Languedoc region, France
 

Opinions etc. re: this region of France. looking for an alternative to Nice, French Riviera, although I am afraid it may be alittle too quiet, "off the beaten track". Am solo female traveling & Nice is all booked up in June! Help,

Hi, Lisa, <BR>It's a pretty big region and for the most part not much like the Cote d'Azur. There's some variation on the coastline but in general it's lower and in some places marshy compared to the rocks and cliffs of the Riveria. One spring day we saw more Flamingos (I think) near the beach than we've seen anywhere else - there are some large nature reserves in the area. <BR> <BR>It's quite popular with the French for their holidays and is considerably more affordable and IMO "authentic" - I think fewer foreign tourists in general. There are some fine places to visit - Montpelier and Carcassonne, for example, and a lot of history, too. Great local cuisine, nice market towns (we like Narbonne a lot) and close enough for forays into the Pyrenees. Hotter than a pistol in mid-summer. <BR> <BR>Monte Carlo it's not, though. Have you tried Menton?

I agree with John. The Languedoc region is great. We were there last October when we rented a houseboat and cruised the Canal du Rhone. For information check out www.cr-languedocroussillion.fr/tourisme/. They sent us tons of information when we were planning our trip. <BR> <BR>Hope this helps.

Don't give up on the Riviera yet. Have you tried Villefranche or Menton? Villefranche in particular is 5 minutes away from Nice and may very well have available lodgings. There are probably several conventions in Nice in June for it to be all booked up.

The Languedoc is one of our favorites - as John pointed out, it is a family resort area for the French. In addition, the coastal town of Collieres was a favorite of Picasso and the gang, and is a bit more chichi than, say, Argeles-sur-Mer. This was one place we had a car, so I don't know about rail/bus service (there are trains to Perpignan, Narbonne, etc. but I don't know about the smaller cities and towns; www.sncf.com is the French rail site where you can check schedules). <BR>This is Catalan region; it also has Huguenot and Cathar history; not too far from the Basque region. Right over the border in Spain are pretty beach towns, including Figueres with the Salvador Dali Museum. <BR>It's off the beaten path, but there's certainly plenty to see and do (there are vineyards in this area to visit).

Hi,
I am headed to Montpelier this fall would welcome recommendations for inexpensive lodging for two, preferably less than 70 euro. Nothing fancy - certainly not at that price - but do value a clean and quiet place easy to reach from the airport and walking distance from town sites of interest.

Thank you.

Jeff

another lover of languedoc
Visit the Toulouse-Lautrec museum in Albi and drive across the incredible bridge in Millau,
try the famous cassolet in Castelnaudry. See the beautiful village of St Guilhem-le-Desert.
Taste the seafood in Sete and Collioure. Drive along the canal du midi, visit the Cathers strongholds.

&gt;&gt;although I am afraid it may be alittle too quiet&lt;&lt;

Good joke. Languedoc is the most popular region for the summer vacations in France with six huge resort towns which have been created in the early seventies. La Grande Motte with its futuristic architecture is the most spectacular one.

I have spent about 10 summers on a campground in Vias-sur-Mer and know the area well.

Do not expect spectacular coastline like at the Cote d'Azur and no art museums. Landscape is basically flat, but the Pyrenees in the south and the limestone structures in the north offer some scenery.

There are several interesting places, especially Carcassonne - a medieval gem -, the fishing town S&egrave;te and, already at the border of Provence, Nimes.

Op posted the question 9 years ago!

<b>Author: elvira
Date: 04/06/2000, 10:23 am

The Languedoc is one of our favorites - as John pointed out, it is a family resort area for the French. In addition, the coastal town of Collieres was a favorite of Picasso and the gang, and is a bit more chichi than, say, Argeles-sur-Mer. This was one place we had a car, so I don't know about rail/bus service (there are trains to Perpignan, Narbonne, etc. but I don't know about the smaller cities and towns; www.sncf.com is the French rail site where you can check schedules).
This is Catalan region; it also has Huguenot and Cathar history; not too far from the Basque region. Right over the border in Spain are pretty beach towns, including Figueres with the Salvador Dali Museum.
It's off the beaten path, but there's certainly plenty to see and do (there are vineyards in this area to visit). </b>

I think that this is mostly a little south from the Languedoc region. This is mostly the Rossiiion area.

Collioure is great. I love Argeles sur Mer, since I have an apartment there. Yes you can jump across the border into Spain and you'll find a lot other areas in this area.

Have a look about Rousillon.

http://www.pyreneesmediterraneanliving.com/

The French Catalonia is lovely.

Blackduff

The OP was 9 years ago.

A new poster wanted to find a hotel in the Languedoc for under 70E. The Languedoc is huge &amp; diverse. What area are you interestd in??? Coast/mountains/winegrowing regions/naturalist resorts/family resorts/campgrounds???

Stu Dudley

that's ok , Stu, there is little information on Languedoc on the forum. This should help someone.