joey365_000

Would appreciate any suggestions of a place to over nite going from Toulouse to Barcelona. It's a Sunday so it needs to be place that will have bistros open. Could be a place in country that also serves meals.

Many thanks for any ideas.

Pat

PalenQ

Going by car or train?

Assume by train as renting car in France and returning in Spain would entail dautningly high potential drop-off fees. So let's assume by rail.

I would suggest a storied seaside village like Coulliers:

https://www.google.com/search?q=coul...w=1920&bih=950

which is a stop on the coastal main rail line to Spain, just a few miles away at Port Bou - note high-speed trains do not stop there so take a local from Perpigan probably.

Book long-distance tickets very early to get sweet discounts -www.voyages-sncf.com- great train info: www.seat61.com (expert advice on booking discounted tickets- general info like where to stop by train - www.budgeteuropetravel.com; www.ricksteves.com.

Cathinjoetown

It's spelled Collioure but agree there or Port Vendres would be nice places to stop and likely to have bistros open on a Sunday night, certainly in season. I liked this hotel in Collioure: http://en.hotel-casa-pairal.com It has its own parking but is right in the old town.

If you're really just heading city center to city center, trains now run from Toulouse to Barcelona between 3 hrs 15 mins and just over 4 hrs. Another option to consider.

joey365_000

Sorry, I should have said driving. Our trip is actually from Couliours up to Toulouse then back to Barcelona. Yup, we could boot straight to Barcelona but we thought a slow drive and over nite somewhere sounded good.

Thanks for any suggestions.

Pat

kja

You might consider Girona. It's much closer to Barcelona than Toulouse, and so might not meet your needs, but it sure is a nice place to visit, IMO!

PalenQ

Yup, we could boot straight to Barcelona but we thought a slow drive and over nite somewhere sounded good.>

For a scenic drive thru the Pyrenees go via Foix -neat old town to La Tour de Carol and then down to Barcelona - Andorra could make a neat stop though a detour off the main route.

La Tour de Carol could make a nice overnight.

joey365_000

Thanks so much. I will look at La tour de Carol. We might be going to Girona on a day trip from Barcelona so that won't work!

Pat

PalenQ

If you want to return you car in France to avoid steep dropoff charges (usually) for returning it in Spain there is a scenic rail line that goes from La Tour de Carol to Perpignan, France called the Little Yellow Train a narrow-gague French train that goes thru a really sweet valley in the Pyrenees - at Perpignan join the new high speed line to Barcelona.

You could drive this route as well and return car at train station in Perpignan. La Tour de Carol is basically a transit city -you may find staying in Foix or some place along the valley the Little Yellow Train goes thru -several resort towns along the way (ski resorts in winter).

joey365_000

Thanks, we aren't worried about car, we are picking up and leaving in Spain.

Has anyone stayed in or been to Tarascon? Or any of the small towns in that region? Hard to find out much info.

Tx

Pat

kja

I'm not sure why Girona won't work for you, since you might want the extra night in the area....

Rubicund

There's a reasonable Wiki entry for Tarascon:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarascon

For spectacular views, why not stop up in the Pyrenees in Andorra.

Robert2016

Tarascon is a bit out of your way. From Toulouse I would head south to the Val d'Aran. You can spend the night in Viella, Salardú or Baqueira.

MaineGG

We were in this area and passed through Tarascon. I don't remember having any impression of that town. We did visit Fontvieille nearby, specifically to see a windmill associated with the author Daudet. I do recall thinking it was a picturesque town. There, you are not far from other nice towns and villages in the Alpilles. You are also not far from St.-Remy-de-Provence, a large town with many tourists, where I think you would surely find some restaurants open on a Sunday evening.

http://www.provenceweb.fr/e/bouches/...ontvieille.htm

Pvoyageuse

Maine : you are confusing Tarascon in Provence-Côte d'Azur with Tarascon-sur-Ariège, in the Pyrenees, quite distant from each other.
Joey: it depends on which road you take. If you take the highway,then Collioure makes sense and is a very small detour.
If you take the "mountain way" via Manresa and Tunel del Cadi, you could stop in Puigcrda right at the French border. It has a lake, several very good hotels and much more to offer than Latour de Carol which is a tiny little place. Or stop in Ax-les-Thermes (hot spring, spa).

MaineGG

Thanks, Pvoyageuse. I need to pay closer attention before jumping into a thread!

joey365_000

Thanks Pvoyageuse, this route sounds good and offers great possibilities!
Thanks to everyone who tried to help.