I'm planning a tour of France in May that at this stage has the loose plan of starting in Alsace and ending in Carnac (this is essential as I have an event to be at).
Are there any particularly good riding hotspots between these to points?
The alternative is to stick to the east of France and play in the Alps then when we drive back get dropped off at Paris and catch a train to Carnac. Is that likely to be more fun?
For reference we're both relatively handy riders and will be on 140-160mm bikes.
Have done a bit in the Massif Central. I think there's a bike park/uplift at the ski station there but we didn't visit it.
Each village/town has its own set of trails but they are much more XC type routes though quite technical in places. They are marked by small (8cm or so square) stickers on road signs and posts. They are graded but the grades seem to be based on metres of ascent per Km so you can get quite a technical blue. There's also quite a difference between how each village has graded its routes.
The Vosges mountains are a fantastic place to ride. Rounded, forested hills, not super high - the Grand ballon tops out around 1450m - really beautiful part of France. I've only done XC stuff there as a tourist (some brutal loops, so much climbing), so don't know the gnarlier stuff, but for sure it's there. La Bresse bikepark is there which I think is a WC track? so prob potential for a bit of uplift stuff as well.
2nd the Vosges suggestion.
Bit off route, possibly: I went for walk up Puy de Dome when I was in Clermont-Ferrand for work. Some ace singletrack up there, it might be good all along the volcano chain - 40km long Chaîne des Puys.
Edit: I went a-googlin' - some ideas: http://www.languedoc-nature.com/MTB-Massif-Central?language=en
Once spent a week mountain biking in the Massif Central, great fun :D, as said above it was more XC routes than downhill.
Managed to sneak up Puy de Dome while we were there, the walkers were cheering us on as we descended the singletrack with cries of "allez allez". Quite a contrast to the typical British rambler response.......... 8)
clermont ferrand is a good area to head to.
Puy De Dome and Le mont Dore