choc2

We are flying to Barcelona in July, spending 3 nights, the renting a car and driving north into France. We thought we would visit Avignon and Nimes, possibly as far as Nice. We have 3 weeks total and fly back home from Barcelona. Any suggestions of what to see as we drive up the coast into France and where to stay would be great!

Michael

You need to look at guidebooks, express your interests, and others might then be able to offer specific suggestions.

justineparis

Cassis,, never been there but it looks charming. Friend has been and loved it.
Make it to Nice and then you can daytrip to Eze, Monaco, Antibes, Cannnes, etc.

Nimes I would visit Pont Du Gard( I like ancient Roman stuff, plus a swim and lunch there would be a nice day trip,, Nimes is only 20 kms away)

I have never been to Spain before, am going this summer too, will visit Barcelona for a few days, then spending some time on the Costa Brava,, Tossa De Mar.. friends went last year and their pictures were amazing. They also visited Gironda( think i spelt that wrong , sorry)

Sean_RetanaVallely

Hi there:
Spanish Pyrenees are worth exploring. Drive north to Costa Brava, don't miss Cadaqués, Dalí's Museum and the hidden unspoiled coves below the cliffs. If you can make it, Aragonese (in the province of Huesca) Pyrenees are the nicest of them all. There is an extraordinary cross-Pyrenees you can do by car and come out to France through Navarre and the Basque Country. Try to spend as much time in Spain as you can, I believe it is far more varied (and perhaps more interesting than its French counterpart side). Good luck!

StCirq

<<I believe it is far more varied (and perhaps more interesting than its French counterpart side).>>

For me it's the opposite.

You do need to read guidebooks, examine maps, tell us what your interests are, etc., but I would start by planning a route that is a loop so you're not backtracking along the coast.With 3 weeks you can cover a lot of ground. Maybe begin by heading up through the Pyrénées and up to Carcassonne, then through Olargue and Lamalou and St-Guilhem-le-Desert, then Nimes and Avignon and the Bouches-du-Rhône, maybe some time in the Lubéron and on the Côtes d'Azur, then back to Barcelona on the coastal road, where there's no end of places to stop.

But that's just one possibility of hundreds. You do need to tell us why you're doing this and what you're interested in achieving.

Kwoo

In October 2010, after spending 5 days in Barcelona, we rented a car for a 3 night/4 day road trip north along the Costa Brava, as far as Cadaques; we overnighted in Cadaques, visited Dali's house, drove up to Cap de Creus. then we spent 2 nights in Girona, & spent one day driving through the Pyrenees before heading back to Barcelona. (Did not go to France.) But I think our trip gives you a good idea of where to go & what to do north of Barcelona.

You can click on my name to read my trip report. We loved everything we saw, especially Cadaques.
Hope this helps.

Michael

To whet your appetite, the French Pyrenees:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mksfca/...17915043/show/

choc2

Thanks for the suggestions. I have already been to the basque region and Pamplona, so this trip we wanted to concentrate on the eastern side.. We both like the outdoors, and would like to find some nice hikes near the coast. We don't want somewhere too touristy. I have read that Begur is nice, would it be a good place to stay for a few days and use as a base for visiting neighboring areas and Girona? Is Figueres worth a visit? What about Llanca? We will be following the coast up to France, with our first stop Perpignan. Then we will be heading back through the interior. I have done some research and reading, but there is not a lot of information on where to go in this region of Spain, it mainly focuses on the coast.

Pvoyageuse

Figueres is worth a visit if you like Dali and markets (huge market on Thursdays). If you like hikes don't miss the Natural Park of Cap de Creu between Rosas and Llança (GR 1 and GR 92)and the Aiguamolls Park in Emporda. Begur is very cute and a good base for Girona.
If you want to get off the coast, drive from Figueres to Olot, visit the volcanic park, continue to Camrodon and enter France at the Ares Pass down to Perpignan via Céret.