Week in France - where to go

[Miles]

We're planning a week in France in June / July. Starting from Plymouth, so could get the ferry to Roscoff or go travel to the Eurotunnel.

The extra time spent on the ferry is pretty similar to the extra time spent travelling to the tunnel. Cost is probably similarish.

We dont want any really heavy riding days, or days on the motorway. Maybe 1500-1800 foreign miles?

Will be camping. Want decent roads and scenary.

Any ideas on where to go, and whether it would be better to start from Roscoff or Calais?

Any idea when the French school holidays are, or when the roads will start to get alot busier / prices get higher?

[markryker]

Roscoff will be a lot quieter traffic wise, the roads there are like some of our quieter country lanes, and seems an age before you get anywhere like a built up area if you are heading to Southern Britanny. I stayed in Beg meil on the south coast of Britanny, lovely route through there if you take the scenic signs rather than the dual carriageway. From there you can dart off for days to places like St Jean De Monts, St Naziere etc. Loads of camping so you havent got to worry. I did the Keycamp thing so everything was there on arrival. Cant recommend it highly enough. Give me a shout if you want the place details i stayed, pics etc im sure i can dig them out :)

[dizzyblonde]

Find Fort Boyard down the coast a little bit, but worth going for the fresh sea food..mmmmm

[Miles]

Thanks for the replies. Any more experiences or thoughts welcome!

[DarrenSV650S]

Get south asap

[ejohnh]

Go Portsmouth to Caen(cheaper and quicker(I believe!)) and head south to Central Massif region. Gorges du Tarn and Millau. We did it last may/june in constant rain on way to pyrenees, North Spain Picos and on to Santander, but it was still good lol!

[nigel]

you could come down here and ride the best roads in europe! we know many B+B's mid france to help you get here with small daily mileages.
See our site www.coupdecoeur.co.uk
and check out the videos on our site
P.s. we have one place left on the suzuki sv 2009 eurotour
see this link
http://www.sv-portal.com/forums/showthread.php?t=31564

[Scoobs]

Go Portsmouth to Caen(cheaper and quicker(I believe!)) and head south to Central Massif region. Gorges du Tarn and Millau.

+1. I did this trip last year (not with ejohnh though). Only thing is it is quite a trip to get back to the ferry on the last day. You will need about 9 hours. Possible to do it quicker but at a steady pace with a few stops (you will need them) 9 hours is about right.

[nigel]

The ferries to santander or bilbao need serious consideration, yes they are a bit expensive but when you deduct from that the cost of petrol say 7 tank fulls from calais here , then back again toll charges, wear on rear tyre and chains etc plus perhaps overnight board mid france plus meals etc all of a sudden the ferry is not that expensive!! plus you get a good nights kip and wake up an hours ride away from the pyrenees, what could be better. We are finding more and more are coming down this way because you get 2 shots at the pyrenees, one coming the other going plus lots of days out with no baggeage on board BLISS!!

[Miles]

4 of us have booked Plymouth to Roscoff for the 22nd July for a week, camping.

I think the rough plan is to hug the west cost down to around Bordeaux then cut across to Millau.

Dont really want to do any stupid daily mileages and dont want to go on the motorway.

Anyone got any thoughts on the roads we should ride, places we should go or things we should see?

[Daimo]

a) Take 2 days riding south.... Mainly motorway
b) DON'T take a tent, find a villa which is nearly as cheap. Stay in one of those.
c) Get to the Alps, love the riding :D

[Miles]

I'd rather not spend 4 days bored on the motorway in order to spend 3 fun days in the Alps.

A small tent is no problem, the flexibility is good.

[blue curvy jester]

area around la rochelle/Vandee is cool ( going 24/7-7/8 in the cage doing the eurocamp thing) and not many tolls

[custard]

there are some good roads around perigeaux and bergerac.

or just hang around caen and so on and do the d-day sites. nice coast road and the monuments and museums are interesting.

the roads get better the further south you go though...

[Tim in Belgium]

I'd autoroute it to the Vosges, enjoy them and then head through the Jura/Doubs (sp?) towards the alps, a few days in the Alps and then a one day blat back to the channel (easily doable from the northern alps).

Got a similar trip planned with a mate in September, over 9 days we should do France, Italy, Switzerland and Austria, with perhaps a little of Germany and Belgium on the way back.

Wherever you ebd up have fun!

[custard]

la rochelle is a bit of a hole to be honest - but - the isle de re is well worth a look.

[blue curvy jester]

la rochelle is a bit of a hole to be honest - but - the isle de re is well worth a look.

I meant around the area not just la Rochelle

some nice 'a'type roads forests, beachs and hopefully a decent amount of the shiny stuff from th sky