Southern France suggestions
Jul 8th, 2015, 06:21 PM
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Southern France suggestions
We (2adults) are planning a vacation for 2 weeks in southern France starting the last week in August. We will start and end in Toulouse. We will skip the Mediterranean coast due to the crowds. We do plan to hike to see the Cirque de Gavarnie and spend time in the mountain areas. It looks like we may stay in Lourdes or Cauterets and base from there. We will have a car. We do not speak French. Then we plan to head to the Atlantic coast and stay south of Bordeaux. Any suggestions on towns and/or hotels/chateaus to stay in are welcome. Thanks!!!
Jul 8th, 2015, 06:58 PM
#2
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 22,986
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Lourdes has a medieval castle which is also a regional museum.
Look up the Pic du Midi d'Ossau for another day's outing.
Lourdes may be crowded because of pilgrims and Cauterets as a mountain resort. Argelès-Gazost might be an alternative. Saint-Savin, nearby, has an interesting church. The Col du Tourmalet has nice views over the Pyrenees. It might also be possible to drive to the Pic du Midi de Bigorre and hike up to its observatory--it's a dirt road.
On the eastern side of the Pyrenees there is a little train that goes from Prades to La Tour de Carol. There are some famous monasteries (St. Martin du Canigou for one) in the area.
There is a train ride up La Rhune in the French Basque country.
It might be useful to get the Michelin Green Guides that cover that area.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/mksfca...5043/show?rb=1
Look up the Pic du Midi d'Ossau for another day's outing.
Lourdes may be crowded because of pilgrims and Cauterets as a mountain resort. Argelès-Gazost might be an alternative. Saint-Savin, nearby, has an interesting church. The Col du Tourmalet has nice views over the Pyrenees. It might also be possible to drive to the Pic du Midi de Bigorre and hike up to its observatory--it's a dirt road.
On the eastern side of the Pyrenees there is a little train that goes from Prades to La Tour de Carol. There are some famous monasteries (St. Martin du Canigou for one) in the area.
There is a train ride up La Rhune in the French Basque country.
It might be useful to get the Michelin Green Guides that cover that area.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/mksfca...5043/show?rb=1
Jul 8th, 2015, 10:14 PM
#3
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 23,117
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Oh, I loved Toulouse! It is, IMO, a wonderful city.
Have you already booked your flights? Open-jaw options -- those that take you into one city and leave from a different one -- are often better options, particularly when you consider the cost of backtracking.
If you ARE already committed to starting and ending in Toulouse, you might consider putting all of your time in that city at the end of your trip -- that would let you cut out one change of hotels (assuming that you would want to be in Toulouse in advance of your departure).
IME, you don't need to be able to speak French to have a delightful experience in this part of the world, but knowing a few basic civilities should serve you extremely well. I recommend that you learn, at the very least, the words for hello, thank you, please, delicious, and wonderful. Depending on your interests, you might also want to learn the words for wine or coffee -- and if you do either of those, learning to ask where the bathroom is might not be a bad idea. ;-)
Enjoy!
Have you already booked your flights? Open-jaw options -- those that take you into one city and leave from a different one -- are often better options, particularly when you consider the cost of backtracking.
If you ARE already committed to starting and ending in Toulouse, you might consider putting all of your time in that city at the end of your trip -- that would let you cut out one change of hotels (assuming that you would want to be in Toulouse in advance of your departure).
IME, you don't need to be able to speak French to have a delightful experience in this part of the world, but knowing a few basic civilities should serve you extremely well. I recommend that you learn, at the very least, the words for hello, thank you, please, delicious, and wonderful. Depending on your interests, you might also want to learn the words for wine or coffee -- and if you do either of those, learning to ask where the bathroom is might not be a bad idea. ;-)
Enjoy!
Jul 8th, 2015, 11:08 PM
#4
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 8,159
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I know the area pretty well- have a place down there. Your query is fairly open, but here goes nothing.
Don't stay in Lourdes. It's quite an industrial and unpleasant town, other than the obvious attraction. I have never been to sanctuary, but am told the evening service is lovely. Cauterets is a far better option.
The Castle at Pau is well worth the visit and Pau is a lovely city. Tarbes is not, but, for an off the wall tourist experience go and see the haras at Tarbes. Visit the Jurancon wine area and try the wine. Avoid the poisonous Basque stuff with all the XXs in the name
Visit the caves at Gargas. Don't miss St Bertrand de Comminges.
I love Arreau as a quiet stop off.
Drive over the Col de Tourmalet (watch the Tour de France this week for a reference).
Please don't miss Gascony; the quiet agricultural area between Toulouse and St Jean de Luz. Masses of lovely mediaeval villages and bastides, and fantastic food everywhere.
Don't stay in Lourdes. It's quite an industrial and unpleasant town, other than the obvious attraction. I have never been to sanctuary, but am told the evening service is lovely. Cauterets is a far better option.
The Castle at Pau is well worth the visit and Pau is a lovely city. Tarbes is not, but, for an off the wall tourist experience go and see the haras at Tarbes. Visit the Jurancon wine area and try the wine. Avoid the poisonous Basque stuff with all the XXs in the name
Visit the caves at Gargas. Don't miss St Bertrand de Comminges.
I love Arreau as a quiet stop off.
Drive over the Col de Tourmalet (watch the Tour de France this week for a reference).
Please don't miss Gascony; the quiet agricultural area between Toulouse and St Jean de Luz. Masses of lovely mediaeval villages and bastides, and fantastic food everywhere.
Aug 3rd, 2015, 01:38 PM
#6
Last year I went to the stunning Gorges of Kakuetta in the Pyrénées, which I present for your kind consideration.
http://tinyurl.com/kakuetta
http://tinyurl.com/kakuetta
Aug 3rd, 2015, 03:12 PM
#7
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 16,434
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Like sheila - I would not recommend staying in Lourdes. We stayed near Argeles-Gazost for 2 weeks in 2012 and drove through Lourdes several time on the way to "elsewhere". I think Sheila described it pretty accurately. Cauterets would be a much better choice.
Here are three restaurants we enjoyed - this is from something I posted last year.
We dined at two very nice restaurants, which are also hotels in the Vercos mountain region in the Pyrenees. They are close to each other - both just south of Argeles Gazost. So for 3 nights, you could stay in one, dine at both, plus the restaurant I mention below. The first one is La Grange aux Marmottes in Viscos (population 44). www.grangeauxmarmottes.com . The second one is Les Viscos in St Savin (population 372). www.hotel-leviscos.com .
Our best meal in the region was in Cauterets (just outside to the south) at l'Abri du Benques. 05 62 92 50 15. However, they could not "accept" our magnetic stripe credit card - so we paid cash.
Stu Dudley
Stu Dudley
Here are three restaurants we enjoyed - this is from something I posted last year.
We dined at two very nice restaurants, which are also hotels in the Vercos mountain region in the Pyrenees. They are close to each other - both just south of Argeles Gazost. So for 3 nights, you could stay in one, dine at both, plus the restaurant I mention below. The first one is La Grange aux Marmottes in Viscos (population 44). www.grangeauxmarmottes.com . The second one is Les Viscos in St Savin (population 372). www.hotel-leviscos.com .
Our best meal in the region was in Cauterets (just outside to the south) at l'Abri du Benques. 05 62 92 50 15. However, they could not "accept" our magnetic stripe credit card - so we paid cash.
Stu Dudley
Stu Dudley
