Hi All,

I'm going to be booking Catalans Away in the next few days but I am in need of some information from you guys.

I am looking to go for the weekend Friday > Monday, but not looking to spend an arm and a leg to get there and back if you know what I mean.

Really looking forward to this one, should be a fair few Rhinos going across as well with the Weather a change from previous years.

Thanks in advance

Last time we went the total cost for flights and accommodation for Friday to Monday was under £100

Accommodation is/was cheap anyway, the key is getting the flights as cheap as possible and thats down to you and your skill on the search engines and/or luck on the day

Cheers for the advice mate...!!

What would be the best Airport to fly to?
Would you avoid major Airline company's and go for the little one's?

Cheers

I've used Jet2 from Leeds to Barcelona fairly cheaply but then you'll need car hire for the weekend to get you into France. We also flew Ryanair from Stanstead direct to Perp for 5p each way but those days are long gone now !

Ryanair still operate that route from around £50 return at the moment, haven't checked the date of the Leeds game though but thats a starting point for you

We've flown in and out of Girona each time we went. We hired a car and drove then and its not that long a drive from Girona to Perpignan, it was about an hour. We also stayed in an Ibis in Perpignan and that was cheap. The only problem is once you are there its not exactly cheap in Perpignan. Think it was €5 a pint. Thats why last time we stayed in Perpignan for only one night when the match was on. The other days we stayed down in Tossa de Mar and it was a lot cheaper down there too, also a lot warmer

I've not booked this year else you could have had my flights

That was for you.

We're going 6th-13th July.

Return flights from Leeds-Barcelona and 7 nights all inclusive in Calella for £240, can't complain!

I've got wind that the Leeds - Carcassone route may not be running in the future.

Which is bad for me in particular, if its true

Just a rumour at the moment, has anyone heard this and or in the know?

Tis indeed true. Ryanair confirmed to me yesterday will not be operating this summer.
I've booked from Liverpool instead.

How long does the train take from Carcassonne to Perpignan,anyone know ?

It depends on connections, as most trains require a change at Narbonne.

The website 'The Man In Seat 61' will tell you how to access European Rail Timetables

Rail Europe can sorr your tickets in advance.

All being well, the Admiral plans to be there this year, but for logistical reasons is looking at the overland option ...

Did you ever give him his "Tossa" hat?

Did they give a reason for the axe?

Know that there were a lot of strikes at Carcassone this year so wonder if O'Leary has pulled out cos of that? When ever I've flown its been a full plane

We've flown Liverpool - Carcassonne for the the last 2 years and then got the train to Perpignan. It's a a great trip. You'll have to change at Narboune but it's only a 2 hour journey in total.
You can just buy the tickets on the day at the trian station in Carcassonne from one of the those self-service booths, it's all very easy. The train station in Perpignan is in the middle of the town and you could walk to your hotel depending on where you stay. Accommodation is filling up for the Sunday night so I'd be quick. All the trains were those double deckers ones, virtually empty and very clean and on time, you get some great views because you're so high up. I think we paid about £30 return. The link below might help.

[urlhttp://www.raileurope.co.uk/Default.aspx?tabid=1546&source=google_adwords&affiliate=RELGOO003&gclid=CKK88pPrp6YCFY4f4QodKBljaQ[/url

Kept it for myself, felt it was more appropriate.

thanks very much for the onfo. I do like a nice train ride


Went on the Ghan in Australia, superb !

Ryanair's LBIA-Carcassone scrapped?

^ Looks like it

I can vouch for there being a rail-replacement-bus-service in place last year, on the Narbonne to Perpignan section which added to the time a little.

It might be possible to pick up a 'Prem', a French railways well-in-advance cheap ticket for the journey, so that might tempt you to book before you go. Bookings become available around 90 days prior to travel. It is also worth considering that some trains require pre-reservation, so the sooner you do it the better.

Rail Europe is essentially the French Railways UK arm, but they do charge a hefty booking fee if you book them over the phone. If you do it online, rather than send you the tickets to your English address, you can go to the ticket machine at any staffed French station (if even it is not connected to where you're travelling to) and collect / print your tickets there.

NB - Some of the long distance TGVs are double-deckers, but the regional trains (which the chances are will be the ones you're on) aren't much different from what you'd find back home in the UK.

Whilst a lot of people scoff at the overland option, it is worth considering that this might be the way to Perpignan in the future. It is forseeable the cheap air travel will go (certainly the days of the Ryanair flights for pence are long gone), once there is an environmental impact levy placed on airlines and many route will either be too expensive or unviable for a commercial service. Thus, the overland option to Southern France might be the only way of seeing this fixture in years to come.

I hope you are wrong about flights.

Ryanair has theatened high costs for years.

I've a fligjht in March LBA - CCF £10 all in one way.

I'm returnig by another mode of transport as I have some thing to bring home

I am not suggesting it will be this year or even the next couple of years, but it is forseeable in the near future that there will be additional EU control / taxation on co2 emissions made by commercial aircraft and given the amount of co2-per-mile they generate, the costs could be sizeable.

just booked Ryanair Liverpool to Carcassonne £134 RETURN inc. all the extras which Ryanair charges. Dont think I could have got anything cheaper than that really.

with the exception that the vast majority of french trains actually run on time !!!

Corner flags?