Nice place to stay near pain france border?

[candybar]

I am going away for 10 days around the south of france in various spots but our flight back is from gerona in spain. We dont want to spend our final day driving all the way to the airport so want to book our last 3 days somewhere a little nearer to gerona. Does anyone know of any nice places to stay for 3 nights? We looked at perpignan but then read about it and lots of reviews said it was a bit shabby and not really worth stopping 3 days for. Open to any sort of places, little villages, on the coast, in the country, just anywhere that would be pleasant really! Have any Answerbankers any ideas??

[candybar]

Oops I mean Spain/France border!

[mushroom25]

collioure is quite nice....
http://www.collioure.com/gb/index-gb.htm

[candybar]

That does look lovely, right up our street! We have a car though and wonder if this will be a problem in the busy summertime? (We leave in a month).

[mushroom25]

public parking can be a problem at times - but a lot of the hotels have private parking.

[candybar]

Carrcasonne looks lovely too! Will definitely be looking inot that further. Thanks for your tips, its hard to know where to start looking when you dont have a clue!

[candybar]

It looks wonderful. I am looking at hotels in the area as I type. Very excited to have found a place just what I was after! Many thanks! Just hope I can find a place to stay now!

[candybar]

People on forums seem to be suggesting staying in the old town on the opposite side of the river to the big cathedral. Does this sound about right?

[jomifl]

It depends what kind of place you are looking for, Conflens in the foothills of the Pyrenees is one of the fortified towns that defended the border with Spain. It is a bit touristy but not too much so and very interesting as it is still completely walled, have a look on streetview. Cadaques just over the Spanish border is a small and attractive seaside village. It is very popular and the hotels are booked up weeks in advance and the parking is difficult.
Lagrasse is a small mediaeval village with a few hotel and restaurants, it is very quiet and wihin easy reach of Carcassonne.Sete is quite lively, I haven't been there but my French neighbours like it.

[mushroom25]

here's another nice place - not too far from perpignan or (qed) the road to girona -
http://www.villefranc...com/index.php?lang=en

[Mosaic]

Just a word of warning about Carcassonne: it is truly stupendously beautiful but the overcrowding in the peak tourist season is dreadful and likely to spoil your experience. You are literally talking about queueing for ages just to get onto the main street.

If you are driving down to Gerona don't forget alongside Collioure and Banyuls on the French side of the border, Figueres and Cadaques - all very Salvador Dali. And Gerona itself has a lovely old town area, much under-rated and so relatively uncrowded. We stayed at the Hotel Peninsular in Gerona for three nights, perfectly satisfactory.

[Mosaic]

Candybar - if you are really intent on staying in Carcassonne then Les Trois Couronnes is right by the bridge on the new town side, with panoramic views of the old citadel from its dining rooms.

[jomifl]

Mushroom, thanks for correcting the name of my suggestion, there are so many French place names based on conflens , conflent etc, that I had a senior moment.

[malagabob]

I see that no one has mentioned somewhere on the Costa Brava. a lot of good places are only 30 minutes from the airport.

[mrsann]

I used to live in Southern Sapin and regularly drove between there ad the UK so now most fo the roads really well. St JEan de Luz is lovelyb abit ofa drive away from Gerona, as is beautiful but crowdd Arles. My choice would be Girona, one of the most under-rated towns in that area as are some ofthe smaller Costa Brava villages. Much chaper than some of the French favourites too

[jomifl]

Figueras has an amazing Salvador Dahli museum but it is not open every day.