France, SW--riding vacation? S of Toulouse

[BlackTiBob]

OK like many of you on this board, Velotel (and others) get me really psyched for a riding vacation in France. I'm in Minnesota.
I've been to France once but was forced to leave when a kindly cafe/hotel owner let us park our Nortons in his dining room overnight and they seeped oil onto his immaculate floor :)

Thru my neighbor I got info on a house for rent in the small village of Belveze-du-Razes. I know nothing about the village or area. It's about 60 miles SE of Toulouse and 20 miles SW of Carcassonne.

It's just north of the Pyrennes. ??? Can mere mortals ride the mtns??

In this area are there things for my non-riding wife to do/see while I ride and for us to do together? I just retired so figure if it's worth going over, it's worth staying a month so likely ship my Serotta over/not rent.

What months will be prime, not hot and not wet---Sept/Oct and April/May??
I think about TdF month but that may not be the best for riding.

Any hints for car rentals in France as I suppose we'll need a vehicle. Is it like US where rentals at airport are 25% higher than a couple miles away?

Greatly appreciate any suggestions/help from those that have ridden this area or live there.

[robin3mj]

I've been to SW France each of the past 8 years with the exception of the year I got married. Mostly east of Toulouse and recently dead north.

That village looks like its in a bit of a plain in the foothills of the Pyrenees so not killer climbing, though if you wanted to test yourself you could ride south from there a bit.

September is the best month in my opinion. August is when most of urban France takes their own vacations so the south of the country could be more crowded with traveling Parisians and Germans.

The Tour is worth seeing once so don't rule out August. It can be a hassle though in the mountains but again, a once in a lifetime deal so maybe worth it.

The best thing is that the sun sets at about 1030pm in the summer. Great for eating lunch at a restaurant with a glass of wine, riding around 4pm then still having ages to sit around eating cheese and drinking wine before the sun goes down.

Get the Michelin Green map for the region and go nuts riding.

Carcassonne is well worth a full day trip, one of the bigger walled/fortified cities in that part of France. You wouldn't be too far from the beach either, Beziers is a nice area. if you go before mid sept, each village has a summer fete so every weekend there will be a couple within striking distance. They are generally two days with a fixed price for food each day, something local like a duck cassoulet or confit in the Saturday and slightly more 'low key' like coq au vin on Sunday.

[velotel]

Weather is a total crap shoot. My son, his wife, her sister, and her parents came over in march. They were worried that it was too early for the good weather. The weeks preceeding their arrival sucked, cold and rain. The two weeks they were in France and Italy were gorgeous, like summer. April sucked. May sucked. June was sometimes good, sometimes not so good. No pattern at all. That said, september and october can be fabulous months. One of my favorite seasons for riding. Then again all four seasons are favorites but still, autumn is or can be exceptional. Don't know squat about that region so can say no more. Other than you'll have a grand time no matter when you do it.

For renting a car, just call, someone will speak english, and ask. But yes, as a rule renting away from the airport is cheaper. Plus locally you can often find some very good deals.