Three week trip from Barcelona
 

We are early 60's couple planning a trip from Barcelona in September with another couple. Ideally a circle trip starting and ending, since our Canadian airline has opened up flights to Barcelona.

I am just starting to look at itineraries and areas, and would also be open to going into France.

My first thoughts:
Barcelona for 3 or 4 days to start
2 days to travel to San Sebastian with one night stop between.
3 days San Sebastian
1 night Biarritz
5 days travel France Pyranees area (Stop in Lourdes?)
Back to Spain, stop in 1 town, then beach the last 5 days before back to Barcelona for flight home.

Is this pushing it? Travel would be a combination of train and car rental. Stays in Airbnb or similar except for one night stays.
General interests are strolling around cities, leisurely lunches, the odd museum/winery/cathedral but we have no lists to check off.

Any thoughts are welcomed.

If you want to go to the beach I'd put it at the start. There is no way of knowing what September weather will bring. Mid/late month might be glorious. It might be raining daily.

We would probably be starting at the very end of August, since there are direct flights Calgary to Barcelona on Tuesdays, So Aug 27, arriving Aug 28. From googling, I understand weather can be 26c average in September. That's beach weather for us!

Don't worry about the average temps. Wonder when the rainy season starts.

If basically doing the Pyrénées a car is more efficient than public transportation for the simple reason that there really are no easy east-west roads in these mountains. You are also allocating little time for an area (mountains) that do not favor speedy travel. That said, if you take the quick route to San Sebastian, a stop in Tudela would be about half way.


On the other hand, there is a parador in Sos del Rey Catolico


and before stopping there overnight, you could visit San Juan de la Peña close to Jaca:


Except for its château housing a Pyrenees folklore museum, Lourdes has little to offer. Better stop still in the low lands but more into the mountains in Argelès-Gazost


from which you could plan day trips to Cirque de Gavarnie, Pont d'Espagne, etc.



or stay in the mountains proper by basing yourself in Cauterets


From there figure out a way to get to the Mediterranean coast, Collioure if France, or a town before Barcelona if in Spain. I could suggest stops on the way, but you do not seem to have the time for them. If curious, look at this album: https://flic.kr/s/aHsjqcM8HD

Most of the pictures are geotagged and can be located on a map.