We are planning a trip to Spain/Portugal in November. We have a 3-4 extra days and was wondering if it would be feasible to string together a scenic itinerary that connects Montpellier, Marseille and Nice/Monaco.
Would a rental car work best (is it managable self driving for american drivers) or is there a train route that connects these nice-ly, allowing for stops on the way? Merci!
Personally I would not want to go as far as Nice in such a short time. Too much driving. There is plenty to see in Provence and French Catalonia.
Taking the train is certainly an option, depending on where you want to go. A car can extend your reach into the countryside, but there are many sights in the cities, which are served by rail.
Best thing is for you to dig into some guidebooks and figure out what you'd like to see. Then decide your transit MO.
I agree. You'd be passing--not even glimpsing--many weeks' worth of sights on your way. What's the sense in that?
Do you have Girona on your itinerary? Cadaques? Figueres if you're a Dali fan? That's before you even cross the border. And have you planned adequate time in Barcelona itself?
In France there are lots of charming spots (though I don't know what they'll be like in November): Collioure, Pezenas, Narbonne are a start. And Google the Yellow Train through the Pyrenees; it starts in Villefranche-de-Conflent. I liked Montpellier, too, but I don't think I'd make it that far.
Thank you- lots of pro tips to consider :)
We have the 3-4 extra days to spend outside of Girona and Barcelona allocation, so we were considering either a scenic train ride with city hopping along the coast, or a mini road trip that connects multiple sights together over a 4 day stretch. Sounds like there is plenty of sites to research closer to Barcelona and French Catalonia. Thank you.
Trains along the south of France touch on coastal cities but are not particularly close to the coastal views until you get as far east as Marseille. Take these trains for the destinations, not the scenery.
I would definitely recommend a car if you want to explore this area, which is very site rich and has a deep history.
A potential road trip could roughly look like this:
DAY 1-
-Start at Girona
-North to Besalú
-West to Andorra la Vella (stopping in the medieval village of Castellfollit de la Roca)
-Sleep in Andorra la Vella
DAY 2-
-Start Andorra la Vella
-North through the Pyrenees to Foix (stopping at the Château de Foix)
-Continue north to Toulouse
-Sleep in Toulouse
DAY 3
-Start in Toulouse
-Drive south east to Carcassonne
-Continue east to Béziers
-Sleep in Béziers
DAY 4
-Start Béziers
-Turn south to Narbonne
-Continue south through Narbonnaise en Méditerranée Natural Park (wildlife preserve along the coast)
-Continue to Figueres (see Dali museum)
-End in Girona
Note that is is just a starting point (to give some ideas) and probably covers too much in too few days. You can always shave off a few things from each day. I would probably give the current version of this road trip at least 6 days rather than 4. Hopefully this helps :)
