A simple motel‑style stop on the edge of Carcassonne, the Ibis Budget on Rue Général Leclerc does exactly what it needs to do. It’s cheap, clean and close enough to La Cité to make sightseeing easy, even if the pavements aren’t accessible for the disabled.
Review: Ibis Budget Carcassonne, Rue Général Leclerc
If you arrive at the Ibis Budget on Rue Général Leclerc in Carcassonne expecting a hotel, you’ll be disappointed. If you arrive expecting a motel, you’ll feel right at home. This is roadside accommodation in the French Midi, stripped back to the essentials and priced accordingly. It’s the sort of place where you drop your bag, take a breath and remind yourself that you’re here for Carcassonne, not for the thread count.
The first thing you notice is the outdoor seating. In good weather it’s a blessing, a simple scattering of tables where you can sit with a drink or a snack and watch the light fade over the car park. In bad weather there are indoor tables too, though most people seem to use the outside space for smoking. When I visited, the evening was still 30c and I was able to eat outside in relative peace. Lidl is just around the corner, which for a British traveller counts as a small miracle. You can pick up a bottle of something cold, a packet of crisps and feel like you’ve beaten the system.
I arrived on a Sunday evening and discovered the hard truth about this part of France. Shops can open on Sunday morning for a short window, but they don’t stay open all day. By the time I reached the hotel, everything was shut. Monday morning wasn’t much better. Carcassonne takes its time waking up and supermarkets don’t open until lunchtime. If you’re on foot and relying on shops for food, you’ll need to plan ahead or resign yourself to whatever you can find.
The room rate is the real selling point. The receptionist was friendly, though it became clear that staff don’t live nearby and don’t know much about local events or services. Don’t expect insider knowledge. Don’t expect them to know where the nearest pharmacy is. They’re polite, but they’re not guides and they didn’t know that Lidl was just around the corner.
Hunger does strange things to the imagination, although you’re rarely as hungry as you think. A nearby patisserie, open on Sunday at 7pm, saved the day. I found croque monsieur, gâteau and a bottle of Pipistrell sparkling wine. I sat in the sun, still blazing at 30c, and ate like a king. It’s a five minute walk from the hotel. Turn right, keep going and it’s on the left. When the heat is that intense, you don’t want to walk any further.
Breakfast the next morning was a lesson in lowered expectations. For about 8 euros you get a very limited buffet, heavy on carbs and light on everything else, not refreshed that frequently on some mornings. The coffee was weak and I had to take two measured cups before I tasted anything resembling flavour. The room was cramped and busy, though it cleared after nine. If you go early or late, you’ll have a better time. There’s a glass covered area open on two sides that looks out onto the car park used as part of the breakfast room. The coffee machine, however, is a bottleneck. Couples stand in front of it debating their options while the rest of us wait.
Outside, it’s a ten to fifteen minute walk to La Cité and the Basilica of Saint Nazaire. The route isn’t ideal for anyone with mobility issues. Pavements are uneven and cars park up on the pavement wherever they like. The guests at the hotel are a mixed bunch. Mostly older, mostly middle class, with a few younger couples. All very straight. Staff are pleasant and will warm to you if you try a little French. Some English is spoken, but if you show even a hint of French, they’ll assume you’re fluent and reply at full speed.
Lidl, as it turns out, is a ten minute walk away. Turn left from the hotel, left at the roundabout, then left again. Cabernet Sauvignon for 1.99 euros. A very British sort of bliss.
Avoid ground floor rooms to the rear. They overlook the car park and when I stayed there were Spanish and French bikers who gathered outside my window and talked loudly before roaring off. Sound insulation isn’t great. On my last night I swear the family upstairs were tap dancing.
If you’re travelling on a budget, this place does exactly what it says on the tin. It’s clean, convenient for La Cité and you can walk to the Bastide in about thirty minutes. Just remember that La Cité and the Bastide aren’t the same place. Shops keep very French hours, and yes, French people do sometimes speak a little English although a little effort in speaking French goes a long way.
Further Reading
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