Carcassonne Airport Shuttle Bus Route & Times: Everything You Need To Know
Written by Jaillan Yehia
Carcassonne castle is said to be the inspiration behind Disney’s Magic Kingdom
If you’re travelling to or from Carcassonne Airport you’re probably looking for up to date information about using the quick, cheap and convenient Carcassonne airport shuttle bus before or after your flight.
The Carcassonne airport bus service connects tiny Carcassonne airport, on the outskirts of town, with Carcassonne train station (otherwise known as Carcassonne SNCF), which is located in the town of Carcassonne itself. Some buses also stop at Carcassonne Cite, the old town which is home to the fairytale castle pictured above, which is the main draw for tourists coming to Carcassonne itself.
Carcassonne Train Station
If you are taking a Ryanair flight to or from Carcassonne Airport and are figuring out how the Carcassonne Airport bus service works, what times it runs and whether you need to book your tickets in advance, you’ve come to the right place for answers.
Information About The Carcassonne Airport Shuttle Bus
On a visit to Carcassonne in 2019 – getting here is surprisingly easy once you know how
When I visited Carcassonne I struggled to reliable information about the bus from Carcassonne Airport, and getting an accurate bus timetable for the shuttle between the town and the airport so I could catch a departing flight was hard work.
On my holiday to the area I was trying to figure out how to get from Carcassonne Airport to Narbonne and then from Carcassonne back to the airport, and the info I found was pretty confusing.
Taking the train at Carcassonne SNCF
It doesn’t help to reassure you when the Carcassonne Airport shuttle bus page of the official Carcassonne Airport website shows a warning about the bus being cancelled for a day back in October 2018 and shows an old timetable that’s not even for 2019!
So I decided to share the information I found on the ground once I got to Carcassonne in April 2019, so that you don’t have the same worries and you can relax and enjoy your trip to this beautiful and historic part of France.
Common Questions About Transport from Carcassonne Airport to Carcassonne Station + Carcassonne City
How far is Carcassonne Airport from Carcassonne itself?
Carcassonne airport serves the Languedoc-Roussillon region and is about 3 km outside Carcassonne town centre, to the west. The journey time is short, at around 12-15 minutes by car, and a few minutes extra by bus. The airport shuttle bus allows 25 minutes for the journey.
Is there definitely a bus between Carcassonne Airport and Carcassonne Train Station?
Yes, there is a shuttle bus that runs to and from Carcassonne Airport to Carcassonne train station, stopping at 6 stops on the way including Carcassonne cite, which is home to Carcassonne Castle.
Is there a bus from Carcassonne Airport to Carcassonne Castle / Carcassonne Old City?
Yes, the bus that goes between the airport and train station also stops at Carcassonne cite but not all buses are stopping services.
There is a bus stop right outside Carcassonne Castle and citadel to pick up and drop off passengers who are headed to and from the popular medieval tourist attraction but you will have to check the timetable for the exact schedule.
Where does the bus stop between Carcassonne Airport and Carcassonne Train Station?
Carcassonne public transport map
Some buses are direct and some make a few stops. If the bus is a stopping service it will stop in 6 places: Etoile, Place Davilla, Dome, Pont Neuf, Saint Saens and finally the medieval city, and then terminating at the train station. The bus stop at the train station is a little hidden away as it’s not directly in front of the station itself, but is on the main road in front of the station entrance. It’s located on your right if you’re facing the station.
Do I need to plan or book the Carcassonne Airport Shuttle Bus in advance?
No, you don’t need to book ahead and I couldn’t see any way to do so.
How much is the Carcassonne Airport Shuttle Bus?
The tickets are 6 Euro per person each way. This ticket is then valid on local transport all day.
I would suggest having cash to purchase on board, even though a mobile ticket is potentially available through the local RTCA mobile app.
How do I find the timetable for the Carcassonne airport shuttle bus?
*Please note this is the pre-Covid timetable, it may have been updated since the pandemic, I will be updating this page soon*
The 2019 timetable as displayed at the bus stop outside Carcassonne Train Station
Lots of people are asking online about the exact times for the bus from Carcassonne airport to the town, and probably more importantly when catching a departing flight, the bus times when travelling to Carcassonne airport.
The simple answer is that Carcassonne airport has a very small number of flights and so the buses are timed to coincide with each flight. That might sound vague but this is how it works.
The buses to Carcassonne depart the airport 45 minutes after the arrival of each flight. Simple.
The buses to Carcassonne airport depart from the town to allow a generous amount of time at the airport (see timetable above). For example my flight departed Carcassonne Airport at 5.55pm, and the bus left Carcassonne at 15.35, arriving at the airport at 16.00. I chose to take a taxi arriving later, as I didn’t want to spent 2 hours at the airport.
Should I take a Carcassonne Airport Taxi instead of the bus?
The cost of a taxi from Carcassonne to the airport is approximately 18 Euros, and the cost of 2 adult bus tickets is 12 Euros, so if you are travelling with 3 people or more and going to the airport, it definitely makes financial sense to simply get a taxi.
I travelled from Carcassonne to the airport with my partner, and rather than taking the bus at a cost of 12 Euros and arriving a full 2 hours before our flight, we opted to pay the extra 6 Euros and go by taxi at a time that suited us.
When travelling from the airport to town, the bus ticket allows you to ride local transport all day so makes more sense financially, and the co-ordinated bus departures are probably more straightforward than calling a private taxi.
What’s Carcassonne Airport Like?
I have travelled a lot and I’ve been to some pretty small airports including Manitoba, Canada and seen some small airports in Denmark but I can honestly say that Carcassonne is smaller and more makeshift than any airport I’ve ever seen.
Where Can I Fly To From Carcassonne Airport?
Carcassonne Airport is home to Ryanair flights only and at the time of writing serves just 9 destinations – mostly in the UK and Republic of Ireland, with the addition (at the time of writing) of Brussels Charleroi airport and to Porto, Portugal.
Are there shops or cafes at Carcassonne Airport?
That would be a big no. There is a very small cafe before ‘security’ at Carcassonne Airport, but once you’ve been through the security area (which itself could fit into my living room, and I live in a cottage in England) there is just a basic waiting area with benches and a couple of vending machines selling the usual drinks and chocolate bars.
Getting from Carcassonne Airport to Narbonne
I travelled to Narbonne to try a barge cruise on the Canal du Midi
Many people, myself included, travel from Carcassonne Airport to Carcassonne station in order to catch a train to Narbonne and join a barge cruise on the Canal du Midi.
Taking the airport shuttle bus to Carcassonne Station, and taking a connecting train to Narbonne is straightforward, and both train stations are relatively small and easy to navigate.
Storing Baggage in Carcassonne
If you have some spare time before or after your flight and need to store luggage your options in Carcassonne are limited. Even though services like Nannybag and Bagbnb are available all over France, at the time of my arrival there is only one hotel offering bookable luggage storage in Carcassonne, and the hotel is the Adonis Carcassonne Résidence la Barbacane.
It is located in between the middle of the modern town and the medieval city so the location may not seem ideal, however I tried the service out and found it very friendly, and efficient.
As always when paying in a foreign currency on my travels I used my Revolut card to book the luggage storage (get one via my affiliate link and you’ll get a £6 credit) so I simply turned up and dropped off my bag.
They even called the taxi for me to go back to the airport when I decided not to take the airport shuttle bus back.
So if do you decide to swap the Carcassonne airport shuttle bus for a taxi on your way back to catch your flight home, this is a great luggage storage option.
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