exploring by car somewhere in france
 

I will have 9 days in the middle of june in France driving a Swiss registered rental auto. My wife and 14 year old daughter will be on board.
I want to choose One base city so we can explore an 80-100 mile radius around it. We do not want Paris.
What are the best possibilities for our group, considering a teen in tow.
Lyon? Montpellier?

Bordeaux will have the seaside (sorry is she 14 going on 12 or 14 going on 40)

Lyon good for shops

Strasbourg good for shops and bike trips

Sarlat in the Dordogne.
Not much shopping or brisk city life if that is what your daughter wants, but plenty of prehistoric caves, castles, rivers for swimming and gorgeous scenery.

Sarlat is one - if not THE one - of my favorite towns in France. But it's not a 'city'. Other than that, it'd be an excellent choice.

Aix-en-Provence would be another. The lavender fields might be beginning to bloom in mid-June.

Hi M,

Another vote for the Dordogne.

Also Beaune/Dijon.

Strasbourg or Colmar.
You can also visit the Black Forest.

Anywhere in Provence.

Lyon

((I))

In June - I always think of Provence. Long daylight hours where you can dine outside, relaxed atmosphere, markets, lavender, sunflowers, poppies, several of larger cities (Avignon, Aix, Montpellier), smaller ones with good shopping (St Remy, Uzes, Arles), and dozens of small villages (Gordes, Bonnieux, Lourmarin, etc), Coast (Cassis) is within striking distance, and beautiful countryside.

If you want to stay in a city, stay in Avignon.

Easy to get to on the TGV from either CDG airport, or Paris.

Stu Dudley

Stu, they'll be driving a car from Switzerland...

Sure, the Provence is ideal, pick a small town within an easy driving radius of all the good targets - stay in a picturesque place like Tarascon-sur-Rhône (www.tarascon.org/en/sejourner.php) or Beaucaire (www.ot-beaucaire.fr/gb/index.php), historic towns that your cameras will like, small enough to be manageable but with enough to offer so that you don't feel like you're camping out.

But there is much to be said for inland regions like the Dordogne and the Central Massif (Auvergne) - rent a gite (holiday home - http://gitelink.com/auvergne-limousin.htm) or book a hotel (http://tinyurl.com/6e3jch) and explore at your leisure.

hi marlem,

here's another vote for provence.

for a trip with a 14 year old girl, I would strongly suggest finding a hotel with a swimming pool and somewhere nearby with shops to wander around.

Provence has loads of markets that she will love.

if she's anything like my [now older] kids, she'll prefer staying in one spot and using that as a base.

a small provencal town would fit the bill.

regards, ann

And yet another vote for Provence. Agree with Avignon as a base. Lots to do and see every day.

How about the Loire Valley? Exploration is done there best by car, I think, since sights are somewhat spread out. There are some interesting sights for a 14-year old. And the weather will be lovely during the summer.

My heart is always in Provence so I agree with that choice - not so sure I agree with Avignon as a base. I would pick a smaller city like Aix, Arles or St. Remy since it is easier to drive in and out of. For the teen - pick a hotel with a swimming pool, visit the castle at Tarascon, spend a day at the beach (Bandol, Cassis, Ciotat, Ste. Maries de la Mer), visit Les Baux and do the scavenger hunt together, rent bikes...

I suggested Avignon as a base because the OP wanted a "City" - and also mentioned Lyon & Montpellier - both somewhat large cities (Lyon is second largest in France). That's why I recommended Avignon.

Personally, I would not base in Avignon because of the difficulty getting in & out and also because in most directions you'll pass unsightly commerce on the way in & out. With a 14YO daughter in tow, I would stay at someplace within easy walking distance of St Remy that has a pool. I would rent a Gite with 2-3 bedrooms, multiple bathrooms, living/dining room, large kitchen, & a private pool - although I don't think a reasonably priced one exists within walking distance of St Remy (I've looked).

Stu Dudley

What a wonderful advice!
Thanks!!!
What about Montpellier as a Base?
One of my colleagues suggested that this would be a great one for visiting
places like Carcasonne, Perpignan and at the same time it is close to the heart of Provence.

Montpelier (and Carcassonne too) might indeed be a good idea - it's a 'city' I believe.

It's not 'close to the heart of Provence' however...

(You can reach Carcassonne from Aix in a daytrip.)

I would not call Aix at all easy for access. And St. Remy, or Avignon's Villeneuve would be easier.

Of course, everything is a matter of taste.

Montpellier IS a nice, typical French city and would make a good base. However, there is not too much to see in Montpellier.
http://www.ot-montpellier.fr/en/

I personally would prefer one of these cities which are almost equally close to Carcassonne and Perpignan, but have more Provence feel:

- Nimes: Also a typical French city, like a little Paris, but with outstanding Roman ruins (the best Roman ruins in Provence at all).
www.ot-nimes.fr/english_nimes/index.php

- Arles: Also good Roman ruins, but more cute old town feeling (and more touristy).
http://www.tourisme.ville-arles.fr/

- Avignon: A typical medieval town with the grand Papal Palace, shops, hotels, markets, restaurants.
http://www.avignon-et-provence.com/avignon-tourism/

All these cities are both close to the A9 which brings you in short time to the Perpignan and close to Pont du Gard, Aigues-Mortes, Les Antiques, St. Remy, Les Baux, Grotte de Demoiselles, mediterranean beaches...

IMO, an excellent choice for your stay. (And certainly better than Dordogne, which is farther away from Switzerland and has probably not enough to offer for nine days.)

So many suggestions. What does the 14 year old lady want to do? What input does she have?

The beaches, the chateaux, shopping?

I think either the Dordogne or Provence would be the answer. I suspect a teen might like the base of Aix better than Sarlat, but otherwise I think you need to plan two trips and do one to each. They are both great areas for daily car trips to wonderful spots.

If I were staying in Provence, I would not visit Perpignan until after I've visited other cities like Avignon, Aix, Nimes, Montpellier, Arles, & perhaps after a TGV day-trip to Lyon. I would also take a day-trip to Aigues Mortes and one to Cassis before heading west. I think you'll find plenty to do in Provence without visiting either Carcassonne or Perpignan.

I'm a big fan of Montpellier, but I would want to be more centrally located (near Avignon/St Remy/Luberon) if I wanted to "tour" Provence.

Stu Dudley