Car Rental Perpignan

Location guide for Perpignan

Introduction

Perpignan is the capital of the department Pyrénéees-Orientales in the south of France. It is a lovely old fortress with an impressive Cathedral and a marvellous palace that is part of the Citadel. This "Palais des Rois de Majorque" was built in the 13th century and is a statement of the former king of Mallorca at that time.

Lovely beaches can be found in the Perpignan area.

Population

The city has about 120,000 inhabitants, but counting the entire urban area there are more than 300,000 people.

Location

Perpignan lies in the most southern point of France at the small Fêt River which flows out into the Mediterranean Sea. The city lies on the foot of the Pyrenees at not more than 30 kilometers from the Spanish border.

Economy

Viniculture and wine business are strongly represented in Perpignan, besides wine, olive oil is made and it is an important area for the cork production. There is also a metal industry thanks to the availability of iron ore.

In recent years they have focused on attracting high-tech companies, these are mostly established in the Tecnosud business park and near the airport.

Airports

The airport of Perpignan, Aéroport de Rivesaltes, lies 5 kilometers north of the city. Air France flies 5 times a day between Perpignan and Paris, furthermore the airport is used by budget airlines. The airport of  Gerona in Spain can be reached via the highway A9 and is about 1 hour by car.

Public transport

The city's bus transportation is run by the Compagnie de Transports Perpignan Méditerrannée (CTPM). There are 20 bus lines that can take you to any destination you want. There is also the P’tit Bus that drives around Perpignan. As the name suggests, these are small buses that drive around the center (between 7.45 a.m. and 12.20 p.m. and 1.15 p.m. and 7.40 p.m.), they are free to use!

Furthermore there is a TGV station, travel time per high-speed train to Paris is 5 hours. Soon it will be possible to take the TGV from Perpignan to Barcelona (travel time: 1 hour).

Traffic and parking

With exception of morning and evening rush hours it is pleasant driving in Perpignan and surrounding areas, although in summer it can become very busy and it is better to avoid the narrow streets in the center. The city has several underground parking garages that are clearly indicated, use these garages to park your car because it is more economic and safer than parking in the streets.

Hotels

Perpignan has reasonable hotels to offer, but the higher segment (four and five star) are not well represented. Making a reservation is not necessary in general, unless you wish to stay in a specific hotel. Advance online reservations can help you save money rather than booking a room while you are there.

For more information about Perpignan, we recommend Google and the following sources:

• Wikipedia, Perpignan
• Official site of the city of Perpignan (French and Catalan)
• Official site for tourism in Perpignan (multilingual)