Two French Vigins........

Tincataylor

Tincataylor

Free Member
Joined
Jul 9, 2012
Posts
639
Likes collected
1,360
Location
Devon
Funster No
21,869
MH
Coachbuilt
Exp
Never leave a campsite with your clothes line tied to a lamp post.
Up to now all our foreign travels in the van have been over winter in Spain and Portugal, and very nice they were too. However this year for a change, in May, we will take the ferry down to Santander from Plymouth and then head north to meander up the west coast of France for as long as it takes. We always like to hear the experiences of fellow Funsters so any outstanding places / aires / wild camps / beaches etc that you are prepared to share would be most welcome.

The Tincas
 
Two French Vigins.....
....................................

Please tell............... Where did you find them.!!!!!! :doh::whistle2::imoutahere:

:giggler:
 
old-mo said:
Two French Vigins.....
....................................

Please tell............... Where did you find them.!!!!!! :doh::whistle2::imoutahere:

:giggler:
Click to expand...
Never had a vigin myself , but on the other hand(y)(y)(y)(y)

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
Saint-Jean-de-Luz Free aire in town but busy and noisy - good for one night

 
The West Coast isn't the best bit of France further inland and especially the Eastern side is where the best landscapes and mountains are. We avoid the west coast as we're not bothered about the seaside as we live on the coast.
 
Dune du Pyla well worth a visit , fabulous 120 metre high sand dune , lovely veiw from the top .
 
Reallyretired said:
The West Coast isn't the best bit of France further inland and especially the Eastern side is where the best landscapes and mountains are. We avoid the west coast as we're not bothered about the seaside as we live on the coast.
Click to expand...
Got to agree. You do get the occasional stunner like St Jean de Luz and keep an eye out around the Biarritz area for festivals but then your next half interesting place is the dune. Its barren and flat and no history. Once you get up to the Bordeaux to Nantes region it gets better but inland is by far superior from my experience and I would head inland for the rivers where there are fantastic villages built in medieval times on rocks stunning scenery. The Dordogne and Lot are red hot favourites.
If you are virgins then take a gander up the coast but after 2/3 days it is very much of the same beach different place.
Above Bordeaux are some very nice islands which are worthy of a visit Re l'orean and Noirmoutier and inland here you have La Rochelle which is a pearler but other coastal resorts are a bit of a let down in comparison to inland France.
However if beach holiday is your thing, you can do worst than the beaches of western france and there are aires all over the place as well as loads of wild camping. No "Great" stops that i would hurry to go back to there though but some i would return to.
La Rochelle, the islands, le sables delonne, st jean de monts, just north of St Nazaire (good history here) there is a great aire. It s a bout 4 miles north at st marys and great people watching as cars turn up all the time with single blokes wondering into the trees and coming out half later looking flustered. Great entertainment for people watchers.
There is another place with a zoo beginning with a P around there somewhere as well that was pretty good La Palmyre ? Then you are up to Brittany which is a whole different ball game and again very pretty area but dont be there in August unless you like to queue on the roads. Nightmare in school holidays.

Enjoy
 
For a minute there I thought those girls I met last year in Cadiz had joined fun.

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
old-mo said:
Two French Vigins.....
....................................

Please tell............... Where did you find them.!!!!!! :doh::whistle2::imoutahere:

:giggler:
Click to expand...
Certainly not on the lay-bays on the by-pass around Lâon!:rolleyes:
 
kelpie said:
Never had a vigin myself , but on the other hand(y)(y)(y)(y)
Click to expand...
I've had a Virgin on the ridiculous. I'm a bit odd that way calling my old chap Ridiculous. But that's just me I guess
 
Bump..........
 
I second a trip along the north coast of Spain, going inland a little too to Potes.

I also agree that the coast in the south west is not France’s best feature! Lots of windy sand dunes interspersed with holiday spots for French tourists and families. Places we would tend to avoid.

We have however stayed at Soustons Plage out of main holiday season and spent a relaxing couple of days by the lakeside/inlet beach and it was nice to cycle around.
https://www.campercontact.com/en/fr...stons/1805/aire-de-camping-car-soustons-plage

We also stopped at the site at Anglet for Biarritz. Ok during week but busy if weekend sunny. Pleasant enough walk along river to sea and handy bus to Biarritz or there is a boardwalk along the coast and a cycle path along the road. On our little Bromptons we sneaked a cycle along the boardwalk without getting a telling off!
https://www.campercontact.com/en/fr...anglet/18954/aire-de-camping-cars-de-la-barre
 
Stealaway said:
Saint-Jean-de-Luz Free aire in town but busy and noisy - good for one night
Click to expand...
Surely you are joking! o_O Its gotta be one of the worst aires we've ever seen - right on the main road, next to the railway and they charge you for the privilege of being kept awake all night ... oh and last time we went the services weren't free.

https://www.campercontact.com/en/fr...65/aire-de-camping-car-pont-charles-de-gaulle

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
You must visit Cognac and go around a distillery. Hennessey do a very good tour which includes a boat trip. Absolutely fascinating. You can't hide your stash as there is a black spoor/fungus that grows on the walls wherever there is a brandy store.

Royan is a west coast town worth a visit with a nice marina and WWII history.

As already mentioned go to Il de Re, Il d'Oleron, La Rochelle, St Nazaire visit a french de-commissioned diesel submarine and the WWII submarine pens. Lots to do and love seafood all the way! Enjoy!!
 
Minxy Girl said:
Surely you are joking! o_O Its gotta be one of the worst aires we've ever seen - right on the main road, next to the railway and they charge you for the privilege of being kept awake all night ... oh and last time we went the services weren't free.
Click to expand...

You've been then? I did say its only good for one night. I can't remember there being a charge though.
It was worth it just to visit the town and there was a great market on the day we were there.
That's the day I spent 20€ on a wedge of cheese which was over two kilo when he weighed it!!
 
Stealaway said:
You've been then? I did say its only good for one night. I can't remember there being a charge though.
It was worth it just to visit the town and there was a great market on the day we were there.
That's the day I spent 20€ on a wedge of cheese which was over two kilo when he weighed it!!
Click to expand...
For use one night would be too many! :eek: Much better IMV to go just down and out of town then come back during the day to see it and escape again later. :D
 
Many thanks for your various inputs that have helped us to get a rough list of places of interest. We were too specific when we said we would do the west coast and what we meant was the western side of France in general, but your comments that the coast in western France is not necessarily its best feature are duly noted. So, if we are further inland any "must see's" or above average aires?

The Tincas
 
Tincataylor said:
Many thanks for your various inputs that have helped us to get a rough list of places of interest. We were too specific when we said we would do the west coast and what we meant was the western side of France in general, but your comments that the coast in western France is not necessarily its best feature are duly noted. So, if we are further inland any "must see's" or above average aires?

The Tincas
Click to expand...
Carcassonne is an option but it’s maybe better to look at than to walk inside as it’s a bit of a tourist trap. Worth visiting once though. I think you can park along the canal and, when we were there, you could overnight in the carpark just outside the gate. However dont make our mistake and do it on a Saturday night!

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
We loved a municipal site at St Léon sur Vézère. Pay the few euros at the hamlet’s town hall (when open)! Shower and toilet at the town hall but the pitches are alongside the river. Just a couple of restaurants and a tiny shop. There is an aire as well but not alongside the river. We like just to relax in small pretty places. There is a little shop and a restaurant and a tea shop, a nice walk along the river to troglodyte caves and that’s it!
5f3d50c4-bf4b-4a18-b98e-5f245cdd1ed4-jpeg.235159
7b2c8016-0d85-4473-9828-d5ba3d77bf47-jpeg.235160
 
Tincataylor said:
Many thanks for your various inputs that have helped us to get a rough list of places of interest. We were too specific when we said we would do the west coast and what we meant was the western side of France in general, but your comments that the coast in western France is not necessarily its best feature are duly noted. So, if we are further inland any "must see's" or above average aires?

The Tincas
Click to expand...
If possible get even more specific about where inland.
I think @Riverbankannie and I are kindred spirits.
Have to agree with St Leon and the Vezere river is surrounded by lovely aires. Montignac has 2 and the free one by the river is a good spot and they have all sorts of festivals all the time with evening festivals (always look for a festival at weekends and BHs)
Carcasonne is a tourist trap. Hated it. However you need to go there to hate it. Its worth going to hate it. Mirepoix jsut down the road is far superior. Numerous aires on the Dordogne. Racamadour is a must. near Montignac is lascaux (google it) Further north you have oradour.
As you are virgins (or were but i wont dwell on this) I would be tempted to do 2 bits of research to narrow down your travels (presuming you like rivers (where all the communities are) and Beautiful villages. I would trawl the internet looking for the locations of "France Most Beautiful Villages" and note them on a google map (so you can back to refer to them) then aim for 4 or 5 of them in that area. I would also buy the book "Wild Swimming in France". Its available off Ebay and its about a fiver. Use this book as a reference source. You do not need to be a "Wild Swimmer" to use the book. There are great photos (which you can see on the internet with a search) that make you want to go to the places. Some are hidden, some are well used, some are lakes, some rivers, some are waterfalls, some are volcanic thermes.
The temptation to just remain around the Dordogne and Lozere would be great.
Planning and preparing for the trip needs a B plan a C plan and a D plan. Have a good idea of what you want to see for example Rocamadour would be a must owing to just having a glass of wine at teh restaurant watching the sun go down. So if that is a must what is nearby, the caves at Lacave are just down teh road but there are some superior ones a bit further (La gouffre ?) but you might want to go to Sarlat, but on the Saturday might be a music festival at Montignac.
Oradour needs to be done on the way home and also (and i havent done this yet) there is something like Puy de foulet ? Somebody will let you the proper name. So google that when it comes along and everybody swears by staying 2 days and paying to see the show at night which is supposed to be amazing.
Gorges, how could i forget about gorges. You just have to drive them. Not so many on the left as there are to the right of france always worthy.
Once you narrow it down a tad more there will be more aires being given s suggestions rather than towns or areas to visit. France Passion might also be an option to consider.
Plan the first 2 days and and plan for every possible alternative but have a general route which hits things that you want to hit.
Our motto: It ll still be there next year.
 
Rhône Alp is a very beautiful area(y) and Haironville, Lorraine. Very pretty place
upload_2019-3-2_15-15-29.jpeg
 

Join us or log in to post a reply.

To join in you must be a member of MotorhomeFun

Join MotorhomeFun

Join us, it quick and easy!

Join us

Log in

Already a member? Log in here.

Latest journal entries

Back
Top