When we were searching for a property to run our B&B, accessibility was one of our key priorities and La Villa’s location, and ease of travel to Mazamet with its proximity to good transport links, helped with our purchasing decision!
Some guests choose La Villa as their single-holiday accommodation for a week or longer and then use us as a base from which to explore, others stay a few nights as part of a wider tour of France (and Europe) and being equidistant from Bordeaux, the Dordogne, Barcelona & Provence (all under 4 hours) we are very well positioned.
Guest travel to La Villa from all over the world and arrive by all modes of transport so here’s a quick overview of how you can arrive at our gates and enjoy our hospitality.
Airports – there are five international airports within 2 hours of Mazamet (including Castres-Mazamet airport, just 15 mins from us that flies three times a day to Paris Orly and during July & August has a weekly flight to Corsica too). Carcassonne, 45 mins transfer is served by Ryan Air who fly from Belgium, Portugal, England, Scotland & Ireland; Beziers (90 mins transfer) is also served by Ryan Air from England Scotland and Sweden.
Toulouse is fast becoming a significant international airport with flights either direct, or connecting in Paris, to many world-wide destinations. Those flying in from Australia and the USA can connect through Paris, London or Amsterdam. For European travellers, easyJet have regular flights from three UK destinations (as well has a plethora from both of Paris’main airports and an expanding array of other European destinations too).
BA have multiple flights each day from London Heathrow as well as a flight from most major European cities (naturally, as Toulouse is HQ for Airbus) Ryan Air have also launched a number of flights into and out of Toulouse, including one we took advantage of last spring to Malta. Our Irish guests who prefer Air Lingus over Ryan Air can also fly from Dublin direct to Toulouse year-round.
….and if you are staying for a few nights and taking in other destinations – Montpelier, Perpignan and even Barcelona (both the main airport and Girona) have good connections with a variety of carriers.
Car – for the freedom of travel and exploring the area surrounding Mazamet, we always recommend a car – all the major car rental companies can be found at the regions airports and main train stations. Of course, you may be visiting us as part of a much larger trip, be that driving from the UK or mainland Europe, or renting a car for a longer period if traveling from outside of Europe – if you let us know from where you are heading to us, we will put together a bespoke scenic route to make the most of your journey (and are happy to suggest places to stay and visit on route too).
If you really do not want to hire a car, arriving by train (see below) is a nice way to travel and arrive in Mazamet and we can organise a private transfer from both regional airports and railway stations as well as day trips out from La Villa with an English-speaking driver.
(if you are touring on your touring motorbike we offer free garaging for the duration of your stay)
Train – France’s world-class TGV brings you to either Carcassonne (45 mins transfer by road or hire a car) or Toulouse (90 mins transfer by road or hire a car) – with Toulouse you can also then take a regional railway service to Mazamet with a 2 min walk to La Villa from the railways station. Toulouse has a new TGV service to Paris which has cut a significant time off the old routing via Bordeaux or Montpellier. (please note, whilst Carcassonne has a good TGV link both within France and onto Spain, there is no public transport between Carcassonne and Mazamet, you can take the train for another 30 mins to Toulouse and transfer on the regional line to Mazamet or we can organise a private transfer)
Some of our UK guests have also taken advantage of the Autotrain service (little known) where you pop car onto a train in Paris, you take a separate passenger train and then collect your car at one of eleven southern cities, including Bordeaux & Toulouse.
Cycle – each year we welcome more than a dozen guests who arrive on bike, many using the excellent cycle path from Bedarieux (65km) or from Albi via Castres (and then the train) – as with motorbikes, we are happy to provide you with free garaging for your bikes & bike gear.
For the finer details of how to reach La Villa, visit this helpful section on our website, or drop us a note via email with any questions. We also have a useful section on our website about visiting France with some hints & tips of making the most of your stay in our adopted country.
Bon Voyage – we look forward to welcoming you soon.