Lou Recantou & L 'Ancien Pressoir
Lou Recantou: the cottage
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L'Ancien Pressoir: the apartment
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The area
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August 2010 newsletter
The owners
How to contact us
Place your cursor over the photos to see the titles.
- Try to find Michelin maps or IGN maps at the scale of 1 cm to 2 km
- The map(s) you buy should show Olonzac and Oupia and include Toulouse (to the west of us) and Montpellier (to the east).
- Suggestion: Michelin map #339, Gard, Hérault and #344, Aude, Pyrénées Orientales, both at 1 cm to 1.5 km.
- From Canada or the USA
- From the U.K.
- Renting or leasing a car
- Having arrived in France
- Driving from Paris
- Taking the train
- Arriving by bicycle
- A photo of our own house (you can't see Lou Recantou from the road)
Detailed directions:
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From Canada or the USA:
Most of our North American guests fly to Paris, then to Toulouse or to Montpellier.We've had several complaints about Air France and we would fly with them only if there were no real alternative. On at least two occasions, they've cancelled flights without notifying their clients or the clients' travel agents.
We've been told that search engines usually don't turn up Air Transat, which has several flights to France, as well as to Barcelona, London England and Frankfurt. You'll find their site at: http://www.airtransat.ca/en/Home.aspx
Some people fly to Frankfurt, then on to Toulouse. Be sure that you have lots of time between flights; some of our guests have missed their connection in Frankfurt.
Toulouse:
- a few direct flights from North America
- about an hour-and-a-half to two-hour drive from here
- airport (Blagnac) is on the opposite (west) side of Toulouse
- traffic is heavy as well as fast
- easy to make a wrong turn
- possible advantage: a direct flight to Toulouse, without having to transfer in Paris, should make it worth dealing with the Toulouse traffic.
- no direct flights from North America
- easier than Toulouse, as smaller airport
- autoroute is close to the airport and clearly indicated
- driving time to Oupia is about 1¼ to 1½ hours
- Montpellier a very attractive and elegant city to visit
- about the size of London, Ontario
- driving in centre of the city a challenge, partly due to one-way streets of new tram line - use public transport (very efficient)
- about a 3-hour drive to Oupia
- autoroute usually very busy, with transport trucks packed with goods en route to France and the rest of Europe
- might be worth the drive and the heavy traffic if you had a direct flight
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From the U.K.:
RyanAir:- flies from Stansted airport (and one or two others in the U.K.)
- to Carcassonne, about a 45-minute drive west of Oupia
- to Béziers, about a 40-minute drive east of Oupia (this one goes from Bristol)
- to Perpignan, about an hour's drive to the south
- to Girona, Spain, about a two-hour drive.
- not represented by travel agents
- must book flights by phone or on the Internet
- Best fares usually by booking early
- Major drawback: very limited baggage allowance and the high excess baggage fees and frequent theft of travellers' belongings, especially in duty-free area, we're told
- flies from Gatwick to Toulouse
- many of the same restrictions as RyanAir
- flies from several sites in the U.K. to Perpignan (about a one-hour drive from Oupia) or to Toulouse
A few guests have put their car on the train at Calais and travelled to Narbonne overnight; an easy though expensive way of getting here. Details should be available on the SNCF website.
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Renting or leasing a car:
Rental cars can be picked up at almost any airport or train station. Most guests taking the train to Narbonne rent from
EuropCar (also called AutoEurope). If you're likely
to arrive late, however, consider Budget, which offers a service the others don't; if you've pre-registered and pre-paid,
and are arriving outside of regular office hours, they will leave the keys to the car at a hotel across from
the Narbonne SNCF station.
The Budget website is at:
http://www.budget.com. Their telephone number in Narbonne (from North America) is 001 334 68 90 74 64
and their fax number is 001 334 67 35 84 50.
An alternative to renting is the lease/purchase plans (usually a minimum of 17 days) offered by the major car manufacturers, most commonly Renault, which has an office in Montreal. One of the advantages is that cars can be picked up and dropped off in different stations or airports. (a tip from one of our guests)
Another tip from guests: "Looking to hire a car for the 'under 25s'? Try 'Ford' in Béziers. We hired a 5-door Fiesta for our children (aged 19 & 20) for a week - cost only 260€
and gave them freedom to travel on their own!"
Tel. from France: 04 67 76 81 12 from outside of France: + 334 67 76 81 12
Having arrived in France:
From Paris, Montpellier, Toulouse, Perpignan or Barcelona, the quickest way to get here by car is to take the Autoroute (before you leave, try to purchase a detailed map (1 cm = 2km) of this area, showing Oupia and the entire region in good detail.
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Driving from Paris:
- much easier since completion of the A20 autoroute (via Cahors)
- and the opening of the wonderful new viaduct at Millau (worth the drive just to see it), on the A75 autoroute (via Clermont Ferrand)
- 8 to 10 hours from Paris to Oupia
- autoroute rather expensive, but alternative route would take MUCH longer
See below for detailed directions from:
Return to top of pageTaking the train:
It's also possible to get here by train from Paris, Montpellier or Toulouse and then rent a car in Narbonne, about 25 km./15 mi. away. The Europcar agency is just across from the station and the small staff there is very kind and helpful.
- The SNCF provides excellent service
and the trains are almost always on time.
- Check schedules and make bookings at http://www.sncf.fr/indexe.htm Click on the U.K. flag at the bottom on
the left for the English-language site.
- You can take the TGV directly south from Charles de Gaulle terminal 2 in Paris.
- Tip from one of our guests - book TGV online in advance on the TGV to:
- save money
- print your own tickets
- avoid lineups at CDG (Charles de Gaulle) or the Gare de Lyon
The problem, from both Narbonne and Lézignan-Corbières (closer, but with fewer trains), is getting to Oupia if you don't have your own transportation, as bus service is almost non-existent. In any case, you need a car or a bicycle to tour the area.
Arriving by bicycle:
- could take train from airport to Narbonne or Lézignan-Corbières
- ask us for best routes from either town to Oupia
- George Farnsworth's website has loads of information on taking bikes on planes and trains:
http://www.bikeaccess.net/BikeAccess/default.cfm - The French train service (SNCF) has a website dedicated to travelling with a bike:
http://www.velo.sncf.com/
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View Larger Map
Coming from Olonzac:
Find the roundabout (traffic circle) and the Centre Commercial at the east edge of Olonzac. (In the centre of Olonzac, look for the sign to Béziers.)
At the roundabout, take the cut-off sign-posted 'Béziers'.
After about 1 km, take the first paved road to the left, sign-posted 'Oupia'.
After about 1 km., you'll arrive in Oupia. At the T intersection, turn left and drive through the village, passing the post office on the left and then the little square where the grocery shop and the church are. Immediately after, you'll see a sign for Beaufort. Follow the sign (it's a right turn) and continue to the intersection at the bottom of the hill (this is the edge of the village). Turn right onto the Route de Mailhac.
Continue another 50 metres/yards or so (careful at the next corner; amazingly, cars coming from the little road on the right have priority over you) to our house, which is on the left side of the road opposite the high stone wall, topped with tall, old cypresses.
Our home has dark teal-coloured shutters, is set back from the road and is the last older house on the Route de Mailhac (see photograph below).
If you're staying in L'Ancien Pressoir, park on the road by the high stone wall. If you're staying in Lou Recantou, take the laneway at the side (see photo below) and, if the large gate is open, turn right and park in the space directly in front of Lou Recantou.
Once in Oupia, if you can't find us, ask anyone you see for "Suzanne et Tim, les Canadiens"; almost everybody knows us, but many do not know our last name.
Or you can phone us, from anywhere in France, at: 04.68.91.12.69
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A photograph of our own house, with the entrance to Lou Recantou via the laneway immediately before our house, so that you will recognize it when you arrive, as Lou Recantou is not visible from the road. L'Ancien Pressoir is in the first barn, attached to our house.
Coming from Narbonne:
Head west out of Narbonne in the direction of Lézignan-Corbières and Carcassonne, on the N113.
In about 9 km, turn right at the traffic light at the eastern edge of the village of Villedaigne, where you'll see a sign for Olonzac. Follow this road as it curves left, to get onto the D11.
After 8 km., there's a roundabout (a traffic circle). Take the first exit, the D611, signposted Olonzac.
Continue to follow signs for Olonzac until you reach the "T" intersection and turn right. After a bout 1 km, take the first paved road to the left, sign-posted 'Oupia'.
After about 1 km., you'll arrive in Oupia. At the T intersection, turn left and drive through the village, passing the post office on the left and then the little square where the grocery shop and the church are. Immediately after, you'll see a sign for Beaufort. Follow the sign (it's a right turn) and continue to the intersection at the bottom of the hill (this is the edge of the village). Turn right onto the Route de Mailhac.
Continue another 50 metres/yards or so (careful at the next corner; amazingly, cars coming from the little road on the right have priority over you) to our house, which is on the left side of the road opposite the high stone wall, topped with tall, old cypresses.
Our home has dark teal-coloured shutters, is set back from the road and is the last older house on the Route de Mailhac (see photograph above).
If you're staying in L'Ancien Pressoir, park on the road by the high stone wall. If you're staying in Lou Recantou, take the laneway at the side (see photo above) and, if the large gate is open, turn right and park in the space directly in front of Lou Recantou.
Once in Oupia, if you can't find us, ask anyone you see for "Suzanne et Tim, les Canadiens"; almost everybody knows us, but many do not know our last name.
Or you can phone us, from anywhere in France, at: 04.68.91.12.69
Return to top of pageComing from Carcassonne:
Follow the signs out of the airport to the autoroute (the A61) and then look for signs to any of the following destinations: Montpellier, Perpignan, Barcelona and/or Nice, in order to head east on the Autoroute.
Take cut-off #24, toward Trèbes and La Cité (you want to go through Trèbes).
As you're coming into Trèbes, you'll go under a railroad overpass. Very shortly afterwards, there's a left turn, indicating centre ville (for downtown Trèbes) and Marseillette. Turn left - don't go straight ahead. Wind your way through Trèbes, toward Marseillette. That puts you on the D610 and you'll go through the villages of Marseillette and Puichéric.
Continue past the turn-off for Homps and Olonzac and, just past the road that heads off to the right towards Lézignan-Corbières, you'll cross the Canal du Midi.
Turn left onto the D52E3 heading towards Olonzac (also signposted 'Minerve').
At the "T" intersection, turn right. After about 1 km, take the first paved road to the left, sign-posted 'Oupia'.
After about 1 km., you'll arrive in Oupia. At the T intersection, turn left and drive through the village, passing the post office on the left and then the little square where the grocery shop and the church are. Immediately after, you'll see a sign for Beaufort. Follow the sign (it's a right turn) and continue to the intersection at the bottom of the hill (this is the edge of the village). Turn right onto the Route de Mailhac.
Continue another 50 metres/yards or so (careful at the next corner; amazingly, cars coming from the little road on the right have priority over you) to our house, which is on the left side of the road opposite the high stone wall, topped with tall, old cypresses.
Our home has dark teal-coloured shutters, is set back from the road and is the last older house on the Route de Mailhac (see photograph above).
If you're staying in L'Ancien Pressoir, park on the road by the high stone wall. If you're staying in Lou Recantou, take the laneway at the side (see photo above) and, if the large gate is open, turn right and park in the space directly in front of Lou Recantou.
Once in Oupia, if you can't find us, ask anyone you see for "Suzanne et Tim, les Canadiens"; almost everybody knows us, but many do not know our last name.
Or you can phone us, from anywhere in France, at: 04.68.91.12.69
Return to top of pageComing from Toulouse:
In the airport, follow the signs to Toulouse and then Toulouse and the autoroute (the A61-62). The next sign to watch for is Toulouse and Autres directions then Toulouse and Montpellier then Montpellier, which will have you headed east on the autoroute. Stay on the A61 until AFTER Carcassonne (i.e., don't take the Carcassonne cut-off, which is #23).
Take cut-off #24, toward Trèbes and La Cité (you want to go through Trèbes).
As you're coming into Trèbes, you'll go under a railroad overpass. Very shortly afterwards, there's a left turn, indicating centre ville (for downtown Trèbes) and Marseillette. Turn left - don't go straight ahead. Wind your way through Trèbes, toward Marseillette. That puts you on the D610 and you'll go through the villages of Marseillette and Puichéric.
Continue past the turn-off for Homps and Olonzac and, just past the road that heads off to the right towards Lézignan-Corbières, you'll cross the Canal du Midi again.
Turn left onto the D52E3 heading towards Olonzac (also signposted 'Minerve').
At the "T" intersection, turn right. After about 1 km, take the first paved road to the left, sign-posted 'Oupia'.
After about 1 km., you'll arrive in Oupia. At the T intersection, turn left and drive through the village, passing the post office on the left and then the little square where the grocery shop and the church are. Immediately after, you'll see a sign for Beaufort. Follow the sign (it's a right turn) and continue to the intersection at the bottom of the hill (this is the edge of the village). Turn right onto the Route de Mailhac.
Continue another 50 metres/yards or so (careful at the next corner; amazingly, cars coming from the little road on the right have priority over you) to our house, which is on the left side of the road opposite the high stone wall, topped with tall, old cypresses.
Our home has dark teal-coloured shutters, is set back from the road and is the last older house on the Route de Mailhac (see photograph above).
If you're staying in L'Ancien Pressoir, park on the road by the high stone wall. If you're staying in Lou Recantou, take the laneway at the side (see photo above) and, if the large gate is open, turn right and park in the space directly in front of Lou Recantou.
Once in Oupia, if you can't find us, ask anyone you see for "Suzanne et Tim, les Canadiens"; almost everybody knows us, but many do not know our last name.
Or you can phone us, from anywhere in France, at: 04.68.91.12.69
Return to top of pageComing from Montpellier:
Leaving the airport, follow signs for Toutes directions until you see the blue and white sign for the autoroute, the A9.
Follow signs for Barcelone (west), as well as Sète and Béziers.
Take exit #38 (called Narbonne Sud), the second exit for Narbonne.
Follow the signs toward Lézignan-Corbières and Carcassonne. After a couple of tricky turns, you'll end up on the N113, which has a few stretches of impressive scenery, once out of Narbonne and past the suburban wasteland.
Just as you get to the eastern edge of the village of Villedaigne, about 9 km. from where you'll have got onto the N113, there's a traffic light and a sign for Olonzac, to the right. Follow the road as it curves left, to get onto the D11.
After 8 km., there's a roundabout (traffic circle). Take the first exit, the D611, signposted Olonzac.
Continue to follow signs for Olonzac until you reach the "T" intersection and turn right. After about 1 km, take the first paved road to the left, sign-posted 'Oupia'.
After about 1 km., you'll arrive in Oupia. At the T intersection, turn left and drive through the village, passing the post office on the left and then the little square where the grocery shop and the church are. Immediately after, you'll see a sign for Beaufort. Follow the sign (it's a right turn) and continue to the intersection at the bottom of the hill (this is the edge of the village). Turn right onto the Route de Mailhac.
Continue another 50 metres/yards or so (careful at the next corner; amazingly, cars coming from the little road on the right have priority over you) to our house, which is on the left side of the road opposite the high stone wall, topped with tall, old cypresses.
Our home has dark teal-coloured shutters, is set back from the road and is the last older house on the Route de Mailhac (see photograph above).
If you're staying in L'Ancien Pressoir, park on the road by the high stone wall. If you're staying in Lou Recantou, take the laneway at the side (see photo above) and, if the large gate is open, turn right and park in the space directly in front of Lou Recantou.
Once in Oupia, if you can't find us, ask anyone you see for "Suzanne et Tim, les Canadiens"; almost everybody knows us, but many do not know our last name.
Or you can phone us, from anywhere in France, at: 04.68.91.12.69
Return to top of pageComing from Barcelona:
Get on the autoroute heading north to France. Once in France, you'll be on the A9.
Take exit #38 (called Narbonne Sud), the first exit for Narbonne.
Follow the signs toward Lézignan-Corbières and Carcassonne. After a couple of tricky turns, you'll end up on the N113, which has a few stretches of impressive scenery, once out of Narbonne and past the suburban wasteland.
Just as you get to the eastern edge of the village of Villedaigne, about 9 km. from where you'll have got onto the N113, there's a traffic light and a sign for Olonzac, to the right. Follow the road as it curves left, to get onto the D11.
After 8 km., there's a roundabout (a traffic circle). Take the first exit, the D611, signposted Olonzac.
Continue to follow signs for Olonzac until you reach the "T" intersection and turn right. After about 1 km, take the first paved road to the left, sign-posted 'Oupia'.
After about 1 km., you'll arrive in Oupia. At the T intersection, turn left and drive through the village, passing the post office on the left and then the little square where the grocery shop and the church are. Immediately after, you'll see a sign for Beaufort. Follow the sign (it's a right turn) and continue to the intersection at the bottom of the hill (this is the edge of the village). Turn right onto the Route de Mailhac.
Continue another 50 metres/yards or so (careful at the next corner; amazingly, cars coming from the little road on the right have priority over you) to our house, which is on the left side of the road opposite the high stone wall, topped with tall, old cypresses.
Our home has dark teal-coloured shutters, is set back from the road and is the last older house on the Route de Mailhac (see photograph above).
If you're staying in L'Ancien Pressoir, park on the road by the high stone wall. If you're staying in Lou Recantou, take the laneway at the side (see photo above) and, if the large gate is open, turn right and park in the space directly in front of Lou Recantou.
Once in Oupia, if you can't find us, ask anyone you see for "Suzanne et Tim, les Canadiens"; almost everybody knows us, but many do not know our last name.
Or you can phone us, from anywhere in France, at: 04.68.91.12.69
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