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Mediterranean Coast- Road Trip (SPAIN, FRANCE, ITALY)
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Planning a road trip along the Mediterranean coast in March. Curious about the logistics. 1. Is it practical to rent a car in Barcelona (with my international driving permit from AAA of course) and drive into France and Italy? (any red tape to be aware of) -will I need yet another covid test to get from Spain to France or from France to Italy or vice versa? (I'm fully vaccinated for covid and a US citizen) -Can you drive a rental car in between various countries in the EU without difficulty -is it easy to find lodging last minute or should I book all my nights in advance (would rather not so that we can be flexible) 2. What are the best sport climbing areas to check out along the way? 3. What are the coolest touristy things to do? Any insight would be helpful (first time to Europe) |
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1. Use those $30 for a dinner in Barcelona instead (international driving permit racket). |
rpc wrote: ;-) |
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More seriously, all things travel have been very fluid during the covid times. We were in Czech in August and had some family from the UK driving in to join us. There were no internal checks once inside the EU (we were also crossing the Czech-German border freely). I doubt things would move in the wrong direction but you never know. Crossing country borders in a rental car has never been an issue for us inside the EU but verify w. the rental co. As for crags, it really depends on what you like. We like multi-pitch routes. If you're into that, I highly recommend Montserrat (1h from Barcelona) for both bolted & trad lines. Riglos (bit further inland) is also unique and amazing (towers, towers, towers). Lots of stuff along the Med. coast to the south of Barcelona (Penon de Ifach is a cool seaside formation though in an urban setting). Always wanted to check out Calanques by Marseille but have not been so far (as a side note, it has a reputation for car break-ins and theft...sounds almost as bad as Portland). I know it's not in your current plan, but Turkey has a great Mediterranean coast line and good climbing and had way less covid-related bullshit than Europe. EDIT: Sorry - missed the "sport climbing" part. Turkey would be great then :) |
rpc wrote: You have my attention. Honestly, I think that sounds so freaking refreshing to go somewhere without covid red tape. |
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We went to Turkey in August 2020. At that time, there was no testing requirement going either way; now I think you need the rona test both ways but I imagine it's easy to arrange in Turkey (they've been steady in their approach to the pandemic vs. the silly back&forth, shut down/reopen bullshit of some European countries). Turkish Airlines offers some good deals internationally & it's super cheap to fly domestically within Turkey. Other than that, it's easier than Europe: fly in, rent a car, roads are great, people are very friendly (more so than most Euros), feels like less petty crime than most places in Europe. Check out Geyikbayiri just outside of Antalya (on the Med. coast) for endless limestone sport climbing opportunities. Loved the little place we stayed at - run by a local climber and super chill and charming (can check out our page for some details or feel free to ping me; chossclimbers.com/testing/m…). It was too hot in August but early spring would probably be good (check the climate charts tho.). Tons of bolted sport routes, a nice place to stay, and a city 20 min away for when you feel like having a good dinner. In terms of non-climbing attractions...man, there's so much in Turkey. We did an overnight (guided) kayak trip from a town called Kas where you glide over some ancient sunken ruins. Also, not on the coast, but Cappadocia was unforgettable (esp. during the pandemic when there were hardly any tourists). The other bonus of traveling in this wacky time of cholera, is that you get some amazing deals on things like lodging. If you do go, save a day to sightsee Istanbul. Really loved the country. |
