Need a stopping point between Rioja and Barcelona
 

I'm scrambling to put together my October trip to Spain!

At the end of our trip, we'll be driving from Laguardia (in La Rioja) to Barcelona and catching an early flight home the next day. Can anyone recommend a particularly memorable town to stop in approximately mid-way? I say "memorable" town because I'm hoping this won't be a complete waste of a day. Oh, and Zaragoza is out because we're stopping there for a night on the drive out.

Thanks, and I look forward to sharing the complete trip report on our return!

It is not halfway, but the town where the parador is at Sos del Rey Católico is worth a detour. Not much that I can think of off the autopista. Maybe someone else knows those smaller roads better.

I have been to Sos, and it would make a lovely overnight.. very calm town, with some excellent historic architecture.

A photo of Sos

http://www.flickr.com/photos/oliventino/3785629723/ and info.....

.."Sos del Rey Católico is a municipality located in the province of Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain. According to the 2004 census (INE), the municipality has a population of 740 inhabitants. Sos is the birthplace of king Fernando II el Católico, to honor whom the town, formerly known simply as Sos, took the name del Rey Católico (of the Catholic King). It is one of the best preserved medieval cities in Aragon; much of the old town is said to hold the same appearance than that of the time when king Fernando was born there. Among the many monuments that the town holds, they could be pointed out the Palacio de los Sada, birthplace of the Catholic Monarch, the gothic church of Saint Stephen, the old medieval wall, and the medieval stock exchange (Lonja)..."


In Zaragoza DO NOT MISS the Aljafería. AMAZING building.

If you're trying to catch an early morning flight out of Barcelona, you'd be best to spend the night within an hour or so of the airport. Sos del Rey Católico is very nice, but a long way from El Prat, not a drive you'd want to do in the morning.

Robert, you have probably read it correctly. To stop in.. must mean just drive around and stop, not stay over.

I did not read the info correctly about the "next day".

I totally agree. Sleep near airport.. Sos would only be a coffee break, but a very nice one.

Long trip then, no matter what.

We try to stop at SOS for lunch when driving the opposite way.

If pnut123 wants to make the drive interesting, then yes, stop of coffee at the Parador, then head to Jaca. After Jaca they can follow the N-260. It makes for an interesting drive and will eat up the day. They'll end up in Lleida before heading toward Barcelona.

It sure is a long drive and yes, we're staying in Barcelona that night, just looking for a town to stop in for a few hours to break up the trip. Sos looks amazing. Thank you for the recommendation! I just have to map it out and make sure we wouldn't be swinging too far out of the way. Google maps is telling me that we'd actually be adding a couple of hours to the trip by hearing up north rather than taking E-804.

Yes, you'll add a couple of hours to the drive, but if you want to see things, it's the only way. You can check out the website for the Castillos de Aragón (www.castillosdearagon.es/). It will give you a good idea of what you can see along the way, on whatever route you choose to take through Aragón. A visit to the Castillo de Loarre is always worth the detour.