Hi -- I'm new at this so I'm sorry if this has been covered -- I did search...anyway. I am trying to get from Lourdes, France to Leon, Spain and I have searched for bus, train and air but nothing matches my dates (during the week). I am looking into driving and it is possible one way with car rentals -- about 5 hours. My question is -- what is it like driving out of France and into Northern Spain? What should I be aware of? Are the streets narrow? Is getting a larger Volvo worth it? Has anyone done this recently? THANK YOU FOR ANY ADVICE! /Wendy
Posted by
Mid-Atlantic area
7756 posts
The drop fee from one country to another is steep. Consider taking a bus to a place on the Spanish border, then getting a car in Spain. Between Lourdes and Bayonne or Hondaribbia the roads can have twists and turns, but it isn’t bad. In Spain the roads are fine. If you have time, there are plenty of places worth visiting between Lourdes and León. It would be a shame to rent a car just to drive directly to León without stops. I prefer driving the back roads to enjoy the countryside.
Posted by
OP
2 posts
Thank you so much for this advice!!! I am building 10 hours for a 5 hour drive to see some sights! I will definitely check into going over the boarder first before getting a car!
Posted by
Mid-Atlantic area
7756 posts
Get a car that will fit you and your luggage and not larger. We generally get a vehicle the size of a Ford Escape. On a few trips we were given a Hyundai Tucson (compact or intermediate suv). If you need to park in a parking garage, many of the older ones are difficult to maneuver in and the spaces narrow.
In some towns there very well could be narrow streets. Also, most towns now have pedestrian only zones in the historic centers the entire day or a portion of it. Once you know where in a city or town you plan to visit, look for parking areas/garages on Google maps before the trip and bookmark them. Google maps, either live or downloaded for offline use, will take you right to them. Surprisingly, most city and towns have free parking, but you need to know where it is since it isn’t generally marked. Hence, the reason to look beforehand.