Home Base for a Month in France?

France is huge and varied. Have any of you been to some regions of France before. Do you prefer a base with a pool in a hot July location, a cooler coastal northern location, a rural wine area? If you've begun to look at at some guidebooks what area are you drawn to? It would be easier to recommend bases if you had an idea of region in this varied, large country.

Weather-wise, Normandy or Brittany would be a good choice.

We have only really visited Paris before, but we've read a number of tour books. The regions that appeal to us are Provence, Dordogne, and Brittany-Normandy. We were hoping to have a place with a pool where the kids could frolic at the end of the day, but we were concerned that Normandy and Brittany might not have pool-worthy weather. As Southern Californians, we are allergic to the cold!

hey eastlake
will you be using public transportation or having a car?

We assumed we would need to rent a car since we would be making day trips from town to town.

I would guess pool water in Provence would be warmer than Normandy and I haven’t encountered heated pools in Europe. It is great area to explore too.

Yes, you need a car to explore.

When you've settled on a region, Gites de France can help you find a good rental. I believe they generally rent by the week, from Sunday to Saturday, but for a month you might get more flexibility. Or, with that much time, consider two different regions for a couple of weeks each.

It can be very hot in parts of France in July. Or in June, for that matter. Check wunderground.com for actual day-by-day July temperatures for several recent years in places you are considering.

I would consider 2, 2-week stays. I've done one week stays in several places in France.

That said, a place with a pool near the Dordogne River somewhere in the vicinity of Beynac and st cyprien would be where I would most want to spend an entire month. There's a lot of great things to do, amazing food, a relatively predictable climate, no mosquitoes and river beaches to swim at (in addition to the pool) and night markets to hang with people. To me, this is head over heels my top choice.

If I were to break it up, my next choices for 2 week stays would be northern Brittany, Catalan country, and the Alps. But I think I would get bored spending an entire month there.

One week in Provence was plenty for my family. The mosquitoes in Provence can be a drag. Not a big deal if you stay in a city but the country house we rented with a pool was swarming with them in the evening, so we spent more time inside than expected.

The Loire is wonderful but one month would be too long for me.

I've not been to Normandy and I can't stand the area around and including Nice - just my opinion.

One more note for what it's worth I love Aqualand water park. There are 5 or 6 of them in France. Water slides are the best.

Happy planning.

Matt

Hmmm? With 8 of you and if you all want to ride together, you will need something bigger than a car, especially if you plan to put your (hopefully carry-on) luggage in it. Otherwise you will need 2 cars.

Gemut.com has a good free downloadable PDF on renting cars in Europe: What you should know about renting a car in Europe in 2018. Car rental issues may affect where you decide to stay.

Booking.com is also a good source for finding apartments and other kinds of accomodations that aren't hotels or B&Bs. The teens will count as adults. Where you stay may be affected by what's possible for the 8 if you.

Combining the number of you, the kind of place you want to rent and the kind of vehicle(s) you need will be an iterative process for sure.

Our first trip to France we stayed in a gite near Sarlat. We were there for a month and enjoyed it very much. Great food things to do nearby and within an hour or so away. We've also spent two weeks in Provence and enjoyed it as well but we prefer Dordogne. We were back to Dordogne three years ago bringing our grandson for his high school graduation present. He brought a friend and they had a great time. We'll be back there for another month this September. We prefer to pick a place with things we like to do and stay there for at least two weeks rather than moving around every few days. That way we can find our favorite restaurants, pastry shops, markets etc. It's home for the period we are there.

If you go to Dordogne one of our favorite markets is in St Cyprien on Sunday morning. We pick up chicken, potatoes, carrots, deserts, cheese, wine and have lunch/dinner on the terrace of our gite. A wonderful experience.

Where ever you decide to go it will give you memories for a lifetime!

Burgundy would be a great choice. Beautiful country, towns, abbeys, villages. The Dordogne would be good. Normandy/Brittany would either be good. We have spent a week at a time in all these areas and they lend themselves to what you want to do.