France trip - something out of the ordinary

[B15TT0]

Hi all,

My other half and I are heading to France for a week in the car. Leaving next Monday (20/07), back the following Sunday. We'll be taking a tent as we quite enjoy the odd night camping when the weather's nice (not sure what our fellow campers will think of us unpacking our tent out the back of an SL55 but couldn't care less) but we'll also stay in a few hotels / chateaux etc no doubt.

At the moment nothing is booked and i'm hoping you folk will be able to provide me with some inspiration. We've done the Le Mans -> South Coast -> Carcasonne -> St Tropez -> Nice -> Gorge Du Verdon -> JLP -> Monaco -> Route Napolean -> Paris trip which was great but we fancy something different this time.

Has anyone got any good tips? Some of my ideas so far...

Catch some of the Tour De France
Vinyard tour on cycles - not sure where
The odd night at out the way chateaux / maisons
Some good driving roads a bonus

Cheers,

Chris

[FPC]

French Alps? We're driving down to Morzine for the same week and will probably go to watch the Tour on Wedesday as it goes through the area.

[B15TT0]

Would love to see the tour but I think we're going to be over in the Bordeaux area and whilst I fancy the Mont Ventoux stage on Saturday 25th that would leave us a 9 hours drive to get back to our Sat night accomodation near Calais...

[mechsympathy]

The Ile de Re is spectacular if pricey (and probably getting busy), Dune de Pila, Condom is surprisingly nice. There's always the Pyrenees...

[Marcellus]

Anyone in the Haute Savoie to watch the tour if anyone fancies a beer in Les Carroz (near the top of the Araches cat 2 climb on the wednesday) let me know!!

[B15TT0]

mechsympathy said:

The Ile de Re is spectacular if pricey (and probably getting busy), Dune de Pila, Condom is surprisingly nice. There's always the Pyrenees...

Ile de Re looks nice and is kind of on the way back up so i think i'll look into that - Cheers!

[dmitsi]

If you fancy a cycle around some vineyards, I can recommend visiting the area between the rivers Ceze and Ardeche. Start north west, near Barjac and head south east towards Bagnol/Avignon. The Ceze is a lovely river with gorges and plenty of places to swim. Towards Bagnol you reach La Rocque sur Ceze, lovely hillside town with great panoramic views, and this leads you into fantastic vineyard country. It's fairly southern so expect it get hot.

Near Bagnol you get some great villages surrounded by vineyards with plenty of caves for tasting sessions. Finish off in Avignon for some histoy and culture.

ETA good link for the region.
http://www.gard-provencal.com/an/pays/ceze.htm

Edited by dmitsi on Thursday 16th July 12:46

[chard]

How about a boat on the "canel du rhone au sete" ??

Self drive hire goes smack through the Camarague you can moor @ www.aigues-mortes.com

Try Crown blue line for the boat @ St giles.

Chard

[andygo]

We are going to a gite near Riberac in the Dordogen in mid august. Only just booked it on spec, anything nice to do there. Probably going to take our mountain bikes with the hope we can avoid hills as my mrs isn't too keen on the uphill bits... (As a matter of fact, I prefer the downhill bits better!)

[Naughty Magpie]

A visit to the Champagne region of Reims & Epernay is good.

[melv]

Gorges du Tarn

Millau Bridge

Aix en Provence

Avignon