petzis
Traveller
5 comments
Posted 12 years ago
Sorry for this question, but:
we´re kind of undecided what to do.. we have 5 days between Paris and Barcelona and at first we wanted to do them freestyle but now I think without a tent it might get expensive in case of we will not find any free hostels. So: no idea where to go.
I mean, ok, we have many plans (because we are 5 people) starting from go to London, visit Madrid, go to Biarritz/San Sébastian or take the little yellow train..
In my opinion it would be nice to go to Bordeaux and then to Dune de Playa (is it possible to reach them without renting a car?) but then? Hanging out 4 days in Biarritz might get boring..
Please help us, Interrail starts on Saturday! :o
Loiseau
Traveller
231 comments
Hi,
Dune de Pyla without car and tent might be difficult i think. And hitchhiking for 5 persons?
I think i would go Montpellier - so you have a very very nice and young city (not too big) and its very easy to go to the beach there. From there you could make some daytrip to cap d'agde maybe or to marseille or avignon by ter. And its not far away to the yellow-train and barcelone. To got to barcelone you can take the talgo direct to barcelona.
Toulouse is a very very nice city too. Chilling in the eve with some wine or beer a la garonne is really the best thing you can do in the world. :) But you have no beach there. ;) Bordeaux is a little bit more bourgois i think.
Could also be combined: maybe one evening/night in Toulouse. Than with TER to LaTour-de-Carol and the yellow train (maybe one night in the mountains if the wether ist fine). There is also a very nice hiking in gorges de la carança with a refuge in the hills! Could be reached very easy with yellow train - station Thues-Entre-Valls! And than maybe to Perpignan or Montpellier or Barcelone..
And yes, i think hanging out 4 days in Biarritz could be boring. But not in SanSebastian ! ;) And from there you get direct to barcelone too.
Flo
Traveller
10724 comments
Humm...it is actually no problem to go to Dune de Pyla, BAIA Line 1 runs from the Arcachon SNCF station directly to the Campsites along the Dune. :arr: [u]http://www.baia-cobas.fr/horaires_ligne/index.asp?rub_code=6&thm_id=33&gpl_id=0&lign_id=5&sens=1&date=30%2F08%2F2012&index=13[/u]
However, I dont no how long this extension is operated, it could be that this service only runs in July and August (I think this was the case when I was there in 2010)...in that case you would have to walk the last few kilometres from the regular terminus Dune de Pilat.
LINK TIMED OUT
A is Dune de Pilat, regular terminus, B is the terminus of the summer extension I think.
While there, you could also stay in a motor home in case you have to camping equipment at all.
Flo 8)
petzis
Traveller
5 comments
But if the bus really doesn´t run in September and on Sundays 10 km walking with the backbag and the heat might destroy the mood.. ;)
hm.. but I´d really like to go there. Or what about leaving late Saturday evening in Paris and go to Bordeaux, stay overnight and the whole Sunday there and leave Sunday evening to San Sebastian. So Monday and Tuesday in St. Sebastian (is it nice to stay there?) and then leave on Wednesday morning via Toulouse to Perpignan, stay there overnight and then on Thursday morning with the little yellow train to Barcelona.
??
Flo
Traveller
10724 comments
Hi,
just to make it clear. ;)
- The bus seems to operate at least until next Sunday along its whole route, serving the campsites at Dune de Pyla.
- Even if the bus would run only to Dune de Pilat, the regular terminus, not serving the campsites you would not have to walk 10 km it is more like 3 or so which should be doable. Just have a look at the map, all campsites are indicated there!
- On the website there are no bus services on line 1 shown after next sunday, dont know why, I would assume that it would run at least to Dune de Pilat stop in september...but you might have to check before you leave again.
Going to the Dune just for a day trip from Bordeaux and then continue as far as San Sebastian...I dont know if this is a good idea... Have a look at the schedules, dont underestimate the distances and the time needed to travel between these places! Also, staying at the Dune without seeing the sunset...not so good... ;)
I would definitely make the effort and stay at least one night at Dune de Pyla... San Sebastian is definitely also worth the visit and it should be doable to go from there within one day to Toulouse or even all the way to Latour de Carol; dont know if you can make it from San Sebastian to Perpignan within one day.
You might also consider going from San Sebastian with twice daily Alvia services to Barcelona and heading to Petit Train Jaune from there.
Flo 8)
petzis
Traveller
5 comments
Is Alvia also included or to we have to pay for a reservation or even the train?? I´m not too lazy to search I just can´t find clear facts :os
Flo
Traveller
10724 comments
Have a look here :arr: [u]https://rail.cc/en/interrail-train-reservation[/u]
Loiseau
Traveller
231 comments
Yes, i think when you go to dune de pyla you should stay there overnight! And it is really impressive to see! But its really a big sandheap! So stay there...
Going from Bordeaux to San Seb and then back to Toulouse-Perpignan is a bit stressy i think.
Than maybe do it otherway round. From Paris to Perpignan by night train. Than by yellow-train to toulouse. (Lost just one day from your ticket). Stay there overnight or maybe you catch the train to Bordeaux??? But Toulouse, la ville rose is really worth to see too! Than Bordeaux and Dune de pyla (if theres a bus). 3 km is okay and there should be shadow because of the big forest there. You can enter the dune in the south.
From there back to Bordeaux and than to San Sebastian, eating some good tapas and next day by Alvia to Barcelona. It costs a little (6,50), but i thinks its a very nice trip trough the spanish landscapes.
I think to do all (Dune, YellowTrain and SanSeb) could be a little stressy and you lost maybe a lot of days from your railpass?!