Spain, France and back again

Hi Anita,

I think that Girona makes for a great base for not only exploring the coast of northern Catalonia but also the interior! The interior holds many interesting sights, from cobblestone medieval villages to Romanesque churches high up in the mountains.

Driving is Spain is fun and it's easier every day with the better infrastructure being built. The only times it may be a bit problematic is trying to find parking in the towns and cities, or navigating the narrow lanes of those old medieval villages.

Driving in Spain and car rental - problematic or easy?

Easy! Just follow the general caveats about car rentals (choose an agency carefully, make sure you know what you're getting and paying for, inspect/photo/video the car carefully before you accept it, do the same upon return, have a plan for what to do about insurance before you walk up to the counter, drive carefully and do not drive on the day after arriving on a redeye flight).

Costa Brava - I am thinking of staying in Girona as a base for Costa Brava - good idea?

Can't help ya with that.

Carcassonne - is two days long enough?

Plenty. Many would say 2 days is a day too long (and some would say it's 2 days too long!). Carcassonne is being loved to death by tourists, and like other places that have become too crowded, it's best in the mornings and evenings, when the bulk of tourists are gone. Try timing your arrival for mid- to late-afternoon, watch the crowds drain away, enjoy the place , spend the night, get up early and enjoy it some more for a few hours, and get outta Dodge as the crowds roll up later in the morning. That's what I would do.

Girona is a lovely, lovely place. I have no idea what the parking challenges may be like, however.

Check that the car rental agency will permit you to drive from Spain to France. It shouldn't be an issue for most but it doesn't hurt to check.

Girona is a fantastic little city (and I recommend a day trip to Besalu, easy via bus). I think Barcelona parking would be expensive and the medieval center of Girona is a fantastic place to stay. I'm not sure what you'd find for parking other than staying in the more modern parts of the town, which I just think would make the visit far less interesting. Is there way to organize your travels into a portion using public transportation and another portion with a rental car? Girona is big enough that I would imagine they'd have rental cars. I think I'd want to reserve a hotel for at least Barcelona for that time of year.

We stayed in Carcassonne one night. Arrive ~4p, walked to the walled city, walked around it for several hours, back to our airbnb, got baked goods in the morning, and departed. It was a wonderful 4-5 hours that night that we all look back on fondly, but it was just the right amount of time (and yes, when we arrived at the walled city the tourists were significantly clearing out!. Perfect)

You’ll have no issue traveling between Spain and France with the rental car. Liability insurance is compulsory and should be included with the rental car cost. It isn’t a bad idea to take photos as suggested, but the last few times I’ve rented in Spain, Avis hasn’t been as picky about little marks as it had been a decade or so ago.