This is the first (actually, the second) sign that spring is here. First came the beach restaurants, all installed and serving food since 2 weeks. This weekend the second sign was there: the famous beach huts that are seen all over France’s beaches are being put down and installed by their eager owners. Once the beach …
Arcachon is one of those French places that is pleasant to visit but quite far too reach. It’s on the Southern part of the French Atlantic coast, near all the Bordeaux wineries, and close enough to Bordeaux for weekend people to invade the area (in other words, many folks from Bordeaux come here for the …
Biarritz, in the South of France along the Atlantic ocean, is a very special place to visit. It has been special for over a century and half, as you can see from the who-is-who of celebrities that have and still do visit. Biarritz is part of the Basque country, so much of its culture is …
Transport Getting there There are several bus operators going to Biarritz from different cities in France (and Europe): By Air The Biarritz airport is an international airport serving mostly French and European flights (it’s also Bayonne’s airport). The big operators all fly here; EasyJet, Ryanair, Air France, Lufthansa, SAS, SwissAir etc. Click here to access …
Deauville in Normandy is often considered the 21st district of Paris due to the large number of Parisians who have their weekend home there. Driving through any town in Normandy compared to driving through Deauville is the difference between day and night; average income places versus rich incomes, and it shows. Deauville is one of the …
Transport Getting There Train. There is a train link between Paris and the shared railway station of Trouville-sur-Mer and Deauville. There are several daily direct (and ones where you need to change) trains. Fastest time is 2 hours. Ferry: Closest ferry harbours from the UK are Ouistreham (Caen) and Le Havre. There is an irregular …
Dieppe, a fishing city with a big and intact castle/fortress, one of France’s oldest golf links and a twice daily ferry to Newhaven, UK.
Transport Getting There Ferry: from Newhaven, UK, there are 2-3 daily return sailings. Within Dieppe Dieppe is rather small and mostly flat, so no transportation is needed. If you are in the city centre, you can walk up to the castle. If you have come via ferry, there is a shuttle bus that brings you …
Dinard in Brittany is a fantastic place to stay for a few days. The seaside promenade is an incredible walk, alongside a narrow winding pedestrian area, covering the beaches and rock formations. Dinard is located just a few kilometers from the more well known city of Saint Malo. They are divided by the “La Rance” …
Etretat is Upper Normandy’s most popular tourist destination, particularly with the Parisians and locals. It is a small town (some 1500 inhabitants), but very picturesque and it has survived World War II almost intact. Its age can not be determined, but it is believed that it was there before the Vikings. Like most coastal towns …
Dormy House is an institution in Etretat, with a great restaurant (and hotel) and an even greater view over the town and sea.
Transport Getting There The only real way is by car/motorcycle and it will involve a bit of small road travel. There is a train service from Paris to Le Havre and from there you need to take a bus. TIP: If you are coming between April and September by car, come early and forget about …
Le Havre is a city that has been rebuilt completely after WWII with a particular and special style. It’s so unique that it was put on the United Nation UNESCO World Heritage sites.
The beach of Le Havre is the prime destination of the city’s inhabitants and for many who come from as far away as Paris. As is the case with most of Upper Normandy, the beach is made out of pebbles, not sand. But in the summer months it gets very busy, thanks to the fact …
Transport Getting there Ferry: From Southampton and Portsmouth direct to Le Havre, or from Newhaven to Dieppe and then the A29 to Le Havre. Click here to read more about the ferry station. Air: There is an airport, but there are no scheduled flights anymore, just charters. Within Le Havre Within Le Havre, there is …
Once a year, usually the first weekend of February (or last weekend of January), in the Northern beach resort of Le Touquet, a massive beach enduro is organised. This very heavily attended event consist of qauds and motorcycles racing alongside the very wide and long sandy beach of Le Touquet. This event, that on top of providing …
Le Treport, in the most Northern part of Upper Normandy, is a small fishing town with many restaurants and one big attraction; their (free) funicular!
Marseille is France’s 2nd largest city in population (over 800,000 inhabitants in the city), and France’s biggest harbour. It is also one of the oldest dwellings in France, with cave painting found dating back 30,000 years BC. It doesn’t get any older than that. NOTE: Below you’ll find an impression of Marseille, but it’s far …
The Ouistreham ferry is the ferry operating for the city of Caen, which lies some 15 kilometres away. There is a whole section of the rather small harbour of Ouistreham dedicated to the ferry. There are 3 sailings daily, taking you to Portsmouth in the UK in about 6 hours. That’s 21 ferries coming to …
The Pointe de Guilben is a peninsula at the East of Paimpol, Brittany. It’s a great place for a hike or picnic. Several small and secluded beaches can be found there.
Although Perros-Guirec is a real beachside resort, many people go there for the incredible and wild nature hikes alongside the picturesque seaside (English Channel). The town is cute but not exactly tourist worthy; you don’t go there to visit the town itself. The earliest recording in history of the town can be found in the …
Transport Getting There Restaurants There are some nice restaurants, even one 2-star Michelin one (and a former 1 star one – Le Belouga), but surprisingly not that many eating places along the hiking path. It’s only when you arrive at the villages along the way that you will find some interesting restaurants. Hotels Though quite …
The almost island of Quiberon in Brittany is known by the French for their beaches, dunes and many hiking paths. A place to spend a nice few days of peace and relaxation.
Nestled close to the Southernmost border between Spain and France in the Basque area, Saint-Jean-de-Luz is a small city of some 15,000 inhabitant but with a big history. More about the history further on… Saint-Jean-de-Luz is located South of Biarritz and on the Atlantic coast. It has a large and long beach, which is quite …
