Where is your favourite place in France?

suneye

Full Member
Posts
514
Likes
653
Hoping this summer to leave the shores of Britain for the first time in the van. I have already had some excellent advice but some comments made me realise how much experience there is between all you folks out there. So I was wondering where your favourite place is in France and why?
 
I always usually say Provence in these threads but there are many other regions I love also. Provence just has it all though and is a proper summer playground. Cote D'Azur is mad but stunning. Luberon and Vaucluse (A Year in Provence) are just laid back and stunning, Lac St Croix and the Verdon Gorges (amazing) and of course the Alps (Well some of them). We spent most of last summer there and we nearly always end up there every year.

Having said that. Pyrenees, Brittany, Haute-Savoie, Jura, Ardeche, Lot, Dordogne, Tarn all take some beating.
 
Impossible to choose a favourite place in France - so many marvellous places. France is the most motor home friendly country in Europe with numerous free or low cost aires de camping car. The coast can be a bit crowded in summer.
 
barryd said:
I always usually say Provence in these threads but there are many other regions I love also. Provence just has it all though and is a proper summer playground. Cote D'Azur is mad but stunning. Luberon and Vaucluse (A Year in Provence) are just laid back and stunning, Lac St Croix and the Verdon Gorges (amazing) and of course the Alps (Well some of them). We spent most of last summer there and we nearly always end up there every year.

Having said that. Pyrenees, Brittany, Haute-Savoie, Jura, Ardeche, Lot, Dordogne, Tarn all take some beating.
Click to expand...

Thank you I can see I may need more than one visit! How many years until I can retire???
 
Almost anywhere inland and in particular the Pyrenees and the Alps :dance: the coastal areas get too crowded for us :scared:
 
Provence, particularly Alpes De Haute and Alpes Maritime tick all my boxes, but there are many other stunning areas too, again already listed in other posts. If you really want to get away from crowds, the Volcan d’ Auvergne and especially the Livradois Forez regions are virtually empty and well worth a little explore. Once in a while set sat nav for shortest route, you won’t get anywhere fast, but you’ll see what many miss.
If you want seaside and beaches you just have to live with more crowds. Yeah, more then enough for loads of holidays.
 
I agree that France is good in most places,but to narrow it down.
Not much time Brittany
Plenty of time Provence
 
Provence for me too.we lived in a village perche near Nyons for a while and never tired of exploring in the van. plenty of other nice areas all over of course
 
Picking a favourite part of France is a real difficulty , the country having 3 coast lines, 2 mountain ranges and everything between is a big ask. Food varies one part to the other, so I suppose I like all of it.

One place not mentioned is the Ile d' Oleron I love it there, I don't think it is typical France a bit of an Islander mentality going on but nevertheless I can think of worse places in the world.

Ironically one of the few difficult places to wild, the one occasion I have witnessed the police moving folk on but a little municipal campsite, clean and shaded pitches, scoffing oysters, sun on your back ( St Georges near Boyardville)

Mainstream France I think I would re visit the Pyreenees .stunning ,breathtaking a vista on every turn.

A lot mention the COte D'azur lived there for 12 months in Frejus , So St Tropez, Monaco, Nice Grasse etc great places for a day out ...the hidden jewel of the area is Lac du cassian .....A bit like Woodhead but with Sun .!!

As you can see a difficult question


Channa
 
Go to the local French tourist office which unlike the English ones are normally open during office hours. The are all run by very pretty, intelligent young ladies that really know their stuff. All you have to do is TRY and speak a little French. They will give you relevant and up to date ideas on what the locals like to see and do. Normally they will give good tips on where to park as well.

Richard
 
channa said:
Picking a favourite part of France is a real difficulty , the country having 3 coast lines, 2 mountain ranges and everything between is a big ask. Food varies one part to the other, so I suppose I like all of it.

One place not mentioned is the Ile d' Oleron I love it there, I don't think it is typical France a bit of an Islander mentality going on but nevertheless I can think of worse places in the world.

Ironically one of the few difficult places to wild, the one occasion I have witnessed the police moving folk on but a little municipal campsite, clean and shaded pitches, scoffing oysters, sun on your back ( St Georges near Boyardville)

Mainstream France I think I would re visit the Pyreenees .stunning ,breathtaking a vista on every turn.

A lot mention the COte D'azur lived there for 12 months in Frejus , So St Tropez, Monaco, Nice Grasse etc great places for a day out ...the hidden jewel of the area is Lac du cassian .....A bit like Woodhead but with Sun .!!

As you can see a difficult question


Channa
Click to expand...
Thanks for this. I'm hoping to go to Bordeaux so Il d'orleon could go on my list. Lots of suggestions for the South coast, not sure about going there in August, will it be too hot and too crowded? Better saved for a spring trip? I don't mind the heat but might cook in transit!
 
channa said:
Picking a favourite part of France is a real difficulty , the country having 3 coast lines, 2 mountain ranges and everything between is a big ask. Food varies one part to the other, so I suppose I like all of it.

One place not mentioned is the Ile d' Oleron I love it there, I don't think it is typical France a bit of an Islander mentality going on but nevertheless I can think of worse places in the world.

Ironically one of the few difficult places to wild, the one occasion I have witnessed the police moving folk on but a little municipal campsite, clean and shaded pitches, scoffing oysters, sun on your back ( St Georges near Boyardville)

Mainstream France I think I would re visit the Pyreenees .stunning ,breathtaking a vista on every turn.

A lot mention the COte D'azur lived there for 12 months in Frejus , So St Tropez, Monaco, Nice Grasse etc great places for a day out ...the hidden jewel of the area is Lac du cassian .....A bit like Woodhead but with Sun .!!

As you can see a difficult question


Channa
Click to expand...

Just shows how we like different places. Been to Ile d' Oleron a couple of times as Mrs D's Grandfather is buried there but think its flat and dull. Plenty of Aires now of course and its really popular. I think its anywhere flat for us that we dont tend to like. Im probably in a minority though as its clearly a popular place.

Suneye. We were on the Cote D'azur in the last two weeks of August last summer but we stay inland away from the busy places but we have a scooter. I would avoid it like the plague peak season unless you have some kind of secondary transport. Its never normally scorching hot but it was the last weeks of August last year. Nice 28-29 right on the coast but driving inland to where we were staying it topped 38c for about a week which is unusual. There were loads of fires last year. Come September as we moved west round the Med coast towards the Pyrenees it changed dramatically and it was the worst September I can remember. Its normally just about right. Atlantic coast around Biarittz is generally a bit cooler but hot enough.
 
Sue and I are off to France early March and arriving at Ouistreham in the evening of the 13th March on our way to Landivy. Because my night vision is not particularly good, can anyone recommend a stopover point half an hour ish from the port
Thanks Friends
Peter
 
May not help you Oppy but newbies to France like Suneye might like to try the big Aires such as Honfleur. It is not cheap and is prone to overcrowding but as there are many other like minded people there, great chance to meet up with them and learn lots. You may even find a travel buddy for a day or two, just to get you started and give you confidence.

Honfleur itself is well worth a visit.

Richard
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Users who viewed this discussion (Total:0)

Back
Top