My family is planning to be in Spain in early April and will be travelling from Zaragoza to Barcelona by car for three night. We need help with an itinerary that will be enjoyable and not too stressfull.
We have a 15 year old daughter and 9 year old son.
Our priorities are:
Go into another country (France %26amp; Andorra)
Stay in a castle
Visit a parador
Our thought had been to drive North from Zaragoza through Huesca to Lourdes for the first night to take in the procession to the Grotto (we are Catholic). Next we would drive east to go through Andorra and into Seu d%26#39;urgell for the night. Next we would drive down to Cordona to stay in the hiltop Parador. Then into Barcelona.
I have many questions. I don%26#39;t know if this is trying to do too much. I don%26#39;t know if there is anything along the way in these areas to see. I also don%26#39;t know if there are suggestions of an itinerary with less driving that will get us into the mountains and have more time to walk streets and relax.
I also am not sure where to stay along the way. Are there other paradors that are in castles that would be better? Where should we stay in Seu d%26#39;urgell? Is there a better town to stay in? Should we forget Lourdes and focus more on Costa Brava and that part of France?
The kids like the idea of going to Andorra, but realize that there is not much to do there is we are not staying to ski.
Lastly is this time of year (holy week) in that part of Spain and France overly crowded or are there special things we should do? Is this mud season for the mountains or will the ski season still be going? Will we have trouble driving.
So many questions...
Any help would be appreciated.
Rambler
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That is doable, but you may well find it stressful. You are talking about a total of 440 miles.
Is there a reason you need to end at Barcellona ? Flight home?
I have been to the Pyrennes in early June and there was still snow high up, but the skiing usually finishes in March.
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Cellophane:
Yes our flight out is from Barcelona and we have family there. but We do have some flexibility.
The biggest question is whether to take the time to drive over to Andorra. We are not going to be able to ski and don%26#39;t plan to buy much tobacco or liquor, so I am not sure what value it would be other than to say we had been there.
Any recommendation?
Rambler
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I spent 4 nights going from Girona through Andorra stopping at Les Angles (France) for 2 nights, Argeles Sur Mer (1 night) and Girona (1 night) in August.
We went partly on business to look at the towns. We drove straight through Andorra as we didn%26#39;t see anything really worth stopping for.
Zaragoza to Barcelona is an easy 192 miles. The quick route to go via Lourdes increases this to 509 miles. However, the fastest way from Lourdes to Barcelona takes you via Tarbes, Toulouse, and Perpignan. This gives you the options of stopping at Toulouse (Space City www.cite-espace.com), Carcasonne (walled city), Argeles Sur Mer (beach restort), Collioure (quiet harbour village), Girona (ancient town)
Not much mountains, but some lovely places to relax.
I noticed that you have asked this question on vairous French forums. Ask Linda for advice, I see she recommends Villefranche which is where we usually stop for a break.
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I just returned from a trip that included Paris, Barcelona and Andorra. I adored Barcelona and would be happy to elaborate if you would find that helpful, but I specifically wanted to respond to your question about Andorra.
Is it worth the trip to Andorra if you do not plan to ski, buy tobacco or liquor? Hmmm...
First and foremost, if cigarette smoke is a problem, Andorra is probably not for you!!! We knew there would be a lot more cigarette smoke throughout Europe than we are used to here in the U.S., and we encountered some in Paris and Barcelona, but it was no big deal. But we were in Escaldes-Engordany and the smoke was horrible everywhere we went (I have no idea if all of Andorra is as smoky).
I did not buy any liquor or tobacco in Andorra. But I did just about knock out my entire Christmas list in one trip up Av. Carlemany. Most of the shopping is for luxury goods (clothing and accessories), electronics, jewelry, and the aforementioned liquor and tobacco, but I also found lots of gifts for my foodie friends, housewares, and home decor items. One shop, Incis at 45 Av. Carlemany, is particularly noteworthy--not just for the amazing deals I got there on gift items, but also for helpful, welcoming staff (a rarity in our Andorra experience).
Caldea spa in Escaldes-Engordany is worth looking into: www.caldea.ad. I went for a massage one evening and found it very pleasant and relaxing. It%26#39;s pretty spectacular inside; almost like an indoor waterpark made for relaxation. I did not have to pay the entrance fee on top of the cost of my massage--I was a bit confused about that at first.
If you and your family are into intense shopping or if Caldea piques your interest, by all means head for Andorra. And it does have an interesting history and system of government. But I would personally opt for more time in Barcelona.
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