Languedoc-roussillon (1 Viewer)

[snowdrops]

Hello lovely funsters

Nearly time for the first of our french hols this year. I'm not great with roads that have big drops by the side of them, mountain-road phobia, must be a name for it somewhere !!! Anyhoo ! Desperately wanting to visit the above area in June. Mainly to look around the Cathar sites, visit Carcassonne etc. Any suggestions for routes that minimise steep gorge roads ? Some of these places in particular .............

Gard

• Bagnols sur Cèze (30) Musée Albert André. Fine collection of late 19th century French art, including works by Bonnard, Matisse, Marquet, Signac, Jongkind, Rodin and more.
• Nimes: (30) old city with narrow streets, and remarkable Roman remains, including the Arena and the Maison Carrée
• Le Pont du Gard: (30) UNESCO World Heritage site, impressive Roman aqueduct, just north east of Nimes.
• Aigues Mortes: (30) fortified town near the coast, once a port from which the Crusaders set forth.

Hérault

• Montpellier: (34) regional capital, with old centre, the Musée Fabre, churches and other sites.
• Agde : attractive old small city, old streets, market, cathedral, waterfront.
• Béziers: (34) traditional Languedoc city, with old streets, churches and gardens.
• St. Guilhen le Désert (34) - small mediaeval city with romanesque abbey and ruined castle. Also the nearby Grotte de la Clamouse: magnificent stalacmites and stalagtites.
• Sète: (34) fishing and commercial port. Old town, beaches, boat trips

Aude

• Narbonne: (11) former Roman city, once the regional capital, with an impressive cathedral, underground Roman grain-store, and canalside quays.
• Carcassonne: (11) UNESCO World Heritage site, a historic city encircled by medieval ramparts.
• Cathar country: a collection of fabulous mediaeval castles, veritable eagles nests perched on rocky crags, guarding over this once turbulent frontier region. Of special note are the castles of Quéribus and Puylaurens.
• Cathar country tourist train, departs from Rivesaltes near Perpignan, and rises to Axat in the Pyrenees.
• The Canal du Midi: (34, 11) UNESCO World Heritage site, the world's oldest major canal, opened in 1681, linking the Mediterranean and the Atlantic

Pyrénées Orientales

• Céret (66): Museum of Modern Art, with works by Picasso, Chagall, Matisse, Braque etc.
• Collioure & Banyuls: (66) picturesque villages almost on the Spanish border, where the Pyrenees meet the sea.

 

[deleted-member02]

this route, along the A20 is quite uneventful.
http://www.viamichelin.com/web/Routes?strStartLocid=31NDJxdzgxMGNOVEF1T1RVNE1ERT1jTVM0NE5USTBOQT09&strDestLocid=31NDI4bHoxMGNORE11TWpFeU5Uaz1jTWk0ek5UVTVNUT09&intItineraryType=1&caravaneHidden=false&vh=CAR&strVehicle=0&itineraryCarType=0&itineraryFuelType=0&isFavoriseAutoroute=false&isAvoidPeage=false&isAvoidVignette=false&isAvoidLNR=false&isAvoidFrontiers=false&dtmDeparture=08/05/2015&distance=km&devise=1.0|EUR&indemnite=&carbCost=1.6&autoConso=6.8&villeConso=6&routeConso=5.6

 

[snowdrops]

Thanx moho, that was quick !!! Looks great except for the going thro paris thing. We'll probably go via Chartres, blois, angers etc if possible. It's just we weren't sure after Tours etc of how bad the roads will get. Will get hubby to have a look in detail at your route. Thank you

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[magicsurfbus]

Aigues Mortes was built on marshland so no danger of vertigo there. Its name is derived from the lethal malarial nature of its surroundings in medieval times - they had to offer financial inducements for people to settle there. Nice place to visit all the same.

I don't recall the approaches to Pont du Gard, Nimes or Carcassonne being especially gorgey. South of Carcassonne it gets a bit more steep-sided, for example parts of the road to Lagrasse.

Collioure is best approached from the wide main road (D914)- there's an aire at the top of the hill (42.526152, 3.068774) overlooking the town and a free shuttle bus there and back from the aire. You probably wouldn't want to take the MH into the town - narrow windy streets etc.

 

[deleted-member02]

Thanx moho, that was quick !!! Looks great except for the going thro paris thing. We'll probably go via Chartres, blois, angers etc if possible. It's just we weren't sure after Tours etc of how bad the roads will get. Will get hubby to have a look in detail at your route. Thank you

That's actually closer to the route we'd normally do. Rouen, Limoges, Toulouse, Carcassonne, Med.
I was just lazy posting the Paris route. I'm sure it's quicker (if more expensive) but agree, West of Paris can be hard work !
Sounds like you've a great vacation lined up

 

[rb62]

Beautiful part of France,hope you're allowing yourselves plenty of time!,more info here.

http://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/forum/threads/south-of-france-recommenations.105204/

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[snowdrops]

That's actually closer to the route we'd normally do. Rouen, Limoges, Toulouse, Carcassonne, Med.
I was just lazy posting the Paris route. I'm sure it's quicker (if more expensive) but agree, West of Paris can be hard work !
Sounds like you've a great vacation lined up

Aha ! Now that does sound perfect Yeah we have 2 weeks in June and 3 weeks in Sept. Tho a whole week of Sept will be spent on an anazing campsite on the Ile de Re.

 

[snowdrops]

Beautiful part of France,hope you're allowing yourselves plenty of time!,more info here.

http://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/forum/threads/south-of-france-recommenations.105204/

Some great ideas there, love your beautiful dog btw

 

[magicsurfbus]

Tho a whole week of Sept will be spent on an anazing campsite on the Ile de Re.

At Bois Plage en Re there's a beachside campsite (Camping Amis de Plage) that has a MH-only compound with soft marked pitches that cost less than the main campsite. There's an open beach-type shower in there but you don't have access to any other facilities beyond the service point. Across the road is a crowded but free aire. The beaches on that side of the island are more lively because they face open sea. If you're looking at Saint-Martin-de-Re the Municipal campsite within the walls is very handy and inexpensive, with the usual facilities, although you can cycle pretty much anywhere on the island if you're feeling energetic enough.

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[snowdrops]

Ah ! It's Camping Les Varennes for us Magicsurfbus. We saw the dreadful aire as you get onto the island last year and gasped with horror, then ended up at the municipal site, they turned the shower lights of at 2230 and the place was plagued with mozzies. Were just about to leave the next morning, grumbling about paying the toll for a horrible experience, when we took a peek at Les Varennes. Few mins walk from Bois Plage, 10 mins into the local market, great pool and site. I was in a sling last year, so this year we'll have our bikes and intend to do the whole island. It's a wonderful place isn't it Tho hopefully we'll avoid driving Jumbo thro the narrow, cobbled, restaurant area this time :/ ............ oh the shame of the satnav . That's for Sept tho, June is all Carcassonne et al