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Normandy to Arcachon - place to stay in between

Hi all! We’re planning a two week trip to France in September and part of our trip will be down the western part of France. We are currently planning to spend a couple of nights in Normandy and then head south with about 4 nights in the Bordeaux/Arcachon area. There are so many options that I’m contemplating the following:

What would be a good destination for the first night once we head south from Normandy?

Is Bordeaux/Arcachon the right destination or is there some place else to consider?

Wondering if a better move is Loire Valley to Dordogne ….

Thank you!

Hillary

Posted by
25 posts

Hi
Between Normandy and Arcachon, there is Guérande and Le Croisic, in Britannyfor exemple, or La Rochelle and Ré island. It's difficult to compare a sea resort as Arcachon, and large areas as Loire valley or Dordogne. Arcachon worth the visit, and if the weather is sunny, there is the beach, but it's in the middle of a hudge and desert pine forest, the "Landes", there is much more things to do and see in Dordogne or in Loire valley.

Posted by
2086 posts

I agree with bergoula. If you are interested in sightseeing the Dordogne and the Loire are way more appealing than Arcachon and surroudings. The latter is to my opinon more interesting for beach holidays if the weather in September is still too hot. We stayed there long ago and visited Bordeaux and the Médoc, the region north of it. Besides Dune du Pilat there was actually for the rest not so much to do there.

La Baule-Escoublac close to Le Croisic and Guérande is a pleasant seaside resort and places like Vannes and Nantes are within reasonable reach. We stayed there a year before Arcachon and remember it still as one of the better seaside places along the French Atlantic coast. For overnighting halfway between Normandy and Bordeaux not a bad place to my idea.