Please recommend an area you enjoyed that would be convenient for a few days as we travel from Ireland to the south of France in late July. We'd consider any of these: a beach location, a rural area, an historic region, an area where we can feel safe walking (either in town or the environs) - a place with a fun and upbeat feel. Warm and welcoming local ambiance. Affordable? Am I asking too much? We can do car/train/plane.
Posted by
Gig Harbor, Washington, USA
1819 posts
I assume you mean you have six days to fill between Ireland and Southern France?............. If so,you could take a ferry from Cork to Brittany. Once in Brittany you could head south west to Quimper and Carnac, then make your way down to your southern France area. Or you could work your way east into Normandy, seeing Dinan, St. Malo, MSM, Bayeux, Rouen, Honfleur. We enjoyed all of the towns I named; however, we have not yet visited southern France. Brittany and Normandy have lots of ruined castles and abbeys.......Edit: I HATE hot weather, so we currently only travel to places with moderate temperatures in summer; saving the warmer spots for post retirement. I could also give you suggestions for Scotland, southwestern England, northeast England, or Norway if any of those catch your fancy. Flying, you could easily get anywhere in western Europe in 2-3 hours.
Posted by
OP
Seattle
3 posts
Thank you! Any suggestions for locations outside of France? We're open to flying to southern Spain or Portugal, for example.
Posted by
Boston
4132 posts
Martha, you said "convenient." I assumed you meant, convenient logistically to the south of France (a very big place, are you seeing it all or just Provence?). Now you ask about Portugal and Spain. If you are willing to fly, you can make anyplace with an airport "convenient." And you have many many options. So what kind of travel experience do you want to have during those days?
Posted by
OP
Seattle
3 posts
By "convenient," I was thinking of somewhere either en route to Montpellier or in the general vicinity. So southern Spain would be great. And you're right - anywhere we can fly to would be workable! I just wanted to hear from anyone who had a favorite little town or village or beach resort area. Any of those would be fun for our few days.
Posted by
Boston
4132 posts
Martha: Logistically, unless you fly, I don't think you want southern Spain, but rather Catalonia (Barcelona, Figueres, and environs). That would be 3-4 hours from Montpelier by train. Alas, we have never been to that part of Spain, though we did spend a few days in French Catalonia.
Posted by
Monein, Pyrenees, France
425 posts
There are ferries from Plymouth in SW England to Santander in northern Spain ... http://www.brittany-ferries.co.uk ... it's a nice journey from there through the Basque country and along the Pyrenees to the Mediterranean. Roger