Spain/France
From Languedoc to Catalonia Through the Pyrenees: A Cross-Border Discovery
Program No. 21705RJ
Explore the Pyrenees, Languedoc and Catalonia, discovering medieval villages, stunning landscapes, Cathar history, and Romanesque art in this unique corner of Europe.
Participant Reviews
Based on 30 Reviews
SHOWING
This was one of the best Road Scholar trips I have ever been on. If you want to go to to places off the beaten path this trip is for you. Between the medieval French towns and the isolated villages of the Pyrenees there wasn't a day that I didn't learn something new and the experts were terrific. I can't recommend this trip too much.
— Review left May 29, 2025
This tour was rich with history. Not only was the program educational, we were able to submerse ourselves in the actual places we were learning about. Truly an outstanding experience
— Review left May 26, 2025
Early May in Southwest France and the Pyrenees: a perfect experience. Our group of 16 really lucked out on the weather just as spring broke through in the Pyrenees. Every day brought priceless photo ops and a new awareness of the tumultuous history of France and Catalonia. Despite being an 80-yea-old with a Pacemaker, I managed the most strenuous walk by using a walking stick. The path is steep, but it's easy to drop out at any point without inconveniencing the group. And the view from the top was well worth it. Everyone was compatible, and our leader, Covadonga was among the top 5 we've had on our Road Scholar journeys (37 the last time I checked). This trip is priceless, and it left me in awe of the thousands of refugees and downed airmen who made the journey on foot during World War II.
— Review left May 23, 2025
This program had such diverse offerings -- history, architecture, castles, medieval towns, craggy mountains, wineries, and artisans who taught us about their crafts, from silk weaving to oyster fishing. Finding the links between the cultures on either side of the Pyrenees was fascinating. And our guide, Elena, was fantastic, an endless source of knowledge and good spirits. This trip really exceeded my expectations.
— Review left December 3, 2024
Of my eight trips with Road Scholar, this was by far the best. I was oblivious to the history and the culture of the Languedoc-Catalonia region. Our group leader--Fran--help us appreciate this unique region though his commentary throughout the trip. Seeing the region, eating regional food and experiencing the culture of the area made this trip truly unique .
— Review left November 22, 2024
This wonderful, mostly off the beaten path trip exceeded any expectations I had, because I could never have discovered on my own what this trip offered. The mix of fellow travelers was very enjoyable, and we all got along very well. France/Languedoc/Catalonia history, visits to medieval villages, Cathar history and castles, Carcassonne, WW2 Freedom Trail history, La Sagrada Familia visit; Barcelona city walk and bus tour, etc., etc., were outstanding. I enjoyed the beautiful scenery of the Pyrenees, the National Park of Aiguestortes, the great local food, cheese tasting at a family-owned farm, wine tasting, oysters from an oyster farm, wonderful accommodations, etc., etc. The local guides were the best and presented their materials in a passionate and engaging way. Emma Christie was an exceptional tour guide who worked tirelessly to provide a memorable experience. She was very professional, very knowledgeable in her presentations, highly organized, very caring, and a lot of fun to travel with. The idea of beginning every day on the bus with a song was great and started us off on the right footing. Victor was an excellent and very experienced bus driver who kept my stomach calm around hairpin curves. The evening at James’ chateau was marvelous and Doug (a group member) played the piano masterfully and further enriched the magical experience. I loved every part of this trip without exception and highly recommend it!
— Review left November 15, 2024
Wonderful trip encompassing parts of France and Spain that have few tourists. In late October the only crowds were in Carcassone and Barcelona, the rest of the time it was mostly our small group. Wonderful local guides (James McDonald especially), great food and wine, historic hotels and snow-covered tips of the Pyrenees, who could ask for more? One caveat: this is a tour packed with activity, lots of walking, some climbing up castle steps, just take your time. Highly recommended. Five stars.
— Review left November 3, 2024
This was our first Roads Scholar trip. We absolutely loved it. Loved having the information from the guides to set the scene. The accommodations and meals were lovely and the little extras were fun. The Pyrenees area is just beautiful.
— Review left October 24, 2024
The tour was lovely. Guides and lectures presented many pearls about the areas that we visited, I would not have found these unique experiences on my own.
— Review left October 14, 2024
A wonderful trip through a spectacular and culturally rich part of France and Spain.
— Review left October 4, 2024
An excellent review of the history and culture of southwest France and Catalonia and their close connections.
— Review left May 28, 2024
I loved my Langue D'oc/Catalonia trip. I was unaware how beautiful this part of the world was. I fulfilled a dream of discovering the Cathar Castles and was very happy to also drive through the outstanding vistas of the Pyrennees. I thought the group size was perfect and enjoyed getting to know my fellow travelers, all of whom were interesting and curious about the world. I highly recommend this program to anyone who loves beautiful mountains, medieval history, great food, and great wine!
— Review left May 24, 2024
This trip was memorable in every way! Our guide Emma Christie was the best! She was extremely organized,knowledgeable, professional, caring and fun loving. Emma started our bus trip each day leading us in song. I must add that our bus driver Leandro was an absolute pro at navigating hairpin turns with the greatest of ease! The local guides were highly knowledgeable and engaging, sharing interesting historical and current information about the various sights. All the activities including gold leafing, wine tasting, cheese tasting , and a cocktail party at the home (castle) of James, one of our local guides were enjoyable. Experiencing the magnitude of the Pyrenees, uniqueness of each medieval village, the wonders of Barcelona, delicious local cuisine, and last but not least, the comaraderie among group members made this travel adventure extraordinary!
— Review left October 26, 2023
A wonderful experience introducing a new area of the world and a religion/culture (the Cathars) that I was unaware of before this trip. The scenery was beautiful, the food was very good, our group members were interesting and friendly, and people that we met along the way were hospitable. I would highly recommend this region (and this Road Scholar trip) to any American looking to travel in a slightly different and less traveled area.
An excellent tour leader is necessary for a successful and enjoyable trip, and in this case our leader, Emma Christie, brought the experience together for me and others in the group. Her friendly smile and knowledge of what to do and where to go in all situations was a key to making this adventure truly outstanding. I’m not sure of the role that tour leaders play in picking local guides but all of the local guides on this trip were outstanding, and Emma had good things to say and excellent rapport with every one of them. Emma is the best!
In addition to shepherding the group through scheduled events, Emma had unfailingly excellent suggestions for experiences outside of group activities including restaurants in Pezenas and Barcelona, walks in Couiza, and attractions to visit in Barcelona and Madrid when a friend and I stayed beyond the end of the regular trip in Barcelona for two days and then traveled to Madrid for 4 days.
— Review left October 24, 2023
This is a very unusual trip. It was a terrific experience being in places that did not have other tourists. There was more of a chance to soak up the local culture. I loved going to the small villages, learning about the castle defense system, the Cathars, and the routes through the Pyrenees during the Spanish Civil War and during World War II. You should be able to do a lot of steps. Also, if this is your first trip to Barcelona, definitely add a day on to the programs.
— Review left October 21, 2023
A fascinating, well-organized look at a part of the world more people should visit.
— Review left October 20, 2023
Great itinerary
Great locations right where you want to be
— Review left October 20, 2023
This is a great trip - the food was some of the best we have ever had with Road Scholar (wine at most meals an added bonus). Beautiful country side; small villages, excellent accommodations. If you want to know about the Cathars, this is the trip for you. If you like mid-evil history and castles, this is the trip for you! Emma, our tour leader, is a good as they come. Was nice to end up in Barcelona for a couple of days.
This was our first non-walking trip in Europe with Road Scholar and we were interested to see if it was active enough for us. On the whole, it shaped up very well; a good transition to a less rigorous experience.
— Review left October 19, 2023
Another Road Scholar journey not to be missed!
— Review left October 12, 2023
What an amazing experience!! Our guide was exceptional. The sites were fascinating. This is a part of the world less traveled than many others and it was a privilege to visit it in such interesting company!
— Review left September 30, 2023
The program gave substantial insight into the history and political makeup of the areas we visited.
— Review left September 23, 2023
Emma is a superb guide. Knowledgeable organized and full of life. Just a wonderful engaging person.
— Review left June 3, 2023
Stunningly beautiful scenery, great food and good wine!! This trip has it all. Almost all of this trip is in villages and rural areas that are less traveled and peaceful. Lovely part of the world.
— Review left June 3, 2023
Good tour. Learned a lot about the area. Emma, our tour guide, was as good as they come. Really good hotels. LOVELY part of the world. We did not find the physical requirements that hard, OTHER than stairs. Even in the Chateau we stayed in. Stone and spiral staircases in several locations. Just needed to take your time. We took hiking sticks but probably didn't need. Lots of time on the bus.
— Review left June 1, 2023
This outstanding program exceeded my expectations within the first few days. I had wanted to see the Pyrenees and the country of Andorra ever since studying them in graded school. The mountains are spectacular. The trip to the National Park of Aiguestortes was the highlight of the trip for me. The history of the region, food and scenery were all fascinating. Another highlight for me was the chance to stay in a 16th Century castle that has been converted to a boutique hotel.
— Review left October 7, 2019
A fabulous program! Wonderful to see a new part of the world and learn about its history. A real eye-opener for me.
— Review left October 6, 2019
We loved our program, and especially our guide, Emma! This was the first of what will be many Road Scholar trips for us.
— Review left July 2, 2019
This program was filled with unique places, fascinating history, amazing natural beauty, superb food and hotels, and a few surprises. I'd love to do it all over again!
— Review left June 25, 2019
I have never been on a bad trip with Road Scholar! From Languedoc to Catalonia Through the Pyrenees is right at the top of the list of my best!
— Review left June 24, 2019
This was a fantastic and memorable trip. Fran Valle was our group leader and he was excellent- feeding us info on art, history, contemporary politics, culture and even regional table manners.
Highlights of the trip for me were visiting James McDonald's "humble home" (James is a scholar of Cathar history), finding orchids in the snow, walking in the Pyrenees, climbing the ruins of a fortress, seeing one of the liberation trails (and jail) and being touched by seeing all the yellow ribbons in the villages which symbolize the people's wish for Catalonia independence.
At each stop we had a local guide join us to give us the flavor of the area we were visiting, be it in Pezenas, Carcasonne, cathedrals, national park, Barcelona, etc.
When I signed on for the trip I hadn't given any thought to accommodations or food so I was surprised and delighted to find that some of the hotels we stayed in were refurbished castles- imagine that! The food was amazing and we were offered the local wines, cheeses and fare of each village. Fran was very helpful in communicating my restrictive diet needs (gluten-free and vegetarian) to our hosts and made sure I was taken care of. The food was generous, fresh, healthy and amazing. Don't expect to loose any weight on this trip! This was my trip of a lifetime and I thank RS for a perfect itinerary and group leader.
— Review left May 28, 2019