Not to be missed sights on west coast of France? (1 Viewer)

Mar 21, 2009
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Off for a 3 month run at the beginning of May & going to spend a month traveling the west coast of France down to our House nr Santa Pola in Spain.
Last time we scooted the west coast quite quickly and we didn't really find any places that we wanted to stop but this time we intend to take around 4 weeks and will do a bit more homework before we go.
Was just wondering if anyone has any recommendations for this area.
We like to mostly use Aires or free camp!!

p.s. - we've done Mont St Michael!

Jacky
 

Lynne Steele

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Visit il de Re, there is a nice aire at the capital St martin de Re, next to the municipal camp site. You can cycle to all the towns on the island and walk into St Martin. it honestly is the nicest place I have ever been, I love La Flotte, an easy bike ride from the aire, Leclerc supermarket is on that road too.

Lynne
 

Lynne Steele

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Visit il de Re, there is a nice aire at the capital St martin de Re, next to the municipal camp site. You can cycle to all the towns on the island and walk into St Martin. it honestly is the nicest place I have ever been, I love La Flotte, an easy bike ride from the aire, Leclerc supermarket is on that road too.

Lynne

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DBK

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Spend most of the four weeks in Brittany then scoot down to Spain. :)

But it really depends on what you want to look at, the map will show you places like île de Ré and La Rochelle, all worth visiting but a lot of the coast especially further south is flat with massive beaches which might be a bit wild in May.

However, there will be lots of flowers coming into bloom and birds will be nesting.

This journal of a cycling trip I made in the opposite direction might give you a feel for the region. https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?doc_id=12400
 

Jenben

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Granite coast area of Brittany is lovely, lots of Aires and fantastic coastline especially if the weather is good.
If you are interested in WW2 history the submarine pens museum at Lorient is fascinating. Great exhibition, you can pick up an English self guided tour and actually walk through a submarine.

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cliffanger

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More inland I know, but the south West areas are lovely. Oleron St Marie, Pau, Navarrenx, St Jean de Luz, infact any town on the Camino Way we found fascinating. We're not religious in any way but the whole St James pilgrimage route is peppered with beautiful little towns and villages. :)
 
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jaygee
Mar 21, 2009
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We have done all the WW1/2 sites along the coast before so hoping to go further south along the west coast.
 
Mar 26, 2009
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Gaste (Parentis en borne) not free but reasonably cheap aire (approx €4 in May). Large fresh water lake for Tony to go paddling on. Good cycle paths too. As said previously, visit the dune de pyla then approx an hours drive to Gaste. After that take a day or 2 at Cap Breton and Bayonne. Both nice towns/city to visit. Then over the border to San Sebastian.

This route should keep you off the toll roads too.(y)

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May 7, 2011
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Hi Jackie,
I deffo second Dune du Pyla fab sand dune over 100 mtrs high , Gastes aire nice lakeside
Ile de Re fab island for cycling & beaches nice towns etc, Mortagne sur gironde lovely harbour side aire.
All places not to be missed.
Terry
 

MannClan

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erquy, morgat, la bernerie-en-retz, Quiberon the list goes on and on

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Nov 11, 2013
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Blaye Citadel. Brilliant, with a campsite actually inside it. We stayed at the Council site in Bourg a few miles away which was cheap and lovely.
 

moulin 87

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If you are looking to take four weeks then a few meanders up some of the river valleys and their tributaries would make an interesting change from the coast...Once in the Vendee and moving south one very large expanse of sand looks very like another, though the Dunes of Pilat are different....

Though if you really prefer the coast don't ignore the Basque coastline of Northern Spain towards Bilbao and beyond...
 

magicsurfbus

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Brittany - Carnac - Row after row of prehistoric standing stones, like Avebury on speed. Not to be missed. Aire in town centre.
Vendee - Parc Puy du Fou - History theme park, very different, France's second most visited attraction after Disneyland. Night time Cinescenie live show on Fri and Sat is well worth a look.

Ile de Re
- good for cycling, loads of salines & oyster beds, historic walled town, salt making museum, nice beaches to the West, lighthouse, plenty of aires
La Rochelle - U boat command bunker, historic buildings, nautical museum, shops. Aire in P&R, Ave Jean Moulin.
Ile d'Oleron - very much like Ile de Re, a couple of ex-campsites that are now aires so generous grassy pitches.
La Palmyre & Saint Palais sur mer - good cycling, variety of beaches, Bonne Anse tidal lagoon, Zoo. Two aires in La Palmyre, fishing carrelets and old WW2 bunkers on the seafront towards Saint Palais.
Lacanau-Ocean - coastal town with surfy vibe, good cycle tracks, aire a little way back from the seafront. Plages-Sud has MH friendly parking.
Dune du Pyla - Europe's tallest sand dune, worth a hike.
Biscarrosse-Plage - resort is pretty naff by French standards but there's a big forested aire with nearby supermarket and foot access to an impressive open beach. All the beaches south of the R Gironde tend to be pretty exposed with lots of dunes and pine forest behind them. Cycle path in the direction of Pyla.
Been to Mimizan-Plage but wasn't over impressed - OK if you just want the beach or the sea but nearby centre is very modern and a bit soulless, convenient aire behind dunes.
Hossegor gets some impressive waves in the right conditions but I haven't been to look yet.
Biarritz-Anglet-Bayonne (Known as BAB locally) - A personal favourite, plenty of variety, shops, classy resort, good cycle access from Anglet to Bayonne, cheap buses, 3 aires close to beaches - our favourite is Anglet, but La Barre's not bad either. Ave du Milady aire is a bit tightly packed.
Saint Jean de Luz - historic centre, aire a bit cramped.

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Allanm

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Apart from the Brittany coast, I can recommend the aire at St Hilaire en Riez a bit further down the coast. It's right next to the beach behind a sand dune. Might be a bit exposed in May though, just how we like them!
 
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Some good locations above

I would add mortagne sur gironde to the list and Port D' Albret both Aires approx €8 per day including electric

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Spend most of the four weeks in Brittany then scoot down to Spain. :)

But it really depends on what you want to look at, the map will show you places like île de Ré and La Rochelle, all worth visiting but a lot of the coast especially further south is flat with massive beaches which might be a bit wild in May.

However, there will be lots of flowers coming into bloom and birds will be nesting.

This journal of a cycling trip I made in the opposite direction might give you a feel for the region. https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?doc_id=12400

Amazing when you recognise other yacf ers on here. :)
 
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jaygee
Mar 21, 2009
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Thanks for some brilliant suggestions - got them all marked out on my map!!
Still looking.....
 

magicsurfbus

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I should have added that Parc Puy du Fou has its own massive aire. Possibly the biggest aire I've ever seen.

If you go onto the Quiberon peninsula there's a free aire at Port Blanc/Porz Guen, not far from one of the few sandy beaches. No MH service point but a public loo and campsite close by.

At Le Croisic (Pays de Loire) there are 5 small aires, the most useful of which overlooks the marina. The one with the service point is nearby. The area's worth a visit for maybe a day or two, especially if you have bikes. Down the road is a WW2 bunker museum called the Blockhaus, which is a bit different to most if you like that sort of thing.

On the Charente coast you've got the Ile Madame which is reached by a tidal causeway. We parked on the mainland and cycled round it in half a day, but if you drive across there's plenty of spots where you could overnight in a MH. There's also a small campsite.

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May 7, 2011
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I should have added that Parc Puy du Fou has its own massive aire. Possibly the biggest aire I've ever seen.

If you go onto the Quiberon peninsula there's a free aire at Port Blanc/Porz Guen, not far from one of the few sandy beaches. No MH service point but a public loo and campsite close by.


At Le Croisic (Pays de Loire) there are 5 small aires, the most useful of which overlooks the marina. The one with the service point is nearby. The area's worth a visit for maybe a day or two, especially if you have bikes. Down the road is a WW2 bunker museum called the Blockhaus, which is a bit different to most if you like that sort of thing.

On the Charente coast you've got the Ile Madame which is reached by a tidal causeway. We parked on the mainland and cycled round it in half a day, but if you drive across there's plenty of spots where you could overnight in a MH. There's also a small campsite.

Ile de Madame ---------- aire at Port des Barques not brill but the campsite right at the shoreside is not bad, it's right opposite tidal path
upload_2016-2-20_11-55-27.jpeg
 
Aug 31, 2015
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Thanks for some brilliant suggestions - got them all marked out on my map!!
Still looking.....

me too! we are travelling that area in April and a lot of what has been suggested were what id makred down on my map.
 
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Dune du Pilat is worth a visit. Biggest sand dune in Europe :)

Agreed, it is a lovely place but it is car crime central in the summer.

a2e9a1ac-d394-46ed-be52-18cea61197ba.jpg


I've not visited for a number of years but back then, at the south end of the dune you could pull off the road and wild camp amongst the hang glider and paraglider pilots.

I used to stand and wonder at the power of nature to move so much sand, especially when you find one of the huge German pillboxes of the Atlantic Wall, now sitting at the bottom of the dune.

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Abacist

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Lots of places already mentioned but you have to go inland a bit and visit Cognac and go around at least one cognac distillery!

I also recommend Biarritz as a class resort.

Also agree on La Rochelle, Il de Re, Royan, La palmyre, st Palais sur mer, St Nazaire.

Don't forget your flip flops on the beach or the sand will burn your feet!
 
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jaygee
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[QUOTE="

Don't forget your flip flops on the beach or the sand will burn your feet![/QUOTE]


In May!!! I do hope so :cooler::cooler::cooler:
 

Abacist

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[QUOTE="

Don't forget your flip flops on the beach or the sand will burn your feet!


In May!!! I do hope so :cooler::cooler::cooler:[/QUOTE]

Perhaps not in May but certainly in July and August! :cry:

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Oct 12, 2011
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We are of down that was in May, not sure if we stop in Beaurdaux area or go on down to San Sabastion. Any thoughts?

Not been in the area since the 1977 so not sure exactly what we will do. Thanks for the other tips though!
 

teensvan99

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5 years ago we spent 4 months touring Brittany. 46 Aires and 2 supermarket carparks and no campsites. Fantastic time.

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