Suggestions re our Tentative One-Month Plan for SW France

[Lexma90]

My spouse and I are now semi-retired, and have been able to take a number of month-long trips to Europe. We're planning our next, for May, and would appreciate input. We are trying to spend more time in each place, and do spend lots of quality time sitting with a drink at outdoor cafes, but I am a person who gets a bit antsy. At home, I do a lot of hiking, biking, cross-country skiing, etc. so want to incorporate the first two of those into our travels (spouse is more ok with more relaxation). We aren't big tour people, though I think we would enjoy a couple of good niche tours here and there (I have had very good experiences with ToursbyLocals).

We have booked flights into Nice and out of Paris. Most of the places for this trip, we've been to before, and want to return, though we also like new places. We also have realized that we do really like time in big cities, and we're big art / museum people. We will pick up a rental car upon leaving Nice and drop it upon entering Bordeaux. We like towns that are big enough to have a good variety of restaurants; I like window-shopping but don't tend to buy much.

If you have smaller, nearby locations to suggest visiting or staying in, that would be great! And while we don't want a succession of one-night stays, we have found that sometimes a one-night stay works in nicely with the planned route.

Nice - This is the one place we have not been to before. Neither of us are beachy people. 5 nights?
St. Remy or Arles - We have been to and stayed in both locations (on different trips). 5 nights?
Sarlat - Probably drive there via Rodez, I'm thinking of staying one night in Rodez or Figeac on the way, and including Montpellier on the way. Have visited Carcassonne and that area ("Cathar country") several times and very much enjoyed that. 5 nights? We've stayed in Sarlat and a couple of other places in the Dordogne in the past, and we really like Sarlat to stay in, though I know that's not a universal choice.
French Basque County - Definitely hiking here. Haven't decided where to stay, we're considering Espelette, Ainhoa (a little small for us perhaps, but great restaurants), Sare? 4/5 nights. (Last year I hiked one segment of the Camino, over the Pass of Roncevalles, and it was a highlight of my trip.)
Bordeaux - Two nights? We spent one night here on a trip to the French and Spanish Basque country, before training to Paris, and were delighted
Train to Paris - 6/7 nights?

Thanks!

 

[mismirr]

I highly recommend Basque Country. I just returned from a week on the Spanish side, then a one-week stay at the hotel Arraya in Sare. I found Sare to be a very lovely village and a convenient base. Ainhoa is another good choice, with a bit more window shopping opportunities though may be fewer restaurants. There are a few good restaurants in Sare and a number of restaurants in short driving distance. Neither town will give you more than a few hours of window shopping; they’re both so small. Espelette is very cute but more touristy so I’m not sure that would be my first choice. The whole region is gorgeous; I did a couple (moderate) hikes straight from Sare and they were wonderful. The Rune train is also based right outside of Sare and that’s a fun afternoon with nice walks on top. Another base option people like around there (I didn’t get to it) is St. Jean Pied de Port, one of the starting points for the Camino. It might have more to offer in the town itself if that’s what you’re looking for.

 

[Pauline]

A place that I like, which would replace St Remy or Arles, is Uzes (near the Pont du Gard - the huge Roman aqueduct). I haven’t been to the Basque Country but it’s been on my list for ages!

A few notes about Uzes just in case.

We’ve stayed in Uzes 3 times. You can hike from the town or nearby. You can hike along the remains of the aqueduct. Lots of restaurants and shops. Lovely cafes in the main square. Big Saturday market.

Occitanie - Pont du Gard and the Nîmes Roman Aqueduct

The Pont du Gard, an ancient Roman bridge, is part of the Nîmes Roman Aqueduct that carried water from Uzès to Nîmes. The bridge, which crosses the River Gardon, is essentially three bridges built one on top of the other to reach the required height. The lower bridge has six arches, the next has...

www.sloweurope.com

Occitanie - La Lèque Standing Stone

The La Lèque Standing Stone (Menhir de La Lèque) is the tallest prehistoric standing stone in the Gard, standing over 18 feet tall (5.6 meters). The stone has been shaped and polished. It is near the village of La Lèque and is difficult to find but is well worth the effort. This is the best...

www.sloweurope.com

You could visit this on the way if you haven’t seen it already.

Occitanie - Saint-Roman Abbey

Saint-Roman Abbey (Abbaye de Saint-Roman) is an ancient troglodyte monastery dug out of rock by hermits and monks. Excavations to create the abbey started in the 5th century but many parts were built in the 12th century. Parts of the abbey were created using a natural grotto which has been used...

www.sloweurope.com

One of my trip reports. It’s been over 10 years since we’ve been there!

France - Uzes and Forcalquier - May 2014

We leave on Friday for southern France, for two weeks. Flying into Marseilles and picking up a rental car. Driving to Saint Remy where we stay in a hotel for one night. The next morning we drive to Uzes where we have an apartment for a week (this apartment). This is our third visit to Uzes...

www.sloweurope.com

 

[Penn251]

Here is a useful thread on French Basque country bases - it also linsk to Parigi's helpful response to a similar question that I had posted here, https://www.sloweurope.com/communit...-rec-sare-or-ainhoa-for-base.8260/#post-49896

 

[Lexma90]

Thanks for all of the suggestions.

Mismirr, could you provide any additional information on the hikes that you took from Sare, such as the distance and the terrain? I'm collecting hiking ideas.

We spent three nights in Espelette last year, and while I also wasn't sure whether I would like staying there, we actually really enjoyed it. We were mostly out of town during the day, but spent lots of time at a locals' cafe in the morning and evening, and watched tourist trickle in, then out, of the town.

Pauline, we've been to Pont du Gard and Nimes Roman Aqueduct and couple of times, but the other suggestions are new to me, and I do like things like the menhir. Embarrassingly, I think we've been to Uzes, but I'm not entirely sure, and my past trip notes aren't detailed enough. The castle looks familiar.

And Penn251, yes, I've read that thread and Parigi's suggestions, that's why I added Sare to the list of lodging locations!

 

[dayhiker]

On our last trip to France 2 years ago, we stayed in Nice for 4 nights before heading to Aix and St Remy for hiking. Plenty of museums and walks to take in town. There was a really nice coastal path from the main area along the water, a bit rocky and up/down, and you can come back the same way or take a bus back from Villefrance-sur-Mer if you get that far. If you stay in Nice longer, you could take a train to one of the towns in the hills outside of Nice for a hike.
We use All Trails extensively in both the U.S. and Europe and find it pretty accurate. We took a wonderful loop hike near Pont du Gard, leaving all the people behind. Cassis has some good hikes, from easy to difficult. Our other stays in France have been in Sarlat, Quillan, MIllau. Also consider the Central Massif for someplace really different and untouristed. It has very unusual terrain. Enjoy your travels!

 

[Eleanor]

I've only driven through Sarlat but we did spend a week based in Montperrier in 2013. We loved the area, despite the weather not being as good as it could have been.... It was off the usual tourist trail and quiet and unspoilt. There were so many small villages and towns to explore. We were intrigued by the fortified villages (St Martin d’Oydes and St-Félix-de-Tournegat) and churches (St Polycarpe, Montjoie and Lapenne) which were so different..And then there was the church in Vals that was on three levels and partially carved out of the rock.

If you are interested my trip report with lots of photos is here.

 

[mismirr]

Thanks for all of the suggestions.

Mismirr, could you provide any additional information on the hikes that you took from Sare, such as the distance and the terrain? I'm collecting hiking ideas.

We spent three nights in Espelette last year, and while I also wasn't sure whether I would like staying there, we actually really enjoyed it. We were mostly out of town during the day, but spent lots of time at a locals' cafe in the morning and evening, and watched tourist trickle in, then out, of the town.

Pauline, we've been to Pont du Gard and Nimes Roman Aqueduct and couple of times, but the other suggestions are new to me, and I do like things like the menhir. Embarrassingly, I think we've been to Uzes, but I'm not entirely sure, and my past trip notes aren't detailed enough. The castle looks familiar.

And Penn251, yes, I've read that thread and Parigi's suggestions, that's why I added Sare to the list of lodging locations!

Hi, sorry, I haven’t been back on in a while. Tour de Sare is the hike loop from Sare that I liked. It had some rocky parts but overall moderate. Some lovely views. It was a few hours.
Tour de Sare on AllTrails

Tour de Sare

A hike in the Basque Country that begins in Sare, a village voted one of France's Most Beautiful Villages. Sare, with the Ibanteli, Axuria and Rhune mountains at its feet, is sure to delight those seeking immersion in Basque culture. This itinerary passes through Suhamendi, a mountain in the...

www.alltrails.com

 

[wco81]

You can spend a lot of time between Nice and Marseille, there's so much to see, without lounging at the beach.

What kind of hikes are you interested in? Something that involves a lot of gain in elevation? Or would you be content with long hikes along the coast, more of a day or half-day hike with great scenery?

Tour of Cap Ferrat Hiking Trail • Ultimate France

An easy coastal walk round the beautiful Cap-Ferrat peninsula in the South of France. Trail notes and route description. Plus recommended places to stay.

www.ultimatefrance.com

I'm not a bicyclist but there are mountain roads not too far from Nice. But for sightseeing, there's Monaco, Eze, Antibes, with many museums in the area.

Around Marseille, the Gorge du Verdon to the NE don't appear far, though I've only reached it going west from Nice/Cannes. To the north, there is Aix-en-Provence and Avignon, further on there is the Luberon villages like Gordes and Rousillon. I believe May is too early for lavender in the Luberon.

A lot of these rural roads are narrow but I see cyclists challenging themselves on them. Along the coast, I don't see cyclists, the roads are more busy and probably less safe for cyclists.