Always fancied a trip to Catalans, never seriously considered it this year with the upheaval I've had, but thinking about next year. I get the sense that the vast majority seem to fly to France or Spain. Have any of you guys driven there? Got the ferry from Portsmouth or somewhere and headed down the peage? I know France is a big country,and it'd mean a stop half-way, but I wouldn't mind that really. I wonder how the costs would stack up in comparison. Of course, one benefit of driving would be that you'd save the expense of hiring a car if you were going to stop for a few days. I'd like to see Carcassonne and a few other places. I've got an old 2 litre diesel which is pretty economical on a long run and comfortable too.

This time a couple of years ago I was in France on the bike, but, perversely, found it too hot for motorbikes for that sort of distance.

Pretty sure the cost of driving is more than flying.

Google maps says 1029 miles! That's via Chunnel. So two overnight stops en route might be more comfortable. As long as the cost difference wasn't enormous, I do kinda like the flexibility that driving offers. And I just don't like air travel much, and it seems to get worse by the year.

I have considered train... Interesting option, as it can be done in a day.

cant beat driving..... done it loads of times.
There are five of us so much cheaper to drive than pay for five flight tickets.

have done different routes and tried no stopovers, and one stopover.
I dont recommend the non stop as 16 hrs straight was a bit much...!!

time it so you can leave and get a 3pm-ish tunnel crossing...(the only way to cross in my opinion ).
then straight off the train floor it to the other side of Paris.
Avoid Paris at all costs....your sat nav will take you round the ring road and its horrendous.
you should get to the other side of Paris about 8-9pm.
We have stayed in Orleans directly south of paris, and on a different route we stayed in a great hotel south west of paris near Troyes,
Get a decent night kip and get up early and head south....you should be in Perpignan region for 4-5pm.

coming home we leave nice and early and floor it across the entire Country, cross using the tunnel again and stop over in a hotel in kent, then we head back home the following morning...

its great using your own car especially if you have tvs in the back for the kids like we do.... so while me and the missus are crossing the french spanish border over the top of the Pyrenees taking in the views the kids are watching spongebob in the back...!!

Thanks for that. I had wondered about going to Southampton or Portsmouth and getting the ferry, which does reduce the driving a bit in England and France, but mid-season ferries are pretty pricey, and I'm sure the Chunnel would be a lot cheaper. On the other hand, an overnight ferry and an early start in France with around a 600 mile journey could mean a fairly comfortable 300 mile to half-way, and one overnight stop. But if taking the Chunnel option, I'm sure your advice about avoiding Paris is sound, I've never been round the peripherique, and I'm in no hurry to start! I don't have TV in the back, then again, no kids either!

If you fly you have plenty of airports in fairly close distance.You can normally get cheap flights to Barcelona and stop a night or two there,although accommodation and drink/food ain't cheap but if you've never been it's worth a visit.

wouldnt go to perpignan id go to spain then drive over.

Now thats interesting not a fan of air travel,not the flight,just the hassle getting there through airports etc.

You would have to be a Euston for 9.00amish, but would be an interesting journey, and totally stress free.

Go on ferry from Poole to St Malo, shorter journey in miles, a few hours longer as you going by ferry but that's a bonus as you can get a hot meal and a decent kip, plus it's nicer scenery on the west side of France