Outdoor travel experiences in France

Indeed, Provence is a good region to start for a mix of traditional sightseeing and outdoor experiences. June is sometimes on the warm side for hiking (still feasible with hats, plenty of water, etc) but good for swimming. Outdoorsy bases in Provence that spring to mind would be
- Cassis, to hike and swim in the Calanques
- Verdon gorge area (Moustiers), to visit said gorge
The region is not great for untrained bikers however, as it is quite hilly and local drivers are fast on the narrow roads.

The Loire Valley could be interesting for you too, with great, safe, flat biking and all the châteaux and small towns to discover along the way.

Possibly Alsace too, but I've only ever made quick sightseeing trips there so not too knowledgeable about outdoor stuff.

And thinking about the box, there's Corsica, too. Stunning island with a very mountainous interior (elevation up to 9,000 ft), dramatic coastline, lots of hiking opportunities, good food and wine, but few historical sites.

Most of France is uncrowded and near towns with good cuisine. There is a lot less sprawl there than here. The land-use patterns are different, in part because of more expensive gasoline and subsidized rail.

Cycling in France can be challenging because of the common (for far from universal) geological pattern of limestone plateau punctuated by river valleys. Unless one sticks to the valleys there can be quite a bit of up and down.

I think Provence is a strong candidate for you if you would be happy without the cycling. There are many charming walks and hikes, and the sights to visit range from charming to astonishing.

It's a dry region but there are swimming beaches on rivers; I once took a dip at the Pont du Garde, and there are beaches on the Sorge. Check out the Transhumance celebrations in St Remy and elsewhere.

Some good idea in both comments. As for Alsace, we've stayed there several times, and probably did more walking during our time there than in any other trip in France, especially the week we stayed w/o a car.

I find Provence in summer unbearable. It is a dry arid country at best and in summer hot and arid. My choice would be the Dordogne where you have the option of kayacking on the Dordogne river in a gorgeous scenic area past villages and chateaux. There are lots of hikes in the area and of course the caves. The food is wonderful in this area. The villages and towns are beautiful and in July and August you have the night markets where people meet on the town square where there are tables and vendors selling ready to eat foods and you can dance under the stars. You can see our night market experience here:
https://janettravels.wordpress.com/2017/07/25/perfect-place-for-murder-commarque-chateau/
and a day we spent visiting a village and walking in the countryside here:
https://janettravels.wordpress.com/2017/08/01/montferrand-du-perigord-and-its-12th-century-stone-church-st-christophe/
There are also hiking trails in the area.

You can also find plenty of opportunities to wander from village to village, often along the Marne or Seine rivers near Paris. Simms book an hour from Paris identifies less well known towns and many of the entries provide instructions for continuing a walk to other towns: Here are a couple of examples:
https://janettravels.wordpress.com/2015/11/18/conflans-sainte-honorine-easy-day-trip-from-paris-with-big-payoff/
https://janettravels.wordpress.com/2013/03/03/moret-sur-loing-for-charm-always-follow-the-impressionists/

Many thanks to everyone. Your suggestions are exactly what I was hoping for. Some of the places I've heard mentioned but know nothing about (Cassis and Dordogne) and others are totally unfamiliar (Transhumance in St. Remy, Alsace) but all sound fun and exciting to research for next summer. Had no idea that Provence was so hot even in June so maybe areas near a river or coast would be best. Thanks again!

When we were in Cassis for six months, the hiking club I belonged to stopped hiking from June to September. It was too hot.

There are so many areas to explore in France, including many not covered in RS guidebooks or barely mentioned, as far as I know: Auvergne, Lot, Northern Burgundy (Chablis, Auxerre, Guedelon), and more. I would have included Normandy and/or Brittany but weather could be dicier or glorious there in June. (I have to admit that I use only the Michelin green guidebooks in France.)

Check out Rick Steves Provence book. That’s how we discovered Vaison la Romain. It’s a great sized town. Lots of cycling and hiking available. Plus Roman ruins and a medieval hill top village. We were there in June.

hey hey adrienne (a close by neighbor)
we will be spending a week in annecy, near geneva middle of next month. have never been but so excited about going, train from paris to geneva about 3h15min then taxi, bus or train to annecy.
there is lake annecy, small town fill, restaurants, shops, outdoor activities including bicycle riding, renting a boat to cruise around the lake, swimming, fishing, paragliding, sitting at cafe to relax and people watch, enjoy the food.
i'm sure anywhere you go in summer will have some crowds because of high season.
annecyvacation.com
thecrazytourist.com (15 things to do in annecy)
taxiannecygeneva.net she writes a blog about things going on in annecy and villages around lake annecy, also places close to geneva.
hope this gives you another option to look at.
will be back to states after october 2, if interested i can send you a pm after we return.
aloha

There are several RS travel groups in the Bay Area. Browse this forum section. They meet about once a month to share experiences, planning, and guidebooks - and just talk travel.

A fabulous ski trip to Chamonix in the French Alps one March revealed that in summer, the lifts keep running, and that opens up hiking galore. There’s even an ice cave you can visit by train.

In the Loire, we rented bicycles in Amboise, to visit the Chenonceau chateau. This Forum has described boating around there, too, which I wasn’t aware of previously.

Way north of Nice, the Tarn gorge offers hiking, and phenomenal views.

Rick Steves’ guidebook and PBS shows have described canoeing on the Dordogne for a long time. We did that some time ago, staying in Beynac. Easy boating, compared with some other things we've done . . . No whitewater rapids to navigate!

A much tougher boating adventure, which resulted in a long nap the day afterwards, was a 2-day sea kayaking trip to an island off the west coast of Brittany, and camping on that island. Our tour company was very professional, safe, and made the adventure possible, but paddling miles and miles required some energy and personal commitment!

Speaking of Brittany, its Pink Granite north coast offers incredible hiking, with up-close views of fantastic and bizarre pink rock formations, and seaside views like nowhere else.

Sunscreen and a windbreaker/rain jacket in June are nice to have.

I would go to the Auvergne in central France where you can do a ton of outdoor activities. Also, the Alps. Hiking, hang gliding, hunting, fishing, etc. YOu can do canyoneering in Provence.

Thank you everyone. So many terrific ideas to pursue. It's fun to consider trying new outdoor activities like kayaking and canyoneering. (Interestingly, I recently found an article about horseback riding in the Bois de Boulogne so outdoor activities can be found in Paris as well.) I've put the Michelin Green Guide (have never used it as reference before) and Rick's Provence on hold at our local library and look forward to researching everyone's suggestions, including the RS travel group in the Bay area. My geographical knowledge of France is sure to make a quantum leap by the time next summer rolls around thanks to all of your ideas.

I really enjoyed hiking up to 13th century castle ruins in the Languedoc area. The hikes aren't hard, usually 30 minutes to an hour up, an hour or two exploring, and 20 to 30 minutes back down. I was there June of 2018. The area is green and pretty, rolling hills and forests like Burgundy or the Dordogne, and less crowded than most French destinations.

June is too early to count on trails near Chamonix being opened. Hiking alpine trails is something to plan for August (possibly July and September). I was in Chamonix in mid-September. It was great to see spectacular views but my hiking plans were somewhat spoiled by an early season snow. It closed everything higher up so I could only walk lower trails.

The other good place to avoid crowds is Brittany. I didn't go on any great hikes there but there are a lot of outdoor activities to enjoy.

Provence wouldn't be my first choice in June. It's quite hot and the winds also kick up through the spring. Vacations are too short to have several days of sight-seeing spoiled by monster winds. I have friends who have returned from Provence in the spring, the thing that stands out in their memory is the wind. I'd suggest Provence for late September/early October.

Right, Brad, Le Mistral - wind so significant they gave it a name!

And Adrienne, part of learning the geography of France is that almost all of it is wine country- they’ve figure out a way to get grapes to grow almost everywhere, except in Normandy and Brittany, that’s cider (“cidre”) country . . . Apples grow up north, so cider, pommeau, and calvados are the local tipple.

Regarding Mistral /wind in Provence : yes it's annoying, but mostly so between Dec-Mar. By June, while it does happen it is both less cold and less frequent... Hence the heat at that time of the year.

Nice to do is walking / hiking the trails along the cliffs of the Norman coast north of Le Havre. It’s already many years ago, but little has changed so nowadays still beautiful there. I have walked the trail between Bénouville and Étretat, stunning views for example from Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde.

You might also consider the Languedoc region, particularly Le Herault department. Lots of outdoor activity opportunities, good food and wine. We stayed in a small village near Pezenas, which has lots of cafes and restaurants as well as artisan shops. We daytripped to Carcasson, Collouire, Albe, Nimes, la Camargue and Arles from there, and did an overnight trip to the Gorge du Tarn. Mediterranean beaches are about 30 minutes away. This area is not as heavily touristed as Provence.

Le Herault, Pezenas, Nimes, Benouville, Le Havre, Languedoc, etc. It's a good thing that I have a comprehensive atlas that shows all of the places mentioned on the map of France. I've underlined so many towns and regions so far that I can't wait to spend the next several months researching and note-taking. I'm relieved to hear that the mistral won't be too bad by the time we travel in early June. Hiking the trails in Languedoc and along the cliffs by the sea in Normandy all sound terrific and learning the regions of France by their wine production will certainly make geography doubly beneficial and enjoyable. Many thanks everyone. My perception of France has expanded exponentially and it's marvelous.