Pyrenees

Understand

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.

Getting there

By plane 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.

By road 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.

By train 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.