Hello all! Happy New year. My husband, our 7 year old and I will be flying into Amsterdam June 19 and out of Paris on July 10. We are staying at hotel Estherea for 3 nights and then leaving Amsterdam. We have a Gite in Clermont L’Herault just near Narbonne/Montpellier for one week (June 27-July 4). This leaves us five nights between Amsterdam and our Gite and then six nights on the tail end before flying out of Paris. I think what make the most sense is to stay in Paris those final 6 nights and I have an apartment booked (cancellable). Therefore, we just need help with what to do with those five nights between Amsterdam and Clermont. We have always wanted to go to Brittani, but I think that doesn’t leave us enough time. So I think we’ll keep that for next trip. Should we take a train from Amsterdam to Bordeaux and then rent a car there and drive through perigord and down to Toulouse/Albi? We plan to have a car for that whole week that we have the Gite and could rent one earlier. We could also fly down from Amsterdam. For reference, we have been to Valcluse and Aix and we have been to The basque region but never to Bordeaux, Dordogne, Toulouse etc. We speak French and LOVE food and wine, also beaches! Any suggestions for that 5-day gap??
thank you!!!

You might prefer Le Loir or La Loire at that time of year. The former is a small river (with little villages along it), while the latter is the longest river in France and dotted with ancient Chateau, things to do etc

I am a big fan of Auvergne, the ancient volcanic region of "La France Profonde." Wonderful food, farms, brutish Castles, easy hiking to the rim of those grassy bowls that used to be the tops of mountains. Le Puy is one of most dramatic villages in France. It is also a traditional center of lace making so you will likely see lace in a lot of windows. Right near Le Puy is Polignac which is also stunning and owes its drama to volcanic activity. This area is a verdant landscape punctuated by black volcanic outcroppings .Orcival is a typical Auvergnat village right near one of Les Puys, and the Chateau of Anjony is a vision of imposing strength. Right near Orcival is Murat le Quaire with its unique Scénomusée of traditional life, which is really not so different from the way things still look. The food and cheeses here are marvelous. Vichy is a town well known for its springs and pavillions protecting them as well for its infamous past. The old architecture is a bit fanciful as it was meant to lure Parisians looking for a summer retreat. The village of Thiers is still a traditional knife making center. Lots to explore as that time of year is perfect for Auvergne. It is a bit cooler than other parts of the south and off the beaten path for most tourists, but it is right on your way.

I loved the Dordogne! Four days (five nights) there could, I think, make for a delightful experience -- caves with prehistoric art (you would need to reserve), castles, gardens, stunning vistas, a falconry show....

The Michelin Green Guide is particularly good for that area, and pretty much anywhere in France.

If I were doing it, I would fly from Amsterdam to Bordeaux (KLM non-stop), rent a car and drive to Sarlat-la-Canéda or a location near there (approx 2-3 hrs).

After visiting the Dordogne region, drive to Clermont l'Hérault via Figeac and Rodez (or Villefranche-de-Rouergue) to the A75 autoroute, head south via Millau and either drive across (or bypass) the amazing Viaduc de Millau. (approx 4-5 hrs, 30 min longer via Villefranche-de-R)

One of our favorite stays in France was in Nizas in the Hérault. The A75 and the Millau bridge were still under construction then. We really enjoyed visiting St-Guilhem-le-Désert and seeing the unusual Cirque de Navacelles. I also remember visiting a wonderful market in Clermont.

Train to Bordeaux will involve changing stations in Paris, and take 8 hours or so.
Sadly flying will be cheaper and faster since the EU still hasn't sorted things properly so airlines pay the taxes they should, while train companies do.

You could take a train to, for instance Lille, pick up a car there and just potter down through France rather than rushing.

Brittany is in completely the wrong direction for this trip, though you could go there with the car instead of to Paris I guess. Do not underestimate distances involved and do not drive for hours an hours without a break. Even if you are used to long distance driving it is very different in Europe.

Hi everyone. Thanks so much for all of your input!! I looked at all the suggestions that were made and I really appreciate your insight regarding things to do around Clermont l’Herault. After looking at Collioure more, I think we’d like to explore the Cote Vermeille for those 5 nights that we have between Amsterdam and our week in our house in Clermont.
Will it be best to fly into Toulouse, drive south and check out some villages and sites near the border, then a few nights in Collioure before heading to our rented house in Clermont L’Herault? Then we have a week to explore that area of the region (Ste Guillaume le desert, Narbonne and Montpellier, etc before we return our car at Montpellier train station and head to Paris).
or, better to fly into Barcelona and just go north from there?

thank you so much for all of your help! I truly appreciate each of your responses.

Your plan of flying into Toulouse, picking up a rental car and proceeding from there is workable.

You might find the Languedoc portion of my trip report useful for the area you are heading to (from post #62)
TRIP REPORT : THE Auvergne and Languedoc, June 2022

I just read that whole thread! Very helpful! I also have Stu Dudley’s pages on the Languedoc region.

With 5 days…Should we stay one or two nights in Toulouse?
we’d love to stay at least two nights in Collioure…
then there’s all those adorable looking villages nearby like Ceres, Prades, Eus, Ile Sur Tet…which of these are just see and which to skip?
and Perpignan? Worth a stop?
did you by chance take that yellow open car scenic train that is in that area?
thank you!!!

Thats the classic dilemma, lots to see with limited time - if I didnt specifically mention a village in my TR, we likely skipped it and prioritised others. Perpignan can be dropped IMO, theres a lot to see heading towards Montpellier too. We didnt travel on the Cerdagne Yellow Train.

I adored Toulouse! My recommendation would be to give it AT LEAST 2 nights. More if you can. There's easily enough to do in that lovely city, particularly if you'll be recovering from jet lag while there. And if you want to see awesome Albi from Toulouse, add at least one full day.

We stayed not far from Clermont l'Herault in a small village several years ago and enjoyed the area. This is my report on this forum. I neglected to name the regions we stayed. This was our second base following two weeks in Provence. Scroll through to the post dated July 15th to see what we did during our stay.

On the road again - another country roads tour of France.

There are lots of options you could consider on the way to l'Herault. Following our stay there, we moved on to the Dordogne which has been mentioned. The area around Toulouse has also been mentioned. You could rent a car there and explore the area before moving on to Clermont l'Herault. We stayed near Albi in 2016. This is my report on our stay. Scroll through to the part titled the Tarn. There is plenty to see in this region as well.
Country Roads in Autumn. Ten weeks in country France.

Bon voyage.