Languedoc Castles to Roussillon Coast
Head south from Montpellier to Perpignan, connecting canals, Cathar castles, and the small port of Collioure.
Travel south from Montpellier along the Mediterranean, visiting Sète and the Fonseranes Locks, then head inland to stay in Carcassonne. Drive through the Corbières mountains to visit Peyrepertuse and Quéribus castles, and finally reach Collioure to ride the Yellow Train. This region has fewer tourists than Provence, though the castles require uphill climbs. Ideal for second-time visitors to the South of France who love history and wine regions; a rental car is required.
Carcassonne and Collioure are crowded in July and August; hilltop castles are highly exposed to sun and strong winds.
Day by day
Day 1 · Stroll Through Montpellier Old Town
Montpellier（Place de la Comédie、L'Écusson (Old Town)、Musée Fabre、Promenade du Peyrou）
Walk about 10 minutes from the station to the old town; do not pick up the car today, explore entirely on foot.
Stay: L'Écusson
Day 2 · Sète Canals to the Nine Locks
Montpellier（Sète、Mont Saint-Clair） → Béziers & Narbonne（Fonserannes Locks）
Pick up the car and drive to Sète (approx. 40 minutes), then take the highway to Béziers (approx. 50 minutes).
Stay: Béziers City Centre
Day 3 · Béziers to Minerve and the Four Castles
Béziers & Narbonne（Béziers Cathedral、Oppidum d'Ensérune） → Carcassonne（Minerve、Châteaux de Lastours）
Drive from Béziers to Oppidum d'Ensérune (approx. 20 minutes), then to Minerve (approx. 40 minutes), and continue to Lastours and Carcassonne (approx. 1.5 hours).
Stay: La Cité
Day 4 · Double Walls of Carcassonne
Carcassonne（Cité de Carcassonne、Château Comtal、Basilica of Saints Nazarius and Celsus、Les Lices、Pont Vieux、Canal du Midi (Port of Carcassonne)）
Spend the day walking in the old town; it takes about 20 minutes to walk down to the lower town (Bastide Saint-Louis) and the canal port.
It is recommended to buy tickets online for the Château Comtal; the old town is less crowded in the early morning and evening.
Stay: La Cité
Day 5 · Lagrasse to Narbonne
Carcassonne（Lagrasse、Abbaye de Fontfroide） → Béziers & Narbonne（Narbonne Cathedral、Palace of the Archbishops, Narbonne、Les Halles de Narbonne）
Drive from Carcassonne to Lagrasse (approx. 45 minutes), then to Fontfroide Abbey (approx. 40 minutes), and continue to Narbonne (approx. 25 minutes).
Fontfroide Abbey is mostly visited via guided tours; booking in advance is recommended.
Stay: Narbonne City Centre
Day 6 · Cathar Hilltop Twin Castles
Carcassonne（Château de Peyrepertuse、Château de Quéribus）
Drive from Narbonne to Peyrepertuse (approx. 1.5 hours), then to Quéribus (approx. 20 minutes), and continue to Collioure (approx. 1.2 hours).
It is a 30-minute uphill hike from the parking lot to the castle; wear non-slip shoes. The site may close on high-wind days.
Stay: Collioure
Day 7 · Collioure Port and Cape Béar
Perpignan & Collioure（Collioure、Château Royal de Collioure、Notre-Dame-des-Anges, Collioure、Port-Vendres、Cap Béar）
Walk around Collioure, and drive to Port-Vendres and Cape Béar in the afternoon (approx. 15 minutes one way).
Stay: Collioure
Day 8 · Villefranche-de-Conflent and the Yellow Train
Perpignan & Collioure（Villefranche-de-Conflent、Le Train Jaune）
Drive to Villefranche-de-Conflent (approx. 1.3 hours), take the Yellow Train to Mont-Louis (approx. 1.25 hours one way), and then drive to Perpignan.
The train often closes for maintenance in April and October; book tickets in advance during summer.
Stay: Perpignan Old Town
Day 9 · Perpignan Old Town and Departure
Perpignan & Collioure（Le Castillet、Perpignan Cathedral、Campo Santo of Perpignan、Palace of the Kings of Majorca）
Walk around the old town for half a day, return the car, and head to the station (approx. 15 minutes), where you can take a TGV to Paris or Barcelona.