France holiday from Greater Manchester

[mightyducks]

Looking to go to France next year for a holiday but never been before and looking for any recommendation on where in France to go without too much driving? Probably looking at getting the ferry from Dover - where can we get to that’s nice and guaranteed some sun without more than two days traveling?

We live an hour from Annecy (previously mentioned) - the drive to Calais is about 7-8 hours if you only make short stops. So it's easily manageable in two days. There are other nice places around that part of eastern France - Aix-les-Bains, Chambéry, Lyon. Tunnel is quickest but ferry is usually cheaper and you get a longer break from driving. It's usually guaranteed hot (30s) in July/August. This year however we had a heatwave in June, a cooler July and are now in another heatwave (37 yesterday!).

If you head down the western side of France you can get to Bordeaux in 10-12 hours, but there are lots of possibilities before that on the Atlantic coast (probably slightly cooler).

We didn't cycle - just saw lots of people doing it!

Whatabout the tunnel to gard de Nord?

although you can take bikes, pretty tricky to take bikes AND other luggage. And OP is not in London so getting to st Pancras is an expensive faff

Oh I would second the La Rochelle area. We went there a couple of years ago and loved it. Very bicycle friendly I would say as there were lots of people on two wheels. And, yes, Ile de Re is great for bikes.

Loads of places to eat too.

I went to Picardie (northern France) the first week of July and it was hot! You don't need to go all the way south. The Somme region is only 90 minutes or so from Calais and is perfect for cycling, it's pretty flat. Lots of pretty towns and villages (Amiens, Albert, Arras) and the WW1 battle fields. It's lovely.

By taking Dover–Calais ferry, you can reach lovely spots without any long drives. Paris is just a 2–3 hours away, while Normandy (Deauville) and Brittany (Saint-Malo) offers history. For quick seaside breaks, like Boulogne are very close. If you need a France visa, check requirements before booking, as UK passport holders don’t need one for short stays.

I think these days you may not have to go too far south for warm weather in the summer, you may find Normandy is lovely. For 100% guaranteed weather though head south (although it may be too hot in July/Aug). We often went to Lot area, because it was cheaper than coastal areas or Dordogne, but still really lovely. We travel from the south of England, and have done it in a day, but it’s more pleasant in 2, from Manchester you’ll definitely need two days, if not 3? We used to stop in Le Mans or Orleans on the drive down through France, but from you maybe Calais or Rouen would be a better break point.

You could take a longer ferry, from Portsmouth to St Marlo, but Dover Calais is definitely the cheapest option. Sometimes Le Shuttle is a similar price and it’s quicker with a more frequent service. Although I’m only comparing to DFDS as I refuse to use P&O after they sacked all their staff and rehired a few years ago.

This! We stayed overnight at an Ibis budget at Le Treport Mers les Bains on the way down and stayed near Ile D'Oleron.

You might be OK further north but it's a gamble.