We have a nice Euro itinerary for Late- June to mid- July this year. We will journey between Paris and Barcelona, and have about 4-5 days between the two. We'd like to get to the beach in France and/or also some hiking in the Pyrenees. We're travelling by train. Mostly, this is a city-centric trip, but for this stretch, we're looking for something more rural/countryside. So, small beach community, for example, or a mountain community. We are open to all suggestions.
Thank you!
Most people taking this itinerary are taking the 6.5 hour long fast train to and from Barcelona. With the time saved, there are many travel options.
[Edited] Collioure is a pleasant smallish coastal town in France not too far from the border with Spain on the Med. side. The train trip from Paris and to Collioure does require a connection. No easy TGV train goes to their small station, but it's worth the effort. There is plenty to do hiking around the town. There is a winemaker in town for tasting if that interests you. Cute pedestrian older part of town with plenty of restaurants and a weekly market.
Thank you!
You can travel to Austria for a few days and enjoy the country side, then take the train to Venice for the Beaches and from there to Barcelona. I found great Website that can help you plan your route (RoutePerfect). I used this site when I traveled Europe and got great traveling tips and itinerary recommendations.
Enjoy
You have many, many options! We stayed 2 nights in Cucugnan which is in the RS guidebook. Cucugnan is tiny but has several restaurant choices. We enjoyed exploring the ruins of the nearby castles.
We also spent 2 nights in Puycelci (west of Albi), another RS recommendation which we liked very much.
RS also covers many spots in the Dordogne.
Or you could look up "the most beautiful villages in France" for other options. I found French websites to be quite helpful, although my French is pretty good so I can't remember if I read in English or French! I use Michelin green guides as well, available by region.
High speed train to Avignon then bus to St Remy de Provence for 2 nights.
Then train from Arles to Collioure for 2 nights.
With a 5th night, either start with a night in Lyon, or finish with a night in Girona.
Thanks everyone. We ended up with yet another option that suited my wife well, Annecy.
