As per title - got a shade under two weeks in France in August with the road bikes and a Campervan. The last couple of years we've done cycle tours (Loire Valley : Nantes to Dijon & The Rhone : Dijon to Montpellier) but this year looking to take the good road bikes and do day rides with the Campervan as a base.
I won't get away with doing col after col so the Alps is not ideal - (I dare say I/we will get one col in though). After a fairly frantic few months we are looking for more chilled ~ 100km flatish / undulating rides with decent cafe's, views and wine.
So what region / campsite suggestions you got?
Provence. It's got sun, lovely quiet rural roads, lavender, olive groves, gorges, hills that are big enough but not too big, great food. I've been there with roadie pals and done some real road biking and I've done a road riding holiday with my wife and it was perfect for both. I'm a mtber but it's the only place I've been that can get me enthusiastic about road riding. We based ourselves in Buis les Barronies, about 40k NE of Mont Ventoux and it was ace
Provence will be very busy (on the roads too) in August and damn hot for cycling.
Vosges?
2nd the above! There’s a nice campsite in Villes Sur Auzon, right at the bottom of the Gorges de la Nesque and a 15km ride to Mt Ventoux. Loads of quiet non mountainous roads too. Right next door is a Cavè for wine and an awesome pizza place in town. I’d go every year if I could!
EDIT - could well be very warm though, we’ve been in late June and early September in the past.
I live in Millau, which is at the bottom of massif central and about 1h30 minutes from Montpellier.
It is not as hot as Provence. The roads can be as hilly as you want. 2 weeks might be repetitive. But lots of activities like canoing, via ferrata, anything outdoor. And the mtb is even better.
The Limousin. Much quieter than the typical French holiday areas in August, both in general and out on the roads. Beautiful rolling hills with twisty roads, plenty of lakes, village cafes and both the Tour du Limousin and the Dun le Palestel criterium if you fancy watching some pro racing. Campsites range from very quiet to quite touristy (Lac de Vassiviere). No regional wine of vineyards but that doesn't stop it being drunk!
Thanks - we have just under 2 weeks so happy to a few days here, a few days there and move around a bit.
Provence is lovely though - we cycled through there last year on the latter stages of the cycle tour and we had about a week of 40'C temps.
Shirley somewhere more nothern/small mountainey for temperature ,Jura etc?
Jura would be my shout too. Bit cooler, mountainy, bit quieter, perfect.
Jura - that sounds like a good shout! thanks.
Agreed, Provence / Luberon / Verdon is stunning but can get too hot in July/Aug.
Vosges or Jura based on past trips, Vercors or Massif Central maybe as places on the list. Morvan area is nice, hilly but not mountainous. Vosges and the other side of the Rhine into the Schwartzwald is a gorgeous area.
Just got back from 2 weeks in our van in France. We spent the first week in Bedoin at the base of Ventoux. Brilliant road riding from proper mountains to quite flat. As said above the gorge de La Nesque is a fantastic day out. The second week we headed north to Allemont in the Alps. This gives you Alpe D'huez and the Croix de fer and some amazing balcony roads. One of the best holidays I've been on . However once you hit July and August both areas get a lot busier.
Massif Central in August is very hot but it's been a wet, cool spring and we're having hotter weather here in uk at present.
The Auvergne has some amazing road cycling on offer and if the weather stays this cool it's worth a visit.
Salers and the Puy Mary are worth an overnight or two