Hi - been home for 1 week from our family trip to France through Loire, Brittany, Dordogne, and French-Catalonia. I've posted the trip details here:
Check it out if you have a minute. It was really fun and built off of our 2015 trip to the Loire/Dordogne/Provence/Alps. Our pace was slower and we mixed in a lot of off the beaten path types of activities. Went to a local Breton festival, which was a hoot (singing, dancing, etc.) and to a public swimming pool, which I got kicked out of for not wearing speedos!
My favorite bits were Mont St Michel (arrived at 4pm and it was amazing), Font du Gaume, Grotte de Niaux and evening walks along the Mediterranean in Collioure.
For food - I have to say that French pork is out of this world. We had a grill in Beynac and grilled 5 of the 6 nights we were there. Ribs, sausages, pork chops, pork cutlets - all out of this world. My favorite wine was Bergerac whites and roses. 5 euros/bottle from the markets (St Cyprien and Sarlat) and I loved the Breton and Dordogne desserts!
Then only thing we saw that I did not enjoy was the Dali Museum in Figueres - too crowded for such a small place. Everything else was awesome. All of the logistics (3,000 km of driving, tgv trains to and from Paris, mix of house rentals, B&Bs, and hotel, etc.) worked out perfectly. Drop me a line if you have any questions.
Between the 2 trips, the family likes the Dordogne the best, then a 3-way tie between the Alps, French Catalonia and Northern Brittany, then a 3-way tie between the Loire, Paris, and Provence, and Southern Brittany taking the bottom spot.
-Matt