Hi,

Has anyone driven this route, and have recommendations of where to stop off along the way? Thinking of going to San Sebastien area, or down to Barcelona, from Nice, and don't want to drive more than 4-5 hours per day.

Thanks!

Both are perfectly doable.
Nice - Donostia (San Sebastian) is 910 km or 9 hours drive. A nice overnight stop would be Carcassone or Narbonne, if you prefer the coast.
Nice - Barcelona is 670 km or 7 hours drive. Check out Nîmes for an overnight.

Thanks,

Thinking about renting a villa on the coast while in Spain - any idea which area would be better for that?

We traveled along the same route on past trips.

I would suggest Barcelona over San Sebastien. More to see in Barcelona and in San Sebastien we got caught up in a ETA demostration in which the National Guard was arresting numerous people.

If you decide to visit Barcelona you may want to stay in Sitges, located 20 miles south of Barcelona, at the Melia hotel. Great place we have stayed at twice over the years.

For the trip from Bice to Spain try Provence for a over night stay. There really is not much to see after Provence until you get to Spain.

If you have time the south of Spain is the best -- Sevilla, Los Arcos, Marbella or day trip to Africa

Have a safe trip
btbrown.

The coast north of Barcelona is beautiful, especially the stretch between the French/Spanish border and Girona. Lots of small creeks, crystalclear water, ... And yet close enough to busy and crowded Barcelona for a daytrip. Figueres and Girona are worth a daytrip too!

I'll be leaving for the Basque Coast in two days, so I will only be able to comment on San Sebastian and surroundings after my return. Beforehand I don't agree with the previous poster that there's more to see in the Barcelona area. Read Maribel's Guides (www.maribelsguides.com) on Basque Country and you'll be easily convinced.

As for the weather, temps are usually higher at the Med (Barcelona) than on the Atlantic (S. Sebastian), with more hours of sunshine and less rain.

By the way:
&lt;&lt;For the trip from Nice to Spain try <b>Provence</b> for a over night stay.&gt;&gt;
Duh! Provence covers a very large area in the south of France. It might be easier for Currie01 to name a specific town.