Where in France driving distance from Calais that's hot in July

[Lollipoplollipops]

We've been unlucky twice now travelling during Easter half term and only getting rain. We booked Morocco because we felt it would be reliably sunny and hot. It was. The weeks before we arrived and high 20s everyday forecast from the day after we leave. Half our week here has been heavy rain, grey skies and wind. We only managed one day of sun by the pool.

This was meant to be our main holiday this year as it was when DH could get the time off. I'm thinking we still need a sunshine holiday but as the budget is blown, considering France so we can drive, book the Eurotunnel at a reduced price using Tesco vouchers and save on dog boarding fees by taking the dog. I'm thinking somewhere in the countryside perhaps with a pool as I'm told many beaches aren't dog friendly. So somewhere we can walk the dog when it's cool in the morning and evening and hang out with her during the day. So perhaps a villa with a contained garden.

Does anyone have any recommendations? Would Bordeaux be reliably hot in July? I'm concerned that the only reliable place with sun in France is in the south close to Spain, which would be a heck of a long drive. We don't tag team driving as I'm not comfortable driving on the opposite side of the road. 8 years ago, we drove down to the Loire Valley in August for a holiday. It chucked it down and was grey. I'm beginning to think rain follows me around!

Would rather avoid Spain. France is on the list because of the dog and being able to take her means we don't have to spend a few hundred on dog boarding again.

Thanks!

The South East corner is the most reliably hot part of France (Provence/Cote d'Azur). I go to France every year and it always looks like good weather on the forecast even when not so great in other parts of France. It is doable from Calais if you stop over, but a long drive.

Otherwise you're likely to have good weather in most parts of Central France if you avoid the mountains. Dordogne is manageable from Calais and usually good weather. Bordeaux and further South likely to be hot but you are vulnerable to Atlantic weather systems anywhere on the West Coast. I think you were unlucky with the Loire - it's always been hot when I've been, but further South is more reliable.

We went to Ile de Re in France at end June / beginning of July & it was beautiful weather. Hot, sunny every day. Also done La Rochelle in August & was hot & sunny.

Can you go to the South but break the journey overnight somewhere?

Burgundy is usually hot and on the right side of France from Calais.

I was going to suggest the Loire Valley! It's supposed to be reliably sunny. If you go further south, you might want to do an overnight stop.

We went to Brittany two summers in a row; the first summer there was a heatwave and it was unbearable without aircon, and the second summer it rained for most of the holiday. So not Brittany! I suggest the SE with an overnight stop.

Are you in Morocco now? We were there last week and it was hot 😁

Loire Valley should be hot in July, also Dordogne Valley a bit further south. Both drivable.

Or you could try Arcachon, not too far from Bordeaux.

I wouldn't recommend SW France because I remember a family holiday there one summer when it rained almost the whole time. So much driving for shit weather! It's lovely there but good weather definitely not guaranteed.

We've got a mobile home between Bordeaux and La Rochelle. It can be blisteringly hot in summer or cold and very wet. For reliable
You need to go further south. In the 20 years we've been going to our area that it generally follows whatever the SE England weather is but a couple of degrees warmer.

There are some great and super cheap sleeper trains from Paris to the South East of France - places like Gap, Briancon, nice, marseille. Highly recommend and rarely bad weather.

I agree about Brittany. It’s a great place for a holiday, but the weather is almost as much of a lottery as it is in Devon & Cornwall, even in July. I would head a few hours further south.

Does it have to be France? You could go to Liguria in Italy just over the border and stop over night in South East France (which I have done several times). It will almost certainly be baking hot there in July.

The vendee is pretty reliably hot due to a micro climate. Not sure of driving time from Calais, we always go into Le Havre

Sorry should say it circa 6 hours avoiding some tolls, 5 hours with more tolls from Le Havre

Another vote for Vendee, there have been days where I thought nothing would ever be dry again but on the whole, over the last 5 years or so it has been hot and sunny.

We went to Brittany last year via Omaha Beach which was also glorious and a good place to break the journey from Calais.

Dordogne to Calais is about 8 hours and we have done it in a day but the kids were so traumatised they won't get in the car any more without us promising it isn't 8 hours straight 😅

As a rule you need to go Loire valley or south for dry weather in France (although having said that the Loire was unusually rainy last year) but the Vendee or South East have the least rainfall, I think. I think you would be extremely unlucky to get more than a day of rain in July in the South East which would generally be beautiful at that time of the year. Burgundy would be closer to Calais, you could stop there half way though. Beaune is nice.

Ps that doesn’t mean it isn’t often beautiful in Normandy or Brittany but it’s more of a punt!

The Vendée (in particular the southern bit) and la Rochelle/ Ile de Ré gets the most amount of sunshine outside of the Cote d'Azur.

6 jours drive from Calais with get you to the area round Fontenay le comte. The Mervent Forest is great for dogs.

@KnickerlessParsons yes we are. We've had so much rain. Our last day and it's been raining, cold and windy all day. We can't deal with another day in the souks to while away the day. We've just been very unlucky with the weather but we were so looking forward to this as our main holiday this year and to have some much needed sun. It's going to be blistering hot from the day we leave!

Thanks everyone for the replies. Nothing else to do - already played a very long game of monopoly with the kids - so will start researching dog friendly and drivable destinations with sunshine based on the responses above!

Perhaps rain just follows me around as it sounds like we we were with the Loire Valley too when we went!

If you want a holiday house have a look at the proper gites de France website, they have some amazing properties and good prices!

That is such a shame I too would have assumed Morocco was reliable

I didn't know about the sleeper trains and am now looking into it for my family! (Currently planning a holiday and leaning towards the Côte d'Azur) Thank you.

Vendee rained last August :/ Was beautiful but such a shame.

Not sure what dog you have but the heat could be an issue. I live in a different Euro country which is hotter then the UK.

The pavements / tarmac get too hot for dogs on after the temperature rises above a certain level. Becomes too hot for their paws.

it means you have to walk the dog in the early morning and evening once the sun is setting.

You would really need a home to stay in where you can leave the dog during the day.