France in August?

[AcrylicMantaRay]

Am I the only one who struggles to book a family holiday every single summer??

Looking for a holiday for a family of 4, DC are older, 19 and 17, so really don't want to be surrounded by lots of younger families with little ones. 3 of us don't do well in the heat, so we need very comfortable accommodation to be able to escape the heat during the day. The idea is for the 4 of us to be able to switch off and relax, but also have the option to visit towns and villages and have dinner in nice places.

We would like a nice destination that doesn't feel dead, but also don't really want the noisy hassle and bustle of tourists.

I feel I am asking for an impossible but perhaps I could have some help narrowing down what might work. I was thinking perhaps the Bordeaux area, but then I get overwhelmed by having to book flights and then look for accommodation. Is there an obvious way to do this that I am missing? I suppose with places like the Balearics you can search for packages so it's all more straight forward.

Can I have some help maybe narrowing down suitable accommodation in a good location? So a nice house that will be comfortable for 4 adults, with aircon, I guess we'll hire a car... and then I can look for flights?

HELP!!

How about heading for the French Alps? It never gets that warm as you are high up ( anywhere else in France, south of Paris can have a summer canicule which can be hot as Hades and pretty unbearable.)

We’ve always loved the Alps in summer. My teens still love it now and are never bored. It’s beautiful, there is so much to do in terms of activities, lake swimming, walking etc. with good transport and a couple of trips to Geneva (CERN and the UN) is always fun. Don’t be put off by the idea of mountain driving- the roads are generally good.

I am not sure how ‘comfortable’ you need the accommodation to be. We’ve always stayed in FIL’s not air conditioned chalet, and it’s never too hot with the balcony doors open, and there are loads of ski chalets to rent in the summer at good prices. If you want somewhere lovely though, like this should more than fit the bill: https://www.fourseasons.com/landing-pages/regional-hotels-groups/megeve-collection/?ppc=true&utm_source=google&utm_medium=paidsearch&utm_campaign=acr-na-hre-low-gen-sch-en-na-coop-xmg&utm_content=na-71700000101050089-58700008073208162-0&utm_term=nonbrand&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAAD9hWRu35_1LFk6ynR-78ar7loS9X&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIubSq4aW8hgMV9ZFQBh3qTQCVEAAYASAAEgInXPD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Have a look at the South of France near Beziers/Perpignan areas. Not as touristy as The French Riviera but a wonderful area with loads of lovely towns to explore.
The weather will be perfect and most of the French schools go back in the last week of August so a good time to book.
Also the beaches are lovely and very cheap wine!

We love visiting the Bordeaux region, so I agree that’s a good place to start! Personally, I book flights first then fit accommodation round that. Find the most suitable flight times.
I can’t recommend any accommodation I’m afraid, but Sarlat is a beautiful town so I would look around there.
Lots of kayaking, trips through caves, prehistoric stuff 👍

I second the Alps idea. There is also the Auvergne region which has smaller mountains than the Alps, most of which are extinct volcanoes. The main city Clermont Ferrand is nice enough but not that pretty (désolée Clermont!) but there are some nice smaller towns like Aurillac. The main activities are hiking etc. We stayed near Saint Flour a few years ago and it never felt deserted or empty but not crowded either.

I would avoid Bordeaux in August if you don’t like the heat, it might be ok but it could easily be 35 degrees +. We have had temperatures like that in the north of France too over the past few years also.

I'm looking at this area for us in September. Are there any towns/villages you would particularly recommend ?

@AllumerLeFeu

Where in the alps. How long to drive from ferry and when you say roads generally good what do you mean... Eg plenty of room for both cars to comfortably pass, good road barriers agaisnt sheer drops and so on.

@AcrylicMantaRay

Have you considered puy du foy?
Look it up it's for all ages perhaps you could base yourself around there. Cheap flights into nantes.

You can drive from Calais in a day but it’s not much fun, especially if you hit one of the black Saturdays in August ( but no drive in France would.) We normally get the Eurotunnel and break up the drive in Troyes, which is a lovely town. Alternatively, fly to Geneva and hire a car from the French side.

The roads are in very good condition, you’d really have to be off the beaten track for them not to be safe, wide and two way. Not near any of the ski resorts. There are safety barriers, you really aren’t going to drive off the side! But if you are cautious, fly and hire a left hand drive to improve visibility.

Have a look at Val D’Isere. We don’t visit often but friends sores the whole summer there with their teens and love it. If you want a high-end hotel or chair, there’ll be lots there. Similarly Corcheval and places like it. We stay in Thollon Les Memises, because we have family there, which is less developed, but stunning, with views of lake Geneva and lake swimming, mountain walks and lots of activities in nearby Chatel.

Someone mentioned Perpignan and the South. It’s stunning, but do not even consider it if you don’t like extreme heat. The French call it ‘the oven’ for good reason!

Normandy? It’s beautiful. You won’t need aircon. It never gets that hot as it’s by the sea.

You could also drive there, it’s very easy.

We have a beautiful large spacious modern house there. DM me if you want details.

It’s 1km from the sea in a gorgeous village.

We’re going to Cap Ferret on the west coast ourselves. We like a change from time to time. Again it’s by the sea so shouldn’t be too hot. Bordeaux is the nearest airport.

We really enjoyed Le Bugue area in Dordogne. Lots to do during the day. Not overly kiddy. We didn’t need aircon that year either.

Morzine is one hour from Geneva and is a lovely little town set up for summer holidays. Lots of mountain biking and hiking. There is lots to do.

So far Europe like U.K. has been much much cooler than last year. We’re back in La Niña again so I’m not sure this summer will be like previous few summers. I could be wrong though! Further south it’s always a good idea to have aircon just in case.

And I agree Perpignan is roasting in the summer!! I’d avoid that too!

Take a look at Samoens in the French Alps. Traditional pretty village and winter ski resort with lots of summer activities and 50 mins drive from Geneva. Morzine and Annecy for day trips. I recommend a company called www.alpsaccommodation.com/. I used to have an apartment in the village and this company (lovely couple) looked after it.