StuDudley

Toulouse & Dijon are my two favorite large cities in France - after Paris, of course.

Stu Dudley

PalenQ

Uzes makes a really nice old town with everything you want -but no train service -buses from Avignon.

fuzzbucket

I would go to Lyon, personally, the food's much better than in Paris.

fairycastle

There are some wonderful suggestions here. I was debating the tiny village idea because, as you point out, things do shut down in the winter. Regardless, as pThomas described, in the end, it's the experience (and memories of) that makes a wonderful trip. For me that usually happens when I just follow the road because you have no expectations. Once I was toodling about in haute provence and "discovered" the Verdon Gorge (ahh). We continued "downhill" and ended up in Bonnieux after dark. We woke up to the most charming town and stayed another night. I digress.
I'm traveling solo this time and have promised myself to choose a destination in advance, that's why your suggestions are so valuable. Perpignan sounds like a winner as do some of the small towns. I'll do my research based on your feedback and report back! merci

fuzzbucket

Lyon is not "a village" - but there are parts of it that resemble one - especially the Old Town.

annhig

I second Perpignan. it's a decent size but not too big, it's close to the coast for sunny day excursions, and Spain is not far away if you fancy a change of scene. The climate should be pretty good too, considering the time of year.

PalenQ

Perpignan is also a good base for trains into the Pyrenees - especially Le Petit Train Jeune which slices thru a love mountain valley - great day out.

Perpignan IME is a nice regional town with few tourists at that time of year but for sure but a regular larger but not huge town.

StuDudley

We stayed in a Gite near Perpignan for two weeks about 10 years ago. Here is something I wrote about the region that I included in my 30+ page Languedoc itinerary::

Switch to Map 344

Look up Cerdagne* in the Michelin Green guide. It’s a plateau at 5,000 feet – replete with grassy fields & wildflowers (at least in late May) and rimmed by snowy mountains. Follow the driving itineraries in the Guide. We did not find the towns of Bourg Madam or Font Romeu to be that interesting as we drove by, so we didn’t stop to visit. We did visit the Spanish towns of Llivia & Puigcerda, and we wished we hadn’t. Mont Louis* is very interesting. It’s a “Vauban town” – which is to say the entire town was/is within the walls of the Vauban Fort (Vauban was Louis XIV’s military architect – he built or revamped many forts throughout France). What was significant about Mont Louis is that it was never under siege, so it remains intact. Pass by & visit the small town of Eyne, and also drive up the Gorges du Segre. Visit Llo*, which is also where we stayed, and I’d strongly recommend that you stay there too in one of their B&Bs (Chambres d'Hotes) at the Hotel l’Atalaya. http://www.atalaya66.com/ It’s a very restful place, and the décor & setting is excellent. This is an ideal place to stay in this region. There’s a pool, and balconies in the rooms look out over the village (ours had a lovely view of a ruined chateau tower). We spent a considerable amount of time relaxing on the balcony. The l'Atalaya was formerly a regular hotel & restaurant (when we stayed there), but has recently been turned into B&Bs and gites. You may have to go into Saillagouse to find a restaurant.

Head east on the N116 down the Tet River to Villefranche de Conflent*. Villefranche is another of TMBVoF. It has some very interesting ramparts+ encircling the town – don’t miss exploring them. There are some tacky tourist stores in a few places, but they don’t interfere with your enjoyment of the medieval architecture. There is another Vauban fort* perched high above the town (we didn’t visit the fort).

After visiting Villefranche, head south on the scenic D116 to Vernet les Bains*. Vernet is another Bains (bath) town, but a flood many years ago washed out many of the old grand hotels – what’s left is not that exciting. However, there are some very interesting streets with colorful houses up the hill to where an old church stands. We approached Vernet from the “other” side on the D27, which is where the Church is located, so we walked down and then up again along the various streets in this town. If you approach town from the D116 you will walk up to the church and then back down.

Now, check your legs. It’s close to the end of your trip, so they should be in good shape. If they are not, or you don’t have about 3 hours to do this next site, then skip it. Visit the Abbey St Martin du Canigou** (see GG). There is a large 2 page picture of this abbey in the front of my Green Guide on the Introduction page. There is a 45 min climb up to this abbey, and portions of the walk are very steep, but they are on switchbacks. It’s a very scenic walk, however. You can pay to be driven up to the abbey (see GG), but we watched them do this & it seemed a little scary to me. There is a lunch closing for the abbey, so don’t do like we did and walk for 45 mins, only to get there just as they closed for lunch. The wait, however, allowed us to catch our breath. After we toured this abbey, we were glad that we walked up because it gave the abbey a greater sense of remoteness – something that adds to the enjoyment of the place.

After visiting (or “passing”) on the abbey, take the D27 from Vernet to Prades, passing the Abbey de St Michel de Cuxa* on the way. We didn’t visit the Abbey, but we took a picture. Head east on the N116, and look for the perched village of Eus on the way – it’s worth about 5 photos from the N116 road (we didn’t visit the town). About 2 K before Ille-sur-Tet, take the D618 south. This drive is described in the GG under Aspres*. Visit the Prieure de Serrabone**, especially if you did not visit the Abbey St Martin. We enjoyed the Prieure quite a bit & it’s easy to access. Continue south on the D618 towards Amelie-les-Bains, visiting the small Trinite church in Prunet el Belpuig along the way (it won’t take you more than 5 mins). At Amelie les Bains, head to your hotel.

We stayed in a Gite close to Ceret for 2 weeks in June ’04, so we don’t have any experiences with hotels, except that we know the area a little & can point you to towns/areas where you would enjoying staying. I would recommend staying in one of two places – in Ceret if you want to be close to the mountains, or in Collioure if you want to be close to the beach & Mediterranean. Both towns are very nice – Collioure is the most popular, because beaches are usually a more popular destination. In Ceret, I would not recommend the Terrasse au Soleil, unless you want to be a little remote. The setting is pretty, and the views from many spots (not from the restaurant, however), are quite nice. It has a pool. http://www.terrasse-au-soleil.com/ It seems that presently (July 1, 2015) someone has hacked the English version of their web site.

Le Mas Trilles is recommended in the Michelin Red Guide http://www.le-mas-trilles.com/en/

If you are staying in Collioure and the weather is nice, one of the outdoor restaurants would be a fun spot for a “tourist type” dinner where you can watch the crowds, the beach, and the Mediterranean. We dined at the Neptune restaurant, which has nice views of the town. Perhaps the most interesting place we dined was at the simple Hostalet de Vives in the town of Vives just north of Ceret. There are signs on the D115 directing you to this restaurant which is on the second floor of an old stone building in the hamlet. We dined twice at the (now Michelin 1 star) Le Fanal* in Banyuls (reserve ahead). Excellent seafood.

We stayed in this area for 2 weeks, and never ran out of things to do. I’ll describe 3 separate driving & sightseeing itineraries, which you can follow or combine anyway you like. Roussillon is a very scenic area – at the foot of the Pyrenees and next to the Mediterranean. However, there are a few sections that are not as scenic as the remainder of this region. Look at the #344 map. The rectangle east of the A9, north of the D618, and south of the D627 from the A9 #40 exit to Leucate is an area that gets some sprawl from Perpignan, and along the coast there are a lot of mass vacation developments that are not even vaguely quaint or attractive (there’s even a nudist resort). The beach is lovely white sand, but the hundreds of vacation homes, campgrounds, and high-rises, are not what I enjoy experiencing. Perpignan is certainly worth visiting, however. Also, Amelie les Bains on the Tech river is not worth a visit (I was pre-warned of this by my internet friend & confirmed by us when we drove through Amelie many times).

Mount Canigou*** can be seen from almost anywhere in this region – at least it seems that way. You won’t have any trouble spotting it.

Route #1 – the Tech river area.
Find le Perthus on the map – it’s on the France/Spain border. In fact, one side of the street is in Spain & the other in France. The Spain side has a lot of discount shops, but the “scene” is horrible – I would not waste any valuable vacation time trying to save a few Euros on cigarettes, wine, trinkets, etc. Look up “Boulou” in the GG and take drive #2. As you approach le Perthus, there is a parking lot on your left just before you hit the traffic & pedestrian snarled main section of the town. Turn left just past the parking lot & take this drive #2 east as far as you can. It’s marked as the D71. We drove it twice – in the morning & again in the evening (the morning sights were better because of the position of the sun). If it’s a clear day, there are spectacular views on this drive. It is also a popular place for picnics. Return to le Perthus, and then to Ceret on the N9 and D618. Visit Ceret*. There is a famous Musee d’Art modern**, but since we’re not modern art fans, we didn’t visit it. The town, however, is worth a stroll around. There are some plane trees in town, with some outdoor cafes. Saturday is market day. Ceret is the center of the cherry growing region, and you’ll see dozens of stands selling cherries in late May/early June.

Look up “Vallespir*” in the Green Guide, and take the D115 west along the Tech River. Just past Arles, you’ll see signs for the Gorges de la Fou** (in the GG under “Arles sur Tech”). Park the car in the lot & walk along a metal grate suspended above this gorge. The gorge is only about 3 ft wide in spots – it’s an easy & interesting exploration. Return to your car & head east on the D115 for about 1 K & then turn left (north) on the D43 at Arles. This route is described in the GG. The first part goes through some forests, but later there are pleasing views. When the D43 hits Corsavy, take the D43 north (departing from the itinerary in the GG). After about 8 K or so, turn the car around & retrace your route – there are some very good views from this road. When you get back to Corsavy, turn right on the D44 and continue on the GG route to le Tech. This will join the D115 west (very pretty in this section) to Prats de Mollo* (see GG). Park the car & explore Prats – follow the walk described in the GG.

After visiting Prats, continue west on the D115 to the Col d’Ares. At the Col, turn the car around & retrace your route east towards Arles – this is a pretty drive. About 4 K before reaching Arles, take the D3 south towards Coustouges. Continue past the town of Coustouges into Spain on the D3 which becomes the GI503 in Spain. My internet friend who lives in Roussillon suggested this drive – good advice. Continue on the GI503 until it hits the GI504 & take this north to the #2 entrance on the A7 freeway, where you will return to France. Don’t take the N9 into France unless you like lots of stop & go traffic at Le Perthus.


Route #2 – cute village, scenic gorges, wonderful countryside, and Cathars castles.
This is an ambitious itinerary, so get an early start. We followed the D117/Peyrepertuse/Gorges de Galamus/Gorges St Georges portion of this "Route #2" in 2015 when we stayed near Carcassonne, in addition to when we stayed near Ceret in 2004.

If you’re staying in Collioure, drive toward Ceret on the D114, D618, and then D115. Take the D615 north of Ceret towards Thuir. Use the map & get on the D48 west to Castelneu+. Explore Castelnou (GG under Perpignan). One of my guidebooks described it as “St Paul de Vence without the tourists”. It’s a cute town. After a visit, take the D48 west and then the D2 to Ille-sur-Tet. Continue past Ille-sur-Tet on the D2 and when it crosses over the N116, you will approach les Orgues+. There is a picture of les Orgues in my Michelin Guide under Perpignan. You may have to take the D21 a bit towards Belesta to get some good views. Turn around on the D21 and then take the D2 back to Ille and get on the N116 heading west (you will have to go through Ille a little to do this – follow the signs to Prades). Continue west to Prades, taking a picture of Eus if you have not done so yet. Take the loop north around Prades and then take the D619 north. Look up Fenouilledes** in the Green Guide. Follow the described route from Prades to St Paul – it’s quite picturesque. When you intersect the D117 at St Paul, take the D117 west – this road is quite scenic too. At Axat, take the D118 south through the Gorges de St Georges*. When you get as far as the D16 fork near Rouze, turn the car around and retrace your route all the way back to Axat on the D17. Head east on the D117, and shortly you'll see signs for Puilarens and the Chateau de Puilarens*. Turn right/south and drive on the D22 to this chateau for the view. We visited the interior, and it was not as interesting as the exterior or the setting which were quite remarkable. Return to the D117 and conntinue east to Maury. I know - you have driven on this road already, but the stretch from St Paul to Maury is very scenic, plus when we were enjoying this drive in '15, cars were only allowed to drive north to south through the fantastic Gorges de Galamus. I believe that there are some sorts (don't know all the details) of traffic control through July & August - so be aware.

As I indicated above, we've done this Route #2 twice - once from Ceret and once from Carcassonne. In the summer, this region can get very hot. Standing in the sun and walking long distances uphill and over rocks to & through Chateaux can become very exhausting. Therefore, I suggest that you only hike to and visit the interior of one Cathars Chateau - Peyrepertuse would be my choice. If you get too tired from walking to several chateaux and exploring the interiors, you may run out of gas and cut this route short, which would be very unfortunate. Actually, this route is my favorite in the Roussillon region.

If you have not already done so, read about the Cathars faith and history in the Green Guide (or other guidebook) and learn about their religion, life, and fate.

My wife took a series of pictures of each of the Cathar Castles - beginning when each was just a speck on the top of the jutting rocks & then as we advanced closer & closer. Honestly, viewing these chateaux from the road allows you to focus on, and appreciate the awesome settings and the majesty of the ruins.

At Maury, drive north on the D19 through the Grau de Maury** to Chateau de Queribus**. The views from the parking lot area are outstanding. You may want to walk into a field near the parking lot to get even better views. Continue driving counterclockwise on the D123/D14. This is an extremely scenic road. Now, drive to Chateau de Peyrepertuse***. Take lots of pictures on the way there. Visit the interior, but be aware that some climbing & walking is necessary, so you’ll have to walk along dirt paths, over rocks, & through some low hung trees to get to the chateau. Also, walking around the Chateau is treacherous at times – but worth it. Plan on a 2 hour visit. Then continue driving west and then south to the fabulous Gorges de Galamus**. At times, the road is only 1 car width wide. We were there in mid June twice & we didn’t encounter another car – I don’t know what happens in July or August when there are more tourists. Actually, if I had it to do over again, I would find a place to park the car and walk along this gorge on foot. Many other people were doing that, and since it is flat and in the shade at times, it will not be as exhausting as climbing up to a Cathars castle. At the south end of the Gorges, there is a large parking lot with many "lookouts". Park the car there and view the bridge with the small "hermitage" below. You can actually walk to this hermitage - several people were doing it - but not us.

Take the D117 (again!!) back to your hotel. If you are staying near Carcassonne, drive northwest along the very scenic D14 from Cubieres sur Cinoble to Montazels. The proprietor of our Gite told us about this road - it's a gem. If you have time, visit Rennes le Chateau just south of Montzales - but it is only "so-so". Could be skipped

Route #3 – Collioure, Banyuls, Costa Brava in Spain, and Perpignan
If you are staying in Collioure**, then you will have explored this town thoroughly by now. They have an OK Sunday market. It’s very difficult to park in Collioure, so we usually like to visit it early in the morning, or later in the day when there are fewer day trippers. If you are starting this drive from somewhere other than Collioure, take the northern most exit to Collioure off the D714 – it’s more scenic. After visiting Collioure head south on the coast road past Port Vendres to Banyuls*. When you get out of Port Vendres, the route to Banyuls becomes very scenic. Banyuls is noted for its sweet wine, and you’ll see lots of planted vineyards along the way. However, they look like abandoned vineyards & you will wonder how they could possibly get grapes to grow there – somehow, they do!!. Stop in Banyuls for a visit if you like – we didn’t, so I can’t comment on Banyuls, except that they have a nice restaurant in town – we dined there twice. Continue south on the D714 & into Spain. The coastline is quite spectacular here. Continue to Llanca, where you will run out of map. Take the GI612 and the GI613 to Cadaques**. Park the car & explore this coastal resort town – it’s quite nice. There are lots of cafés, and the town’s buildings are all painted white – quite different from the villages in France. After visiting Cadaques, take the GI614 west to Figueres, where you will get on the Freeway heading north to Perpignan.

Perpignan** has quite a bit of urban sprawl, but the old part of town is well worth exploring. Be patient when you drive into town & find a place to park. We got lost twice. If you are visiting Perpignan in the morning, have a coffee at one of the outside cafes next to le Castillet. If you are here at lunchtime, there are lots of outdoor cafes on Quai Vauban along the river. Quite a few shops attracted my wife’s attention on R. Mailly. I enjoyed the musee Hyacinthe-Rigaud. The Palais des Rois de Majorque was worth a visit. Follow the suggested walking plan in the GG – starting at le Castillet however.

Fort de Salses** See “Salses” in the Green Guide. If you can possibly fit this into your schedule, then by all means, do so. Read about it in the guide. There is a guided tour, and the guide spoke English when asked to do so.

Narbonne**
We enjoyed Narbonne. We got there early, found a place to park, visited the Palais*+ (great views from the top of the donjon). Then we followed the walking itinerary in the Green Guide. There were some nice shops on the Rue de l'Ancien Courrier east of the Place de l'Hotel de Ville We also enjoyed the building architecture along the Blvd Gambetta off the Promenade des Barques. After the walking tour, we visited the les Halles - Marche (covered market). My wife took many photographs of the beautiful exterior, and we purchased goods for dinner at the Gite.

Stu Dudley

PalenQ

Gites for single travelers could cost a lot? How much did your gites cost Stu? Or how much should I expect to pay for such a gite today?

As usual good detailed info.

StuDudley

It depends on the location and when you are renting. Rents can double in Provence in July & Aug from what they are in June. The gite we stayed in on 5 different occasions for a total of 11 weeks in the Dordogne costs 538E for the first week of Sept. Two bedrooms & 1 bath, open plan LR/DR/Kitch. This past June we stayed on one of our favorites in Provence. In mid June it's 745E per week. Three bedrooms, 2 baths, private pool, walk to town where there is a fabulous weekly market.

We stayed here last year with a view of Mt Blanc;
https://www.gites-de-france.com/loca...nbj=7&exe=2018

I think it's the most expensive gite we've stayed in.

Add about 30E for a "service fee" and anywhere from 20 to 100 for renting sheets & towels, and about 50-75E for cleaning if you don't clean it yourself.

Stu Dudley

shamouel

Brittany and Normandy can be wet and windy in winter, like the northern part of France in general. But snow is very uncommon in Brittany (except in the inlands), and thanks to the oceanic climate some areas have some of the mildest temperatures in winter (around Brest for example). Towns like Le Conquet, Crozon, Dinan, Concarneau, St Malo, Vannes (with increasing size, depending on what you expect) may be pleasant places to stay and walk.
But actually if you expect more sun, and fear humidity, the south of France may be more appropriate in December / January.

fuzzbucket

You should just give up and do what StuDudley says you should do.
Even if you don't want to do that.