[Closed] France , 2018 holiday recommendations.

[url= https://www.google.co.uk/maps/ @48.2322466,-4.364883,13.66z?dcr=0]Telgruc-Sur-Mer[/url]

We stayed here for a couple of week a couple of years ago. Very lovely. Nice and French, with enough holiday fun going on. Found out once we arrived that it's an area that many French go to for their holidays. The whole Crozon peninsular is nice.
Sea is a bit chilly being on the Atlantic coast if that's important to you.

Frejus/St Raphael area is nice. Fly into Nice or get TGV. Fairly near St Tropez but tbh the journey isn’t worth it

St Jean de Monts on the Vendee looks like a built up coastal holiday resort. The weather on the Vendee won't be as mediterranean as the more southern locations, but a huge beach with all the usual beauty activities at hand.

I've always heard that Marseille is a bit of a crap hole and rough as. I've also got a work colleague who is from Montpellier and he didn't have much nice to say about that place too...but then again alot of people like to slate the area they came from, so i'd take that with a pinch of salt.

Marseille Is the French equivalent of Southampton.

It’s ok, I went there a few weeks ago. Nice enough and lots of development of the dock area.

I wouldn’t go for more than a weekend. However, you can get the ferry to Corsica which is really nice.

We really enjoyed Ile de Noirmoutier. Very flat. Cycle everywhere rather then drive. We stayed between the Plages des Dames and the main town in the north. Lovely beaches, both sheltered and exposed to the Atlantic.

Edit, and of course the TDF is rolling out from there in 2018 🙂

Thanks for the replies folks. Will definately investigate the suggestions. I've heard Marseille is rough but also heard Cassis nearby is stunning though small. France will be a nice change from Spain anyways so will give it a go.

I had a week in Cassis a few years back - 2010 - and it was pretty nice, but yes is small. Two weeks would be too much I think. It was a lazy week, ambling about, eating sea food and a bit of swimming around the calanque. Basically R&R. If you like snorkelling, climbing and scrambling the calanque is ace. Lots of restaurants and bars. I'm not sure it would be great for a proper active holiday, others may know more as we pretty much stayed in the locality all week.

We flew to marseille and got a train, very easy. TGV stops next to the local train to cassis so that would be a lovely way to arrive. Marseille I have visited before and tbh I wouldn't go back unless a stint in the Legion beckoned

I have been to ile de noirmoutier too, very nice area and a bit underrated.Some superb beach side camp sites around there

I've had holidays in most parts of France. each of the areas visited has its charms but some please more than others. We like active holidays, aren't interested in discos, night clubs or even bars and restaurants. I get bored on a beach after a swim and a few minutes watching the people go by. Think about what you enjoy doing and go somewhere appropriate.

My favourite area is the south west where the mountains meet the sea and the Pyrenees, it's an adventure playground for adults. the Alps are similar but the weather isn't as good and the lakes are cold.

The south east is great out of season but in the Summer I find it hot, busy and with anti-social holiday makers from all over Europe. The big campsites in particular seem to attract the scum of the continent.

The west coast is one big holiday resort in Summer but manages to remain civilised. Going North I like St Jean de Luz for the buzz(so long as I don't have a car to move), Biscarosse for the sea and lake, Hourtin for peace, quiet, the sea and the lake, Royan - the water is a bit murky but it's livelier than most places on the coast. The Vendée and south Brittany coasts are fine if you like beaches, sailing and messing about in water but theres not much interest away from that till you get to Carnac. If you like walking the west and North coast of Brittany are great.

The Northern coasts through to Belgium are to cold for me but the Normandy landing sites are worth a day or two on your way south.

Inland areas never get too busy apart from maybe Sarlat and Rocamadour. The Dordogne, Tarn, Ardeche are great if you like watersports, history, walking/biking, good food and drink. Les volcans de l'Auvergne are worth a visit even if only a few days. Le Grand Est combined with the black Forest makes a great holiday mixing cultural activities with sport.

As for Marseille, I worked there briefly and didn't like it, Madame won't go near the place. Cassis is too close for confort. Frejus, St Tropez are OK but as above, out of season.

Some of the big cities are worth a day or two of your holiday: Bordeaux, Paris, Strasburg, Lyon, others less so.

My advice is vary the pleasures, France has just about every landscape you could wish for apart from desert or tundra, tour around, explore.

Marseille Is the French equivalent of Southampton.

That’s a bit harsh 😉

Great city OP, old port, cathedral, mountains just behind, big Corsican influence, Marseilles is the French city with the highest propertion of non-French I believe .... that being said not sure its a family destination really

OP on that note how about Corsica. Many threads / discussions here

That’s a bit harsh

On Southampton. Liverpool or Portsmouth are closer IMO. 😉

+1 for Nourmoutier, also the isles of Oleron and Re, in that order. We found them all busy in summer as you may expect but very cycle friendly and the vast majority of tourists are French, which is pleasing. Only Med coast resort we went to was Argeles which was nice but busy and more multi-national tourism biased - we preferred the west coast islands.