Paris to Barcelona - Drive? Bus? or Train?

"GG" wrote in message
...

wrote in message
ups.com...

3dollarbill wrote:
Have 4 days to get leisurely from Paris to Barcelona.
Anyone have any suggestions on merits of driving (rental car), bus trip
or
train?

We are a couple in our early 60's. Any suggestions/experiences would be
welcome - including any recommendations for one way car rental places in
Paris?

Tks

I'd recommend car IF you can find a one way rental at a reasonable
price. Only the majors will do it, if at all. Try the likes of Hertz
and Avis - no promises that they will do it though.

You might find it more possible to get a one way hire to the border
(Perpignan?) and finish off by train.

That's what we did, since all the car rental companies would have added a
large charge for dropping the car in Spain. We turned in our car, had a
good meal somewhere in the old part of Perpignan, spent a night in a nice
Ibis, and took the train the next day to Barcelona. The train trip was
scenic and cost a great deal less than the drop charge would have been.

GG


As we've never been to France before (long way from Australia), could you
suggest a pleasant route to take driving from Paris to Perignan - over say,
3 to 4 days? Also is it necessary to pre-book on the train from Perignan to
Barcelona?

I really appreciate your help.

Drive. You can see some nice parts of France, maybe visit the
Touluse-Lautrec Museum in Albi, experience Lourdes, Andorra, the Dali Museum
in Figures, or Dali's nearby home and studio. Why waste your time on a
train passing by the countryside or being stranded at stops.

"Iceman" wrote in message
ups.com...
3dollarbill wrote:
Have 4 days to get leisurely from Paris to Barcelona.
Anyone have any suggestions on merits of driving (rental car), bus trip
or
train?

I would recommend the train. The bus is usually a lot cheaper (French
trains are expensive), so if money is an issue you should consider it
(look at Eurolines).

A rental car would be a lot of hassle, and in 4 days from Paris to
Barcelona you wouldn't be going far enough off the beaten track that
the car would really be an asset - everywhere that you would reasonably
visit on your way you could get to easily by train anyway.

Autoeurope.com will rent a car for $300 inclusive.


wrote in message
ups.com...

3dollarbill wrote:
Have 4 days to get leisurely from Paris to Barcelona.
Anyone have any suggestions on merits of driving (rental car), bus trip
or
train?

We are a couple in our early 60's. Any suggestions/experiences would be
welcome - including any recommendations for one way car rental places in
Paris?

Tks

I'd recommend car IF you can find a one way rental at a reasonable
price. Only the majors will do it, if at all. Try the likes of Hertz
and Avis - no promises that they will do it though.

You might find it more possible to get a one way hire to the border
(Perpignan?) and finish off by train.

"James Spears" wrote in message
.. .
Drive. You can see some nice parts of France, maybe visit the
Touluse-Lautrec Museum in Albi, experience Lourdes, Andorra, the Dali
Museum in Figures, or Dali's nearby home and studio. Why waste your time
on a train passing by the countryside or being stranded at stops.

"Iceman" wrote in message
ups.com...
3dollarbill wrote:
Have 4 days to get leisurely from Paris to Barcelona.
Anyone have any suggestions on merits of driving (rental car), bus trip
or
train?

I would recommend the train. The bus is usually a lot cheaper (French
trains are expensive), so if money is an issue you should consider it
(look at Eurolines).

A rental car would be a lot of hassle, and in 4 days from Paris to
Barcelona you wouldn't be going far enough off the beaten track that
the car would really be an asset - everywhere that you would reasonably
visit on your way you could get to easily by train anyway.

Makes sense to me. Tks.
Just have to watch driving on the "other" side of the road.

"3dollarbill" wrote in message
u...

"GG" wrote in message
...

wrote in message
ups.com...

3dollarbill wrote:
Have 4 days to get leisurely from Paris to Barcelona.
Anyone have any suggestions on merits of driving (rental car), bus trip
or
train?

We are a couple in our early 60's. Any suggestions/experiences would
be
welcome - including any recommendations for one way car rental places
in
Paris?

Tks

I'd recommend car IF you can find a one way rental at a reasonable
price. Only the majors will do it, if at all. Try the likes of Hertz
and Avis - no promises that they will do it though.

You might find it more possible to get a one way hire to the border
(Perpignan?) and finish off by train.

That's what we did, since all the car rental companies would have added a
large charge for dropping the car in Spain. We turned in our car, had a
good meal somewhere in the old part of Perpignan, spent a night in a nice
Ibis, and took the train the next day to Barcelona. The train trip was
scenic and cost a great deal less than the drop charge would have been.

GG

That sounds like a good idea. Can you recall where you stayed in
Perpignan?
It was the Ibis Hotel Perpignan Centre.
More info at the Ibis site - http://tinyurl.com/qov9r .

GG

"3dollarbill" wrote in message
u...

"GG" wrote in message
...

wrote in message
ups.com...

3dollarbill wrote:
Have 4 days to get leisurely from Paris to Barcelona.
Anyone have any suggestions on merits of driving (rental car), bus trip
or
train?

We are a couple in our early 60's. Any suggestions/experiences would
be
welcome - including any recommendations for one way car rental places
in
Paris?

Tks

I'd recommend car IF you can find a one way rental at a reasonable
price. Only the majors will do it, if at all. Try the likes of Hertz
and Avis - no promises that they will do it though.

You might find it more possible to get a one way hire to the border
(Perpignan?) and finish off by train.

That's what we did, since all the car rental companies would have added a
large charge for dropping the car in Spain. We turned in our car, had a
good meal somewhere in the old part of Perpignan, spent a night in a nice
Ibis, and took the train the next day to Barcelona. The train trip was
scenic and cost a great deal less than the drop charge would have been.

GG


As we've never been to France before (long way from Australia), could you
suggest a pleasant route to take driving from Paris to Perignan - over
say, 3 to 4 days? Also is it necessary to pre-book on the train from
Perignan to Barcelona?

I really appreciate your help.

We began our trip in Nice, so don't have personal experience driving from
Paris. If I were to do that now, I would certainly plan to cross the new
Viaduc de Millau north of Montpellier. See the site:
http://www.viaducdemillaueiffage.com/index.php4?lang=EN .

Note the correct spelling of Perpignan - it will make searching for info a
little easier

GG