Summer Santander to ST Malo France Road Trip : Recommendations please.

[RogueOne]

Next July, the wife & I are embarking on a road trip for 2 weeks from Santander Spain to ST Malo in France.

Anyone done a similar trip? Looking for Campsite and places to visit recommendations. Thinking of heading inland to the Dordogne region for part of the trip.

Looking for 5 or 6 different locations to stop at for a couple of nights at a time. Whatcha got for me People?

Here's a pic of a rough route for reference:

 

[Nick h]

A bit of this depends what you are looking for from the holiday. If I was on this run I'd go North to South and enjoy the heat on my back before heading home.

Biarritz is great - good surf if your into that.
Arcachon dunes
Ile de Re - like a step back in time.

 

[DXX]

I’d spend 12 days in Dordogne, done that route a few times. Sarlat is well worth a day or two, you can’t go too far wrong following the Dordogne river inland.
As said above it all depends on what you want.
Vendee beaches are great, sand and pines, stick to the coast.
Avoid Nantes

 

[RogueOne]

We are taking mountain bikes on the back and probably my surfboard. Love a bit of adventure. We are very Active but also don’t mind the odd day on a beach or by a nice pool.

Open to any and all suggestions

 

[DXX]

You have the Pyrenees and the Vendee beaches. How about a couple of hours West after getting off in Santander, Picos de Europa, amazing place, bears and wolves if you’re unlucky. See it before it get’s completely destroyed by ski resorts.

 

[RogueOne]

You have the Pyrenees and the Vendee beaches. How about a couple of hours West after getting off in Santander, Picos de Europa, amazing place, bears and wolves if you’re unlucky. See it before it get’s completely destroyed by ski resorts.

We’ve already done West of Santander, several times

 

[RogueOne]

I’d spend 12 days in Dordogne, done that route a few times. Sarlat is well worth a day or two, you can’t go too far wrong following the Dordogne river inland.
As said above it all depends on what you want.
Vendee beaches are great, sand and pines, stick to the coast.
Avoid Nantes

Thanks DXX, Dordogne does look amazing. Will also check out The Vendee beaches.

Why would you avoid Nantes?

 

[Salty Spuds]

In no particular order:- Oleron, Re, Noirmoutier, Arcachon, morbihan,
Caveat France after the 1st week in July is hell and a no-go area as far as we’re concerned. Campsite prices virtually double overnight, roads are jammed, restaurants impossible to book. If you can possibly avoid it, change your dates. We aim to be on the ferry home around the 5th July before “Black Saturday”

 

[RogueOne]

In no particular order:- Oleron, Re, Noirmoutier, Arcachon, morbihan,
Caveat France after the 1st week in July is hell and a no-go area as far as we’re concerned. Campsite prices virtually double overnight, roads are jammed, restaurants impossible to book. If you can possibly avoid it, change your dates. We aim to be on the ferry home around the 5th July before “Black Saturday”

Thanks for the Recommendations Salty. Unfortunately we can only go During the School holidays as my wife's a Deputy Head Teacher!!

 

[RogueOne]

A bit of this depends what you are looking for from the holiday. If I was on this run I'd go North to South and enjoy the heat on my back before heading home.

Biarritz is great - good surf if your into that.
Arcachon dunes
Ile de Re - like a step back in time.

Ile de Re does look amazing, did you camp on the island?

 

[Salty Spuds]

Ile de Re does look amazing, did you camp on the island?

We've been to all three islands, Re, Oleron & Noirmoutier. Oleron is our favorite, we were there in June this year. Re is a bit gucci and up itself, Oleron is much more relaxed with a nice island vibe. Noirmoutier is the least developed and very natural. All 3 islands are very bike friendly with miles of cycle paths. It's oyster and mussel heaven if that's your thing, it's ours. We were watching otters playing in the marshes, the bird life is excellent too.
P.S. I know what it’s like regarding the school hols. Mrs Spuds was also a deputy head until she took early retirement 7 years ago. We stay at home now during school hols.
We stay here
I found this campsite using the CampingCard ACSI app:Camping Les Saumonards | ACSI

This restaurant is worth a visit

https://maps.app.goo.gl/tfog9GegNX8Sx5xY8?g_st=ic

Here for mussels and oysters

https://maps.app.goo.gl/E84Yd8L8MP3kXAux5?g_st=ic

 

[Stay Frosty]

Did a similar trip this year crossing from Poole to Cherbourg and dashing to Pornic near to Nantes for our first stop.

Les Machines de l'lle, Nantes
Next stop Arcachon giving us Bordeaux on the train and the Dune de Pilat on the town bus.

Dune de Pilat
Next stop Lourdes and the Pyrenees

Then back up to Clermont Ferrand and on through the centre of France to finish in Normandy before returning home, all told about six campsites at four or five nights each site with diving around to the various sights on the bus or train.
Personal favourite town Forteresse de Chinon...

Did I mention I like France?

 

[DXX]

Thanks DXX, Dordogne does look amazing. Will also check out The Vendee beaches.

Why would you avoid Nantes?

Traffic nightmare, that said with a sat nav it will be easier. Le Mans, Angers and Rennes are worth a visit which would steer you around it.

 

[Salty Spuds]

Traffic nightmare, that said with a sat nav it will be easier. Le Mans, Angers and Rennes are worth a visit which would steer you around it.

We never take the van into cities. We try to find a campsite with either cycle access or bus. The continentals seem to be much better at this kind of thing than us.

 

[DXX]

I think I camped up in the hospital car park in Le Mans, the most peaceful place I could find.

 

[Stay Frosty]

We went into Nantes on a Sunday so going in the opposite direction to most of the coastal bound traffic.
However Nantes isn't any worse than trying to drive through Leicester or Coventry and better in that at least there's a fair bit of free parking alongside the river when you get there.

 

[cgtmiles]

Next July, the wife & I are embarking on a road trip for 2 weeks from Santander Spain to ST Malo in France.

Anyone done a similar trip? Looking for Campsite and places to visit recommendations. Thinking of heading inland to the Dordogne region for part of the trip.

Looking for 5 or 6 different locations to stop at for a couple of nights at a time. Whatcha got for me People?

Here's a pic of a rough route for reference:

View attachment 310608

As per the shout out on my own travel thread we are planning something similar at the end of July. (24th july ferry from Portsmouth). Can I ask what you have been planned around the Spain/france border. I’d like to make a stop here as I used to go there as a kid (saint jean de luz) so I’d like to go back but have no references less than 35 years old!

 

[Salty Spuds]

As per the shout out on my own travel thread we are planning something similar at the end of July. (24th july ferry from Portsmouth). Can I ask what you have been planned around the Spain/france border. I’d like to make a stop here as I used to go there as a kid (saint jean de luz) so I’d like to go back but have no references less than 35 years old!

If you can squeeze it in, a visit to Canfranc Station is well worth it.