never been before but really fancy going in 2010. any advice?? places to stay?? how to get there ??

April is still dodgy for driving there - the Masif Central still has snow and most nights / mornings are foggy. Looks like flying unless you're willing to drive the long way there / or give yourself an extra day.


Other than that - do it !

Perpignan is great and the people are very welcoming

On the contrary ....If you can't drive or fly, why not take the train ?

5 hours from Paris on a TGV ?

An overnight sleeper to / from Paris ?

The 04.23 TGV ex Perpignan on the Tuesday morning after the game looks very attractive, arriving in Paris at 09.43. This would give ample chance for a few hours in the French capital before heading to Gare Du Nord for a Eurostar back to London, then onwards to Yorkshire.

We've been the last two years. Booked for 2010 flying from Stansted with Ryanair on Easter Sunday, coming back Wednesday. Staying in the New Christina. Stayed in the Hotel Kennedy first time but quite a long walk into the centre. Stayed at the Ibis last year which was OK, whilst son and friend stayed in la loge (spelling?) which is right in the city centre if not a little strange.

Love going the Perpignan, great atmosphere, food place. Beach is half hour bus ride away but not sure if anything will be open, was dead in June last year.

quite a few packages seem to be staying in lloret de mar, is the transfer from there easy/cheap?

The transfer is not complex .... Probably drive out of Lloret for about 10 miles back in land and hit the main cross border autoroute that runs up from Barcelona in to France and skirts the edge of Perpignan. Couple of hours maximum by road by coach.

April is a bit of a shame .... Perhaps a bit too warm to head up for some late season ski-ing and too early for any of the main Spainish holiday resorts to be fully functioning at their Summer peak.

Personally, had the fixture been even 6 weeks later, I would have headed in to Spain for a few dives before the game, but early April is just too changeable and too (dare I say) cold in the water.

As you can guess with my travel plans, I am perhaps looking at them to go overland through France by train .... Eurostar to Paris, TGV to Perpignan. Three train changes and a metro trip across Paris.

Alternatives ? There's always Carcassone, a place that I've always said that I'd visit one year when we're down there. There's also 'Le Petit Train Jaune', which connects with trains at Perpignan at Villefrance and then goes high up in to the mountains.

You are a diver AH?

Fly Leeds Bradford to Girona Barcelona or Carcasonne or Jet2 to toulouse

Quite fancy doing this trip this year. Thinking of flying down and hiring a car for a few days to see the area. Could anybody comment on availability of parking at the Catalans stadium, assuming of course this insn't the game that will be switched to Montpelier, Beziers or Barcelona!

You could fly to Girona - spend a couple of days there then get Catalan Sports Tours to pick you up and take you to the Friday night barbecue at the Cats club house.

We stopped at the hotel Alexander - cheap, cheerful and very central - 2 min walk from the Castillet in the middle of town.

Takes only a day to see all that there is to see in Perpignan - the cathedral, castle, old town etc. Great view from the top of the castle.

Perignan is pretty dead on Sundays - though Easter might be an exception - with no shops and only a few cafes open.

If you like wine tasting then go on the train down to Banyuls - several kiosks on the seafront and a couple of wineries with tours and tasting further up the hill at the back of the town.

I've been known to splash occasionally .... I am working my way back in to it after far too long drying out.

My best effort is two dives and two professional rugby league games in the same day ....

Ive been the past 2 years and despite the weather in 2009 ive really enjoyed the trip, the matches were immense with the 2008 game probably the turning point in the season, bit disappointed that we lost this time.

in '08 we got Ryanair from Stanstead (never again......sardines) but this year just gone we went with BMI Baby from Manchester which was better

its expensive for beer and the like but if you find a bar then try and stick with them. Myself, my brother and my friend got involved with the people in the Catalan 'Sports' Bar just outside of the centre and during the l'USAP celebrations they got us VERY drunk for nothing and good times were had by all

New Christina is very good and very friendly. We have stayed there three times.
your only problem is that it is Easter weekend and most places are closed on Easter Sunday as we found out last year.