Pyrenees

About The Pyrenees

Situated between France and Spain, The Pyrenees represents the natural border between these two countries. This range of mountains separates the Iberian Peninsula from the rest of Europe. The Pyrenees is a destination that you can visit all year round. It depends on what you would like to do. From mid June to late September is the perfect time for Horse Riding, Walking and Cycling. If you are a fan of extreme sports, it would be the perfect time for you to do some parachuting, rafting or hang gliding. From November till Easter is the time reserved for the Ski season.

Transport:

You can travel to The Pyrenees by air, road or rail. There are many flights from all over Europe to Barcelona, Biarritz, Bilbao, Toulouse, Perpignan, Carcassone or Lourdes. If you are traveling from the UK, you can use the Channel Tunnel and the Euro tunnel to travel by car, train or bus. You can also take two ferry services (Portsmouth to Bilbao and Plymouth to Santander). For some of you, car rental may be the best way to explore the Pyrenees.

Important information:

Business hours are from 9.30 a.m. till 1.30 p.m. and from 4.30 p.m. till 8.00 p.m. (Monday to Saturday). Shopping centers work from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. or 10 p.m. In high season, shops are usually open after 10 p.m.

For 40 Euros per day, you can find modest hotel rooms. Staying in some of the best hotels, renting a car and eating in some of the best restaurants can cost you at least 100 Euros per day. You can use your credit or debit cards in hotels, restaurants and for train tickets. But be aware of large number of thefts. Every year hundreds of thousands of credit cards go missing in Spain!

It is common to leave a tip in restaurants or in bars.

Spoken languages in The Pyrenees are Spanish, Basque, Aragonese and Catalan.

Sports and Activities:

The Pyrenees have many spas such as Torremirona, Caldes de Malavella, Santa Coloma de Farnes and Las Caldes de Boi. Situated near cities with a long history and with their medicinal waters, these spas are perfect places to visit. The Pyrenees is the ideal destination for playing golf.

For those who like rowing, Banyoles is the perfect place to visit. Since it is situated 20 km north of Girona and Banyoles, it is also a lovely place for excursions and hiking. The Pyrenees have many cycling routes.

The most popular is The Vias Verdes. Removed from traffic, it is perfect for cycling and long walking. Plenty of rivers and diversity of fish attract people who love fishing. Over 200 mountains on The Pyrenees attract visitors who like mountain trekking, cannoning, horse-riding and climbing.