Pyrenees Voyage Tips and guide

Contents

The Pyrenees are a European mountain range on the border between France and Spain. Andorra is also to be found in the range.

The Pyrenees are among Europe's highest mountain ranges, separating Spain and the rest of Iberia from France and the rest of Europe. Sections of this mountain range have been designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

The Pyrenees are highly accessible thanks to numerous airports the length of the chain. On the French side at the Atlantic end, the airport of Biarritz and Bayonne (BIQ ^IATA) is the closest airport to the mountains, although Bordeaux (with BOD ^IATA) is only a couple of hours away. Further east, Pau (with PUF ^IATA) and then Tarbes and Lourdes (with BOD ^IATA) are in the central foothills whilst Toulouse (with TLS ^IATA) is the major hub serving the central Pyrenees. The airports of Carcassonne (CCF ^IATA) and Perpignan (PGF ^IATA) serve the Mediterranean end of the chain.

There are numerous crossing points which take the traveller from the French to the Spanish side of the mountains. In the centre of the chain, a road runs alongside the River Garonne from Saint Beat along the Aran Valley and into Spain. Further west, the Bielsa-Aragnouet tunnel up from Saint-Lary-Soulan and Aragnouet in the Hautes-Pyrénées is a well frequented crossing point, as is the Puymorens tunnel on the main Toulouse–Barcelona route.

A high speed rail line links Perpignan and Figueres and connects to the French TGV and Spanish AVE networks. Another rail line, from Hendaye to San Sebastián, at the western edge, contains a break of gauge and is thus used more rarely these days.

The mountain range crosses three countries: France, Spain and Andorra.

0°0′0″N 0°0′0″E

Map of Pyrenees

• Ariège
• Haute-Garonne
• Hautes-Pyrénées
• Pyrénées-Atlantiques
• Pyrénées-Orientales

• Aragón
• Catalonia
  • Girona Pyrenees
• Navarra
• Basque Country

The entire country is contained within this mountain range

Few major cities are to be found directly in the mountain range.

• Pyrénées National Park — in the French departments of Hautes-Pyrénées and Pyrénées-Atlantiques

This is a high mountain range, with peaks up to 3,404 m (11,168 ft) high, so you should be prepared for what that entails, including sudden changes in weather, severe weather, avalanches and other dangers of the mountains.

The Pyrenees are one of the few regions of Europe that still have bears. They usually don't bother humans, but can attack and even kill when drawn in by food or if humans get between a mother and her cub.