Car Hire in Perpignan

Pepignan by car.

If you're planning a trip or vacation or holiday to Perpignan city in the Languedoc Roussillon region of France then you would be well advised to consider car hire in Perpignan because although you won't need one to get around the city center you will definitely want one if you want to explore and experience everything that is on offer in the surrounding area. For a start you will want to get to and from the beach and then there are all the wonderful towns, villages and fishing ports which all deserve a look.

Perpignan itself is very close to the border of Spain and has a very Spanish feel to it. Indeed it is really referred to as a Catalan city due to the large percentage of the population with Spanish roots. In fact the city was once the second largest Catalonian city after Barcelona. It wasn't that long ago that Perpignan was a part of Spain, back in the 13th and 14th centuries it was under the rule of the King of Majorca. And the history, culture and heritage of that time can be found across the region and it is for this reason if no other that you will want to have the freedom that a car rental in Perpignan will offer.

The first thing that should alert you to the Catalan influence here are the many bright and bold flags prominent from windows, cars, cafe walls and tourist magazines. The strong gold and red colors can be seen everywhere. There's no need to rent your car in the city itself unless you want to, the easier option is to hire a car at Perpignan airport which is just 10 minutes outside the city center. Once you've driven into the center parking is easy with many car parks dotted around and as the city center is not that big all the car parks are within easy walking distance of the old town.

The weather in Perpignan is excellent, thanks to its location by the coast, so once you're out of your car I would recommend heading to the canal side, which winds its way through the center and has a number of bars where you can relax for a drink or try out the vast selection of Tapas on offer, another Spanish influence that you will find familiar.

Other Perpignan Tourist Attractions

Across from the canal is one of Perpignan's chief attractions, the Castillet. This grand red brick building dominates the city center providing an arched walkway with which to pass through to the winding streets of the old city. The building itself has a small museum containing many antiques and curios from the area. Once through into the old town it is here that you will discover all the great shops and restaurants on offer.

To the north of the old town you wind your way up hill until you reach the Palais des Rois de Majorque, a magnificent 13th Century Catalan citadel, once a residence for Majorcan kings and from these battlements there are some superb views across the city and on to the sea or inland to the famous and majestic Mount Canigou.

Perpignan Coast and Beyond

You can of course get car hire in Perpignan itself if that's more convenient, there are buses and taxi's available from the airport that will drop you in the center, and once you have your wheels it's time to explore everything else on offer.

You might start by driving to the coast where you will find a number of beach resorts including Canet and Argeles, a jolly beach resort, where there are some outstanding blue flag beaches. If you like a little more culture with your sun and sea then be sure to visit Collioure, once a sleepy fishing village Collioure has grown dramatically in popularity with holidaymakers thanks to the famous artists like Matisse and Picasso who cam here to paint the local scenery. Today Collioure is a busy little town with beautiful colored houses and many art galleries and wonderful seafood restaurants.

In land Ceret too is an atmospheric town with a strong artists tradition, they have there own museum of modern art as well as local artists galleries. 20 minutes down the road is the pretty town of Thuir where you can go on a tour of the Thuir winery, whose claim to fame is the production of many of France's aperitifs including the famous Byrhh.

It should be clear now why renting a car in Perpignan makes sense. From Thuir head on over to Tautavel to see the remains of a pre-historic man! In 1971 the remains were found of a man who's bones date back all the way to 450,000 BC.

The above is just a small taste of what the area around Perpignan has to offer and as the public transport system isn't up to much none of these tourist attractions are really available unless you have a car. Car hire in Perpignan is easy and staright forward so don't miss out. Once your holiday is over returning your rental car is simplicity itself. At the airport there is a separate car park for rental vehicles, just pop it in there and drop your keys back at the rental company in the airport lounge. For more info on car hire in Montpellier and why you need a car there too please read my other articles.