Hello,
We are planning to drive from Barcelona to Avignon France, stay a few days there, then drive back to Madrid. Would really appreciate some comments regarding any got-ya, particularly about the actual driving part and best path to take. We have never driven a car in Europe before.
Thank you very much.
What do you wish to be the focus of your trip ? Catalunya or Provence ?
I assume, given you are going from Spain to Avignon and then back to Spain, that it's Provence.
An idea would be to get a fast train from Barcelona to Montpellier or Avignon and pick up your hire car here for a week or so in Provence. I would then fly from Marseille to Madrid.
Avignon - Orange - Pont du Gard - Nimes - Montpellier - Aigues Mortes - St Maries de la Mer - Arles - Les Baux de Provence - Aix en Provence - Marseille is a nice routing to drive.
Yes, we are interested in the Provence region. We want to be a bit more independent/flexible hence driving. Thanks again.
See general tips about road rules and more at http://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/transportation/driving-europe-tips.
I did something like I suggest exactly 25 years ago this very month, looking at stamps in an old passport.
We drove from Barcelona via Figueres and Cadaques, returning via Carcassonne and Andorra.
Make sure each driver has an International Drivers Permit, which you get at AAA and then carry with your US license (the IDP is not a license, but a translation). It costs about $25 and is good for a year (but can be started on any day, not just January 1). It's the law in Spain and France; your rental car company may or may not ask to see it, but if you're stopped for any reason and don't have it, you can be in big trouble fast.
