abbydog

Next spring, we're staying in Ceret, near Perpignan and Collioure. I was pondering flying into Toulouse and renting a car, but I see Barcelona is closer. However, I think I've heard there are issues with renting a car in Spain and driving around in France. Do you have any suggestions? Should there be a train in the mix? Thanks!

SloJan2

I would do Barcelona and rent a car. Just make sure that the car can cross borders and most of the name brand companies allow this.

Carlux

I would prefer Toulouse, as I find it an easier drive. Perhaps because we are used to driving in France, but I dont enjoy driving anywhere around Barcelona - too big and busy.

Cathinjoetown

Well, viamichelin shows fastest route from Toulouse Blagnac airport as 2 hrs 30 min and from Barcelona airport, 2 hr 19 mins so not much in it.

Best to pickup and return a rental in the same country to avoid what can be high one-way dropoff charges.

I think I would decide based on best air fare and whether or not you want to spend time in Barcelona or Toulouse or points on the way.

kerouac

Why not fly to Perpignan (through Paris, for example)?

http://www.aeroport-perpignan.com/fr/page/passagers

Pvoyageuse

It is very easy to drive from Barcelona El Prat to Céret - just follow the highway to Le Boulou, the first exit after the border. Céret is 10 km from Le Boulou. Barcelona is closer to Céret than Toulouse (Viamichelin times are very optimistic).
Or you can take a train from Barcelona or Toulouse to Perpignan and rent a car there.

abbydog

Thanks all! Much to ponder.

uhoh_busted

You are going to one of my favorite places in France. We stayed in the area for a month in 2010. We flew in and out of Barcelona. They upgraded our car when we picked it up at the airport, and probably wanted us to turn it in for the lesser model a week later, but I told them "We are in France! We don't plan to go back to Barcelona for another 3 weeks!"

As Roseanne Rosannadanna would say: "Never mind!"

Worked well for us.

Actually, we ended up driving from Barcelona to Toulouse, and spending the night because the friend whose flat we were staying in, was flying in to Toulouse the next morning from her home in Basel, to give us the keys and show us the ropes for a couple days. (In a perfect world, everyone would have terrific friends like this.) Toulouse isn't a hard drive either. I guess whatever works best for your flight plans is the way you should go. The Toulouse airport is really nice, small and easy to negotiate. I don't know about rental car options from there. Additionally, there is an airport outside of Perpignan, as well.