Barcelona to Paris .. One Week

Hi All,

I have about a week to travel from Barcelona to Paris, later this month.

• I have a few days beforehand in Barcelona, so mainly seeking comments for travel departing BCN and finding my way eventually to Paris.

• Generally far more interested in the road less travelled, than the more touristy options. Fickle, also ). But that little back street or that windy country lane to the little sea cove get me most of the time.

• Comments on hiring a car or van? Recommendations for inexpensive hire companies? I've left booking somewhat late, I know.

• So much ground to cover, so little time (how unusual!) - so I much prefer strong recommendations on how to do this & what to do (and/or how not to do this, and what not to do). All comments gratefully received.

• I may update this post with more specific information on what I'd like to do & my interests based on any comments received. Hope I may then have your followup responses.

Thank you, Everyone.

UnT

Rent a car in Spain to drop in Paris is much more expensive as if you take from Barcelona the train to Perpignan and rent one in France.
You know and seen from your side we drive here on the wrong side of the road. Except inside some towns and villages the roads in France are fine and well made, all roads as we have the motorway, the national and departmental ones. If you avoid the motorways it will be less expensive and you have less traffic. One thing is important today: respect of the speed limit - if not it will be very expensive for you.

What concern your way up have you had a look on a map or into a guide book (or Internet) to find out in what you can be interested? In the Web are good information about the different regions, departments, towns and villages beside some global information for France. The site viamichelin.com gives you more infos and more details for each step. And for overnights the local truisme office (site also) is the place to look for if you know where you will be in the afternoon/evening.

As regards wrote, make your way first over the border into France before renting a car.
A road "less travelled" might be a way trough Andorra (reacheable by bus from Barcelona) and
cross from there into France and rent a car for example in Toulouse.

Then it's up to you, there are a hundred ways to reach Paris.

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The bus from Barcelona to Andorra followed by the bus from Andorra to Toulouse would be a guarantee of being thrown into duty free shopping hell on both buses.

However, Toulouse would be an excellent place to rent a car. You should also devote a day to visiting the city.

I would focus on what region and use that as a base. Discover that little train which spends a day winding it's way through the hills and / or a day walking around Roman ruins.

As noted, you will pay a king's ransom to rent a car in Spain and drop it in France, so forget that idea.

I would do as kerouac suggests, or take the train from Barcelona to the French border, cross and rent a car and drive up the Atlantic coast stopping at Bordeaux and La Rochelle and Ile de Ré and Nantes, then take the train back to Paris.

Thanks everyone, I very much appreciate the specific suggestions - 'this is what I would do' is what I want to hear.

• So, get to the French border (some say by bus others say by train?), then on to somewhere across the border to rent a car - perhaps Perpignan or Toulouse. Get there also by bus?

• I think I will go Perpignan - Narbonne - Carcassonne - Toulouse - and either west (Biarritz) or NW (Bordeaux) and up the coast. But if I was tempted to go a little ways east from Narbonne, what are your thoughts, where would you draw the line?

• I know it's readily available but could you please be so kind as to provide the main / official website addresses for buses, trains and the local tourist / accommodation offices (the specific URL, please)? I'm a bit overwhelmed with all the info and sites and not really getting anywhere. For example, if I find myself in some local region or small town and wish to stay overnight, but haven't booked anything, best I should look up the local tourism website? What is the site?

• Any specific tips for ensuring I remain on department / secondary roads? As basic as unselecting / deselecting route options that include toll roads on Google Maps?

• Your top 2 places to find a little train winding through the hills - and where I can also wonder through the ruins?

Thank you, again.

I know it's readily available but could you please be so kind as to provide the main / official website addresses for buses, trains and the local tourist / accommodation offices

Absolutely, it's readily available -- you google the name of the place + tourism and it will appear.

Thank you, but I only see reams and reams of general results by doing this.

I cannot se any problem to find out the answer for what you are asking. If you search "Perpignan" for example the site http://www.perpignantourisme.com/gb gives them all and much more information. Each town (or department or region) in France has the same structure.

For heavens' sakes, we can't or won't do your homework for you. Just google Official Website, Perpignan (or wherever), and there you have it.

Thank you, I appreciate these responses because my level of knowledge is such that I simply did not know these things existed in every town or locality - or more to the point, that there is this standardised URL format for the websites of these entities (where I'm from, these do not exist).

Basic for you, not for me.

Cheers, all the same.

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