inspire me

Whatever your feelings about bullfighting, following Ernest Hemingway to Pamplona is a chance to learn about the nuances of local culture and have some fun with friends.

This route starts in London and takes in:

• Paris

• Bayonne

• Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port 

• Pamplona

Set off from London mid-morning and wake up in Lourdes - gateway to the Pyrenees. It's a town that draws millions of pilgrims to its holy site, but there is another side to this place - one that is connected to nature.

This route starts in London and takes in:

• Paris

• Lourdes

• Gavarnie

This is a great summer or winter option for creating a cocktail of experiences - think of yourself as a travel mixologist. Take the night train down to the Pyrenees and pick from a suite of options on your journey down to Barcelona.

This route starts in London and takes in:

• Paris

• Puigcerdà

• La Molina

• Ripoll

• Vic

• Barcelona

If you are wondering where your bucket and spade should go on holiday this year, you might want to check out Alt Emporda's crinkly coastline. Let's take a closer look at:

• Portbou

• Colera

• Llanca

• Port de la Selva

• Cadaqués

• Bay of Roses

Let's start off in Paris taking in a place or two before heading over to Gare de Lyon to catch a train to...

Lyon - the world's gastronomic capital for an affordable Michelin starred experience. While there, why not wander around the Traboulles (hidden passages through the town).

Tummies satisfied, how about turning our minds to higher matters and head for the City of Popes, Avignon and visit the bridge that such a song and dance has been made about?

Then follow the mighty Rhone (or at least the railway...) down to artistic Arles where van Gogh found his inspiration. Here you'll also find top-notch Roman sites which are still in active use. Why not hire a bike and explore the Camargue? The coypu are waiting for you...

Then heading back to Paris.

First stop, Paris and after an amusement or two, catch a TGV to Nîmes for some Roman treats. It's also a good base for exploring the Pond du Gard, Camargue, Aigues Mortes and its nearby beaches.

Then on to the medieval masterpiece Carcassonne before heading to 'La Ville Rose', Toulouse with sausages, cassoulet and canals and on to Bordeaux for a high-end booze cruise. You could also pop over to Arcachon for some beach time and a chance to visit Europes highest sand dune, before returning to Paris.

After a sojourn in Paris, head down to Avignon before taking the train to another medieval treat, Girona with its labyrinthine old town and xuixos. Between Montpellier and Perpignan the trainline goes between salt lagoons and the sea and you'll get a ring-side seat of the squabbling flamingoes, all with the Pyrenees as a backdrop. 

Then on to Valencia for paella, striking architecture and the Holy Grail. If you liked the flamingos on the way to Girona and want to see more, you could stop off at Amposta (station - L'Aldea-Amposta-Tortosa) and spend a day or two in the Ebro Delta.

Last stop - Alicante, for watersports and some serious beach time.

On the way back, how about returning via Barcelona and its Gaudi masterpieces, then catching a train to Nimes and from there back to Paris.

This trip can take about 3 weeks, but you may wish you had three years.

Let's start in Paris before catching the train to Nîmes. From there, head for Dali's home town (and final resting place) Figueres where you can immerse yourself in the flamboyant and fun Dalí Theatre Museum. While there, why not pop over to the pretty little port of Cadaqués and Dalí's home in adjoining Portlligat?

Then off to the Catalonian capital of Barcelona before performing a compare and contrast with non-stop Madrid, home of the Golden Triangle of Art.

From Madrid it's easy to access the south, starting with the Moorish delights of Córdoba with its vast Mezquita. Then either heading to sultry Seville for more Moorish palaces and flamenco, or visiting Picasso's stylish hometown of Malaga.

And if all of this is making you homesick, you could head over to Gibraltar with views of Africa. Tempted to cross the Strait to Ceuta or Tangiers?

On the way back, return to Madrid and then Barcelona but this time head up to the French border in the Pyrenees at Latour-de-Carol (stopping at Puigcerdà and/or Vic) and take a night train back to Paris.

Feeling peckish? How about setting off on a culinary journey around France? Starting in Paris, the first stop is gastronomic capital of the World, Lyon, before we venture further south in search of the finest truffles, seafood and other local delicacies.

Let's go on an art trip from the sublime to the surreal.