Hello,

I will be taking a train from Barcelona ultimately ending up in Sault (about an hour east of Avignon.)

We don't want to have to wait and switch trains to get to Avignon so are considering getting off the train and picking up a rental car in either Perpignon or Montpellier.

Which city - Montpellier or Perpignon - is more interesting to tour around in for an hour or two and perhaps grab lunch?

OR does anyone think Avignon is so fabulous, we should take the train all the way there and spend a few hours there?

thanks

We = how many of you?
Perpignon = Perpignan
Why are you heading to Sault, for how long and to do what...?

Perpignan is a quaint provincial capital with some Catalan charm and a French savoir faire. It is simple but unsophisticated, in a positive way.

The drive from Perpignan to Montpellier is about two hours on the autoroute, and the tolls are expensive, about 18 euros.

The joys of the region around Perpignan require hanging around a bit and visiting Collioure (like St. Tropez 30 yrs ago) Ceret, Port Vendres and perhaps Canet (beach and golf).

If you are in a hurry, then I would stick on the train at least to Montpellier which is a busy large city with confusing traffic and some good restaurants and regional hospitals.

Avignon is the old home of the Popes, quaint, charming, and provencal...

In short, hard to answer your question without knowing more about what you are looking for...Rouss

we = husband and I
Sault is where we have a Gite for a week and will be home base for the Vaucluse and Provence region.

so all we want to do is make our drive more interesting enroute to the Gite, unlikely for us to go back in the direction of Perpignan or Montpellier, which is why i was looking for a recommendation en route

fpiddy,if you're in Sault for a week, you may be able to get back to Avignon.
In that case I would probably choose Perpignan, just to be able to see it but not have to drive out of a larger city, Montpellier

I would choose Avignon if you don't intend to get there on your trip. Otherwise, I could agree with Perpignan for the logic as easy to do -- however, Perpignan isn't that far from Barcelona, so it will be a much longer drive from there. I just don't think it makes sense as a stop in-between your two points.

Hi

Best way to do this is :

Train to Montpellier
Explore Montpellier by tram & foot
Lunch at L'Entrecote
Then collect rental car

Peter
www.the-languedoc-page.com