IN THIS SECTION
FLYING
Montpellier is a big regional airport about 40 miles from Cap. Beziers is a local airport at Vias, just 10 miles away. Montpellier has more flights but you need to make transfer arrangements, while Beziers is a brief taxi journey. If you buy a package, transfer from Montpellier will probably be included. Otherwise your options are hire car, taxi and train (which still requires taxi transfers at both ends). Airlines, prices and flights differ from year to year.
TAXI
It’s best to book in advance. There is a fair choice at Montpellier but you should shop around for a good price in high season. We’d recommend the services of Steve on 00 33 677 013456, a London cabbie who moved to Cap several years ago. He will give you a good price, he’s friendly, he knows the area and the swinging scene like the back of his hand and can give you any local advice you may need.
FLYDRIVE
If you intend seriously scouting the region around Cap, then you’ll need a car and flydriving makes sense. Although it is not one of the premier tourist areas of France there is quite a lot to see: the Cathar castles and bastide towns dating from the Albigensian Crusade, magnificent walled Carcassone, exquisit seaside Collioure and large numbers of picturesque medieval villages such as Minerve are all within half a day’s drive. The country cuisine is everything you’d hope for and rare is the menu that does not feature Bouillabaisse. Rose is the standard local plonk and Blanquette de Limoux (the original champagne) is the excellent value local bubbly.
A car also makes sense if you are staying off campus and planning to just visit the Quartier Naturiste. However, for your first time at Cap or if your stay will be short, the experience will be so absorbing that unless you visit the Hyper-U or local restaurants, there’s a danger you’ll be paying for a vehicle you hardly use.
DRIVING
Lots of people drive to Cap from all over Europe, especially those staying on the campsite. It’s up to you to cost the time, petrol and utility of having your vehicle with you against the speed, convenience and cost of flying (with transfer). If you take the direct route, people crossing the Channel usually overnight in the vicinity of Claremond-Ferrand. We’d recommend this charming hotel in nearby Montlucon.
Once you get to Cap D’Agde, finding the Naturist Quarter is not as simple as it might be. From the A9 “Languedocienne” Motorway, take the “Agde” exit south onto the RN312. After about 9 miles it splits into the RN112 going left (east) to Sete and right (west) to Beziers. Go left and come off at the third junction. You are now in a large gyratory system though you wouldn’t recognise it. Cross lanes from right to left sharply and take the first exit on the left to keep circulating until you see the Quartier Naturiste signposted.
The best roadmap available of the Cap – L’Extasia area is called 2645 ET Top 25 Sete Cap D’Agde published by the Institut Geographique National (IGN).
TRAIN
You can Eurostar to Paris and catch a TGV to Agde. There are several trains to Agde every day and the journey takes 5 hours. You will need to taxi from Agde SNCF station to Cap.