Self Drive - Best of Catalonia

Pyrenean foothills Palafrugell Montserrat Park Güell Tarragona

Description

Program

Day 1:
ARRIVAL BARCELONA – TARRAGONA (100 Km – 1 hr)
Arrive at Barcelona airport and meet with a rent-a-car representative to assist you in picking up the rental car. Then, start your route towards Tarragona for your first night in beautiful Catalonia. Tarragona was one of the Roman capitals of Spain when it was known as Tarraco. Today, the city’s Roman ruins have earned it UNESCO World Heritage Site status.
Overnight in Tarragona area.

Day 2:
TARRAGONA – POBLET – LA SEU D’URGELL (195 Km – 3 Hrs)
Enjoy breakfast at the hotel before exploring Tarragona. We recommend visiting the ruins of the old city walls, which date from the third century, and other significant Roman monuments such as the Forum, the circus and the amphitheatre, which is almost on the shores of the Mediterranean. See also the Cathedral-Basilica of Saint Mary, a magnificent fusion of Romanesque and Gothic styles and admire the graceful elegance of the Plaça de la Font, where the city hall is located. Continue to the Cistercian monastery of Santa Maria de Poblet, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Don't forget visit this fabulous site. The complex is completely surrounded by defensive walls and to stroll around it is like traveling back in time to the Middle Ages. Romanesque, Gothic and Baroque architectural styles can be appreciated throughout the monastery, which also served as the pantheon of kings of the once-mighty Crown of Aragon. Continue to La Seu d’Urgell and check in at the hotel.
Overnight in La Seu d’ Urgell.

Day 3:
LA SEU D’URGELL
Begin your day with breakfast at the hotel. Afterward stroll the beautifully arranged streets and stop whenever something interests you. Explore this town, which is the seat of the Bishop of Urgell. The 12th-century Cathedral of St Mary retains many of its original Romanesque features intended to strike the fear of God into medieval peasants.
Overnight in La Seu d’Urgell.

Day 4:
LA SEU D´URGELL – RIPOLL – CASTELLFOLLIT DE LA ROCA – BESALU – LLORET DE MAR (210 Km – 3.5hrs)
Breakfast at the hotel is followed by departure for Ripoll in Catalonia. Drive for a few hours through the majestic mountain landscapes of the Pyrenean foothills and the Cadi-Moixero Natural Park and the Catllaras Range, where dense forests and farmland are dotted with the picture-postcard hamlets and villages of the area, such as La Garrotxa. Arrive at the restored Benedictine monastery of St Mary of Ripoll, which was founded in the ninth century. We recommend exploring the monastery, admiring its magnificent Romanesque portico, which survived the sacking and destruction of much of the monastery by anticlerical forces in the mid-19th century. Then it’s on to the village of Castellfollit de la Roca, which is vertiginously perched on a thousand-metre-long crag with a drop of 50 metres. On one side of the village, the homes look down on the River Fluvia, a scene of breathtaking beauty. A short drive eastward along the river is the equally mesmerizing town of Besalu, which was traditionally reached via one of the most romantic medieval bridges in Europe. The eight-arch bridge crosses the river at an angle, with a fortified tower complete with portcullis in the middle. Continue to Lloret the Mar for check-in.
Overnight in Lloret de Mar.

Day 5:
LLORET DE MAR – PALAMOS – PALAFRUGEL – BEGUR – LLORET DE MAR (140 Km – 2 hrs)
Breakfast at the hotel. Today we suggest exploring some of the charming villages on the Costa Brava passing by impressive cliffs, beaches of golden sand and typical Mediterranean landscapes. First stop is Palamos with its fascinating landscape. Stroll around the streets and enjoy the different views. Continue along the coast towards Palafrugell. The cork industry has determined the village’s evolution and present appearance. It preserves the original layout of the streets and its white houses. The harbour is home to brightly coloured traditional boats, contrasting the white buildings and golden sand of the beach. Continue to the village of Begur, which sits at the foot of an austere castle on a hill. The view from the top is stunning, from where you can contemplate the intense blue of the Mediterranean. Return to your hotel in Lloret de Mar.
Overnight in Lloret de Mar.

Day 6:
LLORET DE MAR – BARCELONA (80 Km – 1,5 hrs)
Enjoy breakfast at the hotel before leaving towards the lively city of Barcelona. Perhaps explore Barcelona’s historic Gothic Quarter. Stroll through narrow cobbled streets and alleys, which open up to picturesque plazas with café terraces and secluded churches. Admire Santa Eulalia Cathedral and the churches of Santa Maria del Mar and Santa Maria del Pi, three outstanding examples of Catalan Gothic architecture, and behold the medieval majesty of the former royal palace at the Plaça del Rei. Visit the Park Güell in the northwestern suburbs of the city and see what Gaudi’s vision of an ideal ‘garden city’ was. The park remains unfinished but enough was built to captivate the imagination, with a myriad of mosaics made from irregular and broken pieces of tiles. Enjoy the views over Barcelona and the Mediterranean before continuing to the still unfinished Sagrada Familia basilica, with designs that stretched the realms of the imagination and have made it the iconic symbol of the city. The basilica has three fascinating façades, one of which – the surreal Nativity façade – was more or less completed before Gaudi’s passing, and only recently the roof of the nave has been completed.
Overnight in Barcelona.

Day 7:
BARCELONA – SANT SADURNI D’ANOIA – MONTSERRAT – BARCELONA (190 Km – 3 hrs)
Indulge in a delicious breakfast at the hotel. Then, perhaps head towards Sant Sadurni d’Anoia, located around 50 kilometres away. This prosperous town is the heartland of the cava-producing Alt Penedes region. Don’t miss visiting one of the bodegas and learning all about this world-famous sparkling wine production. Continue to Montserrat, Catalonia’s holiest mountain and home of the Virgin of La Moreneta. Enjoy a spiritual and cultural journey while admiring the beautiful views of the highlands and their staggering rock formations. Montserrat has been a place of pilgrimage since the ninth century when some shepherd boys found a statue of the Virgin Mary in a cave. Since then, the statue has been venerated and it is believed to have turned black thanks to centuries of smoke from candles. Today, Montserrat is the largest Benedictine monastery in Spain. Wander the courtyards and cloisters before entering the impressive basilica and exploring the museum. Return to your hotel in Barcelona.
Overnight in Barcelona.

Day 8:
DEPART BARCELONA
Begin your last day in Barcelona with a tasty breakfast. Then, at the appropriate time, head towards the rental company to return the vehicle. You'll be told the return procedure and exact designated area by OK Rent a Car when you pick up the car on arrival day. The rent-a-car shuttle service will transfer you to the terminal to catch your departure flight back home.

Price includes

ACCOMMODATION:
- 7 nights´ accommodation
MEALS:
- 7 breakfasts
TRANSPORT:
- Transportation for the departure transfer on a shared basis, from the car rental company offices to Barcelona Airport.
CAR HIRE:
- Selected car rental category as per days mentioned in the itinerary
- Applicable local taxes (VAT)
- Unlimited mileage
- 24h road assistance
- Full-Full petrol rate (When you pick your car up, the fuel tank will be full or partly full. You will be charged the cost of the fuel: Before you return your car, please replace the fuel you’ve used)
- All-inclusive insurance: Wheel and windscreen (CGT), Road assistance 24 hour telephone service, Vehicle theft (TP); Personal accident insurance (P.A.I)
OTHER:
- Meet & Greet on day 1

Price does not include

- Items of a personal nature such as alcoholic drinks, laundry, drinks and meals not stated explicitly in the program
- Any other expenses which are not mentioned in the included section
- National or International flights
- All types of insurance (except mentioned rent-a-car insurance)
- Entry visas to Spain and Gibraltar (if applicable)
- Entrance tickets to any venue, museum or activity
- Local tourist tax Catalonia

NOT INCLUDED IN CAR HIRE:
- Damage to a third party or to the hire vehicle due to negligence or inappropriate driving.
- Loss or damage to aerials, jack, safety triangles and vests, windscreen wipers, petrol cap, luggage covers, or any other fixed or mobile component of the vehicle.
- Damage to the engine through negligence.
- Theft of the vehicle with keys left in the ignition.
- Damage caused to the vehicle or to persons through driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
- Fines due to breaking traffic laws and regulations during the hire period are the responsibility of the driver of the vehicle. In the event of a fine being received there will be an administration charge.
- If the car is left outside of rent a car designated area on drop off, customers will be responsible for any costs generated and for any damage to the vehicle due to it being parked outside of the Rent a Car installation.
- Each additional driver per day.
- Any extra equipment (GPS, baby seat etc)
- No insurance cover in Gibraltar.
- Insurance surcharge for Andorra.

Itinerary

Accommodations provided in each place