If you fly you have plenty of airports in fairly close distance.You can normally get cheap flights to Barcelona and stop a night or two there,although accommodation and drink/food ain't cheap but if you've never been it's worth a visit.

a Man after My own heart ......
I almost enjoy the drive as much as the holiday itself some of the villages we've drove through are stunning. we have done the drive down the centre of France through Clermont Ferrand and over the Milau bridge loads of times, But last year we went down the eastern side through Lyon, a spectacular city with the main A road running along the banks of the Rhone. We took this route because its less Hilly and five in a car plus roof box can be a bit of a struggle up and down the hills of the last leg of the journey to the south.

hopefully going to Lake Garda in the near future and have been told that is a must drive rather than Fly......

I dont know what it is about driving but I just think there is something comforting about being a thousand miles from home on holiday but having your own car to do whatever you want when you want....

Fly to Girona and stay in Lloret.

Transfers with CST to Perpignan and back.

Airport transfers sort yourself so less travel time

Can't beat it.

I live in West Central France and travel over once or twice per year. Ferry from Portsmouth to Caen (overnight is easy), then A88, A28, past Le Mans, Tours, Poitiers and Bordeaux and it is Motorway almost all the way. Caen is 160 miles closer than the tunnel with a saving in diesel and peage. Plenty of rest stops and the services are clean and less expensive than in Britain. Motorways mostly deserted by British standards (bit busy at Bordeaux but not too bad). Nice scenery too. Four in the car with two drivers makes it cheaper and easier. Probably about 10 hours run but leaving Caen at 8 am makes it not too bad. Diesel about EU1.14 per litre at the supermarket, more on the motorway. There is a cheap Esso garage a couple of miles from the Ferry terminal in Caen and right on the main road. I always fill up there.

Hope this helps

Steve

Cheers Steve! I've done the Caen crossing a few times, though largely for just a bit of gentle touring in Brittany on the bike, not these long distances. I've done that road through Alencon to Le Mans, though. And, yeah, the N-road dual carriageways are brilliant compared to UK motorways.

As you and others have said, I reckon you need to recruit at least one extra driver to make going by car feasible.

Although, don't do this when it's the Paris holidays as the A7 can be terrible south of Lyon.