Good day to you.

From Wednesday, myself and my other half are driving through France, camping, ultimately heading for the Alps but taking our sweet time about it over a week-ish. We were thinking of staying on the Eastern side as there has to be some amazing places.

The plan is, that we drive in that general Alp direction, visit lots of gorgeous little places that you normally just drive right past on the toll motorways. At the end of the week, she is flying home from Lyon, while I stay and a friend then flies into Lyon also with his bike, and we go off into the Alps for a week of bicycle riding.

Has anyone done much pootling about that way? Most seem to go the coastal route or through the Pyrenees etc. Is there some must-see places down the Eastern fringes or are we better heading West in a roundabout way to Lyon/Alps type area?

Any help much appreciated, must-see places, must-stay campsites etc.
Cheers.

As much as I normally say don’t rush it a week is a long time…
Champagne for a night/day
Middle bit is flat and dull?
Take a run and enjoy some alps

Is it that Dull in the middle? It certainly seems it on the motorways, but surely there’s some beautiful things to see off on the little roads?

An RAC recommended route goes through Troyes, Dijon, Lyon, St Etienne etc..

Arras (and environs) for First World War battlefields and memorials
Ardennes for forests, hills, rivers etc
Troyes for forests and pigs (and pig product)
Alesia Museum northwest of Dijon
Dijon – nice town centre and then call in for Cremant on the way out towards the south
Nuits-Saint-George and the wine trail is interesting and pleasing countryside
If you’re going past Lyon then head further down to Firminy-Vert and visit the Eglise de Saint-Pierre, designed by le Corbusier and eventually finished in 2006
Go into the Jura

Why limit it to France, how about an overnight in Bruges before heading into the Ardennes?

Very helpful ap thanks! I’ll look into those.

Good shout on Bruges too thanks Smokey-jo.

Avoid travelling on Saturdays – Alasce is interesting – Motorways get you to places fast – but you will see nothing so doing a bit of planning/research is well invested.

The Jura and Vosges mountains are lovely and well worth a visit, even if you’re just driving though and stopping for lunch.
Belfort and Besancon are worth a day visit to look at the citadels, embattlements etc.
Pontarlier is the centre for absinthe if that floats your boat.

A few thoughts – one westerly one easterly – mix and match a bit ?

West
Normandy and landing beaches (American beaches have better museum and facilities). Deauville / Trouville have lovely beaches and good seafood restaurants. Honfleur pretty harbour
Castles of the Loire
Cut cross country to Burgandy (eg via Parc Morvan to Abbey de Fontenay/Chablis)
Classic wine villages of Chervy Chambertain, Volnay, Mersault, Beaune (hospice) – rolling countryside, great food wine (stock up at €5-8 a bottle direct from small Recoltant growers after tasting in their cellars – can make some recommendations)
Follow wine route via Rhone/ Macon down to Lyon
Pretty small hilltop medieval town Peruge just outside

East
Champagne Region (Reims)
Abbey Fontenay / Chablis
Alsace/Vosges
Annecy (lake and pretty town)
Lyon

Thanks all. Some really helpful suggestions. Brilliant.
Gives me something to start with 🙂
Cheers.

Reims has a nice Cathedral, have stopped there on way down to Alps before….

We did this a few years ago. We got off the ferry and drove to arras. Spent a couple of days doing the First World War thing then picked somewhere that we’d like to go to a entered the shortest route on the satnav we were using avoiding motorways. This took us down loads of tiny roads through tiny villages we would never have seen otherwise. Stopped in places we liked the look of for as long as we fancied it. Was awesome.

Stayed in Chaumont before which was a lovely little town.

Beaune is very nice too. Wine, Hospice de Beaune, mustard factory visit.

You could just happen across a little bike race that is on at the moment.

^^ not really North of Lyon any longer though

No Jamba, but there is a week to play with to get lost in France!

Sitting in beaune right now it was 35degrees a couple of days ago, forecast to be mid 20s today. Nice town with great countryside for peddling around.
Off to la bresse in the vosges tomorrow
I’d rather do longer drives and then a few days explore than the drive everyday approach. That just drags it out and all you see is stuff from the road.

In the South, the Carmague is nice and Aigues-Mortes and Arles in particular, then try to avoid Marseille, although a drive through the marina area is nice, then on to the places like Cassis & Bandol.
If you like wine then a trip up to the Cotes du Rhone region near Orange and villages like Gigondas to buy at more sensible prices.

We stayed in Chaumont at the weekend. As someone said above, nice little town. Has this most amazing viaduct which they light up at night. Really worth a visit.

@onehundredth makes a good point

picked somewhere that we’d like to go to a entered the shortest route on the satnav we were using avoiding motorways. This took us down loads of tiny roads through tiny villages we would never have seen otherwise. Stopped in places we liked the look of for as long as we fancied it. Was awesome

Exactly what I thought…except maybe paper maps so I’m not using data.

You could just happen across a little bike race that is on at the moment.

They’re due to be going through Morzine/Les Gets around the time that I could potentially be there apparently, but to be honest I think I’d rather ride me own bike. Quite a spectacle to witness though I imagine.

Thanks for the suggestions folks. Excellent stuff.