Travelling Paris to Barcelona: The best overnight stops along the way

MY WIFE AND I ARE OFF TO PARIS IN LATE APRIL, TRAVELLING TO BARCELONA IN MAY TO JOIN FRIENDS ON A MEDITERRANEAN CRUISE. WE PLAN TO SPEND UP TO SEVEN DAYS TRAVELLING FROM PARIS TO BARCELONA. CAN YOU SUGGEST TWO OR THREE OVERNIGHT STOPS ALONG THE WAY, TRAVELLING BY CAR OR TRAIN? G. WRIGHTSON, CORRIMAL

My preference would be a car, but it's problematic in that you'll incur a heavy one-way charge if you were to drop the vehicle in Barcelona. What you could do though is drive from Paris and leave the car at Montpellier, deep in southern France, which avoids the one-way charge, spend a day exploring this lovely city then catch the train to Barcelona. For the stops in between, head south from Paris to Sancerre, a pretty hilltop town on the upper Loire, famous for its white wines. This is the spiritual home of sauvignon blanc and the village is well supplied with wine shops selling the famous wine to which it gives its name. Another local standout is Pouilly Fume, which carries a trace of the smoky flavours implied in the name. Visit the Parc Floral garden at Apremont-sur-Allier, just south of Nevers; it's an absolute knockout, especially in spring, and Apremont is rated one of the most beautiful villages in France. Just a little to the north of Sancerre the Briare Aqueduct is a 662-metre metal trough that allows barges on the Canal Lateral to pass over the Loire River, and a wonder of late 19th-century engineering. Yet another nearby marvel is Rogny-les-Sept-Ecluses, another glorious village named for the seven locks that once allowed barges to step 34 metres, a vital link in the chain between the Seine and the Loire. Three nights in Sancerre feels about right.

Drive south to Le-Puy-en-Velay, a 12th century World Heritage town and traditional starting point for the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela. Le-Puy is another delight, built around a maze of small streets, flanked by tall houses painted in pastel colours. Spend another three nights here visiting the village of Polignac, the Cascade de la Beaume and the volcanic peaks of Mont Menzec

and the Gerbier de Jonc. From Le-Puy, plan a route due south across the Cevennes National Park to Montpellier. For accommodation, see www.sawdays.co.uk.