the Centre National d'Études Cathares, 53 rue de Verdun (tel 04.68.47.24.66), while local bookshops offer plenty of Cathar literature and souvenir picture books, some in English.

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