Southwest France Spots
 

Please help with a suggested 3-4 day itinery of southwest France. I am flying to Barcelona.

First, get to France.

For 3 or 4 days, I would stick to the area between the Mediterranean and Carcassonne. Get the Michelin map of the area and Michelin's guidebook of the Languedoc.

Dear WT:

With 3/4 days open in SW France, proximate to Barcelona, I'd head toward Carcassonne for a day then perhaps onto Albi and Cordes. Then, finally, a day and night in Toulouse. Plenty to see and do and it wont entail too much driving..

Regards..
Luis

When are you going? I'm am headed that way tomorrow (OMG!!! what am I doing on this board??) Will be posting a trip report in a few weeks when I return.

We will be there first week of May. Do I need to obtain a international driving permit? Any recommendation on car rental agency? We will be traveling with our 9-mon. baby; is there a car infant chair law in Spain or France? Where to stay in those little towns in this journey? Is reservation required?

Thanks for all your advices.

If you are driving from Spain and pass through Andorra, Foix is a nice city on the road into France, albeit not worth a special detour if you are not on that road.

I would take my own car seat. Maybe things have changed (maybe?...of course they have!) but 10 years ago, our rental car came with a car seat made of styrofoam. Seriously!

Dear WT:

an IDP ( Int'l Driving Permit) is always helpful. But be aware that it is only a translation of your license, not a new license specifically for France. If you choose to stay in Albi, there is a lovely restarant/inn called Le Vieil Albi. I stayed there a few yrs ago.. The owner, M. Claude Sicard is a very nice fellow, although a bit harried. In Cordes, I stayed at Le Grand Ecuyer: a fabulous 13th century hunting lodge. The rooms here all have names: if you choose to stay here ask for the room named 'Seigneur de la Prune'. It has a lovely views of the surrounding countryside.

Hope this helps..

Luis

Spain has the most severe car equipment laws of the EU now (reflective orange vest, danger triangle, etc.) I would hope that rental cars are equipped accordingly, because the other tourists entering Spain have been receiving huge fines if they don't have the necessary items.