France need some advice

miss choc

I have been to Paris over 10 years ago and felt this year it would be nice to explore some other parts of France. Looking to go with my partner in Spring for a week. I am torn between Loire Valley, Dordogne area or Provence they all look nice but dont want to be rushing can't realistically fit the 3 areas in. Any preferences? Not worried about coastal but if it can be combined with
with visiting charming towns & villages that would be nice. We like cafes, culture, beaches, castles and good food and wine. I was a bit put off by Monaco and cote d'azur strip as more into the rustic charm and old culture than expensive designer shops, casinos etc dont think I would get the old French charm but I could be wrong. It would be nice if we could get it a little warmer in April than Dublin too preferably.
Also where would be a good base (in either of the 3 places mentioned) for day trips and seeing local towns/villages?

marseille

That's a tough one. Those three regions are all amazing in their own right.

I am from Provence myself (just outside Marseille), so I will try my outmost to give you an unbiased opinion and not push Provence to the fore (that's going to be hard).

To be honest the food, cafe and culture you'll get in all three regions. The beach you won't get in the Loire Valley or Dodogne. But in April, you wouldn't be doing much sunbathing anyway.

The Cote d'Azur and in particular Monaco would not really be representative of France that much. A lot of it is just for show, the prices are crazy, well, let's say I'm not a big fan. I'm glad it did not put you off my country.


Weather wise Provence will be your best bet. The Dordogne is actually a little bit higher up and a bit more north so a little colder. The Loire Valley is definitely more northern so it would be colder too.

Provence:
You won't get that many castles around, but a good few very old towns that are really nice. I would particularly recommend Aix-en-Provence and Avignon. Both easily accessible from Paris on the TGV so that's handy (flights to Marseille only start in May / June).

Aix is known locally as the town of the thousands fountains. If you go there you'll understand why. As far as the cafes are concerned. Aix is tough to beat. A beautiful old town with a wealth of 17th & 18th century building.Loads of restaurants and cafes to sit and watch life go by. It's a little gem.

Avignon is quite similar, only bigger. It also has the fortified walls (remparts) surrounding the old town which is fairly cool and the Pope's palace to visit, where the popes lived in the 14th century. Provence is also full of quaint little villages and plenty of food markets. April is a good time to visit as while busy enough it won't be crowded either.
On the sea side then you have Cassis and its 'Calanques',which is lovely (but unbereable in high season). They are basically little inlets that you access by boat and Cassis is a old fishing village. The scenery is absolutely gorgeous. I would avoid Marseille though which isn't a really nice town and Toulon which is an eyesore. If you do decide for Provence and want more in depth advice let me know.

Dordogne is great too. Frankly food wise, it's the best of the lot if you are into duck, foie gras and walnuts. The South West of France is probably one of our best region for eating with the Lyon area. There is plenty to see, from the Lascaux caves (pre-historical cave) and the many many castles and old towns. I would recommend the town of Sarlat. It's like stepping back in time, and has been used in many historical movies. You feel in every street like the 3 musketeers are going to appear on their horses. Sarlat has a food market which is famous country wide.

The Loire Valley I know a little less, so I can't give you that much advice. If you do decide to go there your only problem is going to narrow down which grand castle you are going to visit. There are so many of them and they are all so impressive!

The slow paced lifestyle, you'll see it in all 3 places. The good wine you'll get in all three to. You have the rose in Loire region. The Rose de Provence and the Cote du Rhone in Provence and the Bergerac and Cahors wines in the Dordogne.

I hope this was helpful. If you want more info (especially on Provence and Dordogne) let me know.

Simply based on the weather though I'd say go south and leave the Loire Valley for the summer (Provence is unbearable in the summer, too hot and too busy with tourists).

Spanish Eyes

Have you considered Cathar country? It is in the South not far from the Pyrenees. Plenty of castles...and really lovely towns and villages, great grub too! And easy to get to from Ireland.

http://about-france.com/tourism/cathar-country.htm

I have visited this area a few times, and I find something new every time! It is off the beaten track to an extent but so charming. The real France IMV.

You can fly into Carcassonne which is delightful in its own way, but some think it is just Disney land castle....however, I loved it. But one day and night is probably enough, then EXPLORE!

If you don't want to hire a car, you can take the local train from Carcassonne to lovely little towns and villages to the South. Like Limoux (famous for its Blanquette wine, and loads of wine makers places to visit and taste in the town), and Quillan. Totally lovely, on the river, with the Pyrenees in the background.

If you do have a car, well how long is a piece of string! You will love it I think.

I did the loop from Carcassonne, over the Pyrenees to Puicgerda in Spain, then to
Andorra, and back up through Cathar country. Foix and Mirepoix are great towns to stay the night in. Amazing castles high up on the hills. Ah go on.

I wish I was there now.

miss choc

Thanks for all the helpful posts I won't be driving but will be a toss up now between Dorgogne or Provence I was in the Pyrenesse before and Andorra but the other places sound beautiful too. Love the French food (apart from fois gras and snails), wine, castles, beaches. France is great the way it can be so like the Med in one area and very mountainous with castles, caves, gardens they next the culture is similar but with different experiences and climates in each place.

jt_dublin

Hi MissChoc,

I have been to both Provence & the Dordogne. I would opt for Provence in April, the main reasons being that the weather should be warmer & you should find a lot more places open. We stayed in the Dordogne in September and a lot of places were closed. Even finding restaurants open was not easy. Plus there was just no night-life. We just wanted a restaurant-bar with some atmosphere but could not easily find it.

In Provence we stayed in a lovely town called Vaison La Romaine and would totally recommend this area. The town has old roman ruins, forum, amphitheatre and a roman bridge that is still in use. It is a small town but has a good selection of restaurants and still retains it's local French feel rather than being overly touristy. There is a great market there each week with all the streets taken over.

There are lots & lots of villages around here and some of them such as Seguret are on the official list of "the most prettiest villages in France". If you like historic villages & beautiful countryside, then this really is the place to go. They are all so close by and some are so small that you can visit a few in one day.

This website might give you more info about the area and the villages.

http://www.vaison-ventoux-tourisme.com/en/what-to-see/les-villages/vaison-la-romaine

This is the house that we stayed just a few minutes outside of Vaison. It is a small farmhouse that has been renovated. It's quirky! There is a large supermarket 2 minutes drive away.

http://www.abritel.fr/location-vacances/p574118

One of the bigger towns that I would recommend visiting is L'Isle sur La Sorgue. It is very pretty and has a lovely vibe. We also did a day trip to Avignon but found it too big & touristy, so retreated back to the calmness of Vaison very quickly!

We flew in & out of Marseille. Vaison is only about an hour & a quarter drive from there. At the end of the holiday, we spent our last night in Les Baux de Provence, to be closer to Marseilles for our early flight home. Les Baux is relatively untouched and is really a step back in time, and so it gives you an idea of what these hilltop towns were like a centuries ago. It is very touristy but is worth spending a half day here. We stayed in this great hotel below the town. Some of the rooms are built into caves! Plus the restaurant used to be Michelin star but they felt it was too rigourous. You still get the best of food but without the Michelin star price!

http://www.tripadvisor.ie/Hotel_Review-g1819081-d310356-Reviews-Taven_Residences-Les_Baux_de_Provence_Bouches_du_Rhone_Provence.html

I hope this helps. If I can give you any more info, please let me know.

JT.

marseille

I would absolutely second JT Dublin about Vaison la Romaine it is a wonderful little town and 'the real deal'. If you are interested in Roman ruins then the town of Orange is very close to. Only about 20km and has a Roman Antitheater still in use and a Arc de triomphe still standing.