spain and france
 

Hello, My husband and I are planning sept/oct. trip but hoping for some insight from experienced travelers.
We are considering one of two options:
Barcelona to Costa Brava region then over to France (Carcassonne, Perpignan etc.). OR
Barcelona to Costa Brava then down coast to Anadalusia region.
Travel time is not an issue. Just looking for thoughts on car? bus? train? And, if it's possible to compare the two options, which would you favor after visiting the Costa Brava region, (France or Southern Spain) and why? Thank you in advance for your time.

What time of year? Andalusia is one of my favorite parts of the world, but you couldn't pay me to go when it is hot there. Check weatherbase.com

I wanted about 10 days for Barcelona and the Costa Brava. A car will do you no good in Barcelona itself; a car can be a benefit for the Costa Brava. This trip report covers my time in the area:
https://www.fodors.com/community/eur...lunya-1047395/

I would not drive the coast from Barcelona to Andalusia; I would take trains or fly.

I wanted about 12 days for Andalusia. A car is not usually a benefit for Andalusia, and can, instead, be a detriment.

I haven't been to that part of France yet.

If you don't already have them, I would strongly recommend that you get the Michelin Green Guides for these areas.

carcassonne is splendid so is Perpignan. The coast is beautiful - collioure etc. No prob to like it.
Never been to Andalusia but been high on the list for the last 10 years.
Not a fan of costa brava. Been there but long ago. I disliked costa del sol. Barcelona is fantastic.

The OP says Sept/Oct, so weather should be good, with less crowds, though nowadays there really isn’t a shoulder season anymore!

I love Barcelona and will be back for the fifth time this May, but am not so much for the Costa Brava. I too wouldn’t recommend driving to Andalusia, either fly or take the train to Sevilla. The train or bus is probably the best way to visit that region, again a car may be more of a hindrance.

Like Andalusia, Toulouse, Carcassonne, Perpignan and the Languedoc region have a long and interesting history, it’s up to you which place you want to visit. Maybe going through a good guidebook would give you an idea of what to see and do and help you decide...

I disagree. A car is definitely a benefit in Andalucia, I always drive when I'm there, it makes life so much easier visiting all the towns and villages. Even in large cities such as Malaga there are plenty of underground car parks that are easy to reach and often place you within short walking distance to the main sights. The old towns and villages can be a bit more problematic for parking but typically there are places to park on the outskirts although Ronda has an easily accessible underground car park in the centre. I wouldn't even consider visiting by public transport, far too much time wasted and a logistical headache.

I live in SW France and venture down into the coastal Languedoc-Roussillon area frequently. Love Carcassonne (not the Cité - the "real" town), Toulouse, Castelnaudary and its environs and Albi, and Narbonne and Collioure. Am not at all a fan of the Costa Brava - we usually drive south from Collioure to the Costa Brava and end up going "meh" and deciding we'd rather turn back towards home and stay in the Languedoc. Perpignan is good for a day. There are far more interesting places on that stretch of the Med in France.

Seville is one of our most favorite European cities, so I'd plan on visiting there. I know you didn't ask about it, though we would love to return there. We'd travel over to spend time in the Algarve in southern Portugal, and fly home from Lisbon (another of our favorite cities).

Yes, Sevilla is gorgeous, we’re spending 11 nights in Andalusia March 2nd week, 3-4-4 between Cordoba, Granada and Sevilla. We’ve been to Ronda and Sevilla a couple of years back but won’t have time for any of the other hill towns this trip.

Unless you feel that you need to have two different linguistic experiences, I would stick to Spain and drive to see what cannot be conveniently scheduled using public transportation.

You might want to move from the coast on your way down:

https://flic.kr/p/7mTfjD

MoBro, Agree with you on Algarve. We loved Portugal. From the beaches to wine country, it was a fantastic trip. Lisbon is certainly one of our favorite European cities.