Driving Though France - Relaxed

My wife and I intend to drive from England through France and down to Spain
(Tarragona) for a holiday in September. We will cross from England using the
tunnel.

We are in no great hurry. We want the journey to be part of the holiday.

Can anyone suggest a suitable relaxed route and a handful of "un-missable"
spots/towns/cities on the way down?

Our tendency is to omit Paris and avoid toll roads. Being in our 50s, a wild
social scene is not necessary...

Thanks,

Steve

On Mon, 23 Jun 2008 23:21:20 +0100, Steve wroteÂ*:

My wife and I intend to drive from England through France and down to
Spain (Tarragona) for a holiday in September. We will cross from England
using the tunnel.

We are in no great hurry. We want the journey to be part of the holiday.

Can anyone suggest a suitable relaxed route and a handful of
"un-missable" spots/towns/cities on the way down?

Our tendency is to omit Paris and avoid toll roads. Being in our 50s, a
wild social scene is not necessary...

Some slower road possibilities.
- The coastal road from Calais to Dieppe.
- Rouen, Vernon, Mantes following the right bank of the river Seine.
- Versailles, Arpajon Etampes, Pithiviers Sully sur Loire,
- A77 (nearly toll free) to Nevers, Moulin, Vichy, Thiers
- South of Clermont Ferrand to Perpignan, A75 mountain, scenic (toll free
excepting Millau Viaduct)

http://www.nordmag.fr/nord_pas_de_ca...cote_opale.htm

http://www.vernon-visite.org/
http://www.giverny-art.com/rocheguyon/

http://www.sully-sur-loire.fr/
http://www.richarddebas.fr/
http://causses-cevennes.com/defaultUK.htm
http://www.gorgesdutarn.net/decouver....php?langue=fr
http://www.ot-cevennes.com/ot-cevennes/accueil.do

Thanks,

Steve

On Mon, 23 Jun 2008 23:21:20 +0100, "Steve"
wrote:

My wife and I intend to drive from England through France and down to Spain
(Tarragona) for a holiday in September. We will cross from England using the
tunnel.

We are in no great hurry. We want the journey to be part of the holiday.

Can anyone suggest a suitable relaxed route and a handful of "un-missable"
spots/towns/cities on the way down?

Our tendency is to omit Paris and avoid toll roads. Being in our 50s, a wild
social scene is not necessary...

Thanks,

Steve



Some for a day, some for a week.

Just a few, definitely not an exhaustive list.

Beaune
Dijon
Avignon, and district.
The Riviera, anywhere from Menton to Marseilles.
Carcassonne
Pays d'Oc Vineyards

Cheers, Alan, Australia
--
http://www.flickr.com/photos/alan_s/
http://loraltravel.blogspot.com
Latest: On Indian Roads

Following up to Steve

Can anyone suggest a suitable relaxed route and a handful of "un-missable"
spots/towns/cities on the way down?

this was years ago but we followed the "route napolean" no doubt it
googles.
--
"Mike....."(not "Mike")
remove clothing to email

Great scenery, nice buildings/churches, good food, quiet roads.

Steve


"Terry" wrote in message
. au...
On Tue, 24 Jun 2008 08:21:20 +1000, Steve wrote
(in article ):

My wife and I intend to drive from England through France and down to
Spain
(Tarragona) for a holiday in September. We will cross from England using
the
tunnel.

We are in no great hurry. We want the journey to be part of the holiday.

Can anyone suggest a suitable relaxed route and a handful of
"un-missable"
spots/towns/cities on the way down?

Our tendency is to omit Paris and avoid toll roads. Being in our 50s, a
wild
social scene is not necessary...

Thanks,

Steve



What sort of things do you like?

--
Cheers!

Terry

Steve wrote:
My wife and I intend to drive from England through France and down to Spain
(Tarragona) for a holiday in September. We will cross from England using the
tunnel.

We are in no great hurry. We want the journey to be part of the holiday.

Can anyone suggest a suitable relaxed route and a handful of "un-missable"
spots/towns/cities on the way down?

Our tendency is to omit Paris and avoid toll roads. Being in our 50s, a wild
social scene is not necessary...

Thanks,

Steve


In addition to the others, I'd mention Cahors which has a spectacular
medieval bridge.


T.

"Steve" wrote in
:

My wife and I intend to drive from England through France and down to
Spain (Tarragona) for a holiday in September. We will cross from
England using the tunnel.

We are in no great hurry. We want the journey to be part of the
holiday.

Can anyone suggest a suitable relaxed route and a handful of
"un-missable" spots/towns/cities on the way down?

Our tendency is to omit Paris and avoid toll roads. Being in our 50s,
a wild social scene is not necessary...

Thanks,

Steve




If you go by way of the Dordogne, highly recomended,and are headed
toward Toulouse, then Cordes sur Ciel is a delightful afternoon stop.
Albi is another 5-6 hour stop as well. Perpignan and Carcassone as well.

--
Joseph Coulter, cruises and vacations
www.josephcoulter.com

877 832 2021
904 631 8863 cell

On Tue, 24 Jun 2008 17:17:12 +0100, Steve wrote:

Great scenery, nice buildings/churches, good food, quiet roads.


What sort of things do you like?

If you're in Provence:
Gorges de l'Ardeche,
Mont Ventoux,
Sault or Bontbrun
(http://www.ventoux-en-provence.com/v...es-bainsa.html)
- nice little towns in the middle of lavender country
http://www.alpineroads.com/forum/files/whereami_194.jpg

If you're near Grenoble, maybe a bit off your route, but the Parc National
du Vercors, just to the west of Grenoble : Gorges de la Bourne,
Pont-en-Royans and some really nice show caves between there and Villard.


--
Tim C.

On 24 Jun, 00:21, "Steve" wrote:
My wife and I intend to drive from England through France and down to Spain
(Tarragona) for a holiday in September. We will cross from England using the
tunnel.

We are in no great hurry. We want the journey to be part of the holiday.

Can anyone suggest a suitable relaxed route and a handful of "un-missable"
spots/towns/cities on the way down?

Our tendency is to omit Paris and avoid toll roads. Being in our 50s, a wild
social scene is not necessary...

Thanks,

Steve

volcano land
http://gitelink.com/auvergne/

Don King wrote:
On 24 Jun, 00:21, "Steve" wrote:
My wife and I intend to drive from England through France and down to Spain
(Tarragona) for a holiday in September. We will cross from England using the
tunnel.

We are in no great hurry. We want the journey to be part of the holiday.



The coastal route through Dieppe to Rouen is a must. Then to Honfleur,
Caen and Bayeux.
Honfleur is gem of a XVI c port. It went to sleep when Le Havre was
built, just after America was discovered, to trade with the new world.
Caen was the capital of Normandy under William the conqueror. It has the
largest fortress in europe built by him and his son Henry Beaclerc.
Bayeux houses the Bayeux (embroidery) tapestry which tells the story of
his invasion of England. It's 220 ft long and 950 years old. Unique.
Bayeux is also one of the few towns not destroyed by the allies during
the war and still has narrow streets bordered by XIV c half timbered houses.
Talking of the war, Bayeux is central for visiting the d day landing
beaches which cover 50 miles of coast from Caen to the Cherbourg
peninsula. D day was the greatest military operation ever carried out
and there are many interesting vestiges of the Atlantic wall to visit.
You need some sort of guide or your just looking at concrete blocks. You
can self guide with an audio guide.
If you can tear yourself away from Normandy there are the Loire
Chateaux, the Auvergne volcanoes and the Dordogne to visit.

cpmac