The view overlooking Collioure We've had many people ask us for a suggestion of something fun to do in Collioure. Among numerous others things, we always suggest that they take the little tourist train. While some may think this cute, yellow train is corny – we quite enjoyed taking the trek through the hills over into Port-Vendres.
You can board the train from the main street in the centre of town – rue de la Republique right in front of the main parking lot. The cost is just €7 per person for a round trip. From the spring through the fall, the train travels every hour on the hour from Collioure. The commentary delivered by the driver is in French however you can request head phones to hear English, Spanish, German, Dutch and Catalan. This workaround functions just fine.
The train departs Collioure and drives up into the lower Pyrenees where you wind through the vineyards, along picturesque roads, giving you stunning views of Collioure below. The driver’s commentary is well written and keeps everyone entertained while learning some of the history and background about the town. The roads are narrow and there may be a tight squeeze as lost tourists try to navigate the tight route. Definitely keeps it interesting….
There is a scheduled stop up by Fort St Elme where you can disembark to admire the beautiful view of the town and from this vantage point you can see all the way up the coast. The scenery is gorgeous! After stopping for 10 minutes, the train continues its trek back down the hills into Port-Vendres. This is a wonderful fishing village that is a working port and a nice place to spend an afternoon. It offers great restaurants, a terrific market on Saturdays and a fantastic fish market that shouldn’t be missed. We’ve enjoyed fresh oysters and champagne in the back of the fish market served by fisherman still in their rubber boots!
You are free to wander the streets of Port-Vendres and whenever you are ready, you pick up the train on the half hour, back to Collioure. On the return trip it takes the coastal route where you see the rocky cliffs and beautiful seaside. It brings you right back to the parking lot where you originally started. I should mention that if you decide you don’t want to visit Port-Vendres, you could just stay on the train for the round trip, which takes approximately 45 minutes.
This is a very relaxing way to visit Port-Vendres and also enjoy the sights surrounding the town. Be sure to check it out!
For more details see the
Le Petit Train website
You can board the train from the main street in the centre of town – rue de la Republique right in front of the main parking lot. The cost is just €7 per person for a round trip. From the spring through the fall, the train travels every hour on the hour from Collioure. The commentary delivered by the driver is in French however you can request head phones to hear English, Spanish, German, Dutch and Catalan. This workaround functions just fine.
The train departs Collioure and drives up into the lower Pyrenees where you wind through the vineyards, along picturesque roads, giving you stunning views of Collioure below. The driver’s commentary is well written and keeps everyone entertained while learning some of the history and background about the town. The roads are narrow and there may be a tight squeeze as lost tourists try to navigate the tight route. Definitely keeps it interesting….
There is a scheduled stop up by Fort St Elme where you can disembark to admire the beautiful view of the town and from this vantage point you can see all the way up the coast. The scenery is gorgeous! After stopping for 10 minutes, the train continues its trek back down the hills into Port-Vendres. This is a wonderful fishing village that is a working port and a nice place to spend an afternoon. It offers great restaurants, a terrific market on Saturdays and a fantastic fish market that shouldn’t be missed. We’ve enjoyed fresh oysters and champagne in the back of the fish market served by fisherman still in their rubber boots!
You are free to wander the streets of Port-Vendres and whenever you are ready, you pick up the train on the half hour, back to Collioure. On the return trip it takes the coastal route where you see the rocky cliffs and beautiful seaside. It brings you right back to the parking lot where you originally started. I should mention that if you decide you don’t want to visit Port-Vendres, you could just stay on the train for the round trip, which takes approximately 45 minutes.
This is a very relaxing way to visit Port-Vendres and also enjoy the sights surrounding the town. Be sure to check it out!
For more details see the
Le Petit Train website
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