Jon_V

We will be in London for two weeks at the end of July and thought it would be nice to spend a few days on the coast of France in a nice hotel maybe near the Spanish border or further north with a rental car. Were not in love with crowds and love seafood and the ocean.

Thanks, Jon V

Robert2533

Then you want to head down to the Basque Coast, south of Bordeaux. That's where you'll find great food and beaches, but since it's the end of July, expect to run into a few people.

ira

Good advice from R.

Arcachon isn't far from Bordeaux, Excellent oysters.

You could take the ferry and tour Brittany.
http://www.brittany-ferries.co.uk/fleet

Enjoy your visit

traveller1959

The Cote d'Argent ("silver coasts") starts at Archacon Bay and stretches over 100 km southward to the Spanish Border. Directly at the mouth of the Bay, you find Pyla with Europe's highest sand dune - it is a spectacular experience but certainly not much fun if you have to climb it twice a day in order to reach the beach.

But southwards, you will find a spectacular natural beach with a few small towns behind the dunes where you will find a good selection of hotels of all categories. The beach towns are Biscarosse-Plage, Mimizan-Plage, St. Girons-Plage, Vieux Boucau and the twin towns Hossegor and Capbreton. These towns are pretty small and the beaches are wide enough to find tranquility. One the loveliest spots is Courant d'Houchet, a stream of sweet water that meanders into the ocean.

Behind the dunes you will find tranquil sweetwater lakes which are also excellent for swimming.

The hubbub begins in Biarritz (a classic beach resort with a row of grand hotels and a crowded beach). South of Biarritz the coast becomes rocky, with some spectacular cliffs.

In order to get an impression, fly with Google Earth over the coast and look at the panoramio pictures.

For hotel search, use the common search engines. By end of July, you will be in high season and many hotels are already fully booked.

Jon_V

Thank you all, great info.

Jon v