travelfan1

We are considering a two week end of June trip to France to possibly include Mont St Michel, the Loire Valley and the Drodogne area. Have only been to Paris. Originally the trip was to be to Italy to include the Amalfi Coast and Tuscany/Umbria, we revised and changed that trip to February and chose another destination for June. However for reasons which will make this too long, I don't really want to have to wait 3-4 years to travel to the Italian or French countryside so.........

I started researching France, know there are different climates and have become overwhelmed. But first...is there enough of a temp difference to warrant visiting France at this time? instead of Italy? We love castles/palaces/chateaus/cathedrals, medieval villages, quaint towns and gorgeous natural scenery. The gorge area looked incredible and so does Anncey. Lavender fields in Provence appeal to the photographer in me but it will be hotter there...correct?

With two weeks (maybe an extra day or two), pleeeease.....what are your recommendations for areas/towns which MAY be slightly cooler?...am I correct that the Drodogne area isn't as hot as other areas of France? I do know that weather can be a crap shoot and temps certainly can't be predicted...but some guidance in areas GENERALLY with lower temps would be greatly appreciated. Order for touring with the warmer locations first?

I know you'll ask...yes, we will probably have a car for part of the time but prefer using public transportation when possible.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!
PS And I'm still trying to learn the areas so if I've said something incorrect, please forgive me.

ira

Hi T,

In June, Dordogne and Burgundy, Dordogne and the Tarn, The Lot, Tarn and Dordogne Valleys, Dordogne and Alsace, Alsace and Burgundy, Alsace and the Black Forest of Germany.

Also Western Austria and Bavaria.

Images2

The end of June is perfect for the lavender fields in France. It usually isn't to hot. We've spent the end of June in this area several times, and only once was it uncomfortably hot.

StuDudley

This June, Provence was quite cool. Not so in '05, or 03. Northern & mid France was rainy much of the time in June. People reported that it was the rainest & coldest June in the Paris region - so it was probably also the coldest & rainest June in Brittany, Normandy, Loire, Alsace & other areas around paris. In Late June of '97 it was VERY cold in the Dordogne - and rainy too. We had the heater on most of the time in out Gite, & we really didn't enjoy the outside

travelfan1

Interesting weather info so far.....I can pretty much guarantee if we do go in June it will be hot...much to my husbands dismay a warm front seems to follow him whenever we're on vacation.

Thanks for the responses so far!

StuDudley

PC had a mind of it's own.

We didn't enjoy the outside activiities because if the constant rain.

Define hot????? Are you taling about Texas 115 degree hot. Washington DC hot with the humidity???. LA 90 degree hot with low humidity? I think Provence is much more like LA than the other two areas of the US. We spent this entire June in Provence, and we dined out at restaurants about 20 times. It was too cool to dine outside about 15 of those 20 days.

In '05 when it was very hot, we spent mid-day in the air-conditioned car, air-conditioned restaurants, or in the pool.

We've spent well over 50 weeks vacationing in different regions of France. We return to Provence most often, followed by the Dordogne, and then Brittany.

Like Images2 said, the Lavender will be blooming in late June in Provence.

If I wanted to "show off" France to my sister, I would book her an open jaw to Toulouse, then back from Paris. Spend the first night in Toulouse - one of my favorite towns. Then spend 6 days in the Dordogne in 1 place - in the Beynac/Roque Gageac/Sarlat area. Then drive to Provence, and stay in St Remy for 3 nights, and then move a little west to the Luberon and enjoy that region of Provence with a few trips to the Lavender fields around Sault & the Albion plateau. Then catch the TGV from Avignon to Dijon and spend the night in Dijon - my favorite town outside of Paris. Early the next morning, take the TGV directly to CDG airport for the flight home.

You didn't ask, but I would not visit Italy in Feb. In late March, however, Tuscany is stunning around the Val d'Orcia (Pienza region). Also that time of year, Florence isn't mobbed with tourists & it's much more enjoyable.

Early tomorrow we're heading to Maine for a week, back home for a week, then to France for a month - so I won't have any time to participate in this thread after today.

Stu Dudley

StuDudley

>>St Remy for 3 nights, and then move a little west to the Luberon <<

correcting my own mistake - the Luberon is east of St Remy.

Stu Dudley

travelfan1

We're from the Northeast US however hot will be high 80's and humid. It's the humidity we don't like. Would prefer 70-80 with no humidity but I know that's not realistic.

Stu - as far as Italy..we're doing the cities at that time...Venice, Bologna and Florence.....which is why I really want to get into the countryside in June.

No one has mentioned the Loire Valley...would this be a bad time?

StuDudley

I was re-thinking about the hot years in Provence in mid/late June.
'07 cool/warm
'05 warm
'04 warm
'03 hot
'02 hot
'99 warm
'97 cool

cool is 70 or less most days
hot is 90 or more most days
warm is in between

Stu Dudley

kerouac

In 2007, we're still trying to warm up in August.

StuDudley

I've never been anywhere in France that's as humid as what I've experienced in the Atlantic coast in the summer. The farthest north I've visited was Westport Connecticut (miserable), and DC (worse).

IMO, the big cities in the south of France take the biggest toll on me if it's really hot (again, always low humidity). I usually try to stay in the shade, which is cooler because of the low humidity.

The last two times we were in the Loire it was mid Sept, and early Oct - and the weather was fine. I think it gets more humid the farther north you get - but the few times we've been there in June it was nothing like DC or Connecticut.

See if St Cirq can add some advice. She lives in the DC area, and has a second home in the Dordogne.

Stu Dudley

Stu Dudley

annhig

hi, travelfan,

the loire would be great in June. If you are lucky, you would catch the end of the spring displays at Villandry plus have lovely long evenings for wandering around towns, the countryside, meals outside. also lots of good "son et lumiere" productions.

Also brittany/normandy should be fine. the Dordogne might well be warmer as it's further south [obviously!] but with a more continental climate, thanyou other 2 suggestions.

you could easily combine the Mont st. michel area and the loire in a 2 week trip.

also Stu Dudley's ideas are as ever excellent.

regards, ann

ms_go

Just to fill in the gap in Stu's list above, we were in the Dordogne and Provence in mid/late June last year (06) and it was hot--in the 90s and virtually rain free. I recall it being a little cooler in the Languedoc (at least for the few days we were there).

smartcookie

I doubt anywhere in France will be as humid as the US area you're describing. I think most places in June will be around 70-85, especially early June.

I would strongly recommend Toulouse and the areas around there, and you can even add Bordeaux or Avignon etc only around 2 hours away by TGV. Based on what you like, you would love Toulouse. Of course, I'm biased since I lived there for a year. However, I've visited many areas of France and still think it's the best city in terms of real French culture with paved streets etc where you still have access to the best restaurants etc.

StCirq

I used to spend the entire month of June in the Dordogne, every year for about 10 years. It was, for the most part, delightful weather (80s, little humidity), except for the year it rained 21 days in a row! July and August are when you get real heat and real humidity, much like what we get here in the DC area, but even then it tends to cool down at night, which it doesn't much in DC. I think your chances of nice weather in the Dordogne in June are good.

uktravelover

The Loire is lovely in June but can sometimes be wet. Alsace has the best wine run - the villages are very picturesque. If you want something different try Vichy and the nearby gorges. You could always do a Saone /Rhone river cruise and get a different view of some lovely towns - Lyon, Avignon, Arles, etc.