Little Yellow Train of the Pyrenees

We had tried to take the train in 2010 but there was a SNCF strike taking place so the train did not run during the time we were in that part of France. It was very disappointing!

So, we had to plan another trip to Europe and particularly that area of France in the fall of 2011. We did the round trip which started and ended in Villefranche-de-Conflent. We stopped for lunch in La Tour de Carol near the Spanish border. The lunch stop was about three hours. The train station was a half hour walk from the town but maybe it took that long because I am a slow walker. However, once we reached a hotel where lunch was being served, we really enjoyed the food. When I say that lunch was being served, that does not mean that a lunch was part of the train trip. We had to find a place to eat on our own.

Would I recommend the trip or not...it was something different and rather special. I don't know how or where I came across information about the train but after reading about it, I wanted to take the trip. The scenery was interesting but since we were there in the fall, the vegetation and the fields were brown. I think early spring would be a nice time to go because you could still see everything before the tree leaves and other vegetation obscured the view. I also enjoyed seeing the little, old train stations that had closed. We crossed some fantastic bridges across some rather deep canyons. The rock formations along the way were interesting.

I don't remember the price of the train trip and I would anticipate the price has increased since we took the trip. I don't remember how long the entire trip took but it did seem a little long. Going one way would be nice.

As I said, it was something that I would do once and then be able to say that I had done it. If you are a fan of riding small trains like this, I would say "Allez"!