The short version
- The fastest trains from Paris take about 6 hours 20 minutes, changing once at Nîmes; other trips change at Montpellier, Narbonne or Perpignan. There are 8 trips a day, from €45.
- From Perpignan, the regional train reaches Collioure in about 20 minutes, 8 times a day. The station is a short walk from the center.
- The Château Royal is open every day. Adult tickets start at €9, it is free under 18, and guided tours at 10:30 and 14:30 cost nothing extra.
- The church of Notre-Dame-des-Anges, with the bell tower in every photo of Collioure, is closed to the public for restoration. You see the tower from the beach and the jetty.
- The Musée d’art moderne is closed until 2028, and Fort Saint-Elme has been closed to visits since 2023.
- The free shuttle from the Cap Dourats car park stopped on September 13 and starts again in May.
What to see
Start at the Château Royal in the middle of the bay. The Kings of Majorca spent their summers here from 1276 to 1344, Vauban added the outer walls in the 17th century, and from 1939 it was a prison, first for Spanish Republican exiles. It is free on the first Sunday of the month from October to June.
Walk the Chemin du Fauvisme. Matisse came in 1905 on Signac’s advice and painted here with Derain, and reproductions of their pictures stand where they set up their easels. Buy the booklet at the tourist office.
Climb into Le Moure, the old fishermen’s and soldiers’ quarter beside Fort Miradou: tall narrow houses, steep lanes, colored façades and galleries.
Walk up toward Fort Saint-Elme, about 40 minutes from town through Parc Pams, for the view over Collioure and Port-Vendres. The star-shaped 16th-century fort itself is closed.
Take the train down the coast: one stop to Port-Vendres, a working port, and about 10 minutes to Banyuls-sur-Mer, for Maillol’s statues on the seafront and the Biodiversarium aquarium. In July and August, the marine reserve has a free 250-meter snorkeling trail at Peyrefitte beach.
Getting there and around
Trains leave Paris from Gare de Lyon, Austerlitz or Montparnasse, depending on the route; most change once. There is also an overnight Intercités from Paris Austerlitz that reaches Collioure in the morning with no change; check which nights it runs.
Perpignan airport is about 30 kilometers from Collioure. Bus 6 takes about 30 minutes to Perpignan station, then you take the train. A taxi from the airport takes about 30 minutes.
On the coast, the regional train links Argelès-sur-Mer, Collioure, Port-Vendres and Banyuls-sur-Mer, 11 trains a day between Collioure and Banyuls.
If you drive in summer, use the Cap Dourats car park, 20 minutes on foot from the center, with a free shuttle every 30 minutes from mid-June to mid-September, and on weekends in May. The blue zones in the center are free for an hour, but you can’t park there on Wednesday and Sunday mornings, the market days.
When to go
July and August are the busiest months, when the shuttle runs until 23:30 and parking is hardest. At Perpignan, the nearest weather station, July averages a high of about 29°C.
October and November are the wettest months, and January averages a high of about 13°C.
The Château Royal is open all year, 10:00 to 17:00 from November to March. The night makers’ market runs only in July and August.
The Saint-Vincent festival takes over the town in mid-August, and the Château Royal closes on August 15 and 16.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you get to Collioure from Paris?
Take a TGV south and change to the regional train down the coast, usually at Nîmes, Montpellier, Narbonne or Perpignan. The fastest trips take about 6 hours 20 minutes. From Perpignan, it is about 20 minutes.
Can you go inside the church in Collioure?
Not right now. Notre-Dame-des-Anges and its bell tower, once the town’s lighthouse, are closed for restoration after seawater damage, with no reopening date. You can still see them from the beach and the jetty.
What is open in Collioure in winter?
The Château Royal, every day from 10:00 to 17:00 except on a few holidays, the Wednesday and Sunday markets and the coast train. The shuttle, the night market and the Banyuls snorkeling trail are summer-only.
What should I eat in Collioure?
Order the anchovies, salted and packed in oil by the local salting houses, with a glass of Collioure wine from the terraces above the bay. Finish with crème catalane or a glass of Banyuls, the sweet fortified red from next door.
Is there a tour I can add?
Yes, in Provence. Our Three Days in Provence meets at Avignon TGV station: the Popes’ Palace on the first day, Gordes, Roussillon, the Pont du Gard and Les Baux on the second, and a morning of wine tasting in Châteauneuf-du-Pape on the third.
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