Hi all,

I am looking for a charming destination in Europe (easy travel from Barcelona via rail / low-cost flights) to spend 3 days. This is after my 2 weeks Spain trip would be ending in Barcelona in end August.

As I would have Schengen visa, I can travel to any part of the countries covered under the same for 3 days.

I know it sounds open-ended, but some things that could help zero in suggestions are:

1. I am a teetotaller vegetarian Indian girl in late 20's and would be traveling solo for these 3 days (as against in a group of friends during the Spain trip).
2. I am bored of beaches.
3. I love mountains & scenic landscapes.
4. I appreciate local culture & history.
5. Quaint villages, cobbled paths, eating in small family eateries and taking long walks along the streets in villages atop hills is my thing.
6. I don't, however, mind going to big city centers (but not business hubs) and exploring the art, culture, architecture & food there.

Any suggestions would be welcome!

I suppose the answer depends upon where you are flying from at the end of the trip. Since you will be in Barcelona and don't have much time, you might consider the Languedoc-Roussillon region of France, which is just north of the Spanish border, and in the Pyrenees mountains. There is a beautiful walled city called Carcassonne, which is well worth a visit:
http://www.carcassonne.org/carcasson...geintrovisiter

Hi Heimdall,

I am flying out of Barcelona at the end. I would be spendign few days in Barcelona with friends after which I have 3 spare days on my own.

Your suggestion of going to south of france is distance-wise sensible. Any idea about how to reach this region from Barcelona? Are there regular buses / trains?

I've only driven by private car in that area, but there are several airports in the region. I would imagine there is some sort of bus service from Barcelona as well, but you will have to check that out for yourself. Rousillon is part of the old Catalonia region, which straddles both Spain and France. Some other nice towns in the area are Perpignan, Bezier, Pezenas, etc.

You can take a bus to Andorra. Plenty of mountains there.

Or, if you could get a cheap ryanair flight and only take carry-on, leaving your large luggage in BCN somewhere i would go to Frankfurt Hahn airport to visit the Mosel area and see the castles along the Rhein.

I'd check out al the cheap flights.. maybe bop over to Bergamo/Milan area for a couple nights. Plenty of options on Ryaniar/easyjet or use www.lastminute.com to see, very often, competitive normal airlines' offers.

If you like scenic landscapes but also quaint villages, I have two suggestions :

1) Bassin d'Arcachon - You can go to Arcachon and see the view of the pine forests while relaxing on the largest sand dune in Europe. The sunset view of the sand banks in the ocean is absolutely spectacular. The town itself is gorgeous. Also, it is 45 minutes by train from Bordeaux, so you can spend as much time as you like exploring Bordeaux - plenty of things to visit there. Narbonne is also a nice little town near the border of Spain.

2) Toledo - It a small, cobbled street town with an interesting ancient history. You can hike around the hills surrounding it, and the views are beautiful. It's less than an hour from Madrid.

Hi rt,

We could be of more help if you told us where you will visit in Spain.

Three days could be easily incorporated into that trip.

@Heimdall, I'd check the bus option. Thanks.
@Lincasanova, right. I am counting on the cheap flights, if I chose to go far.
@Poireaux, the description sounds great. Let me check it out. Further, I am going to Toledo as a day trip from Madrid.
@Ira, plan in short is:
Day 1-3: Madrid (includes day-trip to Toledo)
Day 4-6: Seville (includes day-trip to Cordoba)
Day 7-9: Granada (Alhambra...can't wait!)
Day 10-12: Barcelona

Day 13-15: Spolit with too many options.

Hi rt,

I think that you could easily add a day to Barcelona and day to Madrid.

Are you interested in Dali? You could visit his homes in Figueres or Cadaques from Barcelona.

Have you considered a daytrip to Salamanca and/or one to Burgos from Madrid?

Hi Ira,

I am traveling with a group of friends and hence, we have arrived at this itinerary with everybody's wishes. Hotels are booked as well.

I have 3 extra days at my disposal after my friends fly back early. Hence, I want to make the most of it my way. I'd be in Barcelona as my last leg of trip with friends, and, my flight back home also starts in Barcelona.

Because I love them both, my first thought was to suggest a cheap flight to either Paris or Berlin.

But here's a possible out-there suggestion: what about flying to eastern Sicily? It would hit #5 on your list very easily; 3 days would be a good amount of time; and you will be in view of - and might even climb part of - Mt. Etna. And while touristy during the day, Taormina is a beautiful town perched over the sea. We were there for roughly 1/2 day from afternoon one day to midday next; it was a relaxing way to transition into our vacation!

I was amazed by all the layers of history on the island: somehow it hadn't previously sunk in that present-day Sicily is the result of centuries of waves of invasions, from Greeks and Arabs to English, Italians and more recently American troops in WWII. You can still see bits of it all, and taste some influences in the local cuisine.

Of course you could rent a car... but many people have successfully visited Sicily without one. Here are some good trip reports to whet your appetite:

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...n-november.cfm

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...ing-sicily.cfm

I suggest you go to Perpignan. You can fly or take a train from Barcelona. You could either stay there, or head to one of my favorite towns via bus, Ceret. Ceret is famous for cherries, but it is also simply gorgeous year-round. There is a lovely little modern art museum. But, while looking for info about transportation from Perpignan to Ceret, I found this link, with all kinds of things to do from Perpignan. http://www.letsgo.com/1811-languedoc...es-perpignan-d

We spend the month of November in a beach town not far from Perpignan, and enjoyed visiting the entire region. You can hardly go wrong.

If you wanted to rent a car at the airport in Barcelona, you could drive to anywhere in the Languedoc-Roussillon region. It isn't a long drive at all, and quite easy. If you wanted to do a tour of Cathar ruined castle/fortresses - Queribus and Perypertus are the most beautiful, in my opinion...Carcassone is kind of Disney-like. You could stay in Collioure which is a lovely town --more than just a "beachtown" it is much artsier. We used it as a base on our first trip to the area, when we did the Cathar castles, etc.

Hi ohoh_busted,

I share your enthusiasm for Languedoc-Roussillon. Since the OP is bored of beaches, I recommended Carcassone and some other inland towns. Apart from Perpignan I'm not familiar with the others, but your description sounds great. In your opinion would it be possible to do this with public transport, or would she have to hire a car? If car hire, she would need both a driver's license and Indian IDP.

That Let's Go Perpignan site shows you can get a bus pass that gives you free travel to/from Ceret, among other towns. I would suggest the OP may want to stay in Perpignan and do day trips to Ceret and/or somewhere else. There may even be a tour from P that would take her to Queribus and Perypertuse on another daytrip. We enjoyed Perpignan, itself, so there's a lot to she could check out as potential plans before she leaves on the big trip.

hey guys,

sorry for late response...it is so amazing to see all these suggestions and all the details..

am spending the weekend pouring over all the options so that i can decide and finally apply for my visa!!