We have a trip booked in September, flying in and out of Toulouse. The current plan is to spend a week in Lot, then head southeast for a week each in Var and Vaucluse. However, we recently learned from a friend near Cassis that the spring-fed fountains in her village are already dry, which really opened our eyes to how bad drought conditions are in much of Europe. We are considering cancelling our accomodations in Var and Vaucluse and booking in areas in which summer drought is only "possible" or "probable" as opposed to "very probably", according to the map recently released by the French Minister for the Ecological Transition. What are your thoughts?
I know September is months away, but it doesn't seem likely that the drought would be broken in the summer. I'm not wild about parched landscapes and low lakes and rivers (probably wouldn't be a good year to visit Isle-sur-la-Sorgue!), but we are most concerned about wildfires. It's pretty sobering to think of trying to dodge fires, and we know from our own home area what it's like to live with smoke from distant fires. At any rate, we have a pretty good window before we take a big hit from cancellation.
Posted by
la la land...
848 posts
I think you have answered your own question...
I am just back from Paris, and the wildfires in the south of France are already happening. Looks ominous for the summer.
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
15174 posts
I wouldn't change any plans. Nobody knows what the situation will be in September. It could be raining a lot in August and the fear of drought would be gone.
But if the prospect of visiting France during possible droughts and wildfires terrorizes you, you could come to California instead. We rarely have droughts and wildfires.
Posted by
OP
Gig Harbor
3 posts
Roberto - or I could just stay in Washington.
Posted by
Twin Cities of MN
5581 posts
You could consider modifying the trip to go somewhere else. Maybe the Atlantic Coast near Bordeaux? or Basque Spain/France? or Lyon? Toulouse has a TGV station
Posted by
L'Occitanie, France
10195 posts
Thank you for being conscientious. It's dry here, and everyone is concerned for the farmers and livestock. Catalonia is even drier. It's good that you have options.
Posted by
Edmonds, WA 🌨 ☂
11180 posts
we have a pretty good window before we take a big hit from cancellation.
Start working on "plan B", but do not make a hasty decision. When the 'free cancel window' is starting to close then decide on what to do. Who knows, but the weather pattern that has been soaking Italy could move west, or not.
Posted by
OP
Gig Harbor
3 posts
Jules and Joe -- this is the direction I am leaning.
Posted by
Mid-Atlantic area
6546 posts
Currently in Alsace and there is plenty of water in the streams, rivers, and fountains. There are plenty of picturesque towns one can visit; so many that we’ve cut a couple out of our itinerary.
All we see while driving around are vineyards. They are everywhere.
Posted by
464 posts
So when we visit our coastal ports of Barcelona, Marseiille and Villefranche/Nice on our cruise in early July we will likely experience drought conditions. Was so hoping some recents rains in the Med would have reached them. Sorry these areas continue to suffer. Crops, vineyards, livestock and their beautiful vegetation. And wildfires already! Makes me sad. Hope some rain comes. Even if we are there.
Posted by
L'Occitanie, France
10195 posts
You aren't going to see parched earth; Everything is green right now, even Catalonia on the Spanish side (when I was there last weekend), but people aren't allowed to fill their pools, wash their cars, water lawns, the usual California restrictions. People are still flushing toilets, washing dishes and clothes. It's just nice of the OP to be conscientious about a looming problem.