Historic inn overlooking ancient Roman bridge at Conques is popular with cyclists
Historic inn overlooking ancient
Roman bridge at Conques is popular
with cyclists
In May 2,000, I cycled alone for 23 days through the deep river gorges and over the mountains of the Midi, as Southern France is called.
Starting at the mountain acropolis of Najac, I biked for days along incredibly scenic rivers--the Aveyron, Lot, Cele, Dourdou and Truyere. . .rivers that meander through deep gorges and loop around ancient villages and majestic chateaux. Along the way I rode through some of the most delightful villages in France. Each village was uniquely different. And this was especially true after I had cycled down the immense Gorge du Tarn and into Languedoc.
Back in the twelfth century, Languedoc was a haven for Cathars, an autonomous religious group regarded as heretics by the Catholic church. For protection from the Pope, most Cathar villages were built as mountain-top fortresses. But in 1210, under orders from the Pope, Simon de Montfort besieged these Cathar bastides. And after a grisly 20-year crusade, de Montfort succeeded in exterminating every single Cathar.
I found memories of this brutal period engraved in the cliffhanging fortress villages still perched on hilltops above rivers like the Tarn, Tarnon, Doubie, Arnette and Clamoux--along all of which I cycled to finally end my tour at the Cite Medieval in Carcassonne.
It's often said that the rivers are the arteries of the Midi and the villages its soul. Wherever I went I found the past and present coexisting. At Conques, I rode my hi-tech touring bike across a bridge where Roman legions once trod. Most people in the Midi still take a liesurely two-hour lunch break and there are still no motels or convenience stores, no drive-in businesses or bumper stickers, and few SUVs or pick-up trucks. Most villages are centuries old, some colonized by the Romans. Yet the rambling, narrow streets are lined by shops ready to take your credit card and you can book a room on-line at ancient hostelries with beamed ceilings and a TV in every room.
Along the way, I met hundreds of other recreational cyclists. Most were French, Dutch, German or Swiss. Yet for most foreign tourists, this little-known corner of Southern France remains unknown. During 23 days of cycling, I met only two Americans, a motoring couple from California who were originally from France. So if you speak any French, this is the place to use it.
Finally, I discovered that cycling along rivers isn't all flat and easy. There were often hills to climb in the middle of a gorge. And switching from one river to another usually meant a 90-minute ascent over a steep mountain range.
Although I biked all day for 23 consecutive days, I've condensed the best of my rides into a single, continuous 16 day tour. With less than 16 days, you might omit the three out-and- back day rides and cut the time to only 13 days. And in several places, strong riders might cover two of my days of riding in a single day.
Originally, I had intended to continue south from Carcassonne to Quillan and ascend the Gorges de St. George--reputedly one of France's most scenic roads--up and into the Pyrenees. But I ran out of time. If you're interested in continuing by this route, look under "Through the Gorges de St. George" at the end of this report.
The following log is written so that anyone should be able to duplicate my route. I also mention the hotels I stayed at. H = hotel (example H. de La Gare). These are not necessarily the best hotels but are usually economy hotels near the town center. Because many hotel rooms look out on to noisy streets, I always ask for a rear room that is "calme" or "insonnorisee".
Sound good? Then here's how I did it.
I flew from Houston, Texas to Toulouse, assembled my bike and packed for the trip (see "Getting There and Getting Started" at end of this report). Next morning I put my bike aboard the midday train to Najac. For almost three hours I enjoyed a relaxing ride through a cross-section of the Midi, the last hour spent winding through river gorges and burrowing through mountain tunnels.
At Najac station I stepped out into the depths of the Aveyron river gorge. When I asked for the village, the chef de gare pointed straight up. Atop a mountain that loomed almost overhead I made out the tower of an ancient chateau. "That's Najac," the chef said, " The road begins here."
After a one-hour climb up a steeply slanted road, I cycled into Najac. The ancient village clings to a mountain ridge that stretches between a ruined chateau and the Hotel L'Oustel del Barry, a traditional hostelry at which I stayed. A sign on the village outskirts officially proclaimed Najac as "l'une des plus beaux villages de France" or "one of the most beautiful villages in France." Najac was the first of many other "plus beaux" villages through which I rode.
A DAY BY DAY REPORT ON THE TOUR
DAY 1: Najac to Villefranche-de-Rouerge via the Gorges d'Aveyron, 50 kms. Today began with a fast downhill run back to the rail station and the deep, narrow Gorge d'Aveyron. From here, D149 and D47 led up and over a forested mountain and back down to the river at Monteils. For a better glimpse of the Aveyron I took a short side trip on D638.
Dominated by a massive church, Villefranche is a former bastide that is nowadays an important pilgrimage stop. Every summer, hundreds of modern pilgrims spend their vacations hiking the ancient pilgrimage trail from the Midi to Santiago de Compostuela in Spain. Each summer, they hike one section until eventually they cover it all. Between Villefranche and Conques I passed scores of pilgrims wearing modern hiking boots and carrying nylon backpacks. I also met several making the pilgrimage on touring bikes.
To make today's ride longer, I biked east from Villefranche on D269, a narrow road that stayed close to the Aveyron River through a wooded ten kilometer gorge to La Bastide village; then returned the same way. (H: La Garrigue.)
DAY 2: Villefranche-de-R to Cajarc via the Gorges du Lot, 70 kms. River valleys are usually separated by mountain ranges but cycling from the Aveyron to the River Lot required nothing more than an easy climb up and over some hilltop farmlands. Descending towards the Lot on D24, I braked to a stop at the breathtaking sight of Chateau Salvagnac--an elegant castle with tall spires and towers right next to the road. Here I turned on to D127 and followed this road east along the south bank of the Lot to Ambeyrac.
Then I crossed on a bridge to the north bank of the Lot and cycled east on D662. This superbly scenic road provides wonderful views of the Lot gorge as it passes vertical villages huddled against the river cliffs. When D662 headed uphill away from the river, I turned around and cycled back all the way through the Lot gorge to Cajarc. High spots along the way were the exquisite chateau of St-Pierre Tarac with its soaring tower built right against the river cliffs; and the impressive Chateau de Montbrun. Then I entered Cajarc, a colorful town with a circular main street dotted with cafes, epiceries and a single hotel. (H. La Segaliere.)
DAY 3: Cajarc to Figeac via the Gorges of the Lot and Cele, 90 kms. West from Cajarc, D662 becomes a balcony road that winds between steep cliffs high above the river. Then, suddenly, across the river I saw the straggling village of Calvinac, its sandstone houses crowning a cliff high above the Lot. A bridge lets you cross the river and ride up.
I stayed on D662 to Tour de Faure, then crossed the Lot on a bridge and began the steep climb up to St. Cirque La Popie. Tucked away in a high glacial cirque, this classical village clusters around a tall gothic church--undeniably one of France's most beautiful villages and well worth the climb.
Next, I dropped back down to the river at Bouzies, crossed to the north bank, and headed east for two kilometers to the junction of D24 (a route that avoids an unpleasant tunnel). For 55 kilometers, D24 climbed gradually up the Cele River gorge, between hills ablaze with yellow gorse and past fields splashed with brilliant red poppies. Throughout the trip, the call of the cuckoo floated across the land while dippers and wagtails darted in and out of river pools.
Approaching Figeac I crossed to the south side of the Cele and entered town on quieter D662. I found Figeac a well preserved medieval river town with a supermarket in the center. About 20 members of a Paris bike club were staying at my hotel, cycling out and back on a different ride each day. While they were obviously fit, I was surprised to see several men and women riders smoking cigars. (H. Hostellerie de L'Europe or Hotel des Bains.)
Figeac is also starting point for a multi-day tour of the Dordogne Valley, described in detail on Day 12 of the "Pyrenees and Dordogne Tour, 1997."
Centuries-old village squeezed
against cliffs in narrow gorge of the
River Lot
DAY 4: Figeac to Conques via Gorges of the Lot and Dourdou, 55 kms. From Figeac I rode east on D2 , up and over the hilltops through St. Felix and Montredon, then down again to the River Lot. Be sure here to turn left on to D627, a "petite route" that stays close to the Lot and continues to follow the river as D47 all the way to Grand Vabre. Here I turned south on D901 and rode beside the River Dourdou into Conques.
This day's ride was intentionally short because I wanted to spend time exploring Conques, and the only epicerie in the area is 7 kilometers south at St. Cyprien, a delightful ride through the Gorges de Dourdou. St. Cyprien also has a hotel.
My hotel at Conques, the Auberge du Pont Romain, stood next to a Roman bridge in daily use by pilgrims hiking towards Villefranche de Rouerge. An ancient hilltop pilgrimage center, Conques is known for its 12th century Romanesque architecture and its splendid abbey church with jewelled St. Foy relics. The large pilgrim hostel is full every night in summer as hundreds of the devout walk the pilgrim trail each week.
DAY 5: Conques to Estaing via the Gorges of the Dourdou and Lot, 55 kms. The ride down the Dourdou and along the Lot to Entraygues is a deservedly popular local bike route and I passed more than 80 cyclists, about half wearing helmets and riding in peletons. Entraygues is where the large Truyere River flows into the Lot and I spent an hour cycling up the forested Truyere valley to a magnificent viewpoint overlooking the river at St. Hippolyte.
Back in Entraygues I continued up the Gorges du Lot. Above its confluence with the Truyere, the Lot had shrunk to only half its former size. Rounding a bend, I suddenly saw a fantastic sight: from the center of an ancient village, a rakish chateau soared skywards in a series of multi-imposed spires and towers. This was Estaing, another "plus beaux" village honeycombed with casbah-like streets, and my overnight stop. (H. Auberge Saint Fleuret.)
DAY 6: Estaing to St. Geniez d'Olt via the Gorges du Lot, 40 kms. Today's ride had to be short because no convenient overnight stop existed beyond St. Geniez. The day opened with a ten kilometer ride along the Lot to Espalion and on to the ancient and picturesque village of St. Come d'Olt, one of two "plus beaux" villages on today's route, and well worth exploring.
From here, D6 climbs over forested hills to Lassouts and on down into St. Emilie d'Olt, the other "plus beaux" village. Here again I spent a full hour cycling along the narrow streets past stone houses and a Roman era church and finally snacking on a late lunch at a picnic table beside the Lot.
St. Geniez d'Olt wasn't too impressive, just another provincial French town with 3 large hotels, few tourists and a well-stocked 3-Mousquetieres supermarket. (H. De La Poste.)
Houses built against cliffs
in the gorge of the Upper Lot
DAY 7: St. Geniez d'Olt to Mende via the Gorges du Lot, 70 kms. If you don't mind a few hills, I suggest taking D95 and D509, tiny roads that follow the Lot from St. Geniez through a vast regional forest to St. Laurent. Next, I biked under Autoroute 75 (which siphoned off most of the traffic) and continued along the Lot on N88 all the way to Barjac. As large trucks began to appear, I turned left on to D147 and pedalled over the hills into Mende. (. H. Relais de La Tour or the less expensive Hotel Delfour next door--both new generation hotels one kilometer from Mende and next to a supermarket.)
An Alternative: Rather than go to Mende, you might consider taking D998 from La Canourge across the high plateau of the Causse de Sauveterre and down to St. Emilie in the Gorge du Tarn for overnight. Then next day ride up the Gorge du Tarn to Florac.
DAY 8: Mende to Florac via the Gorge du Tarn, 70 kms. Leaving Mende on busy N88 I found an excellent bike path beside the road all the way down to the Lot. Here I said goodbye to the Lot as I cycled over it for the last time and headed uphill on D988--a climb that proved to be 7 kilometers long. It was at a fork at the top of this hill that I met the French-speaking couple from California. They asked me in French which was the more scenic of the two roads but something about them suggested they weren't French. When I replied in English they immediately broke into English and we talked for ten minutes about how easy, safe and pleasant it is for Americans with a basic grasp of French to travel in France.
I told them of several occasions when French people had gone out of their way to help. Just a few days earlier, while riding in the rain across a town, I missed a turn and was heading out in the wrong direction. When I stopped to ask the way from an elderly man in a car, he turned the car around and said "Suivrez- moi" (Follow me). Driving at a moderate pace, he led me right across town to the road I was looking for. When I thanked him profusely, he said," Je vous en prie," (You're welcome).
After heading south across a high, windswept plain I began a breathtaking descent down a series of switchbacks into the Gorge du Tarn. Spectacular panoramas of the gorge, with its river and villages, opened up at every turn. Soon, I was down at Ispagnac village in the bottom of the gorge.
Since it was still early, I cycled downstream for ten kilometers beside the foaming, white water rapids of the Tarn. Then I turned round and rode the same narrow, winding road back between the high cliffs of the gorge and into Florac. In the gorge, I passed more cyclists than cars.
Florac proved to be a small provincial town on a trout-filled river. (H. Central et du Poste--get a rear room overlooking the river.)
DAY 9: Florac to Pont Montvert and Florac along the Upper Tarn, 50 kms. Today I left the panniers in the hotel and took an out- and-back day ride through Cevennes National Park. Specifically, I pedalled up D998, a low-traffic road that climbs gradually through wooded hills beside the swiftly-flowing Tarn. On this ride through history, I passed in turn the ancient church of Bedoues, the tall, square chateau of Mirat perched on a rock high above the road, and the incredibly ancient village of Pont Montvert, its 600-year old bell tower overlooking the river.
By now, the Tarn was just a stream filled with rapids and rocks. A few kilometers beyond, the road left the Tarn and a sign announced that the river's source was only 5 kilometers away--just about as close as I could get on a bike. Returning, I stopped again to explore Pont Montvert, surely one of the oldest villages in France.
DAY 10: Florac to Corniche des Cevennes and Florac via the Tarnon River Valley, 70 kms. All of France closes up on Sundays, trains don't run, and I try to stay in the same hotel on Saturday and Sunday nights. Which accounts for my second pannier-free day ride, this one over the Corniche des Cevennes and along the sunny Tarnon Valley.
From Florac it took two hours of steady climbing to reach the crest of the Corniche des Cevennes. Corniche implies a level, balcony road with magnificent views. The views were great--range upon range of wooded Cevennes mountains. But all too soon, the Corniche plunged downhill and the balcony ride was over.
So I headed back and took tiny D48, a narrow lane that corkscrewed down the mountains to the Tarnon River valley. Here I took a left on D907 and followed narrow D119, D18 and D996 on a wonderfully quiet and scenic loop that led back down beside the Tarnon and into Florac.
DAY 11: Florac to Millau through the Gorge du Tarn, 82 kms. My red rear light flashing, I left Florac in the early morning mist and headed downriver--in fact, it was downhill all the way to Millau. The mist lifted as I entered the gorge, revealing sheer rock walls towering as much as 2,000 feet (600 meters) overhead.
By ten o'clock I'd reached St. Enimie, a picturesque village of crooked streets with cafes, 3 hotels, a monastery and historic church, and kayak rentals. With time to spare, I suggest stopping here for a few hours of kayaking. You can choose between calm water or easy rapids and the rental firms return you to St. Enimie by van.
The upper gorge is often so narrow that the road must go through short tunnels or under rock arches. But there are no long, dark tunnels. Several hundred cyclists ride the gorge each day.
By noon, I'd ridden past Les Detroites where the Tarn pours through a narrow gap between high cliffs. Ancient villages like Malene also have kayak rentals. But below the Narrows, the gorge widens and the river slows.
Two kilometers below La Riviere, I crossed a bridge to La Cresse village and cycled on backroad D187 the rest of the way into Millau. Millau is a larger town with a helpful tourist office and all facilities. Pick up a street map as soon as you arrive (a good idea at every town). (H. des Voyageurs--has quiet, inexpensive bathless rooms in rear).
DAY 12: Millau to Gorges de La Doubie and return, 50km. Today, I made a pannier-free out-and-back ride through the Gorges de La Doubie, a famous beauty spot west of Millau. For 25 kilometers, the road borders the swiftly-flowing La Doubie River, winding between high, forested hills and steep rock cliffs and passing several hilltop villages with tall gothic churches. En route, I passed more than 50 cyclists, of whom at least ten were women.
Through the trees I glimpsed groups of kayakers running the "eau vivre"--literally "living water"--the French term for whitewater. When I stopped to watch a group get into their kayaks, a young women in a wetsuit saw my rear-view mirror.
"Un retroviseur pour velos," she called out." Une bonne idee!"
DAY 13: Millau to St. Affrique via the Lower Tarn valley, 45 kms. Virtually every town in France with 3,000 habitantes or more has a tourist office open daily except Sunday. Not only do tourist offices help you find accommodation, and phone hotels to check on vacancies, but they also give away street plans that often show the location of every hotel. I always pick up a street plan at each overnight stop and check out my exit route for leaving town next day. This routine paid off handsomely when leaving Millau, a larger town with a maze of confusing streets.
Once clear of town and on D41, traffic faded away and I enjoyed cycling through the soft and subtle colors of the Lower Tarn Valley. En route, I stopped for half an hour to explore the ancient village of Peyre, its tiered streets lined by stone cubist houses built flush against a huge cliff. Peyre certainly deserves a "plus beaux" rating but no signs were visible.
All the way to St.Rome I continued biking beside the Tarn on narrow, country lanes. Then the easy riding ended. For the next 90 minutes it was a steady climb all the way up and across Parc Natural de Grands Causses (high plateaux)--only to be followed by a long, winding descent into St. Affrique.
Tip: For a longer ride, continue down the Tarn to Brousse le Chateau--a tiny walled village accessible only by footbridge. Then continue to St. Affrique by D25.
St. Affrique is a pleasant town with a handsome gothic church beside the Dourdou River (not the same as that at Conques). ( H. Le Moderne, quiet, garage.)
Narrow road hacked out of
rock winds through Gorge de Cele.
DAY 14: St. Affrique to Lacaune across Haut Languedoc, 50 kms. I left St. Affrique on the main road to Albi. But traffic soon diminished and 90 minutes later I reached the turn-off for D32, a quieter road that crosses the mountains of Haut Languedoc to Belmont and Lacaune.
Belmont is a picturesque village with a handsome 15th century church and an auberge with rooms. But from the moment I crossed Belmont's magnificent 12th century bridge, it was a steady uphill climb for the next 3 hours.
In my lowest gear, I pedalled steadily to the cold, windy heights of the col de Sie at 1,000 metres. I was so famished by the long climb and cold that I devoured half a loaf of du pain complet (whole grain bread) with four bananas while seated on a log in the shelter of a pine wood.
Soon, far below, I could see the road dropping down to Lacaune in a series of switchbacks. To keep warm, I wore almost every item of clothing I had, raingear included. Thus insulated, I fairly flew downhill and into Lacaune. A picturesque mountain town, Lacaune has several small markets and boulangeries and a comfortable hotel, the Casals, with accommodation for bikes.
DAY 15: Lacaune to Mazamet via Haut Languedoc Regional Park, 60 kms. Neither Lacaune nor Mazamet are in Languedoc. But signs indicated this was Cathar country. And near Mazamet I found the best preserved Cathar bastide that I'd seen on this trip.
Surprisingly, also, I found the cycling level and easy as far as Brassac, a riverside village of crooked streets. Then came a ten kilometer climb to col Faulte at 800 metres. Here the climbing ended and I sped downhill through tall pine forests for 22 kilometers into Mazamet.
It was too early to stop cycling so I continued south--uphill again--for a few kilometers to the medieval hilltop village of Hautpoul. Rather than push the bike up the 16-20 percent grades of the village streets, I left it in the front yard of a craftsman's atelier and walked. During my one hour visit I did not see another person though all of the houses seemed occupied and several were the ateliers of woodcarving craftsmen.
Poised atop the village was a battered Cathar castle that was attacked and taken by Simon de Montfort in 1212. Hautpoul was typical of similar cliffhanger villages in this region that suffered the same fate. As I lunched on the castle wall, I could see the red roofs of Mazamet, my overnight stop, almost directly below. (H. Le Boulevard, get a quiet room in rear).
DAY 16: Mazamet to Carcassone via the Gorges de L'Arnette and the Gorges de La Clamoux, 60 kms. Via the main highway, you can drive from Mazamet to Carcassonne in an hour. But the scenic route by bicycle takes you first up the gorge of the River Arnette, then over the high and formidable Montaigne Noire (Black Mountain) and finally down and into Carcassonne through the stunning Gorge of the Clamoux River--a trip which took me 6.5 hours of steady pedalling.
Leaving Mazamet, I biked up the narrow Gorges de L'Arnette, lined on both sides by 19th century wool and paper mills, now crumbling and abandoned. Above the mills, D54 climbs through thick pine forests into wild mountaintop country. Only an occasional car went by but I passed over 50 cyclists, both men and women and all wearing helmets and club jerseys. A few solo riders on mountain bikes also waved as they passed. Snaking across the high plateau, D54 led past the mountaintop village of Pradelles with its 800 year old church.
From here, D112 drops down a series of switchbacks that take the narrow road down the immense side of Montagne Noire into the Gorges de La Clamoux. The drop in elevation is nearly 600 metres. Once down beside the river, it's a fast ride along D112 and D620 into Carcassonne.
One of the largest Cathar fortresses and walled cities in France, with over 3 kilometers of crenellated walls still intact, Carcassone is a popular tourist center with a choice of 30 or more hotels. However, since I had explored Carcassonne in depth on previous occasions, I did not stay here overnight. Instead, I caught a late afternoon, bike-carrying train for the one-hour trip back to Toulouse.
Getting There and Getting Started
This was my tenth solo bike tour of France and, as usual, I flew Air France overnight from Houston, Texas to Paris and by connecting flight to Toulouse. Since the airport is fairly close, I took a taxi direct to my hotel. (Note that most French taxis can carry only one passenger in addition to a bike carton.)
My hotel, the Albion at 16 rue Bachelier, is a one kilometer walk from the city center and a five minute bike ride from Gare Matabiau, the Toulouse railway station. The Albion has quiet, modern rooms at 230 FF single or double and a garage with ample workspace for assembling bikes. But storage space for bike boxes is limited. Immediately after arriving, I checked the bike for damage in transit. In event repairs were necessary, I could have taken it to a bike shop right away.
After sleeping for eleven hours, I spent next day assembling my bike; packing panniers and suitcase; changing dollar travelers checks into French francs (commercial money changers seem to give best rates); buying a 50-unit telephone card; buying a one-way second class rail ricket to Najac; buying new Michelin road maps (#235 "Midi-Pyrenees" and #240 "Languedoc-Rouissillon" covered the entire tour); and visiting the Tourist Office to pick up free hotel guides to Midi-Pyrenees and Languedoc-Rouissillon. I also picked up hotel guides to other provinces. They are unavailable in America and could be invaluable for planning future tours.
Then I placed my suitcase in the bike carton and left both in the hotel baggage room until I returned. I also deposited a small emergency sum in travelers checks plus my airline ticket in the hotel safe, also to await my return. Other reports on this website give loads of priceless tips and advice for planning and carrying out your own do-it-yourself tour of France (see the Tours of Provence and the Southern French Alps).
One pleasant surprise came at the Bureau de Change. Instead of just 5 francs per dollar, which was all I received in 1998, in 2,000 I got a whopping 7 francs per greenback. Along with other countries that opted to adopt the Euro, prices in France for those with U.S. dollars had plummetted to their lowest levels in 12 years. Staying at economy hotels and either eating at inexpensive restaurants, or buying food at supermarkets, cost me well under $50 a day. For two sharing a room, per person costs could be even less.
I rode an inexpensive Marin St. Rafael touring bike with an STX triple crankset with 22T on the small chainring and 32T on the large rear cog (providing a low climbing gear of 19 inches). I use an exceptionally strong 36-spoke rear wheel with 14 gauge spokes and a 36 spoke front wheel with 14/15 gauge spokes. The tires were 700 x 28 in rear and 700 x 26 in front. I carry generous-sized rear panniers, a handlebar bag, and a rucksack for overflow which rides on the rear rack. My Goretex rainsuit can be swiftly accessed together with cheap waterproof work gloves that I wear in rain. In fact, almost everything but the rainsuit is cheap or inexpensive--I have never believed in taking an expensive bike and equipment overseas. I use pedal toeclips and have only one pair of shoes--a cheap but well cushioned pair of Chinese-made running shoes from Walmart.
I carry a full set of tools and spare parts, including 3 tubes, a pump, and batteries for cyclometer, camera and watch. And I use a fully-manual 35-year old Rollie 35 camera (weighing only 500 grams--1.1 pounds--and no longer available) for taking slides. My cash, travelers checks and passport go in a money belt which I remove only in the hotel room (and never leave there) and which I always conceal under clothing. Some European hotels are now installing combination lock safes in hotel rooms.
The website: www.gaf.tm.fr lists hotels with phone numbers in most towns in both Midi-Pyrenees and Languedoc-Roussillon but gives very little other information.. For other French websites, click on "Other Helpful Touring Websites" on the home page.
Through the Gorges de St. George.
Quillan, 52 kilometers south of Carcassonne, is jumping-off place for the ascent of the Gorges de St. George. From Carcassonne, you can ride backroad D104 to Limoux but the final 28 kilometers requires riding on D118, a much busier road. (An alternative route is to cycle from Lacaune on D907 to St. Pons and continue to the former Cathar bastion of Minerve, one of the most picturesque villages in France. Then head south from here to Olonzac and Lezignac and take D613 southeast across a series of low cols to Couiza and Quillan--a highly scenic route but one that is low on hotels.)
From Quillan, you cycle 11 kilometers southwest on D117, a busier road that traverses the Defile de Plerre Lys through what appears to be two tunnels on the Michelin map. (They may just be rock arches or narrow, unlighted tunnels 200 meters long.) Then you turn right into Axat village and continue on D118 into the Gorges de St. George. This obviously scenic road follows the River Aude for a climb of 47 kilometers with an elevation gain of 900 meters (3,000 feet).
Les Angles lies in the Pyrenees and you can bike on from here along mountainous highway N116 through a string of ski resorts to the French town of Bourg Madame and the neighboring Spanish town of Puigcerda. The entire area seems well worth exploring, especially the Spanish enclave of Llivia.
To return to Toulouse you could brave the traffic and ride down N20 to Ax Les Thermes and Lordat and continue on quieter roads to Tarascon and Foix. But this is all untested territory and the climbs and traffic could be formidable. Alternatively, you could simply catch a bike-carrying train from Tour de Carol station, a few kilometers from Bourg Madame, and go straight to Toulouse.
Another idea: from Carcassonne, go by bike-carrying train to Toulouse (may requires an overnight stop) and continue by another to Tour de Carol Then bike to Les Angles and cycle the Gorges de St. George downhill to Quillan. From Quillan, you can cycle in a day to Foix and catch a frequent bike-carrying train to Toulouse.
Schematic Route Map--Not to
Scale