Gram

After a week or so in San Sebastian, we intend to go into southern France for a day or two or ?, but have no idea how much time to allow for this. We do not want to drive constantly but stop for great lunches (suggestions?) and just enjoy the countryside and coast. Will probably not go further north than Saint Jean-de-Luz or further east than St.-Jean-Pied-de-Port before returning to Spain. Maribel's Guide has great suggestions, but how long will this leisurely trip take? Also, debating whether to continuing driving back to Barcelona or return the rental car in Pamplona and take the train back. Is that drive interesting? All suggestions welcome.

bill_boy

I don't know how long you'd need to spend at the Pays Basque area.

However, we've been doing some due diligence as we are headed for a full week to Pais Vasco (the Spanish side) while planning on a few daytrips driving in and around the Pays Basque area.

Some research and inquiries with friends who's been there:

At Saint Jean Pied de Port, we were recommeded 2 dining establishments so far:
1. Iratze Ostatua for some good, hearty Basque dishes; and
2. Le Caves des Etats de Navarre - a wine bar for locals wines and some tasty tapas.

If you decide to go to Biarritz, I read somewhere that the restaurnat at Hotel du Palais is very good.

Have a good one.

HappyTrvlr

We did this last year and ,after a week in Hondarribia, drove to Barcelona via the French side of the Pyrenees. We spent time in St-Jean de Luz and the pretty villages of Sare, Ainhoa and Espellette. Next, stayed in two rather remote areas of the mountains as we worked our way east. We also enjoyed Collioure, France on the Mediterranean and a few days on the Costa Brava at Aiguablava before driving south to Barcelona.

Gram

HappyTrvlr- Thanks for sharing your trip. We are now considering more time in Pays Basque and the coast north of Barcelona. Where did you stay in the "remote areas." We usually prefer smaller towns/rural accomodations over the cities. Also, would love to know about where you stayed and ate on the Costa Brava. For now, subject to change of course, we will have a week to spend in these areas.

HappyTrvlr

We didn't have reservations in the
Pyrenees and will have to try to find the names of the places we stayed.
We stayed in Collioure,France- not Costa Brava but slightly north, at Casa Pairal which was perfect for us. We loved Collioure.
On the Costa Brava,we stayed at the Parador at Aiguablava and were required to eat one meal there a day at that time-July. The food was good when we ordered off an a la carte menu with a slight surcharge. For lunch, we ate at one of a number of nice small waterview places on the beach which were terrific. The setting of the hotel is specatacular, on a point sticking out into the sea. There is a cove with boats moored and a beach to one side, and rocky coast with crashing waves on the other side. As this was near the end of a six week trip, we enjoyed being in one place and relaxing.We stopped at the Dali museum in Figures on the way to Barcelona, a unique experience.