Getting to the French and Spanish Pyrenees is quick, easy and inexpensive. Whilst you make your own travel arrangements, we will be happy to offer you help and advice. Here are the options:

Having your own transport in the Pyrenees will greatly enhance your stay and gives you total convenience on your days of travel, whilst guaranteeing your participation on our Organised Walks.

You can fly-drive via Pau Airport to both Panticosa and Luz. Nevertheless, your UK airport of choice may bring a host of other convenient airports into the equation, such as Zaragoza and Bilbao on the Spanish side and Biarritz, Toulouse, Carcassonne, Bordeaux and Bergerac on the French side. Or you can pick up a car from near a train station or a ferry port. In addition, car hire is available for those arriving by TGV at Pau and Tarbes (near to the railway station).

We offer a competitive, comprehensive and safe car hire package through Holiday Autos, for whom we are agents, whether you require a hatchback or a people carrier. Weekly prices start from about £150 in Spain and £195 in France. These include the all-important Damage Excess Waiver (D.E.W.). There are no hidden extras.

Driving conditions are excellent here. The journeys from Pau to Luz and Panticosa are less than two hours on provincial roads in delightful scenery. The drive from Zaragoza to Panticosa is similarly easy and attractive.

Just let us know you would like to hire a car and we will do the rest. Three weeks before you travel, we send your car hire voucher along with step-by-step directions (and arrival instructions). Payment for car hire is due with your holiday balance, 8 weeks prior to your departure.

Self-drivers should allow 12-14 hours from ferry ports on the north coast of France.
The idea of meandering down over a couple of days or more is bound to appeal to some people given the many beautiful parts of France you will pass through. Others might choose to take a relaxing cruise style crossing to northern Spain and reduce the drive at the other end to about 5 hours (perhaps dropping into Bilbao's world-renowned Guggenheim Museum on the way through?) For Portsmouth to Bilbao, try www.poferries.com or tel. 08705 980 333. For Plymouth to Santander, try www.brittany-ferries.co.uk or tel. 0870 9 076 103.

As agents for Eurotunnel and Sea France Ferries we can obtain Channel Crossings at favourable rates. Just let us know you would like to self drive and we will send you a form (by post or online) with prices, times and other useful information. Complete the form and return it to us and we will confirm your booking. Three weeks before you travel, we will send your voucher along with directions to Luz or Panticosa. Payment for Channel Crossings is due with your holiday balance, 8 weeks prior to your departure.

In the past you might have travelled with us to the Dolomites and used our daily airport transfer service. In the Pyrenees, our transfer service is less comprehensive. This is partly because our Pyrenees operation is smaller and vehicles are less readily available. However, we also feel that most of our guests will benefit significantly by having access to their own independent transport, such is the geography of Luz and Panticosa with their limited walking options from the door.

Whilst we genuinely feel Luz and Panticosa are the ideal springboards for the best walks in the range, it is still hard to exploit these areas without short car journeys. Naturally, with regard to our Organised Walks, we will do everything possible to provide transport for anyone without a car, using our own vehicle whenever possible, our guest car share system or by hiring local taxis, but we cannot guarantee your participation. Also, there would be a financial implication when taxis and Collett's vehicles are used.

If you are keen not to hire a car and happy with the consequences (as described above), we would recommend Luz as the more suitable destination, as there are some delightful moderate itineraries you could embark on from the village. Also, public transport from Luz might also help to increase your options.

The cost of our transfers is £42 per person return. We charge £36 for a transfer from Panticosa to Luz (or vice versa) - such a transfer is available on a Wednesday only. Our transfers are not a tailor-made taxi service, as you may not be our only passengers on that particular day. Naturally, if you are the only 'transferees' for that day, we will coincide our transfers exactly with your flight or train times. We will endeavour to keep waiting to a minimum, but it can be unavoidable, so don't book a transfer unless you are completely relaxed about waiting. In any event, three weeks before your holiday, we will send you the exact times of your transfers with details of where to meet us. If you would like a transfer, just tell us and we will send you a Transfer Booking Form by post or online.

*Please note it is not possible to get to Panticosa from Pau (or any of the French airports or railway stations) by public transport.

We recommend you buy a good insurance package at the time of booking (or certainly prior to purchasing flights or booking ferries etc.), so that you are covered in the unlikely event of you having to cancel for an ‘insurable’ reason. Global Travel Insurance provide Collett’s with a tailor made policy, which includes cover for Mountain Rescue as well as the usual things you expect from your policy. There is no increase in premium for people over 65. Full details of the policy are available on request and we automatically send these to anyone who books a holiday with us.
Our insurance will also cover any holiday prior to (or after) your time with Collett’s, which is part of the same period away from your home, unless dangerous sports are involved.

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