Perpignan Travel Guide

Perpignan has joined other inland cities in France banning Male tourists of walking around the city without their shirts on.

Locals in other seaside resort towns including Cannes and St. Tropez demanded the move after they were fed up of seeing Brits and other tourists displaying their “hairy chests & non hairless chest” in the streets.

Women wearing bikini tops in the streets could also face the fine if they failed to cover up when asked to by cops, authorities said.

The city hall have issued a reminder that it is illegal to bear your chest or wear unsuitable clothing in the town centre. Fines of 38€ will be imposed

These tough laws came into force after locals shocked complaint by a group of British rugby fans who took off their shirts while watching a match.

British rugby fans got a special mention by the french authorities “these brave Englishman who came to attend a rugby match they must be thinking that they were at the beach”.

In an statement Pierre Parrat, Perpignan security chief said “We’re not saying there has been a general moral decline, but some people have complained…”.

By road:
Languedoc-Roussillon is served by three motorways:

The A61 links Toulouse with Narbonne where it joins up with the A9.
The A75 links Paris via Clermont-Ferrand with Lodève. There are two junctions which allow you to access Montpellier or Béziers on national roads.
The A9 (la Languedocienne) links Spain with the Rhône valley and serves all the coastal towns.

The organisation which manages these motorways is the ASF (South of France Motorways). Their website ASF provides traffic information.

By Train
You ca get the train to go to Barcelona directly or (half price) by changing in Cerbère/Portbou. This service runs three times a day taking around three hours.
Nine TGV’s (high speed trains) run daily to Paris, Gare de Lyon (five hours). For Carcassonne you will have to change in Narbonne.
The nearest station to Andorra by train is ‘La Tour de Carol’ taking four hours, from there you can get buses to go Andorra.
There are also trains going to regional places like Cerbère/Portbou on the Spanish border taking just 40 minutes, stopping in Collioure, Port-Vendres and Banyuls.

Click below for more information
www.tgv-europe.com

By air:
Rivesaltes Airport is the main airport in Perpignan, with a growing number of flights. Air France flies to Paris-Orly, BMI to Manchester, Flybe to Southampton and Ryanair serves Brussels, Birmingham, Bristol and London-Stansted.

The region has a Mediterranean climate meaning hot, sunny and dry summers and sweet winters along the sea coast from the Gard to the Oriental Pyrenees. On the contrary in Lozere and in the Cevennes Mountains winters are colder and snowy.

Sampling the cuisine of Languedoc-Roussillon is still one of the best ways to really discover our region. Languedoc-Roussillon food has Catalan influences and this region food is always accompanied by great regional wines. The diversity of its agricultural produce, boasts a delicious and authentic cuisine.

Based on garlic, basil and olive oil, this cuisine is typically flavoured with herbs such as bay, rosemary, thyme, savory.

Cheeses, wines, honey and fruit complement the rural and coastal specialities.

Among the most popular items the snails smothered in garlic, the salted smoked hams or the richly stuffed sausages are to be sampled.

Of course fresh Mediterranean style seafood is also available. The old town is stashed with lively venues. Quai Vauban beside the canal attracts those who look for a more romantic evening. Restaurants often offer good value set menus (carte du jour) but reservations may be necessary.

The best way to get around the city is walking but if you’re feeling confident and fit try out the BIP self-service bicycle hire system available in the city of Perpignan. In a true Parisian or Montpellier style, Perpignan sport self service bike rental system with computerised pick-up and drop-off sites all over the town. In general you have to sign up either short term or long term, providing credit cards details.

This system in Perpignan is called BIP you can register online at www.bip-perpignan.fr. You will then receive by post your BIP card along with all the necessary information to accompany it and you can immediately start to use this new service. It’s as easy as falling off a bike!

BIP Perpignan system is formed of 15 dock stations dotted around the city and it is in any of them where you can return your bike. The first 30 minutes of any journey are included in the registration price

Prices (2010)
Yearly subscription – 24 €
Each 30 minutes (up to 2 hours) 0,30 €
(First 30 mins included in the price of subscription)
After 2hours, prices will be charged per half hour – 3 €

More information www.bip-perpignan.fr

1. Major cities and character villages in Languedoc-Roussillon are historic, picturesque and lively at the same time. Fascinating thanks to their numerous contradictions, each place is always rich in tradition and heritage.
2. Great Wines & Gastronomy: The regional wine is one of the oldest in the world. Vines are grown at sea level and high in the hills, from the Rhône to the Pyrénées. Well-known for its culinary specialities, the chefs rival each other to create the best dishes from local produce, to be served with the region’s excellent wines.
3. Environment & Wilderness: beyond its lagoons and sandy beaches, Languedoc-Roussillon has an outstandingly beautiful countryside, formed by the elements over many thousands of years. The hinterland is full of exciting landmarks: gorges, valleys hollowed out of thick beds of limestone, rocky outcrops, basalt columns, peaks and summits.
4. Leisure & Relaxation: whether you are with family or friends, Languedoc-Roussillon offers many different ways of relaxing and enjoying leisure activities: 300 days of sunshine per year, a water resource that creates astounding landscapes, mountains scarred by gorges, canyons, beaches and sand dunes, elevation from 0 to 3,000 meters and activities for beginners and experienced sportsmen alike.
5. Heritage, traditions and culture: the rich variety of the region’s landscapes has strongly influenced the architecture, lifestyle and culture of its people. The name of the region itself underlines its dual identity: Occitan and Catalan. The countryside is unspoiled and the coastline protected; historic and cultural richness is also important, including several monuments recognized as UNESCO World Heritage.

As you coming from Spain, here you will find the first vineyards of Mediterranean France which exceed sinuous coast roads those of the Eastern Pyrénées at Banyuls and Collioure. Inland, to the north-west, the last are on the border of the Corbières before the awe-inspiring sky-high ruins of the castles of Quéribus and Peyrepertuse. The autoroute A9 -E159 (La Languedocienne/La Catalane) between Montpellier, Perpignan and Barcelona is often closely bordered by vines.
Languedoc-Roussillon is the largest viticultural area of France, their improvements in methods and quality in the past twenty years or so have been amazing.

Roussillon has distinguished itself yet further. Though its vins doux naturels (sweet and semi-sweet) have long been worldfamous, in the past its dry wines could hardly compete with those of Languedoc at large. Now, “serious” reds, white and rosés are being made where “rustic” was perhaps the kindest description that came to mind, and its winemakers are especially proud of the fact. The flag of Roussillon alone is the one that many of them might prefer to fly.

Centrally located in the Old Town, this piano bar called L’Ascot is the rendezvous for lovers of music and especially jazz. The atmosphere is friendly and adult clients. People come here for a drink and listen to local artists playing their blues.

Open Tuesday-Saturday 22:30-5 pm

Conditioning Bar

12, Impasse des Cardeurs, 66000 Perpignan

The venue can accommodate over 1,000 people. An indoor bar is located in the first part of the establishment, a friendly place where customers can relax and chat over a drink.

An outdoor bar where you can enjoy delicious ice cream and cocktails.

The second part of a club with a dance floor of 100m ² surrounded by comfortable seating area where you can vibrate to the rhythms, zouk, retro, 80s, and party atmosphere.

Large parking on site.

Located on the outskirts of Perpignan , the ABC Dancing opens from Thursday to Sunday from 21H to 5H in the morning for your evening wildest .

ABC Dancing Club offers a variety of evenings with Salsa Thursday , Retro Fridays and Disco, General on Saturdays from 1am and Sunday Retro, Disco and General .

For over 30 years, ‘ABC Dancing’ Club has been lighting the nights of Perpignan.

ABC Dancing is also a place where friends gather , relax and enjoy till dawn.

abc-dancing.com – TEIXIDO JACQUES
56 Rue De Dombasle – 66000 PERPIGNAN – Pyrénées-Orientales
Tél. : 04.68.56.90.60
Port. : 06.99.77.23.24