merriweather_max

Hi everyone,

I am new to posting in this forum, and want to say thanks in advance to everyone for their feedback!

I am taking a trip in February with a plan to drive from Barcelona to San Sebastian and back within a 5 day period (we'll have more time in Barcelona itself - but 5 days to travel to San Sebastian and back). I have culled through as many existing forum posts as possible to get route suggestions and must-see stops for the drive - you guys are an incredible resource!

The reason I am sort of 're-posting' with this thread is that we are traveling in winter, whereas others have discussed summer travels. I am concerned about the altitude and safe driving, especially around the Pyrenees, and wonder if you all have route suggestions / things to see / stops to make for Winter specifically. (Or perhaps it's the same as summer!)

Thanks in advance!
-Merri

merriweather_max

In case it helps - thinking of this sort of driving route:

http://goo.gl/maps/7O7xH

Please let me know what you think, especially for weather, and where on this route (or another route) would be best to stop for a night or two!

goldenautumn

I'm unclear about your question. Are you saying that you have 5 days to split between driving to Barcelona and driving back again? That it will be a kind of sandwich, with a week or so in Barcelona in the middle?

Your choices are taking a route through France or a route through Spain. You might want to do one going south and the other going north. I've only done the route through France, where the highway is very good. That was in May so I was able to make forays into the Pyrenees, and even cross them, but I don't think you can plan on doing that in February.

The Spanish route is slightly shorter, I believe, but I don't know anything about it. It may very well be drier on that side, but I don't know, and I don't know about the condition of the highways.

I think you should plan on staying at lower elevations, maybe especially on the Spanish side. Along the way, you can consult with locals about whether any roads going up to the ski resorts are open, and whether it is easy to go up and have a look at the peaks, but weather shifts so suddenly in the Pyrenees, that you really need to be remember that you aren't as knowledgeable as the locals about the roads, and be content with pretty views from the lower valleys unless you really know for sure where you are going, how long it will take you to get there, that roads are clear and forecast is good, etc.

You should check when you rent the car, even if you have no plans to go into the mountains, if you are required to carry snow chains or have snow tyres.

goldenautumn

Hi,

we were typing at the same time. I would be inclined to stick to the further western route on the Spanish side.

merriweather_max

thank you goldenautumn!!

sorry i wasn't being clear. we will have five days for the trip i'm describing (and spend a week afterwards in barcelona itself).

yes, i definitely want to plan to stay at lower elevations. do you mean, then, that we should not take the route of pamplona -> jaca -> huesca on the way back because it's too northern?

also, do you have a favorite city to stop at (staying a night or even two) between barcelona and san sebastian?

thank you!!!!!!

Robert2533

5 days? Not much time to enjoy yourself. Just remember the days are short so you'll end up missing a lot, especially if you plan to drive over and back in only 5 days.

Have you given any though about flying into San Sebastian (from where ever) and driving to Barcelona? It will allow you a little more time. You could also fly from SS back to Barcelona at the end of the drive.

As far as the route goes, some roads in the Pyrenees may be closed due to snow, but you should be able to drive up to the Val d'Arn (www.visitvaldaran.com/en) on the N-230 if the other highways is closed. It's a great place to visit in the winter or summer. Panticosa and the Tena Valley will also be open. This is where the peaks of the Pyrenees touch the sky at its highest points. You can cross over the pass at Fromigal, either going into France or reentering Spain.

The road from Oloron-Sainte-Marie (www.oloron-ste-marie.fr) to Jaca (Aragon), the N-134, should be open in February and of course the road up to Roncesvalles in Navarra will be open from both sides.

goldenautumn

PS: If you want to go through France, you could consider driving to Carcassonne then spending the night in Castelnaudary, which claimbs to be the birthplace of cassoulet, not a bad dinner choice for February. The next day you could drive on San Sebastian with a stop for lunch en route, or stop in Pau for the night. If you stop early enough, you can walk around the town and enjoy some fine views of the mountains. You could also spend the night in someplace like St Jean de Luz or Bayonne.

merriweather_max

wow thank you robert2533! this is very helpful!

flying into SS (or back to BCN) sounds like a GREAT idea. if we were just going to drive one way, what would you say are the can't miss stops? and what route would you suggest, if we want to avoid snow and difficult driving conditions?

i was thinking we definitely want to see bilbao and SS (unless you suggest otherwise) -- and perhaps stop at one or two other places along the drive....

thank you for being such a great resource! i saw all of your posts on the other person's route thread from years ago...so helpful....

merriweather_max

ooo thanks for the PS goldenautumn! that sounds amazing. and we love cassoulet.

goldenautumn

hi, again merriweather, typing again at the same time

I really don't know anything about the road through Spain. I've only traveled the French highway.

My experience of the high Pyrenees in May, when on a sunny day a cloud rolled by and reduced my visibility on a mountain pass to less than 2 feet -- I am not exaggerating -- would make me very wary of crossing the Pyrenees in winter. I'm just not that experienced a driver. Be safe. It is lovely country and pretty towns everywhere. You might not want to get *too* up close and personal with the touching the sky or the side of a mountain peak. ;-)

Robert2533

If you fly into San Sebastian (from Barcelona or Madrid) you can visit Bilbao for the day before picking up the car in Bilbao. I would then head through Vitoria-Gastize to Pamplona and on to Jaca, which is in the foothills of the Pyrenees. From there you can drive to the Tena Valley, staying in the valley before driving up the Val d'Arn (Vielha), which is a must see.

If the highway leading out of the valley to the west is open in February, which it should be, you can drive over the pass on the C-142/C-13 to Sort before heading to La Seu d'Urgell, spending the night in the Parador, or at my favorite place, El Castell de Ciutat (www.relaischateaux.com/elcastell). From there it's a few hours drive into Barcelona.

If stopping in the Tena Valley, I recommend Hotel El Privilegio de' Tena (http://elprivilegio.com)

There is an excellent 3-star hotel in Salardu, in the Val d'Arn, Hotel Mauberme (www.hotelmauberme.com), where you can spend the night if they have a room available.

merriweather_max

Most excellent! Thank you Robert2533!!

dms75

Hi--

Looking at driving from Barcelona to San Sebastian 12/27-12/28 2016 one way. Do all routes go through snow / need snow chains?

Thanks.