Club 80-90 Forums

Hello all ...

We are heading down to the beaches in the South West of France at the beginning of Sept for a long awaited summer camping holiday. We have two weeks to get there and back, plus spend some relaxing time at the beach. Has anyone done this trip? I have searched and found some useful info but any more up to date tips or ideas would be great.
We would really like the trip from Dieppe south through the heart of France to be more than justa long drive so any ideas of great stops along the way would be fantastic.


Thanks in advance

fowllow the coast down good roads and plenty of places to stop and see on the way the bayaux tappestry where it shows king harold with one in the eye quite a few meusems mont san mechiel and then just keep fowlling the coast or cut across towards arachon thats bourdaux direction

Hi, enjoy the trip that Joe suggested, but also get the Vicarious book, All the Aries of france. used it when I followed the Tour de France. Found it a worthwhile purchase.

Regards, Graham

thanks guys

I remember the 'Gorge De Verdon' was an excellent day out, but its almost in the South anyway!

ttcharlie wrote:I remember the 'Gorge De Verdon' was an excellent day out, but its almost in the South anyway!

'Tis indeed spectacular but it's south east (Provence) not south west where joe75 is going.

if you get to the coast then the ile de re off la rochelle is meant to be lovely. i also understand that you can park overnight in the centre of la rochelle itself if you want to see some nightlife. Nice beach at st george de didon and then campsites all the way down the coast. Arcachon is a lovely town with great beaches and campsites (although may be busy) St emilion is worth a trip on the way down/back for the wine and the town.

We have just got back from a three week trip. Sooo....

Plymouth to Roscoff. Over night in Quimper (celtic festival going on). Parked up for the night in a free car park near back of town with loads of other campers (big ones not our little ones), I bought the French version of all the Aires book here with a free map for the sites, well worth it.
Day two - drive to St John De Monts (South West of Nantes)- another free night not far from beach but close to "main town" at end off woods by a roundabout again with other campervans (good thing about France is they don't mind the over night camping in specific areas)
Day Three - drive to La Palmyre (West of Saintes) - had to pay £8 for this one but it did have basic facilities, patrolled by Police and a little van in the morning selling provisions!, we then crossed the Gironde to head to our main camp at Lacanua Ocean for two weeks. This is the soft golden sandy coast with great beachbreak (use areas where lifeguards are!)
On leaving Lacanau we headed down the coast through BAssin D' Arachon, climbing the biggest sand dune in the world, Mimizan and stopped at Seignosse by Hossegor, another Aire for £7 per night, again police controlled, toilets, water, emptying point. Great water park near the beach here and nice town. I would like to return here next year. we travelled down to Biarritz but thought it looked like Torquay!
Returning back up we stopped at Chatelion plage South of La Rochelle free night again, a day paent in La Rochelle is worth it too.
Next night was at Lamor Plage (Lorient) another free night and great setting by the beach, returning to Quimper for the day before heading to Roscoff for a night in a hotel and ferry home in the morning.
A great 1600 mile round trip.

Best advice is to go and do what you want as you get there, we found a lot of the sites by chance. Just look for a few campervans and think safety in numbers. Enjoy.

your trip sounds great plymat - i remember goingto lacanau as a kid in a trailer tent - stayed in a big forest in a place called bombannes - loads of cycle tracks right to the beach... brilliant!

i was wondering about the aires - are they really ok, or are they a bit on the rough side? i have heard conflicting opinions! i think if they were not too great, the missus would be off in a hotel, and i would be in the camper on my own!!!

ojsmith wrote:your trip sounds great plymat - i remember goingto lacanau as a kid in a trailer tent - stayed in a big forest in a place called bombannes - loads of cycle tracks right to the beach... brilliant!

i was wondering about the aires - are they really ok, or are they a bit on the rough side? i have heard conflicting opinions! i think if they were not too great, the missus would be off in a hotel, and i would be in the camper on my own!!!

Lacanau is great for surfing and has fantastic long sandy beaches! I travelled the west coast with two friends a couple of years back. Watch you don't get stung by the toll roads though, stick to the smaller (and much more intersting) roads. We started in the North West of England and travelled straight to Biarritz, which was more or less exactly 1000 miles.

Have a good one...

Andy

Thanks for all this info guys...

Bit snowed under with work at the moment but can´t wait to sit down and plan our route with your info.

Thanks again

HI Joe - maybe see you there as we'll be down that way from 10th Sept. (1 Week at a campsite in Messanges, which is 10 mles north of Hossegor, the 2nd weel more luxurious - a house in Hendaye right on the Spanish border). I'm still taking the Syncro though!

The park at Messanges (it's called les vieux port) is almost at the end of the season in Sept, and although it's massive and full of EuroCamp style tent homes and mobile homes - it's very pleasant that time of the year. (I wouldn't like to be here during the school hols!!!!). The best pitches for camping/vans are the closest to the sea. It's also got the largest water park in France for a campsite so kids love it, you can easily hire bikes etc. It suits us fine, though I fully appreciate that it might not be everyones cup of tea.

We've got 2 kids under 3.5, so it'll be a straight down as quickly as possible (Poole->Cherburg fast cat crossing) - one stop at the Venise Verte campsite (which is about half way), and then straight on to Messanges)

I've been going to this neck of the woods on and off for nearly 20 years....and love it. Never done Aires though so can't comment (the missus likes a little more luxury).

Oh and if you have any spare time (and you like to surf), then nip over the border and go see Mundaka....it's a stuningly beautiful location.

Enjoy yourself and I'll look out for you!
Rich

Bonjour bonjour,
We have just returned from a 16 day road trip around the South West of France. Our itnierary in biref...
Day 1 Calais to Limoges..stayed in fab municipal just off autoroute. We travelled round Paris on A86 then on through Orleans....don't be put off by driving past Paris. We followed Bordeaux signs and was easy
Day 2 to the Dordogne. Stayed just outside of Sarlat. Intended to do 2 nights but decided to halve hourney to the coast.
Day 3 Aguilone. Municipal. Really cheap on the river Lot.
Day 5 Arrived Cap Breton/Hossegor area. Totally mobbed. Van had a minor breakdown. Stayed in an Aries....just outside Seignosse. Had loos. Got the van sorted next day. Used ETA breakdown so glad we had them.
Day 6 Having unsuccessfully tried EVERY site in this coastal area we moved a few km inland. Found a lovely municipal in St Julien and so spent the next 5 days going to lots of places. Contis Plage, Cap d'homly, Biscarosse, Moliet, messanges, Arcachon Bassin.
Day 10. Up to Lacanau....had booked in here at Les Grand Pins.....3 nights all singing and dancing place. Good as didn't do any driving for 3 days but was costly.
Day 13 La Rochelle. 1 night..had inteneded to do 2 but municipal a bit out of the way and dear for what it was.
Day 14 Langeasie..Loire Valley
Day 15 Attin...just outside of Le Touquet
Day 16...home

Total 2,500 miles. Phew. We thorughly enjoyed it but was tiring at points. The van is cleaned and ready to go again and already we are planning next years BIG trip!!!

ojsmith wrote:your trip sounds great plymat - i remember goingto lacanau as a kid in a trailer tent - stayed in a big forest in a place called bombannes - loads of cycle tracks right to the beach... brilliant!

i was wondering about the aires - are they really ok, or are they a bit on the rough side? i have heard conflicting opinions! i think if they were not too great, the missus would be off in a hotel, and i would be in the camper on my own!!!

Aires are very good. Most have the local police driving around checking everything is okay.

Big Boris wrote:Bonjour bonjour,
Day 5 Arrived Cap Breton/Hossegor area. Totally mobbed. Van had a minor breakdown. Stayed in an Aries....just outside Seignosse. Had loos. Got the van sorted next day. Used ETA breakdown so glad we had them.
Day 10. Up to Lacanau....had booked in here at Les Grand Pins.....3 nights all singing and dancing place. Good as didn't do any driving for 3 days but was costly.

That's the site we stayed in, a good one we thought.

At Lacanua we stay in Airotel just through the forest.