Itinerary ideas?

My experience is of limited application to your trip because I travel by train and bus, and only during much warmer weather.

The mountains around Andorra are pretty; not sure about what other attractions the area may have at this time of year if you aren't skiers. I've read nothing good about the capital city. It was an unexciting destination when I was there in 1972, and I've heard it described as resembling a tacky outlet mall recently. (Apparently there's no sales tax, or something like that.)

I liked Puigcerda, Llivia and several small villages in the Cerdanya Valley. That area is often unpleasantly hot in the summer. Perhaps it is lovely in March. Puigcerda has beautiful, colorful architecture in the upper town. It didn't feel like the sort of place that only exists in the summer, but it would really be good to hear from some other poster on that point.

The town of La Seu de Urgell, not far from Andorra, has a very handsome historic district. It's a bit larger than Puigcerda but didn't feel as vibrant during the summer.

As you head back to Barcelona at the end of the trip, you may have an opportunity to stop in Besalu, which has a medieval footprint and a most impressive fortified bridge. It could be quiet indeed.

I'm very fond of Girona, which you'll pass on your way to Collioure. However, Girona is a small city, not a town. It has a large historic district with many things to see, and it is both lively and affluent. There's a walkable wall.

I don't have children, so I can't help suggest destinations that might especially appeal to yours.

Perhaps a road trips of Spain travel guide would be of assistance. When I had kids in tow, the most we could arrange was local camping trips, so thinking of a family trip of Spain is beyond my ken. With a car, and off season, one can just head in a direction. I know there are numerous castles and windmills around Madrid (la Mancha province) in smaller towns, which could give an area of focus -it became a pencilled in itineraryfor a future Spain road trip. Taking the busfrom Valencia to BCN airport, it follows the coast with numerous costal toens eith castles. There are parks in the area for hiking. Also the 'white towns' in the areas between Granada and Seville might offer interest. Andalusia and the coast might be warmer than the higher altitudes around Madrid.

Thank you, this is quite helpful. It sounds like Besalú and Girona are definitely worth looking into. Are there other towns to the W or S of Andorra that we should consider? Is a drive to Ronda worth it? (R. Steves speaks highly of the hill towns...)

THanks Maria. I’ll check out the hill towns (I feel like we should see them) and also a road trip guide. I appreciate it!!

Ronda and the hill towns are pretty far south from Northeastern Spain and Andorra and Collioure. You can use Google maps to see how far that is to drive or viamichelincom.

Yes, check driving times on ViaMichelin.com. It's about 600 miles from Barcelona to Seville. You can make the trip relatively fast by train (can be less than 5-1/2 hours, and you can pack a picnic and eat on the train). It takes much, much longer by car--over 10 hours with no stops, getting lost, searching for parking, etc.

For seeing several of the smaller places in that area (though Ronda is larger and has a train station, it doesn't have high-speed rail service), a car once you reach the south would be very advantageous.

Andalucía should have more pleasant March weather (by my standards) than the Pyrenees. However, to my mind it doesn't pair well with Collioure on a trip of this length--or with flying in and out of Barcelona, for that matter.

Thanks again for the feedback. We will leave Andorra on 3/16 and have 10 days to explore. It sounds like perhaps staying in Catalonia is a better choice? Or should we look. Into going back to Dordogne? We are spinning our wheels here, so I appreciate the help.

Are you committed to Collioure and Andorra? If not, spending all of your time in Andalucia makes sense because the weather will be more enjoyable at this time of year. If you are committed to Collioure and Andorra, then staying in Catalunya and north of Barcelona makes the most sense.

Costa Brava could be a good choice for later in March. There are lovely towns you could visit along the way or spend a few nights, such as Tossa del Mar, Callela Palafrugell, or S'Agaro. We stayed in Cadaques, a small town on the Mediterranean. It's right next to Port Lligat, home to Dali's house, a very quirky house and fun to visit. You need to make reservations at least one day in advance. We also spent 2 nights in Girona. Your children might like walking along the walls. We didn't go there, but you could visit Dali's museum in Figueres.

I don't know what the Pyrenees will be like at this time of year. Don't know if the towns will be dead. We did a roadtrip and visited Besalu, Ripoll, Rupit, and Vic. Our trip was in October.

We were with our adult children at the time, so I don't really have experience with travelling with young children in Spain.