Traveling from Barcelona to Carcassonne for a French Wine Tour

How to Plan an English-Speaking French Wine Tour from Barcelona to the Cabardès AOC Near Toulouse and Carcassonne in 10 Easy Steps

Step 5: How to Get from Barcelona to Carcassonne

The South of France is home to some of the most outstanding wineries in all of France.  The Languedoc-Roussillon region is one of the most distinguised wine regions in this part of France.  O’Vineyards Winery and B&B is in the Cabardès AOC which forms a portion of the western extent of the Languedoc-Roussillon region.  O’Vineyards Winery and B&B is in Villemoustaussou, a small village that is just minutes from Carcassonne, the home a walled medieval city that is a UNESCO world heritage site and popular international tourist destination.  Carcassonne is about an hour away from Toulouse by car, and Villmoustaussou is just minutes from Carcassonne.

The walled medieval city that lies at the heart of Carcassonne is a popular international tourist destination

Travelers to Barcelona frequently take excursions into the South of France, particularly to enjoy the scenery and the wines. Carcassonne is an extremely popular tourist destination because of the walled medieval city that lies at its heart.  Carcassonne is about a 2-3 hour car ride from Barcelona, and the Carcassonne train station is also accessible from Barcelona.  For these reasons, it is highly recommendable to take some time out of any trip to Barcelona to explore Carcassonne and the world of French wines.   I recommend taking a trip into Carcassonne to see the walled medieval city, and while you are there, I recommend stopping by my in-laws’ winery and B&B in the the Cabardès AOC.

Within the walls of Carcassonne’s medieval city you will find many fun shops and restaurants.

You can plan to access Carcassonne by train by visiting the RailEurope website.  You could also rent a car in Barcelona and drive into the South of France.  See the Europcar website for details about how to rent a car.  The border is exceptionally easy to cross, and according to my research, most drivers easily qualify to rent a car through a company like Europcar.  I do recommend doing your research about the renting process ahead of time.  There are several things to consider, such as whether you should take extra insurance.  Many credit companies cover losses if you rent using their card, so sometimes the extra coverages that the car rental company offer are unnecessary.  If you are traveling by car, it can helpful to use GPS coordinates to find a vineyard.

Carcassonne is easily accessible from Barcelona by train or car.

If you make your way from Barcelona into the region of Carcassonne, I highly recommend visiting the O’Vineyards Winery and B&B. The O’Vineyards Winery is particularly fun destination for the English-speaking wine enthusiast.   My father-in-law, Joe, is an American who has become a critically acclaimed French wine maker.  Joe gives friendly tours of the vineyard and the wine-making facilities in English or “en franglais”.

Guests to O’Vineyards Winery enjoy wine tours in English or “en franglais”.

 

The wine prepared at O’Vineyards Winery is made directly from the grapes within view.

After you take a wine tour with Joe, you can relax on the O’Vineyard Winery and B&B decks that have gorgeous views of the sloping hills of vines and the Black Mountains in the distance.  The O’Vineyards Winery offers a wine bar.  You can sample the numerous delicious wines prepared directly at the vineyard by the glass or bottle.  In the afternoons, my mother-in-law, Liz, prepares fusion-inspired street foods.  You can take part of this very enjoyable foodie experience, and Liz will help you expertly pair the delicious bites with wines from the wine bar.

The sloping hills of vines and the Black Mountains are viewable from each room in the O’Vineyards B&B.

 

The O’Vineyards Winery and B&B decks are the prefect place for relaxing and enjoying a glass or bottle from the wine bar.

 

Each room at the O’Vineyards B&B is spacious and is equipped with a large private bath.

The trip from Barcelona to Carcassonne is just far enough, that you may also want to spend a night or two in the Carcassonne region.  O’Vineyards Winery also has a beautiful B&B.  The B&B is located in a modern structure.  Each room in the B&B is spacious, has breathtaking views of the vines and the Black Mountains, and has a large private bath.  The common area at the B&B is elegantly furnished and is optimal for enjoying the wines or a tasty breakfast or evening meal.

At O’Vineyards Winery and B&B, meals are served in the common area.

If you find yourself in Barcelona, I do hope you will consider making your way to Carcassonne and the O’Vineyards Winery and B&B.  My in-laws will be very pleased to welcome you.  You could also access the O’Vineyards Winery and B&B through Toulouse.  My brother-in-law, Ryan, has previously written about how to plan a wine trip near Toulouse, how to plan a wine trip near Carcassonne and things you can do in Carcassonne.

The O’Vineyards Winery and B&B common area is the perfect spot for enjoying an evening glass or bottle of wine and a lively conversation.

If you have been following along in this series, you know that my name is Darren and that I am part of the O’Vineyards Winery and B&B through marriage.  I am hoping to develop a more permanent relationship with O’Vineyards, but the details are still in development.  In the meantime, I am doing some writing for the O’Vineyards B&B blog, and now you are reading one of my articles.  My spouse and I are currently in-route to the winery to discuss the details of our future with my in-laws, Liz and Joe.  Since we are traveling through Barcelona, I am sharing the details of our trip planning process.  I hope that this information will be helpful for any visitor to Barcelona who would also like to take the time to enjoy an French wine tour.

I introduced this series of articles in an initial post, and the other ten parts of the series are:

  1. How to Get to Barcelona
  2. How to Select a Place to Stay in Barcelona
  3. 10 Things to Do in Barcelona
  4. 10 Foods to Try in Barcelona
  5. How to Get to Carcassonne from Barcelona (this article)
  6. How to Select a Place to Stay near Carcassonne

Coming soon…

  • 10 Things to Do Near Carcassonne
  • Wineries to Visit Near Carcassonne
  • 10 Foods to Try in the Carcassonne Region
  • 10 Souvenirs to Buy to Remember Your Trip to Carcassone

Join me next time when I will discuss other options for selecting a place to stay in Barcelona.  In the meantime, please explore this website for more details on the O’Vineyards Winery and B&B experience.  Please contact my in-laws, Liz and Joe, by email or phone if you need help planning a visit to O’Vineyards Winery and B&B.

How to find us

Domaine O’Vineyards, located in the North Arrondissement of Carcassonne, is just minutes from the Carcassonne train station, the Medieval City, and the Carcassonne Airport.
GPS coordinates: 43.259622, 2.340387

O’Vineyards
Wine, Dine, Relax at our Boutique Vineyard
Unique thing to do in Carcassonne
Wine Cellar. Winery Visits. Wine Tasting.
Wine & Food Pairing

North Arrondissement of Carcassonne
885 Avenue de la Montagne Noire
11620 Villemoustaussou, France
Tel: +33(0) 630 189 910

  1. Best by GPS.
    Follow the signs to Mazamet/ Villemoustaussou using the D118. At the end of the last straight part of D118, you will come to a roundabout with the Dyneff gas station.
  2. Take the exit towards Pennautier. Continue 500m to a small roundabout and go straight over.
  3. Look out for the second road on your right, Avenue des Cévennes which curves up hill (about 1km) to Avenue de la Montagne Noire on the left.
  4. At the last juction, bear left. the road sign “Ave de la Montagne Noire” (confusing as it seems to show a right turn)
  5. After another 500m you will see our red brick color building in the middle of the vines.
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