[Closed] Places worth visiting on the way to S France

Milau Bridge?
Futuroscope at Poitiers?

Millau viaduct - That would be my first choice as well

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The Musee de la Paix in Caen, as well as the cemeteries. Moving. Stunning and very, very moving.

Paris: stop in a cheap hotel with its own car park and see the sights using public transport. The Ventoux is only just off your route, leave the family in a cafe in the village at the bottom and ride up the classic climb.

Good suggestions thanks. Keep them coming. I like cool engineering so that viaduct looks interesting.

[url= http://www.secondworldwar.co.uk/ora_tour/oradour.html ]Oradour-sur-Glane[/url]

It plays on the emotions a bit though

Hi Edukator thanks but done Paris. However you read my mind about Mt Ventoux. Not mentioned it to the missus yet though.

Pont du Gard if we're talking engineering (roman style ), while you're down that way, the city of Arles with its ampitheatre and the medieaval spice town of Uzes.

However you read my mind about Mt Ventoux. Not mentioned it to the missus yet though.

Don't.

Well, well, well. That's a surprise! We're near Ventoux and we have an afternoon to spare. Who'd a thunk it.....

😉

where is Juan?

D-Day beaches if going from Cherbourg (or a slight detour from Le Havre) - Arromanches-les-bains is a must see if you're in the area

Cathedral of St Jacques in Chartres is quite nice.

lots of Neanderthal/early human stuff in St Eyzies le Tayac, in the Dordogne area.

while you're in Nice area, go visit Frejus - Roman amphitheatre & theatre are worth seeing; next door to Frejus is St Raphael, which is quite nice (but not) in Nice. Some good MTBing to be had in the Esterel massif between there and Cannes

DO NOT go to St Tropez [i]by road[/i]. If you [i]must[/i] go, get the ferry from St Raphael. But TBH there's not much there worth going for

[i] I'm fairly clueless about France[/i]

it's bigger than you think. St Malo/Cherbourg to Cote d'Azur is a long way, you probably [i]will[/i] need 2 overnight stops in both directions.

despite what you may have heard, most French folks these days do speak English - but you may have to attempt to speak French to them first 😉

last time I was there I could barely practice my French - as soon as I said the most basic sentence, I would get a reply in English - and better English than my French. If I'd started in English I probably would have got the old gallic shrug 😉

Massif Central is really nice - chilled out, nice villages, got to be some good riding too!

[i]it's bigger than you think. St Malo/Cherbourg to Cote d'Azur is a long way, you probably will need 2 overnight stops in both directions.[/i]

Eh? I hitch-hiked it in a day. Even the conservative [url= http://www.viamichelin.fr/web/Itineraires?strStartLocid=31NDJ3NDAxMGNORGt1TkRreU5BPT1jTUM0eE1EWXpNdz09&strDestLocid=31NDI3NXcxMGNORE11TnpBek5ETT1jTnk0eU5qWXlOdz09&intItineraryType=4&caravaneHidden=false&vh=CAR&strVehicle=0&itineraryCarType=0&itineraryFuelType=0&isFavoriseAutoroute=false&isAvoidPeage=false&isAvoidVignette=false&isAvoidLNR=false&isAvoidFrontiers=false&dtmDeparture=12%2F4%2F2010&distance=km&devise=1.0|EUR&indemnite=0&carbCost=1.3&autoConso=6.8&villeConso=6&routeConso=5.6 ]Michelin Via[/url] gives the time as only 10h25

I'll second Oradour, make sure you do the whole tour.

Any war cemetary, very touching places.

The old town at Carcassonne is like a fairy tale castle if that would appeal to the kids.

If you have the bikes with you then Luchon for some lift accessed riding...

Even the conservative Michelin Via gives the time as only 10h25

Yep, +1. 2 days is very leisurely.

The old town at Carcassonne is like a fairy tale castle

+1. Not just for entertaining kids. Some nice bits round there, also some very under-rated Minervois - very cheap, good wine.

I suppose that depends on what time you get to St Malo/Cherbourg

I drove bradford -> dordogne a while back & it did take 2 days, but leaving bradford at 8am meant it was 2pm before I even got to folkestone

We generally travel down with one stop from the NE - two if we're going to Spain

Without the kids, we've done Chamonix > Durham in one shot

Most of these suggestions are too far to the west for Nice, unless you are happy to do a massive detour. I would say just boot it past Paris and Lyon on to the A7 then if you want, stop at somewhere like Pont St Esprite in the Ardeche, Avignon, Aix en Provence. Or head off from Carpatras to Apt(especially on a Saturday for a mad hippy market)then Manosque and Mustiers Sainte Marie for the Verdon Gorge then down to Nice.

Its useless as a "via" point but on your way back for the ferry Le Mont St Michel is stunning.