Perpignan is the major transport hub in Roussillon, the area of south-west France where the Pyrenees reach the Mediterranean. This region is full of Catalan influences – indeed, you’ll see bilingual Catalan / French signs in the streets of Perpignan. The railway station is one kilometre west of the city centre on Place Salvador Dalí - the square was renamed after Dalí gave a boost to Perpignan by declaring that the town's station is the centre of the universe. Odd, but true! No other European railway station can match Perpignan's cosmic claim to fame.

There are TGV trains from Paris to Perpignan up to six times each day, the fastest taking just five hours for the journey. The city also has high-speed trains from Lyon, Marseille, Montpellier, Toulouse, Barcelona and Madrid.

Perpignan is well served by slower services too. Regional TER trains connect Perpignan with the beautiful Côte Vermeille (Vermillion Coast) villages between Perpignan and the Spanish border. These include arty Collioure and the border village of Cerbère. Some of these TER trains continue beyond Cerbère to Portbou in Spain. If hills rather than beaches are your thing, then take the local railway from Perpignan that heads west into the hills to Villefranche-Vernet-les-Bains, where it connects with the Petit Train Jaune (Little Yellow Train) which climbs high into the Pyrenees. It's a fine journey for a summer day.