France recommendations

[sunandwaterfalls]

Hi, I'm looking for some off the beaten track France recommendations. Going over for the Olympics in July/Aug and then have 10 days to spare with two older teenagers. Can go in any direction with our car but probably no more than 5 hours driving.

Have stayed in the Dordogne lots of times and know the South of France (but a bit too far to drive this time I think). We'd like somewhere warm, near sea or lakes but not 45 degrees! Have considered the mountains near Grenoble, Mont Blanc or Lyon, Mulhouse etc but worry it might be a bit dead in summer or too remote from things to do/places to visit. Help!!!!

Off the beaten track but not dead or remote? That seems a bit of a contradiction. And nowhere near the sea is off the beaten track in France in July. Maybe look at Hilaire-de-Riez or Bretignolles sur Mer. They’re never rammed with tourists - you won’t be jostling for a place on the beach, and there are a few day trips nearby.

Thank you. When I say off the beaten track, I mean it doesn't have to be one of the usual tourist hotspots in France (we've done most of them). Not necessarily rural. Happy to explore a less known cities and towns or hidden gems.

The Auvergne region is nice but not too popular though more so than it was.

We've returned to Le Mont Dore and it's sister town of La Bourboule over the years and it's never time wasted. Plenty of walks including the Puy de Sancy. Although a lot higher than UK mountains the fact the town itself is close to 3000feet puts them on a UK scale for walking.

The Drome is beautiful - near the Ardeche but not anywhere near as overcrowded, a little further south than Grenoble. You can swim in the Drome river, lots of upmarket campsites to stay in.

Or into the Jura, which is further north and stay along Lac Vouglans. The summer tourism in mountains is getting really popular as it is too hot on the coasts so I definitely would wouldn't worry about them being dead.

The Guérande Peninsula. Small towns like La Baule, plus beaches that are a bit wilder further along the peninsula. The salt flats are cool, & you can do a day trip to Nantes if you have enough of the beach!

Or slightly over the 5 hour drive requirement, but Quiberon would be another good option. One side of the peninsula is quiet and sheltered, and the other has much wilder seas, good for kite surfing etc. Microclimate means that it's generally warm and sunny without getting too much - mid to high 20s.

That's where I was going to recommend. It's my favourite area of France.

Third the Auvergne. It is beautiful or what about Evian (the water factory is well worth a visit) and round that area. The St Bernard museum and kennels are worth a visit.

Sheila Hancock was talking about how beautiful the Luberon Valley is on a podcast I was listening to. I like the Il de Re and La Rochelle. Also loved a few days around the Lore near Chinon. Lots of medieval history in that region which I love.

Thank you all, this is brilliant. Loads of ideas to explore.

I love, love, love the Alsace. It's crammed full of the most beautiful little towns and villages, wonderful wineries which you can just wander into, castles and vineyards and beautiful scenery. And great food.

Annecy in France is gorgeous. You won’t regret going there, and great for teens - lake to swim in, mountains to climb up, parascending, cycle around the lake, restaurents , nice places to explore.

Brittany, Carnac and Quiberon is a tourist area but very lovely.
Strasbourg also fab.

The Alps are fabulous in summer with loads to do. Mountain biking, hiking, swimming in lakes, zip wires….

we love the southern alps. Check out Serre chevalier, Puy St Vincent, the Queyras.

For those that stay in the Alps, do you stay in the mountains themselves (I see a lot of ski chalets/flats are available) or down in the towns?

I love the look of Strasbourg - only ever driven through it.

@SweetChilliGirl which Alsace town would you head for?

This place looks really Beautiful but maybe it’s a one day thing?

https://finduslost.com/gorges-du-verdon-guide-france/

I stayed in Eguisheim last time I was there, in an Airbnb within the walls, which was just perfect. There are so many gorgeous little towns, any of which I think would be good - Riquewihr, Ribeuville, Turckheim are all beautiful. If you want somewhere a bit bigger, Colmar is lovely too. I haven't been as far North as Strasbourg but the wine route extends up there.

Most of the big ski resorts now have very healthy summer seasons, the lifts are open for biking and hiking, there are often lakes and open air swimming pools. It’s much cheaper to rent in summer though. Somewhere like Samoens is an easy drive, a traditional year round village , lots going on in summer including festivals, paragliding and lots of family hikes.

We stay in the valley at 800m. It’s a 20 min drive up to the local ski resort… the town in the valley has a lot more character than your average ski resort. Lots going on… this year Tour de France has several days in the alps and the atmosphere will be amazing. The lakes and rivers are great for swimming and rafting.

Thanks for the advice. @Radiatorvalves where do you try and stay? I am finding the valley areas hard to find good airbnbs.

We stay in Embrun. Friends have found good and reasonable Air B&Bs there. It’s not flash and trendy like the northern alps, but we love it.

Great thank you.