Carcassonne City Break

Begin your journey at London St Pancras, boarding your Eurostar to Paris. When you arrive, transfer onto your TGV to Caracassonne via Narbonne. At Carcassonne, check into your hotel for the next four nights.

The next three days are yours to spend as you please in this charming Languedoc city, building your own itinerary around your own preferences.

You could spend the first day of your city break exploring Carcassonne's historic city centre. Spend a morning getting lost in the Cité de Carcassonne's labyrinthine cobbled streets, passing medieval timbered houses and winding alleyways.

Follow this up with a trip to the insurmountable walls and watchtowers of Château Comtal's ramparts, which stretch for three kilometres around the old citadel. A walk along the battlements provides pleasant views over the town.

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Carcassonne boasts cultural attractions aplenty - why not spend some more time exploring the city?

The Basilica of Saints Nazarius and Celsus is worth visiting for its intriguing combination of Romanesque and Gothic architecture, and its striking central stained glass window is one of the oldest in France. Meanwhile, the Musée des Beaux-Arts displays works from Mattia Preti, Jan van Goyen, Gustave Courbet and more.

This evening, you could head out in search of a cassoulet, one of Languedoc's most beloved specialties. A hearty casserole with beans, sausage and duck confit, Carcassonne's own version adds partridge meat as a unique ingredient.

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On the last day of your holiday, you could venture further afield into the Languedoc countryside. Here, the dramatic ruins of Cathar castles await, perched on top of windy hilltops - Châteaux de Lastours is a particularly noteworthy example. You could also spend some time exploring the attractive city of Narbonne, or relax at local favourite Lac de la Cavayère.

Another option today is to explore Languedoc's famously extensive vineyards. Head north to Minervois for local reds, or if bubbles are what you fancy, pay a visit to the Limoux region where sparkling wine was first invented in the 16th century.

• Breakfast

After breakfast, catch your rail connection to Paris, then board the Eurostar back to London St Pancras.

• Breakfast