# 2 weeks in France oct where?



## gid7 (Dec 13, 2016)

Trying to pick your brains. The plan so far 2 weeks holiday in October driving from Skye, so 2 days travelling to dover. Prob go on the train (have a dog) then I have no idea where to go...... 

Do not want to spend the whole time driving long distance (700 miles to Dover) and hopefully any where will have better weather than Skye.

What areas should I do more research on?


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## RichardHelen262 (Dec 13, 2016)

Ile de Re
We were there in September and absolutely loved it


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## carol (Dec 13, 2016)

helen262 said:


> Ile de Re
> We were there in September and absolutely loved it



Been there a couple of times 20+ years ago. I loved it then. Wonder if it's changed?


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## IanH (Dec 13, 2016)

If you're into history WW1, the whole of the Somme area is very compact and easy to park at all the various sites. Less than 100 miles from Calais (ish)
Municipal campsite in Albert was very good, lots of room, prob no need to book.
Ypres (in Belgium) is very close too.
Whilst in Belgium you may as well visit Bruges, really good aire there too, walking distance to town
No need to cover hundreds of miles for no real benefit, parts of France are surprsingly compact.
You could also do a day trip on the TGV from Amiens to Paris, about 1 hr each way


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## Rod (Dec 13, 2016)

*Brittany*

Consider the longer ferry crossing to Brittany.

If the weather is good you are already on the coast and can just wander or just head south on the west coast of france.

Think there are kennels for pets and if you go overnight you don't lose a day.

If you join the travel discount club the saving usually pay for themselves in one trip.

Also Portsmouth and Plymouth easier to get to than Dover.

Lots of choices to consider.

Enjoy your planning

Rod


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## IanH (Dec 13, 2016)

Rod said:


> Consider the longer ferry crossing to Brittany.
> 
> If the weather is good you are already on the coast and can just wander or just head south on the west coast of france.
> 
> ...



Brittany is our destination for 2 weeks next Sept. Plymouth to Roscoff outbound, Cherbourg to Poole inbound. Brittany is very different to the rest of France. When there last we saw a sign saying "France is a nice little country, sandwiched between Brittany and Belgium"!!!


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## runnach (Dec 13, 2016)

Some good suggestions re places to visit, but my own opinion is the weather in October can be a mixed bag. And when it rains it doesn't do it short measures.

Il de Re, Ile d'Oleron are Atlantic Coast so can be strange in the weather stakes, That said not far from Bordeaux ( I personally would steer clear) but from Bordeaux travelling East you have St Emillion, Bergerac and the Dordogne. Returning north both channel and west coast ports easy to get too.


Channa


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## clf86ha (Dec 13, 2016)

Ile de re/vendee area
I personally found the Dordogne beautiful, but very englishy which put me off, along with quite a boring drive down the farming belt (long and tedious) to get to it.
If you head to the Vendee area, you can travel via the Loire valley.
The Aire and Vets at La Mailleraye Sur Seine are both cheap and excellent, so worthy of a stop on the way there and back.


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## alcam (Dec 13, 2016)

channa said:


> Some good suggestions re places to visit, but my own opinion is the weather in October can be a mixed bag. And when it rains it doesn't do it short measures.
> 
> Il de Re, Ile d'Oleron are Atlantic Coast so can be strange in the weather stakes, That said not far from Bordeaux ( I personally would steer clear) but from Bordeaux travelling East you have St Emillion, Bergerac and the Dordogne. Returning north both channel and west coast ports easy to get too.
> 
> ...



Agree re St Emilion etc but I would recommend Bordeaux . You can park on quais from Saturday afternoon till Monday am for nowt . Flea market St Michel Sunday morning and seafood market on quayside . Weather in October ? Can be really nice .
Longer ferry journey with dog is not for me . Dog cabins booked well in advance so you would probably have to book now


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## ScamperVan (Dec 13, 2016)

Jura and Haut Jura - not so touristy and middle of the continent so weather may be better.

Readers’ travel tips … on holidays in France’s Jura region | Travel | The Guardian

Jura holiday guide: what to see plus the best bars, hotels and restaurants | Travel | The Guardian

http://www.informationfrance.com/jura.php

The Jura Mountains - Lonely Planet


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## runnach (Dec 13, 2016)

alcam said:


> Agree re St Emilion etc but I would recommend Bordeaux . You can park on quais from Saturday afternoon till Monday am for nowt . Flea market St Michel Sunday morning and seafood market on quayside . Weather in October ? Can be really nice .
> Longer ferry journey with dog is not for me . Dog cabins booked well in advance so you would probably have to book now



Absolutely nothing wrong with Bordeaux I agree my comment was more thinking about the traffic there, I found it a real difficult place to navigate.

In any respect a load of beautiful places not far away. Vistas different to Skye that's for sure !!:lol-053:

Channa


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## alcam (Dec 13, 2016)

channa said:


> Absolutely nothing wrong with Bordeaux I agree my comment was more thinking about the traffic there, I found it a real difficult place to navigate.
> 
> In any respect a load of beautiful places not far away. Vistas different to Skye that's for sure !!:lol-053:
> 
> Channa



Yea its a big city Channa but , I think , really worth it . Some places I may have struggled with pre satnav [Paris etc] , now pretty doable [not easy] .


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## MykCamper (Dec 13, 2016)

*Mini Cruise around the Channel Island.*



Rod said:


> Consider the longer ferry crossing to Brittany.
> 
> If the weather is good you are already on the coast and can just wander or just head south on the west coast of france.
> 
> ...



Also Poole to St Malo, Normandy beaches, down to Bordeaux, lots of great Aires, most free after mid September, if booked early, it works out cheaper than Dover - Calais plus saves a few hundred miles and days of travel.
Autumn in that area is really warm ( hopefully ) and lasts into November!


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## Morphology (Dec 13, 2016)

Personally I wouldn't plan.

I usually wait until the day before then look at Weather Online UK - current weather and weather forecast worldwide  (Weather Maps->Expert Charts) and look at the long range predictions. Having nice weather isn't the be-all and end-all of a trip, but it is definitely nice to be able to spend time outdoors.

France is a big place, and rarely has the same weather all over so, if it's pissing down or gales are predicted in one region, I'll just head somewhere else.

Left, Right or Straight on as you come out of the tunnel.

Morph


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## alcam (Dec 13, 2016)

runnach said:


> Alcam, ports/company you use, please? We did the tunnel year past last summer, would look at ferry where mutt comes with you.
> 
> Cheers.



I have , often , looked into dog friendly cabins but never got one . Brittany ferries [?] . Prices are ridiculous . I just go dover calais . There is less availability [dog friendly] off season . Really do think you would have to look several months [year] ahead


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## alcam (Dec 14, 2016)

runnach said:


> Thanks for this, looks like tunnel would be our better option, as I can't book too far in advance.
> 
> Cheers.



Do you get a deal on tunnel ? Dover always cheaper for me . I don't book much in advance and never buy return . Have gone Portsmouth Cherbourg when setting off from Cornwall . 4 hours would be maximum I would leave dog , but , as you know , dogs are not all the same .


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## gid7 (Dec 14, 2016)

Thanks for all your input. Looked at ferries including Hull - Zeebrugge. But with the dog it will have to be the shuttle (save up tesco points).

I think I will research 3 areas (weather depending where I go) WW1 history sites, Jura, and Brittany.


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## TJBi (Dec 14, 2016)

alcam said:


> Agree re St Emilion etc but I would recommend Bordeaux . You can park on quais from Saturday afternoon till Monday am for nowt . Flea market St Michel Sunday morning and seafood market on quayside . Weather in October ? Can be really nice .
> Longer ferry journey with dog is not for me . Dog cabins booked well in advance so you would probably have to book now



I think you may find that parking on the quais is no longer free on a Saturday afternoon.


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## TJBi (Dec 14, 2016)

gid7 said:


> Thanks for all your input. Looked at ferries including Hull - Zeebrugge. But with the dog it will have to be the shuttle (save up tesco points).
> 
> I think I will research 3 areas (weather depending where I go) WW1 history sites, Jura, and Brittany.



Good idea; wait until you're about to cross and check what the weather will be like in France and choose somewhere on that basis.  You might want to research one or two other areas as well, as I suspect that those above may not always have marvellous weather in October.  Definitely worth, as suggested above, considering the Atlantic coast (and a bit inland), say from La Rochelle southwards to at least Bordeaux.

Particularly easy access from Saint Malo or Cherbourg, both served by Brittany Ferries, who even offer pet-friendly cabins on their Economie service to Le Havre.
Where are animals kept whilst on-board? - Brittany Ferries


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## TJBi (Dec 14, 2016)

runnach said:


> <snip> problem with being in a vessel is, lots of noise, boat heave etc. not sure how he would cope. When we did Oban to Barra, 4+ hour crossing, dogs are allowed internal/external designated pet areas, which puts everyone at ease. Maybe other companies will eventually look at CalMac practice?



I sincerely hope that cross-Channel ferry operators don't look at CalMac practice.  Can well do without them introducing "boat heave" (you mean seasickness?), lots of noise, etc.

:boat::lol-049:


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## alcam (Dec 14, 2016)

TJBi said:


> I think you may find that parking on the quais is no longer free on a Saturday afternoon.



Perhaps not , it was last year . Still surely worth paying whatever . Almost certainly still free from saturday evening till first thing monday , as are virtually all european cities


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## alcam (Dec 14, 2016)

runnach said:


> Only used tunnel once, Alcam. No deals available at the time and, like yourself, did not make a return booking, would do same for summer coming.
> 
> Our Jack is good when on his own, problem with being in a vessel is, lots of noise, boat heave etc. not sure how he would cope. When we did Oban to Barra, 4+ hour crossing, dogs are allowed internal/external designated pet areas, which puts everyone at ease. Maybe other companies will eventually look at CalMac practice?



Yea not had a problem even though coming back end november was rough crossing . 
See TjBi [below] is saying that you could get dog friendly cabins to Le Havre at short notice ? Never had any luck with that , spoke to BF and they say usually fully booked months in advance . If you can book dog friendly cabin at short notice let me know


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## barryd (Dec 14, 2016)

Best places I have found for half decent weather in October in France are the Dordogne, Lot, Landes (South west) or the med coast.  All a bit of a trek for 2 weeks.  The key at that time of year is elevation / altitude.  Avoid the high Massif central or other high altitude areas.  You could be lucky in Brittany or Normandy of course but expect weather on a par with southern England there or maybe slightly better.


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## TJBi (Dec 15, 2016)

alcam said:


> Yea not had a problem even though coming back end november was rough crossing .
> See TjBi [below] is saying that you could get dog friendly cabins to Le Havre at short notice ? Never had any luck with that , spoke to BF and they say usually fully booked months in advance . If you can book dog friendly cabin at short notice let me know



Don't think I mentioned short notice, particularly as I have no experience of attempting to book dog-friendly at any sort of notice.

Tom


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## alcam (Dec 15, 2016)

TJBi said:


> Don't think I mentioned short notice, particularly as I have no experience of attempting to book dog-friendly at any sort of notice.
> 
> Tom



Reading your post re waiting to check weather before deciding destination and then talking about dog friendly cabins , I [obviously wrongly] assumed the 2 paragraphs were related . 
Apologies


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## TJBi (Dec 15, 2016)

alcam said:


> Reading your post re waiting to check weather before deciding destination and then talking about dog friendly cabins , I [obviously wrongly] assumed the 2 paragraphs were related .
> Apologies



No need to apologise.  We book up to a year ahead (though in light of the disasters that have now occurred two years running, I'm wondering about the wisdom of this) but decide last-minute where we will head from the French port.  I find Cherbourg and Saint-Malo very conveniently located for this, rather than being tucked away in the extreme NE corner of France with Paris blocking the way to the SW.


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## spigot (Dec 15, 2016)

carol said:


> helen262 said:
> 
> 
> > Ile de Re
> ...



We also went there when the kids were small,
Went recently, very disappointed, couldn't get off the island fast enough.
The beach we used with the children now resembles a tip.


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