I have a fascination with tiny countries that until recently, I never really knew existed. The plan… two friends, one car, and one little country! Here's our road trip through France, a bit of Spain, and Andorra!

This trip is long overdue! I have a close friend, Vinny, who lives in Lyon, France. We've been trying to put an adventure together for several months, and it's finally happening! We have been friends for over 15-years and once worked together in Charlotte, North Carolina. He moved back to Brazil, and then love led him to Lyon. I moved to Basel around the same timeframe! It's crazy and a blessing how life does this with friendship.

While I love to plan out a solid itinerary, I am growing fond of hitting the road and figuring it out along the way. What I didn't realize was the trip was going to overlap with a French holiday, which means, many places are closed! The art of last-minute dining and lodging becomes a bit more challenging! I grabbed round trip tickets from Basel to Lyon via Mulhouse from the SBB, and I’m on my way!

Lyon, France

Next Stop: Orange, France

Why rushing things? It's just two friends on a road trip!

We had a casual morning in getting started and slowly made our way out! The perfect start to a drive! Given the holiday, the pâtisseries were closed, so I opted for a shower and an espresso! Vinny's car was parked just a few blocks off, so we had a short walk and a smooth exit from his home in the center of Lyon!

It's just a quick 200km down the A7 to our next stop! At this point, I'm already making notes - must come back and visit again when the lavender fields are lush!

Orange, France

Next Stop: Pont du Gard, France

And just like that, we're already arriving at our first stop! Only two hours south of Lyon is the city of Orange, located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region.

We parked the car near the Triumphal Arch of Orange, a must-see monument from the 27 BC-AD 14 period. It was far taller and built into the walls of the town but is now a stand-alone masterpiece and a bit shorter.

We arrived to the beautiful scenery and a lively street market! The energetic vibe and delicious lunch were just what we needed to get started! We browsed the markets with the crowd and then stopped at L'atelier des Burger for a quick bite and a beer.

Pont du Gard, France,

Next Stop: Perpignan, France

These are the reasons road trips are fantastic!

We hadn't planned to stop here, and wow I am glad that we did! Vinny had the idea and had heard it was nearby. After a quick check, it was literally just a 15-minute total detour, not including exploring time.

Pont du Gard was constructed between 20-40 AD est. as an aqueduct for water management. This is a UNESCO site and is absolutely beautiful. It's been well cared for and is said to be the best condition of all of the Roman aqueduct bridges. Now, in the summer, the riverway is used for swimming, floating, and kayaking. There's even a beach where locals and travelers take advantage of a little sun time!

Perpignan, France,

Next Stop: Canet-en-Roussillon, France

Given the length of our road trip, Perpignan seemed like the most likely stopping point for Day 1. As it turns out, we are ahead of schedule and opt to continue our adventure, but not before we explore!

Perpignan is perfect for a quick stop! We parked and spent 45 minutes just walking by the waterway. We walked to Le Castillet, the gateway castle and tower from the 14th century.

The waterway is lined with bars and restaurants. If our day were near ending it would have been perfect because it's a fun and energetic little city!

We're not stopping yet though! We're on our way to the sea!

Canet-en-Roussillon, France

Next Stop: Llívia, Spain

This actually worked out very well! We were only twelve kilometers from the sea in Perpignan, which means it's a logical detour for a road trip!

This can only mean one thing! A walk on the beach, fresh seafood, and Rosé! We stopped at Miramar for outdoor dining and a relaxing evening!

While I could easily have stayed seaside for night one, Vinny was still full of energy. It's a good thing because lodging was limited because of the holiday weekend! At dinner, we hopped on Booking.com and secured a great place in Llivia, a territory of Spain that is surrounded by French territory. Until this trip, I didn't know this existed, and I love that it's unique for the journey!

Llívia, Spain

Next Stop: Andorra

Around the 10:00 PM timeframe, I began to regret the bottle of Rosé. I'm thankful for a driver at this point, but failed to remember this section spans through the Parc Naturel Régional des Pyrénées Catalanes, or as I know it - a dark and curvy mountain climb. The trek to Llívia was just under two hours. I am sure we missed some fantastic views but the night sky over mountaintops at night was quite gorgeous.

Llívia is quaint yet incredibly charming! It's tiny, just 1.6km from the primary Spain/France border, and has an interesting history! Less than 1,500 residents make up the Llívian population. Read more of this beautiful comarca here. During the 2017 Catalan declaration of Independence, some of the residents here voted to become independent from Spain, but we all know how that went.

We stayed the night at a lovely lodge, Fonda Merce, and were greeted late by the owner. I felt terrible for arriving late, and you could tell it's a quiet and small village that turns in earlier. Nonetheless, we were quickly and kindly checked in, and we crashed for the night! Breakfast the next morning was provided with the stay and was fresh and delicious! Staying here was definitely the right idea!

After a walk around the quiet village after breakfast, we decided to hit the road and head towards Andorra!

Andorra

Next Stop: Toulouse, France

The route from Llívia to Andorra is actually quite quick and runs southwest into Spain along the N-260. Turn north along the N-145, and it will take you directly into the southmost border of Andorra. The landscape along this route is beautiful, so we stopped a couple times for a few photos and of course and espresso!

Andora is very small with a population just over 75,000 people, in the heart of the Pyrenees mountains, and is known for its tax-haven reputation and duty-free shopping opportunities. It's is a favorite for hiking, skiing, snowboarding, and other outdoor activities. It's beautiful, rocky, and had a personality of its own.

After arriving in the mountainous country of Andorra, we parked in Andorra la Vella, and ventured off on foot to explore! We walked through the town and stopped in San Telmo Restaurant for a fantastic Argentinian grill menu.

Toulouse, France

Next Stop: Lanobre, France

The drive from Andorra to Toulouse was midday and a little busy. This portion should typically take 2.5hr (183km), but we had a little traffic. We arrived in Toulouse, France, around 5:00 PM. The debate starts here…

Do we stay here or continue our trek north and stay somewhere like Montauban? Full disclosure - I love to plan. I don't just love 'having' a plan. I am just OCD enough to 'enjoy' planning. My itineraries are either loved and valued… or they are annoying and too structured. I try to plan based on my travel mates. In this case, we are on the wing-it plan.

We grabbed a couple margaritas, relaxed for a few minutes, and scoured Google and Booking.com for immediate availability. Since we are amidst a holiday weekend, prices are higher, and the vacancy is far more complicated. Options in Montauban were not available, and Toulouse was simply too high for two guys on the road. We found a great opportunity just 1-2km outside of the city center with parking so opted for this since it was clean and comfortable. That'll do!

We walked around Toulouse's old town, and I fell in love. It reminds me of my home in Basel because it's lively yet clean, tame, and has a river (Garonne) passing through its center. It's known as The Pink City (or La Ville Rose) in part to its brick coloring and heavy usage. I found it to be very charming! To end the night we grabbed a small table outside of Les 4 Z'Arts and enjoyed my favorite charcuterie, Spanish ham, and salami. What to drink while in the Pink City? Rosé, of course.

The next morning we grabbed a couple pastries and coffees and snacked by the river before leaving. There's something about French pastries that just set them apart from others.

Lanobre, France

Next Stop: Lyon, France

The trip back to Lyon from Toulouse had far fewer stops. It's a beautiful adventure along the A20 with a lot of beautiful vineyard and farmland, but fewer points of interest. We jumped on Google for anything along the route that would be interesting, which led us to Lanobre to the Castle of Val. This fantastic castle has tons of character and overlooks the lake. We grabbed some sandwiches and peach tarts and then hit the road!

Lyon, France

And just like that… We're back in Lyon!

Before parking the car, we decided to drop by the Notre Dame Basilique, which overlooks Lyon. I sooo wanted to get interior shots of this fantastic church, but mass had just started. It does give me an excuse to go back, though! We were able to go beneath the church and around the exterior. Afterward, we walked to the nearby Ancient Theater of Fourvière, the amazing ruins just steps away. The theater setups here are still in use today for open-air concerts and festivals!

Lyon is known by many as the culinary capital of France and for a good reason. Though many of the top restaurants were closed, we were fortunate to get a last-second table at Daniel et Denise, an absolute gem in the Vieux (or Old) town. This location is quite popular due to award-winning chef Joseph Viola mastering the dishes! The Foie gras and farm-raised chicken with morel mushrooms were classically French and capped off the road trip in the most perfect way! The Foie gras was a world championship winner, and it's evident as to why!

I think Vinny and I may be looking toward a Bavarian Road Trip at some point shortly! These are always amazing for the simple fact that you get to see so much whereas you miss so much in between departure and arrivals gates in airports!

Next up… Barcelona and La Rioja!