Routes connecting Spain and France

Choosing a Route

There are more than 20 routes by road joining Spain and France many of which traverse the Pyrenees.[1][2][3] There are two divided highways and 9 national highways including three tunnels (at Somport, Vielha and Bielsa). The remainder are provincial roads with some like the Candanchu and Le Perthus routes which run parallel to more modern routes, the tunnel of Somport and the La Catalane highway respectively.

Several of the routes involve steep grades for example Col d'Ares with the switchbacks resulting in a road that is approximately three times longer than a direct, straight line route would be. The tunnel of Somport shortens the ancient Somport pass through Candanchu saving drivers about six kilometers of switchbacks.

Summary of Routes

Name Spanish Town French Town Spanish Road French Road Distance (Km) Direct (Km)
Santiago Zubia Irun Hendaye Iparalde Hiribidea D912
Irun Irun Hendaye AP-8 A63
Bera Bera La Petite Rhune NA-4410 D406
Xareta Dantxarinea Dantxaria N-121-B D20
Izpegi Pass Erratzu Saint Etienne de Baigorry NA-2600 D949 17.2[4] 8.7 [5]
Esnazu Eugi Esnazu NA-138 D58 22.5[6] 12.4
Arneguy Pekotxeta Arneguy N-135 D933
Port de Larrau Ezcaroz Larrau NA-2011 D26 33.7[7] 18.5 [8]
Pierre St Martin Isaba Arette NA-137 D132 52.3[9] 31.4 [10]
Somport Canfranc Urdos N-330 N134 19.5[11] 16.9 [12]
Candanchu Canfranc Urdos N-330a Col du Somport 26.2[13] 16.9 [14]
Pourtalet Formigal Laruns A-136 D934 37.2[15] 24.5
Bielsa Tunnel Bielsa Aragnouet A-138 D173 22.2[16] 16.8 [17]
Col du Portillon Bossost Bagneres-de-Luchon N-141 D618A 18.6[18] 8.3 [19]
Vielha Tunnel Vielha Saint-Beat N-230 N125 34.8[20] 25.1 [21]
Puigcerda Puigcerda Ur E9 N20 3.8[22] 3.2
Llívia Llívia Bourg-Madame/Saillagouse N-154 D68/D33
Col d'Ares Mollo Prats-de-Mollo-la-Preste C-38 D115 23.8[23] 8.8 [24]
Le Perthus Le Perthus Le Perthus N-2 D900
La Catalane Figueres Le Boulou AP-7 A9
Costa Brava Portbou Cerbere N-260 D914 7.2[25] 1.7 [26]

Sample Routes Between Capitals

Spanish Capital French Capital Via Distance (Km)
Madrid Paris Irun >1000[27]
Barcelona Perpignan La Catalane 191[28]
Girona Perpignan La Catalane 98[29]
Girona Toulouse La Catalane 298[30]
Lleida Toulouse
Huesca Foix Bielsa Tunnel 323[31]
Huesca Pau Pourtalet 163[32]
Huesca Bordeaux Somport 395[33]
Zaragoza Toulouse Bielsa Tunnel 393[34]
Pamplona Pau Irun 237[35]
San Sebastian Pau Irun 162[36]
San Sebastian Bordeaux Irun 244[37]

References

  1. ↑ "Map of Bayonne-Pau-Pamplona".
  2. ↑ "Map of Tarbes-Jaca-Huesca".
  3. ↑ "Map of Girona-Perpignan-Andorra".
  4. ↑ "Izpegi Pass route".
  5. ↑ "Izpegi Pass direct route".
  6. ↑ "Esnazu route".
  7. ↑ "Ezcaroz route".
  8. ↑ "Larrau direct route".
  9. ↑ "Pierre St Martin route".
  10. ↑ "Pierre St Martin direct route".
  11. ↑ "Somport route".
  12. ↑ "Somport direct route".
  13. ↑ "Candanchu route".
  14. ↑ "Candanchu direct route".
  15. ↑ "Pourtalet direct route".
  16. ↑ "Bielsa Tunnel route".
  17. ↑ "Bielsa Tunnel direct route".
  18. ↑ "Val d'Aran route".
  19. ↑ "Val d'Aran direct route".
  20. ↑ "Vielha Tunnel route".
  21. ↑ "Vielha Tunnel direct route".
  22. ↑ "Puigcerda route".
  23. ↑ "Col d'Ares route".
  24. ↑ "Col d'Ares direct route".
  25. ↑ "Costa Brava route".
  26. ↑ "Costa Brava direct route".
  27. ↑ "Madrid/Paris route".
  28. ↑ "Barcelona/Perpignan route".
  29. ↑ "Girona/Perpignan route".
  30. ↑ "Girona/Toulouse route".
  31. ↑ "Huesca/Foix route".
  32. ↑ "Huesca/Pau route".
  33. ↑ "Huesca/Bordeaux route".
  34. ↑ "Zaragoza/Toulouse route".
  35. ↑ "Pamplona/Pau route".
  36. ↑ "San Sebastian/Pau route".
  37. ↑ "San Sebastian/Bordeaux".