menachem

Maybe extend your stay in Millau and explore the Gorges de Dourbie towards Nant and the beautiful Templar strongholds in La Cavalerie en La Couvertoirade. The Grandes Causse are great anyway

https://www.france-voyage.com/touris...orges-2003.htm

Otherwise: Maybe rethink day 1-3 and do less driving about. Around Nant and St Jean de Bruel are great footpaths for hiking: many areas, such as the plateau north of Sauclieres have megalithic gravesites.

hetismij2

kja you are probably correct, but people do it all the time - do you book a hotel at the airport when you return from a trip rather than picking up your car and driving home? We don't, nor do most people. We would also drive from our arrival airport to a hotel away from the airport area. An hours drive is doable. More would be silly and dangerous but between them an hour is fine. Just don't take advantage of the free booze on the flight.

Aigues Mortes is worth a visit, as is the area around it, which will take up a good part of your day anyway I suspect.

StCirq

Yes, Le Buisson-de-Cadouin is where the Friday market is held. Cadouin is a nearby village (6 kms from Le Buisson, I think) with a spectacular abbey, founded in 1115 as a hermitage. The abbey and cloister are open for visits. There is a stunning covered market in the center of the main square. 13 American soldiers parachuted into Cadouin on August 11, 1944, and commemoration services for "Operation Percy Pink" are held there every year (even though there was no combat in the area left for them to engage in at that point).

Le Buisson also has a wonderful, and casual and inexpensive, 1-star Michelin restaurant, L' Espérance.

According to the schedules I've seen, the September night market will be running on September 16, but it wouldn't hurt to check with the tourist office.

If you've checked the SNCF train schedules, you've got the most accurate information available. You could crosscheck it with thetrainline.com, though.

xyz99

menachem
I wish we had another day, or several more days...Gorges de Dourbie look beautiful. After driving Gorges du Tarn, we can return to Millau via either La Roque-Sainte-Marguerite (which seems to only be the start point of Gorges de Dourbie) or via Sévérac-le-Ch teau on A75. Which one do you recommend for better scenery, as the drive is about the same time-wise (at least on google maps).

kja
I know you have a point, but this worked for us in the past and we're good with 1 hr drive.

hetismij2
We're planning a late lunch and all afternoon in Aigues Mortes. And I'll make sure to carry bug spray in Camargue, thanks.

xyz99

StCirq
Too bad Ni Vu, Ni Connu is closed on Mondays
If you had to pick one market, which one would it be Le Bugue or Le Buisson? The Sunday one in St-Cyprien is not an option, but we can do either of the other 2.
Lunch at L' Espérance sounds wonderful, maybe that will be the decision factor?

frenchaucoeur

In general, I think you have outlined a well-paced itinerary. People can disagree with this decision or that one, but it's your trip, and I think you've done a great job. I've been almost everywhere on your plan, and don't doubt that you will love it.

That said, I'd like to add my voice to Menachem's re: La Couvertoirade, a Templar stronghold that's about a half-hour south of Millau. We stopped there when we were driving from Aix to Creissels, right outside Milllau, where we were staying on our way to the Lot. It was a wonderful stop, not very crowded and very evocative. If you can work it in (and I understand that's not easy), it's well worth the detour.

Coquelicot

The Journees du Patrimoine weekend is September 21 and 22 this year, and no matter where you go in France there will be something special to visit. This year's theme is "Arts et Divertissements." Some places that open on this weekend are not usually open to the public. Other places that ordinarily open to the public may offer a reduced rate or show you something that's usually behind the scenes. The national website doesn't really get going till mid-August and it's not very helpful for small towns and rural areas, but there's plenty to see and do in the countryside and lines will be shorter! This weekend is one of the reasons we keep going back to France in the fall.

https://journeesdupatrimoine.culture...lture.gouv.fr/

Not everything in Michelin is expensive. The Michelin red guide has a category called Bib Gourmand that's in our price range. We've had many good lunches in Bib Gs, and lunch is a more affordable restaurant meal than dinner.

StCirq

xyz99, the market in Le Bugue is *our* market, so it's hard not to try to sell it (besides, this year it is promoting 700 years of nonstop activity - every single Tuesday for 700 years!), but the market in Le Buisson has many of the same vendors, is a big market, is never very touristy (because Le Buisson is a rather pedestrian town, not much of a tourist draw), and yes, is a stone's throw away from L'Espérance, which is just such a nice restaurant. If the weather's nice, you could visit the market, then have lunch in the garden at L'Espérance. That would make for a nice morning and mid-day.

Good call by Coquélicot on Les Journées du Patrimoine. No matter where you are there will be great things to see and do.

xyz99

frenchaucoeur
I looked at La Couvertoirade photos online, ohhh what a little gem. The photographer in me wants to go, but I really don't know how/when to fit it. I need to think about this.

Coquelicot
Well, Sept 21 is our train to Paris day so it seems we'll miss the Patrimoine weekend events. Our day to Pont du Gard visit will be Sept 13, and they stop tours on the top level on the 11th; another miss. As I said, we'll have to come back.

StCirq
I think we'll let weather decide which market to visit, because outdoors lunch at L'Espérance really sounds wonderful. Would we need a reservation in Sept? Thanks.

xyz99

StCirq
"Le Buisson is a rather pedestrian town, not much of a tourist draw"

Really? I love pedestrian only towns or areas and thought that everybody else does too. Their loss.

StCirq

No, you wouldn't need a reservation in September at l'Espérance. But you might want to email or call them the day before, if the weather looks good, to make sure you get a spot in the garden.

Also, I and I stupidly have never done this myself, check on La Fourchette to see if there are discounts.

Re: pedestrian towns, I don't think most travelers stay in them long enough to develop a sense of appreciation, and that's very understandable.

Can't you enjoy Les Jours du Patrimoine in Paris?

xyz99

>> Can't you enjoy Les Jours du Patrimoine in Paris?
Of course we can and we will, but sad to miss the events on Sat. Oh well, can't have it all...

Thanks for the tip on emailing/calling/using theFork for l'Espérance.

kja

I use public transportation. And when I've lived in areas where public transportation wasn't an option, I had friends take me to and from the airport.

menachem

Roque Ste Marguerite. The D991 from there to Millau is great, and when you enter Millau you'll have a great view of the Viaduct. Better than when you're on it. A75 is quite boring.*

(used to go to that area for 7 years to guide wilderness retreats, which is why I know it so well. Millau used to be our Hypermarché destination haha)

menachem

La Couvertoirade also has interesting shops by local craftspeople and some nice cafes and restaurants. My photo bag comes from there: a Sac du Berger that I went there on my one day off to buy, a couple of years ago.

xyz99

menachem
Roque Ste Marguerite, noted. That's what I thought too, but good to hear a confirmation. Thanks!

I'm still trying to figure out a way to squeeze La Couvertoirade in. How long would we need there? On day 7 we'll drive from Gordes to Pont du Gard, and from there to Millau. The drive itself is 3.5 hrs on the paper, so let's say 4. I was thinking about 4 hrs at Pont du Gard which includes 1 hrs lunch. Then when getting to Millau stop at the bridge's rest area and go to the the village of Peyre for photos.

Would a shorter stop at Pont du Gard be possible? We want to walk the aqueduct, get down to the water for a different perspective, walk a little around it, maybe the Panorama circuit.

The road from Pont du Gard to Millau seems to go very close to La Couvertoirade, it would only add about 20 min to the drive. So maybe we can have a quick stop on the way to Millau?

StuDudley

We've visited La Couvertoirade twice - most recently about 3-4 years ago. I would say it is 1-2 hr visit including time to walk to & from the car. There is a film you can watch before you start the exploration. The film explains now the village was constructed in a region with very little rain.

Pont du Gard has a very interesting museum which explains how/why the pont was built there. We spent at least 1 hour just at the museum. If you want to save some time - bring a picnic lunch. That way you can stop & have the picnic when you want instead of having to perhaps wait in a line for the dining spot/cafeteria at the Pont. We actually visited the museum during the lunch hours when everyone else was having lunch and there were fewer crowds in the museum.

We spent 1 week in a Gite just under the Millau Bridge. And another week in a gite at the "other" end of the Gorge. Peyre was a little difficult to access. We did not find a place to park - so it was just a drive-by for us.

Stu Dudley

menachem

3 hours, maximum. It's very small. Explore the village, have a drink, browse some of the shops, and be on your way again. Alternatively, you could go to La Cavalerie, which is not as quaint as La Couvertoirade, but impressive all the same. And nearer Millau.
If you're on the D9 towards Millau, you'll nearly pass La Couvertoirade in fact. D9 becomes D906 at Le Caylar, and then you're nearly there. After having visited, you get on the A75 towards Millau. (D185 towards La Pezade) You'll then also drive past La Cavalerie.

xyz99

Sadly, I don't think we would have more than about 1 hr in La Couvertoirade, and that will have to do for a quick look.
Yes, I know about the museum and film at Pont du Gard and plan to see both. The picnic idea is a good one for saving some time, thanks. We'll play Peyre by ear; that's going to be at the end of the day and we'll try to find it if we're not too tired and it's not too late. I guess later in the day in Sept parking would not be an issue?

menachem, thanks for the driving directions.

KarenWoo

We just returned from visiting our family in Provence, and we visited the Pont du Gard for the first time. It is amazing! We brought a picnic lunch and had lunch down by the water. September can be very warm in Provence. Be sure to bring bathing suits if you plan to swim. It was very hot and sunny the day we were there. It's a rather long walk, perhaps 15 minutes, from the parking lot to the Pont du Gard, so if it's sunny, bring sunscreen and hats, too. There were many people kayaking down the river, a very idyllic scene. Also wear water shoes or flip flops if you plan to go in the water because of all the pebbles. The film is very informative. Surprisingly, it wasn't crowded when we were there. Probably more people in kayaks than on the beach.