Barcelona & Catalan Wine Route Signature Drive

As an Anglo-Spanish company, we are inextricably linked to Spain. This trip is the result of many years of travelling in Catalonia, as well as our close partnership and collaboration with the Spanish and Catalan Tourist Offices.

This knowledge combined with our experience and wide network of partners means we can create a holiday which blends the very best of local food, culture and scenery, taking you on and off the beaten track. The result is a trip you simply cannot find elsewhere.

This self-guided trip lets you see it all with the help of our superb local guides and hosts. The freedom and flexibility of a car is balanced with our insider tips and time with local hosts to make sure you can focus fully on enjoying the places you pass, engaging with the people you meet.

The simplest way is to fly into and out of Barcelona-El Prat Airport (BCN), though Reús is actually closer to the end of the trip if you wish to fly home from there.

But we'd also love you to consider travelling either one or both ways by train. From London St Pancras you can be in Paris within a couple of hours, and from there it's a six-hour ride through the French countryside and across the Pyrenees to reach Barcelona. Whilst it can be done in a day in either direction, we find it nicer to stay a night or two in Paris if you can, and we work with a lovely hotel right by the Gare de Lyon station to make life easy.

One thing you could think about is flying one way and doing the train in the other direction. It's always lovely setting off on a journey by train, but coming back by rail means you can stock up on wine and olive oil whilst you're in Catalonia without worrying about extortionate excess baggage fees!

This trip is available between late March through June and September through early November. Outside of these months, the hotels in the countryside tend to take a breather as winter sets in, and things are a little too hot to handle in the summer.

The very best time to come would be early September as the harvest season kicks off. But any time in spring or autumn would be great really, with the weather generally lovely and the landscapes nice and green.

If you are looking for a winter escape, keep in mind that Barcelona and other cities such as Seville, Madrid and Paris can be lovely this time of the year. As long as you avoid the major holidays, things tend to be quieter, calmer, cooler and cheaper too. You can always come back for the wineries next year...

We spend a great deal of time visiting, staying in and getting to know the best hotels in each area we visit. Someone has to test the squishiness of the beds and the yumminess of the food after all.

The hotels we have selected for this trip tend towards the premium end of the scale, which is to say they are all very lovely without being overly luxurious or expensive for the sake of it. Expert a warm welcome, an inviting pool and a peaceful stay at each.

In Barcelona, you'll put a good few kms on the clocks of your shoes. We provide a self-guided route which can be a half or full-day activity. We also give instructions on how to download a rather brilliant audio tour on your smartphone, which sends you down sidestreets and round corners using your phone's GPS. In both cases, you can walk as much as you want and take a break whenever the mood takes you. If you just want to watch the world go by from a bustling terrace or seaview hangout, you can go do just that.

In the countryside, you'll usually be less active. Whilst there are walks you can do in both wine regions, your time here is more about slowing down with a glass of wine in your hand or a peaceful pool by your side. You don't have to be an athlete to stroll in sunny vineyards or potter around a stone village that time seems to have forgotten. The trick is to take things slow and let it all come to you.

Oh yes, absolutely. In many ways, this trip is designed to put you in the company of local people at every stage. That might mean a pedal through one of Barcelona's old 'village' neighbourhoods with our man on the ground there, being spoilt by Monica's team at the family winery in El Penedés or simply practicing a few lines of Spanish with the locals as you order a tapa or two in Tarragona. After all, there's a reason why we describe our holidays as 'beautifully local'...

As part of the creation process, we have also designed a 13-day version of this trip. So if you have more time to play with, the first step is simply to have a look at that alternative itinerary. Beyond that, we can tailor the trip in certain ways, making sure that we retain the essence of this holiday through the pacing and content.

Using the high-speed train network, it's also easy to add time in cities such as Madrid, Seville or Paris (as mentioned above) to either end of the trip.

Once you get out of Barcelona, which you'll do pretty quickly, the roads tend to fall quiet and traffic is usually very light. We love driving in Spain because of the freedom it gives you. That could mean changing plans over breakfast, or simply pulling over at the side of the road to soak in a view you might otherwise have sailed straight past.

As the roads are generally quiet, smooth and scenic, it's designed to be a pleasurable part of the experience, rather than a price to pay for said freedom.

The vehicle will be suitable for the destination, the distances you are expected to cover, roads, and number of people travelling. For two people travelling to Spain you can expect a medium-sized vehicle such as a VW Golf. We can’t guarantee specific make or model.

Automatic, hybrid and electric vehicles are available.

Some vehicles have sat nav built in, but we find the best way to navigate is simply to use Waze or Google Maps on your smartphones. These can both be used offline to avoid data charges and your phone can easily sync with your car's Bluetooth so that it talks to you through the radio. All in all, it's not really much different to navigating in a part of your own country you've not been to before.