Perpignan Airport <> Collioure Sep/Oct 2017

Looking for a lift or able to offer one? Post required dates, times and airport here. (For your safetly, please send any personal details by PM or private email)
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logomage
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Perpignan Airport <> Collioure Sep/Oct 2017

Post by logomage »

After a great week last year at the Hotel Madeloc and meeting some wonderful people, my wife and I are going on holiday again this year to Collioure!

We are arriving at Perpignan Airport from Birmingham at 3.55 pm on Saturday September 30th and then departing a week later from Perpignan Airport at 4.20 pm on October 7th back to Birmingham.

Assuming that the plane is not delayed, we plan to take a taxi from the airport to the railway station in Perpignan and then the train to Collioure, as it is is only a short walk thence to the hotel - and subsequently back in reverse a week later.

If there is anybody out there who would like to share a taxi, or who can suggest any better travel plan, please let me know!

Philip Cooper
rhys
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perp airport to SNCF

Post by rhys »

I happen to have been researching, as far as possible, ways to get from Airport to SNCF.

Though in my case the day being a SUnday makes things extremely difficult.

Apparently the very convenient NAVETTE which just used to meet planes and take you to the SNCF with friendly and helpful lady driver has been ABOLISHED.

Instead there is the No 7 bus ligne.

This is more or less hopeless on Sundays, but it may work for you on a Saturday. Depends on whether saving on the taxi fare ( 20 something Euros I believe from airport to SNCF ) is that important. Also, I think the no 7 does not drop you AT the SNCF but at Place Catalogne ( not sure how much of a walk that is to the gare ~maybe someone here can post that info ).

You can check with the www.sncf.fr website what are the times of trains that afternoon from Perp to Collioure. They can be quite some time apart, so worth knowing whether you have to rush etc.. I am not sure if you can print your ticket off in advance, nor how that would work if you missed that specific train ~ whether it would be valid on the next one ?

Anyway, the good news is you are travelling on a Saturday so have more public transport options than my friends doing same (ish ) journey on a Sunday.
Also, good chance you will have superb weather in September.
Bon Voyage :)
martyn94
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Re: perp airport to SNCF

Post by martyn94 »

rhys wrote:I happen to have been researching, as far as possible, ways to get from Airport to SNCF.

Though in my case the day being a SUnday makes things extremely difficult.

Apparently the very convenient NAVETTE which just used to meet planes and take you to the SNCF with friendly and helpful lady driver has been ABOLISHED.

Instead there is the No 7 bus ligne.

This is more or less hopeless on Sundays, but it may work for you on a Saturday. Depends on whether saving on the taxi fare ( 20 something Euros I believe from airport to SNCF ) is that important. Also, I think the no 7 does not drop you AT the SNCF but at Place Catalogne ( not sure how much of a walk that is to the gare ~maybe someone here can post that info ).

You can check with the www.sncf.fr website what are the times of trains that afternoon from Perp to Collioure. They can be quite some time apart, so worth knowing whether you have to rush etc.. I am not sure if you can print your ticket off in advance, nor how that would work if you missed that specific train ~ whether it would be valid on the next one ?

Anyway, the good news is you are travelling on a Saturday so have more public transport options than my friends doing same (ish ) journey on a Sunday.
Also, good chance you will have superb weather in September.
Bon Voyage :)
The walk from Pl Catalogne to the train station is 750m or 10 minutes walk according to Google maps. Which matches my memories of it. Perfectly walkable if your luggage is manageable. But if I'd already subbed up for seven nights in a hotel, I personally would spring for the taxi from the airport to Perpignan station: it depends on your tolerance for faffing about. Getting a plane involves quite enough faffing about anyway that I will generally pay a modest price to avoid even more.

As regards the train ticket from Perpignan to Collioure/Argèles, I'd just use the machines at Perpignan station ("all major credit cards accepted", as they say). Or failing all else, the ticket window. Or if you have cut it too fine for that, just get on the train: look for the chef de train (if you can find him/her) and come the helpless Brit. Even if you don't bother, your chances of being "controlled" are pretty much nil.

Coming back, if the station isn't manned (it might well be at Argèles, but I suspect not at Collioure) you are entitled just to get on the train and then "regularise" yourself with the chef de train without paying a supplement (if, again, you can find them).
rhys
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mourning the loss of the Navette

Post by rhys »

Useful info.

I had forgotten about regularising by finding the Conductor.

Strange though, that something which worked well ( the Navette meeting 'planes and taking people direct to the GARE SNCF ) has been abolished, to be replaced by a more anxiety inducing municipal bus which stops hither and yon, and then not even at the SNCF.

Particularly when the Airport is priding itself on upgrading its facilities. Abolishing the Navette totally contradicts this.

Those of us with decent incomes and savings can afford cabs, but not everyone can. I well remember my student days when a cab would have been unthinkable. And there were some pluses to hitchhiking in 1970 ! I suspect it's more dangerous now ~ hence hardly any hitchhikers to be seen.
martyn94
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Re: mourning the loss of the Navette

Post by martyn94 »

rhys wrote:Useful info.

Those of us with decent incomes and savings can afford cabs, but not everyone can. I well remember my student days when a cab would have been unthinkable. And there were some pluses to hitchhiking in 1970 ! I suspect it's more dangerous now ~ hence hardly any hitchhikers to be seen.
I can remember bumming around as a student in the 60s, and I agree that I would have never have got a cab, except in really cheap countries. But then I never got myself into situations where I absolutely needed one, mostly because I could never remotely afford to arrive at airports. If I had been at Perpignan airport late on a Sunday with 10kms to walk to the train station and no chance of thumbing it, I hope that I would have been pragmatic enough to bite the bullet. If they can afford a holiday in Argelès, they can afford a cab, and then live on bread and water for a few days.

That was the joy of bumming around as a student, as I recall : you had to work things out for yourself, on the fly, and grow up a bit in the process.

Your young people have vastly more resources at their disposal than we ever had: why are you working out their trip for them?
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