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Sunday nightMr Moofo wrote: Tue May 21, 2024 2:43 pm ...We will stay with them Friday and leave Sunday.
We have a channel tunnel crossing on Wednesday and will come back the following Wednesday.
I have two nights before staying with them, and four nights after...
I can't count ...Saga Lout wrote: Mon Jun 10, 2024 11:17 amSunday nightMr Moofo wrote: Tue May 21, 2024 2:43 pm ...We will stay with them Friday and leave Sunday.
We have a channel tunnel crossing on Wednesday and will come back the following Wednesday.
I have two nights before staying with them, and four nights after...
Monday night
Tuesday night
I make that three nights. Somebody can't count, is it me or you?
Not if you are ze germans!Mr Moofo wrote: Sun Jun 09, 2024 11:07 pmI did German at school. As a result France is still a land of mystery
Ate at Bar André - a bit averageDefTrap wrote: Thu May 30, 2024 1:17 pm I've only driven that full route a couple of times - it's a loooooong way even on the fairly clear autoroutes, so you'll need at least one overnight stop. I did it once at Le Mans but it's not exactly pretty.
Angers is ok, quite pretty - I ate at Bistrot des Ducs when I was there, really good. Blinding steak - and I don't eat steak that often because meh you get it everywhere in France.
I really like La Rochelle. You'll only be interested in the old town and it's small so always gives the appearance of being rammed, so I wouldn't spend more than a day there. But it's pretty enough down there for a wander and sitting by the port quaffing beers in the sunshine is lovely. My favourite hotels are Maison des Ambassadeurs and Le Champlain, both very centrally located, and properly old-school French hotels - there's a decent carpark closeby under the main square. If eating, everyone plumps for those massive plates of shellfish. I can't really recommend anywhere to have that because shellfish isn't really my thing - but I'm told Bar André on the port is the best for that. Personally I would go round the corner from that to a great Italian place Le Comptoir italien. For caffs, my favourite is Cafe Moliere (just down the street from Maison des Ambassadeurs) as it's properly French, but if you want the full on big ritzy french caff experience then you have to go to Cafe de la paix (a hundred yards the other way)
Yeah you should have gone to the Italian place.Mr Moofo wrote: Fri Jun 14, 2024 7:27 am
Ate at Bar André - a bit average
Old town lovely - but lots of street drinkers
Staying out side at a Sawday recommendation, which is very good
It is unbelievably crap. Now in St Emillion and it is like a wet Sunday in Wales!DefTrap wrote: Fri Jun 14, 2024 8:04 amYeah you should have gone to the Italian place.Mr Moofo wrote: Fri Jun 14, 2024 7:27 am
Ate at Bar André - a bit average
Old town lovely - but lots of street drinkers
Staying out side at a Sawday recommendation, which is very good
I've never quite seen the interest in a pile of shellfish or oysters.
Have fun, but please take this rubbish weather with you.
We would have gone Newhaven to Dieppe but I left it too late and the ferry would have cost us 450 quid! Hence the tunnel ( which when they change to rules in Oct is going to be a true fuck up )mangocrazy wrote: Fri Jun 14, 2024 12:10 pm This is probably late to the party and smacks a bit of the old Irish joke 'if I was wanting to get to there I wouldn't be starting from here', but...
Have you considered giving Calais as your entry point a miss and instead driving down to Portsmouth and catching the ferry to Caen? Your route using Calais as a starting point means that you are exposed to the gravitational pull of Paris for nearly a third of the entire distance, plus you're driving through some fairly industrial and uninspiring places. If you enter at Caen you have a pretty much uninterrupted straight shot down to Bordeaux and journey time is reduced by over two hours. The scenery you pass through is also much more agreeable.
Caen (actually it's Ouistreham) is a much smaller port and you're out of it and onto dual carriageway in a few minutes. Caen/Ouistreham to La Rochelle is easily doable in under 5 hours and if you use the overnight crossing you're easily on your way by 8 a.m. with the whole day ahead of you.
We've used the Portsmouth-Caen route for the last 10 years of visting France (I tried Calais, Le Havre, Le Chunnel and even Zeebrugge) and it's comfortably the best for us and we live in Sheffield. YMMV, of course.
The first time I visited St Emilion it was just like that, but in August FFS. But it is very pretty and totally surrounded by vines. If you're there after dark you'll see loads of bats hunting moths that are drawn by the rampart lighting.Mr Moofo wrote: Fri Jun 14, 2024 6:03 pmIt is unbelievably crap. Now in St Emillion and it is like a wet Sunday in Wales!DefTrap wrote: Fri Jun 14, 2024 8:04 amYeah you should have gone to the Italian place.Mr Moofo wrote: Fri Jun 14, 2024 7:27 am
Ate at Bar André - a bit average
Old town lovely - but lots of street drinkers
Staying out side at a Sawday recommendation, which is very good
I've never quite seen the interest in a pile of shellfish or oysters.
Have fun, but please take this rubbish weather with you.
St Emillion was lovely - off to Perigeux tonight and the beginning the journey back up northmangocrazy wrote: Fri Jun 14, 2024 6:10 pmThe first time I visited St Emilion it was just like that, but in August FFS. But it is very pretty and totally surrounded by vines. If you're there after dark you'll see loads of bats hunting moths that are drawn by the rampart lighting.Mr Moofo wrote: Fri Jun 14, 2024 6:03 pmIt is unbelievably crap. Now in St Emillion and it is like a wet Sunday in Wales!DefTrap wrote: Fri Jun 14, 2024 8:04 am
Yeah you should have gone to the Italian place.
I've never quite seen the interest in a pile of shellfish or oysters.
Have fun, but please take this rubbish weather with you.
Is that anywhere near Perigueux?Mr Moofo wrote: Sun Jun 16, 2024 8:56 amSt Emillion was lovely - off to Perigeux tonight and the beginning the journey back up northmangocrazy wrote: Fri Jun 14, 2024 6:10 pmThe first time I visited St Emilion it was just like that, but in August FFS. But it is very pretty and totally surrounded by vines. If you're there after dark you'll see loads of bats hunting moths that are drawn by the rampart lighting.Mr Moofo wrote: Fri Jun 14, 2024 6:03 pm
It is unbelievably crap. Now in St Emillion and it is like a wet Sunday in Wales!
arse - I was there two nights ago and it was shut ! - but last night Blois and tonight RouenSadlonelygit wrote: Sun Jun 16, 2024 4:38 pmIs that anywhere near Perigueux?Mr Moofo wrote: Sun Jun 16, 2024 8:56 amSt Emillion was lovely - off to Perigeux tonight and the beginning the journey back up northmangocrazy wrote: Fri Jun 14, 2024 6:10 pm
The first time I visited St Emilion it was just like that, but in August FFS. But it is very pretty and totally surrounded by vines. If you're there after dark you'll see loads of bats hunting moths that are drawn by the rampart lighting.
20km from me
FWIW, i agree with this.mangocrazy wrote: Fri Jun 14, 2024 12:10 pm This is probably late to the party and smacks a bit of the old Irish joke 'if I was wanting to get to there I wouldn't be starting from here', but...
Have you considered giving Calais as your entry point a miss and instead driving down to Portsmouth and catching the ferry to Caen? Your route using Calais as a starting point means that you are exposed to the gravitational pull of Paris for nearly a third of the entire distance, plus you're driving through some fairly industrial and uninspiring places. If you enter at Caen you have a pretty much uninterrupted straight shot down to Bordeaux and journey time is reduced by over two hours. The scenery you pass through is also much more agreeable.
Caen (actually it's Ouistreham) is a much smaller port and you're out of it and onto dual carriageway in a few minutes. Caen/Ouistreham to La Rochelle is easily doable in under 5 hours and if you use the overnight crossing you're easily on your way by 8 a.m. with the whole day ahead of you.
We've used the Portsmouth-Caen route for the last 10 years of visting France (I tried Calais, Le Havre, Le Chunnel and even Zeebrugge) and it's comfortably the best for us and we live in Sheffield. YMMV, of course.
If you stick with the original plan, let me know as you can 'drop into France' from Italy very close to me (I'm only a couple of hours from Switzerland too!)Docca wrote: Wed Jun 19, 2024 5:26 am I’ll be having a bit of a road trip to Marseille with one of my boys beginning of August. Rest of family flying. Watching thread with interest- thanks!
I was tempted to schlep over to Luxembourg/ Switzerland/ Italy and then drop into France. Now I’m tempted to go via Caen. Couple of nights en route.
Look at the Col de l'Iseran, Col de Petit St Bernard, possibly the Col de la Madeleine. Maybe ??!! 
I would say that the East side is more varied.Docca wrote: Wed Jun 19, 2024 5:26 am I’ll be having a bit of a road trip to Marseille with one of my boys beginning of August. Rest of family flying. Watching thread with interest- thanks!
I was tempted to schlep over to Luxembourg/ Switzerland/ Italy and then drop into France. Now I’m tempted to go via Caen. Couple of nights en route.
And those are really good to do on a motorcycleNoggin wrote: Wed Jun 19, 2024 7:28 amIf you stick with the original plan, let me know as you can 'drop into France' from Italy very close to me (I'm only a couple of hours from Switzerland too!)Docca wrote: Wed Jun 19, 2024 5:26 am I’ll be having a bit of a road trip to Marseille with one of my boys beginning of August. Rest of family flying. Watching thread with interest- thanks!
I was tempted to schlep over to Luxembourg/ Switzerland/ Italy and then drop into France. Now I’m tempted to go via Caen. Couple of nights en route.
Hell yes! Well, not done the Madeleine yet - that was this week's plan with the sunshine, but back put paid to that!!Mr Moofo wrote: Wed Jun 19, 2024 8:32 amAnd those are really good to do on a motorcycleNoggin wrote: Wed Jun 19, 2024 7:28 amIf you stick with the original plan, let me know as you can 'drop into France' from Italy very close to me (I'm only a couple of hours from Switzerland too!)Docca wrote: Wed Jun 19, 2024 5:26 am I’ll be having a bit of a road trip to Marseille with one of my boys beginning of August. Rest of family flying. Watching thread with interest- thanks!
I was tempted to schlep over to Luxembourg/ Switzerland/ Italy and then drop into France. Now I’m tempted to go via Caen. Couple of nights en route.
Sunday nights in rural France are a wee bit dull.Mr Moofo wrote: Tue Jun 18, 2024 9:16 pmarse - I was there two nights ago and it was shut ! - but last night Blois and tonight RouenSadlonelygit wrote: Sun Jun 16, 2024 4:38 pmIs that anywhere near Perigueux?Mr Moofo wrote: Sun Jun 16, 2024 8:56 am
St Emillion was lovely - off to Perigeux tonight and the beginning the journey back up north
20km from me