LordThornber Posted July 1, 2015 Share Posted July 1, 2015 Owing to many reasons we find ourselves having to travel over there mid September onwards. We're contemplating a Dover crossing, driving down to Bilbao to sail to Portsmouth. We're quite good sailors :D We're contemplating this to find a bit more 'going on' hopefully the further South West we travel. Or are we mistaken? We certainly don't expect to see the hustle & bustle of July and August but wondered whether heading for, say, Bordeaux, may give us a chance. I'd hate to cough up for the Bilbao crossing and find down there no busier than, say, Loire or Dordogne. Your views most welcome 8-) Martyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LordThornber Posted July 1, 2015 Author Share Posted July 1, 2015 C'mon guys, someone must have travelled in that area in late September 8-) Martyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billggski Posted July 1, 2015 Share Posted July 1, 2015 I travelled down early September last year and was amazed that all the French seem to have gone back to work. Their holiday period seems to end when the kids go back to school. Empty campsites, restaurants and pools shut up, and some campsites even closing down for the winter. The fetes and carnivals all seem to be in August. We just drove down to the better weather and wherever we stopped their was room, picked our pitch and set up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hallii Posted July 1, 2015 Share Posted July 1, 2015 I am usually somewhere in that area around the middle of September. the weather can be very good, but it can rain. Plenty to do, lots of nice seaside places, all "out of season" so no crowds. La Rochelle, Rochefort, Royan, Bordeaux and the Parc Naturel Régional des Landes de Gascogne are all nice.There are lakes and the Picos de Europa mountains a bit further south. Take your shorts and a mac and you are all set! H Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith T Posted July 1, 2015 Share Posted July 1, 2015 Lots of campsites close end of September, though some remain p[en until end October...those are mostly used by French motorhomers, and there is not a great deal of 'activity' left by then, However you can get some excellent weather, and lat year we spend the last two weeks of Sept in the Medoc area on the beaches at around 30C most days, then first two weeks October in Britanny, weather much cooler of course, but still good. Bordeaux is great city, and there are a couple of campsites near public trans port, but you would need to check on opening / closing dates. Probably best south of Bordeaux, along Landes area to Biaritz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LordThornber Posted July 1, 2015 Author Share Posted July 1, 2015 Bill, Geoff Keith, brilliant, thankyou for your responses. Just the sort of information I was looking for. Martyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombies Posted July 1, 2015 Share Posted July 1, 2015 Have lived in a few regions of France and I can safely say not a lot goes on. Maybe June, July and August with the fantastic night markets. There are some great village aires if the sites are closed. As said in another thread I would opt against the drive from Bordeaux to Biarritz, go via Dordogne, the Lot etc apart from being quicker its flat and dull unless time is against you. Being September the supermarkets will go mad with the wine on offer which is good, obviously. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted July 2, 2015 Share Posted July 2, 2015 have always found France pretty miserable out of main season with not much atmosphere....If your an isolationist fine, you will love it :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LordThornber Posted July 2, 2015 Author Share Posted July 2, 2015 Thank you Lee, much appreciated and Eddie too. Don't mind the quiet too much provided we can at least be near a restaurant or bar for a mooch early evening. We're going to have find somewhere larger, Town wise, to achieve this. Martyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertandjean Posted July 2, 2015 Share Posted July 2, 2015 Martyn, have been down this way two or three times in September and October, always enjoyed it and we enjoy visiting restaurants, galleries, museums etc. In fact heading this way this year same sort of time. Will call near Bordeaux for a few days then down to Cauterets in the Pyrenees for a week. This is a nice older style ski resort with good restaurants and local transport to Lourds and points of interest up in the Pyrenees for some nice walking. We stay on the large aire, not of sardine variety, with 3 amp electric costs around 10Euro/night. This time year though is nice in day in Sun but cold after dark. Some sites are still open but further out of town. From here will head down to a Biarritz, where much warmer and still busy in October. Again good restaurants, shops etc, with cheap bus links to Bayonne, a interesting city with old quarter and good museums to explore. In Biarritz stay on the aire at malady as bus just outside or can walk into Biarritz centre if do not want to use bus. But not an aire for you Martyn as vans are parked very tight and not certain to have electric hook up. Cost around 12 euros/night; sites around here open but again well out town. Then will move to Henday Place aire, where can get train or local free bus into Henday then onto San Sebastian, by cheap local train, or other places on Spanish coast. Aire at Henday plage was roadside parking but now redeveloped and set back from road, so maybe OK for you. Hope this helps Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LordThornber Posted July 3, 2015 Author Share Posted July 3, 2015 Robert & Jean, thankyou for your information. All very exciting for us as we're new to the area. We have camped in France every month of the year except Jan Feb and Nov. Weather is quite important for us, me in particular as I like to be outside as much as possible. Cool is fine, wet less so :D The aires info is welcome too, despite our differing camping requirements 8-) Martyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yeti Posted July 3, 2015 Share Posted July 3, 2015 My youngest daughter worked for a holiday company in the Vendee. We visited in September and places were starting to close for the winter,even some supermarkets! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombies Posted July 3, 2015 Share Posted July 3, 2015 yeti - 2015-07-03 9:24 PM My youngest daughter worked for a holiday company in the Vendee. We visited in September and places were starting to close for the winter,even some supermarkets! I doubt a supermarket chain would have a unit closed for winter. I've never known one to close France is great in and out of peak season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Joe90 Posted July 4, 2015 Share Posted July 4, 2015 France in September- October, what's not to like ? sure you'll get the impression that tourist related things are shutting down, but as far as we are concerned that's part of the pull for us, we don't do people very well ! If you want a Blackpool experience you'll be disappointed, if on the other hand lakes that have been warmed by the summer sun for a leisurely swim, and quiet walks in glorious countryside floats your boat, France AFAIC is about as good as it gets, enjoy, Mike. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted July 4, 2015 Share Posted July 4, 2015 yeti - 2015-07-03 9:24 PM My youngest daughter worked for a holiday company in the Vendee. We visited in September and places were starting to close for the winter,even some supermarkets! visited Brittany years ago in September and it was shutting down with only a few things open for the locals...weather was atrocious as well. never again! :-D incidentally campsites were empty... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LordThornber Posted July 4, 2015 Author Share Posted July 4, 2015 Cheers again, no, definitely do NOT want or need Blackpool/Benidorm experiences :) Sites quiet is ok too, essentially looking for a couple of locations to meet the basics, shop, restaurant, bar. Can't be that difficult. He says 8-) Anything else, weather, attractions that are open would be a bonus. Martyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Joe90 Posted July 4, 2015 Share Posted July 4, 2015 Should have qualified my earlier comments based on the fact that at that time of year we usually head south east of Bordeaux, ( we do a couple of weeks house sitting, then go off touring for a few more weeks ) not at all uncommon to have wall to wall sunshine well into October.......we are currently in France, and yet despite the glorious weather none of the locals seem to be venturing out yet, odd lot these French lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
candapack Posted July 4, 2015 Share Posted July 4, 2015 Martyn, we had a wonderful time late September last year at Rocamadour and Les Eyzies in the Dordogne area. Particularly Les Eyzies, with it's incredible prehistoric cave paintings. Weather was great, both places have excellent Aires, lots of people about. The Gouffre de Padirac is a massive cave system near Rocamadour, also fascinating. Well worth a visit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted July 4, 2015 Share Posted July 4, 2015 both of the above comments a hell of a lot further south than Brittany!..so your in with half a chance there edit: hang on...I've got the wrong end of the stick... thought we were talking about Brittany (lol) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yeti Posted July 4, 2015 Share Posted July 4, 2015 zombies - 2015-07-03 10:57 PM yeti - 2015-07-03 9:24 PM My youngest daughter worked for a holiday company in the Vendee. We visited in September and places were starting to close for the winter,even some supermarkets! I doubt a supermarket chain would have a unit closed for winter. I've never known one to close France is great in and out of peak season. I beg to differ-they were French chains! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
multiplamum Posted July 4, 2015 Share Posted July 4, 2015 Went to Marseillan on the Med at end sept beg Oct. Fantastic weather, enough people to have a good atmosphere but had a lovely beach almost to ourselves. Plus watching then gathering grapes was v interesting. What's not to like, I would take that over Quiberon in August any day! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LordThornber Posted July 5, 2015 Author Share Posted July 5, 2015 Thankyou all again for your efforts. My mind is made up and it's a yes. I think we'll have a couple of days in the Dordogne, an area we know quite well but never tire of. Then head towards Biarritz direction for some serious beach combing :D Martyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted July 5, 2015 Share Posted July 5, 2015 Martyn If you get a copy of the 2015 ACSI DVD (£11.99 + P&P: Vicarious Books), and take a laptop with it loaded, you get information on 8,500 ACSI inspected sites across Europe (which is many, many, more than the sites that do the ACSI discount scheme, which are also included) and you can filter for opening/closing dates (and other features) to suit your holiday timetable. So, it will also give you Spanish sites. The inspection system is a bit erratic, and may include a few you wouldn't have picked had you known, but it is generally a reliable guide to quality. It is by far the best, handiest, easily searchable, off line, campsite resource I have found. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barryd999 Posted July 5, 2015 Share Posted July 5, 2015 If your heading down the south west corner as said Biarritz is great. St Jean du Luz is even nicer though. The whole stretch between the two towns is worth exploring. There will be plenty going on and the weather should be good. You can fill up and empty for free on the Aire at St Jean du Luz but its officially the worst Aire in France. TGV train track on one side and 4 lane carriage way on the other. We spent a week or so on the free aire at Col D'Ibarden here https://goo.gl/maps/3hGpx which is about 6 miles up in the hills from St Jean (no services). Its officially in Spain and there are loads of shops up the hill selling all sorts of goods. Great walking in the hills around there. We toured the whole area up to Bayonne and down to St Sabastian on the scooter. We were there in September last year and it was 28c and sunny every day. We saw plenty of cheap campsites around St Jean and up the coast, 12-15 Euros in September. Also on the way down there are a couple of big lakes in Landes. Sanguinet and Gastes. A Few good lakeside Aires there. Dune du Pyla is worth a look as well. (largest sand dune in Europe) Walk up the steps then throw yourself off the top. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randonneur Posted July 5, 2015 Share Posted July 5, 2015 Barryd999 - 2015-07-05 1:16 PM We spent a week or so on the free aire at Col D'Ibarden here https://goo.gl/maps/3hGpx which is about 6 miles up in the hills from St Jean (no services). Its officially in Spain and there are loads of shops up the hill selling all sorts of goods. Great walking in the hills around there. We toured the whole area up to Bayonne and down to St Sabastian on the scooter. /QUOTE] Martyn, Col D'Ibarden is not for the fainthearted if you don't like heights, very steep climb and narrow bends. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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