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Voykit pocket guide · France
Perpignan
Perpinyà
Give Perpignan 2 nights as a base, not a stopover: old town in a morning, then Collioure, Céret or the coast by train or bus.
Perpignan is the capital of Pyrénées-Orientales and the last big French city before Spain, 80 minutes by train from Barcelona and about 15 km from the Mediterranean. Its old town is compact, brick-built and Catalan-speaking at heart, with the Castillet, the cathedral and the Campo Santo packed into a few walkable streets. Most travellers use it as a base for Collioure, Céret and the Albères foothills rather than as a destination in itself.
- Country
- France
- Local name
- Perpinyà
- Best months
- Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (heat and crowds on the coast), Nov (heavy rain risk)
- Stay
- 2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EUR
- Money
- Currency is the euro (EUR, €). Contactless cards work in most shops, cafés and restaurants.
- Daily spend
- Budget €55–85 excl. bed · Mid €90–150 excl. bed · High €160+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Orange, SFR, Bouygues Télécom and Free sell prepaid SIMs in their shops and at tabacs; ID is required to register.
- Emergency
- European emergency 112 · Ambulance (SAMU) 15 · Police 17 · Fire 18
- Plugs
- Types C, E · 230 V · 50 Hz · Round two-pin plugs; type E sockets have an earth pin sticking out, so Schuko (type F) plugs need a C/E hybrid or an adapter.
- Tipping
- Café or bar: Leave small change, €0.20–1.; Restaurant: Service is included; leave 5–10% in cash for good service.; Taxi: Round up to the next euro or two.; Hotel porter or housekeeping: €1–2 per bag or per night.; Tour guide: €5–10 per person for a half day, more for private guides.
- Water
- Tap water is safe everywhere unless signed otherwise. Restaurants must serve a free carafe of tap water on request.
- Toilets
- Paris has free automatic public toilets (sanisettes); elsewhere use cafés (buy a coffee), museums and stations, where some charge €0.50–1.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | €1.50–3 |
| Lunch menu (plat du jour) | €14–20 |
| Dinner, mid-range, per person | €25–40 |
| Glass of wine / beer | €4–7 |
| Museum entry (Castillet, Musée Rigaud) | €4–10 |
| TER train Perpignan → Collioure | €5–7 (check) |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | €10–20 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- PGF · Perpignan–Rivesaltes
- Small; Transavia from Paris Orly, Ryanair from the UK and Morocco. Bus 6 to town every 30 min Mon–Sat, otherwise taxi.
- GRO · Girona–Costa Brava
- About 116 km by A9 then AP-7; useful for Spanish flights.About 72 mi by A9 then AP-7; useful for Spanish flights.
- BCN · Barcelona El Prat
- About 208 km by A9 then AP-7; more international routes.About 129 mi by A9 then AP-7; more international routes.
Typical fares
- Airport → centre, Bus 6
- about €2, every 30 min Mon–Sat (check)
- Taxi station → old town
- €8–12 (check)
- TER Perpignan → Collioure
- about €5–7, 20–25 min (check)
Get around
The centre is compact and largely pedestrianised: walk it. Sankeo buses cover the city and nearby towns, with a route planner and timetables online. Taxis wait at the station and airport. Driving in the centre is slow and parking fills in summer; use a car park on the edge and walk in.
See and do
Known for
- Castillet and the old town
- Campo Santo cloister cemetery
- Catalan food and the anchovy trade
- Gateway to Collioure and the Côte d'Améthyste
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Collioure | TER regional train from Perpignan station, about 20–25 min | About 45 min |
| Céret | Bus or car into the Vallespir, about 30–35 min | About 1 h |
| Vernet-les-Bains | Train to Villefranche-de-Conflent then bus or car, about 1 h | 1.5–2 h |
| Arles-sur-Tech | Car or bus up the Vallespir, about 45 min | About 1 h 15 min |
| Cerbère | TER along the coast, about 45 min | About 1 h |
| Elne | Bus or car, about 20 min | About 40 min |
Sleep
- Old town (Saint-Jean / La Réal)
- Best for walking: cathedral, Castillet and Place de la République on foot. Some streets are noisy at night.
- Around the station (Place Salvador Dalí)
- Best for early trains and one-night stays; 10–15 min walk to the old town.
- Canet-en-Roussillon / Argelès-sur-Mer
- Coastal bases 15–25 km away; pick these for beach days, not for the city.Coastal bases 9.3–16 mi away; pick these for beach days, not for the city.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Bonjourbon-zhoor |
| Thank you | Mercimair-see |
| Please | S'il vous plaîtseel voo pleh |
| How much is it? | C'est combien ?say kom-byen |
| Can I pay by card? | Je peux payer par carte ?zhuh puh pay-yay par kart |
| Where is the station? | Où est la gare ?oo ay la gar |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Say 'bonjour madame/monsieur' on entering any shop, bus or office; avoid: Asking a question before saying bonjour — it is read as rude
- Cheek kisses (la bise): Follow the other person's lead; one to four kisses depending on region; avoid: Initiating la bise with strangers or in business
- Addressing people: Use 'vous' and titles until invited otherwise; avoid: First names and 'tu' with older people or staff
- Restaurants: Wait to be seated in restaurants; call the waiter 'monsieur' or 'madame'; avoid: 'Garçon', snapping fingers, asking for the bill before you are finished
- Conversation: Debate is a pleasure; food, politics and philosophy are fair game; avoid: Asking about salary or religion; loud voices on trains
- Dinner at a home: Bring flowers (not chrysanthemums), chocolates or a good bottle; arrive 10–15 minutes late; avoid: Cutting the tip off a cheese wedge or asking for ketchup
- Dress: Smart-casual in cities; covered shoulders in churches; avoid: Beachwear in town centres
Scams and watch-outs
- Summer streets are congested and central car parks fill; park on the edge and walk.
- Late-summer and autumn rain can be torrential; check forecasts before mountain drives.
- The tramontane wind is strong and cold even on sunny days: bring a windproof layer.
- Some old-town bars have no posted prices; ask the total before you sit.
Perpignan is a normal mid-size French city: watch bags around the station and in the old-town bar streets at night, and treat the tramontane wind and summer heat as the real hazards.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Perpignan yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Castillet and the old town
- Campo Santo cloister cemetery
- Catalan food and the anchovy trade
- Gateway to Collioure and the Côte d'Améthyste
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Perpignan–Rivesaltes Airport: www.aeroport-perpignan.com/
- SNCF Gare de Perpignan: www.garesetconnexions.sncf/fr/gares-services/perpignan
- Sankeo (city buses): www.sankeo.com/index.php
- Wikivoyage: Perpignan, revision 5280362 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5280362
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
PerpignanPerpinyà
À cette adresse, s'il vous plaît
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No US or UK embassy in Perpignan; embassies are in Paris, with consulates in Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse (check).
Catalan is widely spoken and signposted alongside French; a bonjour or bon dia on entering a shop goes a long way.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/perpignan). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.