I think we're stuck with a mid August holiday this summer and considering East Pyrenees / Perpignan sort of area.
Daughter said she'd like to see Barcelona which I'd also like to do (though not necessarily high summer and certainly wouldn't want to drive there)- also the Dali museum at Figueres . Are these doable from France by public transport as I don't think a car to Barcelona in August would be a very good idea. Or is the whole area best avoided in mid August?
------------- Johnny Hamster
Don't forget to leave a review of the French and other European campsites you have visited!
Worth doing a search for "Barcelona" - I recall a couple of lengthy, detailed threads about the advantages/disadvantages of holidaying in Barcelona or tripping from France. There are good train links from Perpignan to Barcelona and there is excellent transport withing Barcelona but to see anywhere else, outside Barca, you would need a car. My inclination would be a week in France and one in Barcelons?
Theres a railway all the way down the Spanish coast. Your best bet might be to park at Figueres & train it from there. Alternatively park at a small village station for possibly better security. Trains are frequent & cheap.
Don't forget to leave a review of the French and other European campsites you have visited!
We went to Salou 3 years ago and got the train to Barcelona from there in August it was brilliant, nice and easy to use the train and we got round Barcelona okay on foot, we went to Nou Camp, Stadium which was really good. Then went and had a very expensive drink on las Ramblas but it was worth it.
Thanks for the replies so far - my kids got a bit bored with rural France last year, so I'd like to include a city visit this year to keep them happy.
15 yo son loves his art and culture and would love Barcelona , we did the Miro museum, Parc Guell, bus tour, NouCamp and Ramblas several years ago (left kids with Grandma )
Camping's probably the only way we could afford two weeks though, so maybe a couple of days excursion mid holiday would be a good idea, just a bit concerned about traffic and crowds in August. Would probably cost us best part of a grand to drive down there and back too, as we usually do western channel crossing
The Dali Museum is well worth at visit, we were lucky with parking as I found a spot right outside. We stayed here but did not venture further into Spain as we had been to Barcelona before. http://www.ukcampsite.co.uk/sites/details.asp?revid=7245
David
Don't forget to leave a review of the French and other European campsites you have visited!
I've driven into Barcelona twice - once with my OH, and the other time with my mother and son. We didn't have any problems finding somewhere to park either time - roadside parking, metered as far as I remember but not hugely expensive.
Figueres was the same - one visit there, but no problems whatever finding parking - and my sons enjoyed the museum very much. Both now have Dali posters on their walls in their homes!
As other posters have said Barcelona is easy with public transport. Perhaps it's worth doing the coastal route by car, from Argeles/Perpignan, around the headlands and also visit Cadaques and Port Liqat to see a little more Dali. Then do Barcelona as a separate public transport jaunt?
We stay at Amfora 10 miles from Figueres, went to Barcelona last year by car with no problems found the tour bus route parked and used the bus all day, as for public transport done the train year before from Figueres took 2 hours to do 86 miles, cannot be done (yet) direct from France as different gauge so need to change at Port Bou. From French Border can be in Barcelaone within 90 minutes by car