Impressive mountain landscapes, turquoise rivers, medieval mountain villages, exciting outdoor adventures, and relaxing beach days by the sea: that’s exactly what awaits you on a road trip through the Pyrenees with kids. In this post, I’m taking you along on our family road trip through France, Andorra, and Spain – including campsites, family-friendly excursions, hikes, pools, insider tips, and very personal experiences.

If you’re currently planning a family trip through the Pyrenees, a campervan road trip, or a camping holiday with kids in Spain, you’ll find plenty of practical tips and inspiration for your route here.

Why a Road Trip Through the Pyrenees with Kids Is Worth It

The Pyrenees are a true adventure paradise for families. Unlike classic beach vacations, they combine:

• Nature & mountains
• Adventure & movement
• Relaxed campsites
• Small mountain villages
• Swimming spots & rivers
• Family-friendly hikes
• Culture & great food

What we especially loved was that our kids could discover something new every day: waterfalls, wild rivers, medieval castles, animals, caves, pools, and little Spanish towns full of life.

Our Journey to the Pyrenees

To do a road trip through the Pyrenees, you first have to get there. We decided to drive as far as possible through Germany on the outbound journey in order to pay as little toll as possible in France. Since we wanted to start our road trip through the Pyrenees as quickly as possible and also experience the mountain stage of the Tour de France on Sunday, we covered a lot of distance on Friday and searched for a very special overnight spot for our first night in the camper: somewhere by the roadside in Orange (France),next to a McDonald’s. Wow!

Tip for Families:

Plan small city stops or playground breaks on long driving days. Kids especially benefit from being able to move around in between.

In the morning, we grabbed fresh treats from a French bakery and had breakfast during a little walk through Orange – a charming little town.

After breakfast, our road trip continued. Today’s goal was to find a campsite with a pool near the 15th stage of the Tour de France somewhere around Aulus-les-Bains. Spontaneously, we chose the “Camping Les Grottes” campsite because of the great pool slides and enjoyed a relaxing afternoon in the heated pool.

Our Road Trip Through the Pyrenees Begins

In the morning, we grabbed fresh treats from a French bakery and had breakfast during a little walk through Orange – a charming little town.

Les Cabannes (France) – Experience the Tour de France Live

We parked our camper by the roadside and walked together with hundreds of people toward the closed-off Les Cabannes. There we found a shady spot at the market square and spent the time playing cards and doing other things. By early afternoon, we headed up to secure a nice place on the mountain. Tour de France fans were already sitting everywhere, but we still found a shady little spot. The atmosphere was wonderful, and it became even better when the first group of cyclists finally climbed the mountain in the late afternoon. A truly impressive experience!

Tip for Families:

If you travel through the Pyrenees in summer, it’s worth taking a look at the Tour de France route. Even kids often find the atmosphere impressive.

After all the cyclists had passed us, we hiked back to our camper and happily but tiredly made our way to Andorra. Since we were already nearby during our road trip through the Pyrenees, we wanted to gather a few impressions there as well.

The challenge for that evening was finding a campsite where we could watch the UEFA European Championship final. The third campsite gave us that opportunity, so we spent the night at Camping Santa Creu in Camping Santa Creu in Canillo, Andorra..

Andorra la Vella (Andorra) – Small, Modern & Surprisingly Family-Friendly

We used the morning to explore the capital of Andorra and strolled from the Puente de Paris up into the old town. The Minis were especially brave and admired the city from the panoramic glass-floor bridge.

Tip for Families:

Good to know! Many streets in Andorra are steep. With a stroller, it can get exhausting in places. A baby carrier is highly recommended!

After our little city tour, we continued to Spain. Through narrow serpentines and past steep cliffs, the Spaniard maneuvered us and the camper toward Saravillo, Spain, where we were welcomed at Camping Los Vivos by family friends.

We spent the afternoon both in the small pool and building dams by the river. A wonderfully relaxing afternoon. Exactly the right thing, because the next day a big adventure awaited us!

Saravillo (Spain) – Canyoning Tour in the Barbaruenes River

Early in the morning, we headed straight to the Barbaruenes River with a guide and wetsuit. We went on a canyoning tour – one of our biggest adventures during the road trip through the Pyrenees! It was the only activity we had booked in advance before starting our trip, directly through Camping Los Vivos. Not only the Minis were excited – we parents were too. We jumped into the ice-cold river, slid down small waterfalls, rappelled down larger waterfalls, and had an incredibly exciting morning! The canyoning tour was an absolute highlight of our trip! If you love adventure and enjoy testing your limits, I can only recommend booking a canyoning tour. Our guides Miguel and Angel were absolutely professional and super friendly!

We spent the afternoon relaxing at the campsite with paella and other delicious food.

Tip for Families:

Canyoning is not suitable for every child. Important requirements are:

• Swimming skills
• Sure-footedness
• A sense of adventure
• Good guides

But for older children and teenagers, it’s an unforgettable experience.

Saravillo (Spain) – Hike to Saravillo

Before continuing our road trip through the Pyrenees in the afternoon, we hiked for about 45 minutes in the morning from the campsite up to the small mountain village of Saravillo and visited the “famous” cheese dairy to buy some Queso de Saravillo. After the short hike, our friends welcomed us back at the campsite with grilled sardines – wonderful! Unfortunately, it was also a farewell meal to this magical place because in the afternoon we continued on to Ordesa National Park.

Ainsa (Spain) – One of the Most Beautiful Mountain Villages in the Pyrenees

On the drive from Saravillo to Torla-Ordesa, we passed the beautiful mountain village of Ainsa during our road trip through the Pyrenees. The old town is wonderfully preserved and very well maintained. It’s an absolute feel-good place! Even if you don’t stay overnight, you should definitely stroll through the little alleyways and then enjoy a cortado in the old market square. Amazing!

After a much too short stop in Ainsa, our road trip through the Pyrenees continued to another highlight: Ordesa National Park. We spent the late afternoon just before the national park at Camping Ordesa in Torla-Ordesa. Or to be more precise: in the pool!

Ordesa National Park (Spain) – The Beautiful Ascent to Cola de Caballo

For the first time on our road trip, our alarm clock woke us up in the morning so we could catch the early bus from Torla-Ordesa into Ordesa National Park . And if you also want to hike up to Cola de Caballo during your Pyrenees road trip, I would recommend doing the same. Even at 8:30 a.m., the buses were already full!

Tip for Families:

Leave early in the morning. The buses into the national park fill up quickly in summer.

Once we arrived in the national park by bus, we started our hike while temperatures were still cool. We walked through forests, past colorful flower meadows, always alongside the river. We saw beautiful waterfalls and stopped for picnics along the way. After about two hours of climbing, we reached a plateau and hiked for another hour without shade in the blazing sun (tip for you: don’t forget sunscreen, water, and hats!). The landscape was stunning! At the end of the hike, the breathtaking Cola de Caballo waterfall awaited us in all its glory – the climb was worth it!

Tip for Families:

The hike is doable, but shouldn’t be underestimated! Be sure to pack water, sunscreen, hats, snacks & a picnic, and sturdy shoes.

After a relaxed descent and a well-deserved ice cream, we spontaneously decided in the parking lot to make a detour to Zaragoza, Spain , to visit our family.

Zaragoza (Spain) – Churros at Plaza del Pilar

Since our family lives in Zaragoza, we know the city very well. If you have an unplanned day available during your Pyrenees road trip, you should definitely explore this beautiful city and, for example, have churros with chocolate for breakfast at Plaza del Pilar or go eat tapas in the bar district near the Pilar in the evening. Here you can also find more ideas for visiting Zaragoza with children.

After the short family visit, we continued to Luesia, Spain, to Pozo Pigalo..

Luesia (Spain) – Cliff Jumping at Pozo Pigalo

About 8 km from Luesia at the end of a dusty dirt road, you’ll find Pozo Pigalo and the “Camping Pigalo Luesia” campsite.

We spent the afternoon swimming in Pozo Pigalo and jumping from cliffs of different heights. What many people don’t know is that there’s a second pozo you can reach by walking about 10–15 minutes past the campsite entrance on the right and following the river. Apart from two other families, we were almost alone there. Especially on weekends, this can be a useful tip because Pozo Pigalo is popular with Spaniards for day trips. Don’t forget your water shoes when visiting Pozo Pigalo, as the ground around the pozo is uneven and there are stones in the riverbed.

In the evening, we stayed overnight at Camping Pigalo Luesia, the only campsite where we had trouble with mosquitoes and other insects.

Loarre (Spain) – Following the Traces of the Middle Ages

After a delicious breakfast, our road trip through the Pyrenees continued toward Loarre. There we visited the mountaintop Castillo de Loarre and enjoyed endless views! Incredible!

The “Camping Castillo de Loarre” campsite is – as the name already suggests – not far from the castle and offers similarly breathtaking views! After visiting the castle, we had lunch at the campsite restaurant. I highly recommend trying the menu there as well – it’s super delicious and varied, and you get to taste many national specialties. My expectations were exceeded! However, you should reserve in advance because during Spanish lunchtime (3 p.m.), the restaurant was completely full.

We spent the afternoon relaxing by the pool. Honestly, I found it very small for the number of people there, but at least there was a way to cool off in the heat.

After a relaxed afternoon at the pool and an unexpectedly stormy night in the camper, we had a longer drive to the sea ahead of us the next day. So we planned two city stops along the way: Jaca and Pamplona.

Jaca (Spain) – The Pearl of the Pyrenees

A road trip through the Pyrenees absolutely has to include Jaca, the so-called “Pearl of the Pyrenees.” We had breakfast at a café in the city center and then walked around the citadel and watched the deer living in the dried moat.

Afterward, we continued toward Pamplona. From here on, it wasn’t really a road trip through the Pyrenees anymore because we were leaving them behind and heading toward northwestern Spain to spend one more day by the sea.

Pamplona (Spain) – Let’s Go Eat Pinchos!

As soon as we moved away from the Pyrenees, the sun disappeared and it became colder. But that didn’t stop us from stopping in Pamplona (Spain) to explore the city. We walked along the streets where the bulls had run just two weeks earlier during the Fiestas de San Fermín. In the old town, we ate the regionally famous and delicious pinchos, and the Minis made giant soap bubbles at Plaza del Castillo. A delicious stop where we could stretch our legs after the drive.

A little later, we arrived at our destination: Zarautz, Basque Country (Spain).

Our campsite “Gran Camping Zarautz” is located high up on a cliff with phenomenal sea views! We took an evening walk down to the sea and continued into town to eat some pinchos for dinner.

Zarautz (Spain) – Beach Day

While the weather the day before had been gray and windy, today was fantastic for our beach day! After a big breakfast, we headed to the beach and spent the day by the sea. We jumped through the waves, built sandcastles, and collected shells. When we got a little hungry in the early evening, we went into the nearby town center and ate… well, what else… pinchos!

Tip for Families:

The path from the campsite to the beach includes many stairs and is rather difficult with a stroller.

Our “road trip through the Pyrenees” was slowly coming to an end. Starting tomorrow, we would be on our way back to Germany.

Our Road Trip Through the Pyrenees Comes to an End

After breakfast and packing our things, we started the journey back home. Of course, with a few exciting stops along the way!

San Sebastian (Spain) – Lunch Near Playa de la Concha

On the return journey from our road trip through the Pyrenees, our last stop before crossing the Spanish border was San Sebastian (Spain). We strolled in the sunshine past Playa de la Concha with the goal of eating pinchos one last time for lunch in the old town. And we succeeded: pinchos in every imaginable variation! Delicious!

Then the moment arrived – we crossed the Spanish border and were back in France. After driving until the afternoon, we decided to make one final beach stop in Bidard (France). We climbed down the steep path to the beach and found ourselves at a surfer’s paradise with amazing waves that were a bit too strong for the Minis to swim in. But that didn’t stop them from splashing around.

In the evening, we left the motorway near Ychoux (France) and spent the night at “Camping des Forges.”There we all jumped into the pool one more time and enjoyed a relaxed game night at the campsite.

Bordeaux (Frankreich) – Letzter Stopp auf dem Heimweg

Bordeaux (France) – Final Stop on the Way Home An hour after leaving Ychoux the next morning, we arrived in Bordeaux. We parked by the roadside not far from Pont de Pierre and explored the city. We walked through the “Grosse Cloche” gate into the old town. At Place de la Bourse, we admired the large water mirror. And finally, we tried Canelés de Bordeaux in the shopping street – small pastries that are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.

And then the time had come: our road trip through the Pyrenees was over, and we began the journey home to Germany.

Our Conclusion About the Road Trip Through the Pyrenees

Our road trip through the Pyrenees was:

• varied
• adventurous
• beautiful
• sometimes exhausting
• but above all unforgettable

The mix of sporty activities, relaxation by the water, delicious food, friendly people, and lots of sunshine makes the Pyrenees the perfect family destination for us.

What we especially loved was that the trip offered countless highlights for both the adults and the Minis.

So if you’re planning a family road trip and love nature, adventure, and relaxed camping moments, we can wholeheartedly recommend a road trip through the Pyrenees.

I hope you enjoyed the impressions from our road trip through the Pyrenees and were able to gather some ideas and inspiration for your own trip.

If you have any questions about our road trip through the Pyrenees, feel free to leave me a comment.

Yours, Lia

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