France.... Atlantic coast and Pyranees

Your wife has certainly got it right. There's so much to see take it at your leisure.

agree totally about the best places....... we always travel with trip advisor to hand, the wife doesn't check my choices until we're on the road, then trip advisor/ipad comes out, and I'm generally getting it in the neck.... lol

Many thanks for that Davy, looks like I could spend the whole holiday walking in the mountains lol. I'd like to see your suggestions for the coast too, if they're as good as that. Ref the Ardeche region, had spent a school trip there many moons ago, and it was in my thoughts.... but I was wary of getting sucked into fitting too much in again. even to just drive through the area on the way home?

don't know where we're landing yet, nothing set in stone. Waiting for better discounts, but could end up Dublin/Holyhead/Dover/Dunkirk like last year. I've been to Brittany as a child, that's it, so it will all be new to both of us. Found a site there for tourism in the midi-Pyrenees, could spend a whole holiday there easily enough.

Re Dottie (the van), thanks, we've started looking at alternatives as the wife wants to bring grandkids on future travels, so swb transporter just isn't up to the job of transporting more than 2.

We tend to land and depart either Rosslare or Cherbourg so the furthest east we have been is Honfleur which is a nice little town with a huge tightly packed Aire. An interesting experience. As I am sure you are well aware there are lots of campsites to be selected from the Acsi book wether you are in the discount period or not. We tend to rely on their choices for a consistent quality inspected by the Dutch.

Cherbourg means D day visits to me. St Mere Eglise has good museum and also good Aire and campsite. Some of the other sites are worth visiting wether or not you are into military history.. Arramanche, point du Hoc (the U.S. rangers who stormed this were based at Carrickfergus) Utah beach etc and the American cemetery at Coleville sur mer.

Mont st Michel is an interesting visit but can be busy. Nice site nearby and large Aire.

St Malo has a nice location and historic fort and old city. Stayed at an Aire in nearby Rothneuf. Buses at the gate.

Camaret sur mer, large Aire south of Brest, but perhaps a bit off track for you.

Audiernne, nice little seaside town with GR walks and nice inlet with paths inland. Aire by harbour. Pointe du Raz is a good visit and more GR walks.

Quimper is a small historic town on a river with a good ACSI site nearby, L'Orangerie de Lannion.

Carnac with its standing stones, loads of sites in the area.

Quiberon is one of my wife's favourites. We seem to end up there every year. We use an Aire in st Pierre Quiberon but there are lots of sites some busy family based and some smaller and quieter. I should point out we use bikes a lot, both 60s so not athletically. Good cycling destination.

Vannes is another favourite staying at Le conleau and biking into town although there is a bus at the gate. Another historic and picturesque town by a huge Stratford lough type inlet (Le Morbihan).

Le Croisic west of st nazaire. Small pretty seaside village with a couple of Aires and other sites. Sea salt capital of France.

Il de Re should not be missed, a resort island over a huge bridge. Cycling paradise. Another salt producing area with loads of pretty little villages and plenty of sites. Le Bois plage en Re, Camping les Varrenes is our choice, small quiet with small pool.

Il de Oleron is another favourite, less touristy but good especially if you head towards the end. Big Aire at St Denis de Oleron,

Need to connect tablet to charger so I will post this in case I lose it. More to follow if you are happy.

Davy

Definately buy All the Aires France.
Even if you try some of the places listed, the books will give you the cordinates & information about them.
Very useful.
Enjoy your trip

I concur.
All the Aires is a must. Also, download park4night and the campercontact APP's, both are very good.
France is just too big time try and squeeze it into a couple of weeks, we've traveled that coast a few years. The 2 Islands north and south of La Rochelle is a nice visit and great for cycling.
Also a visit to Cognac is nice. I've found lovely little villages /stops inland 20km or so and always much quieter than the costal Aires/sites.
Whatever trip you decide, have a great time and enjoy.

We also love the Pyrenees and make a point of visiting some part every year . Since you plan to travel West to East would recommend make you way to Laruns , from there you could take a nice drive up the mountain pass to the Spanish border( about 15 miles) shopping zone and stock up with very cheap booze ,tobacco etc, then from Laruns to Arrens Marsous but only if your MH is not too tall/big , a very scenic but good road along some cliff edges and some tunnels with no lights. From Arrens just a few miles to Lac Du Tec , beautiful and good aire there.Back to Arrens then just a few miles down to Lac Estaing,again beautiful with mountain walks, MHs park nearly anywhere but we like the campsite , handy restaurant. On to Argeles Gazost. A few miles Nth is Lourdes which is one of those must see places , it's commercial Jesus gone mad , a bit sad to watch all the people in wheelchairs, cripples etc hoping for a cure and others queuing at the row of holy water taps. Don't stay there , go Sth through Argeles again to Cauterets , try and get into the Aire near the town square not the big one at the bus type station. Visit the touristy bits ie town and waterfalls, walks . Back to Argeles and this time head down to Gavarnie, stay in the Aire just up from the town . If you are fit walk to the Cirq and do take the MH up the hill past the ski station ( Marmots everywhere) to the car park in the sky and do the walk to Spain. There is another lovely little scenic road into the mountains which ends up in a gravel path walkway , it's the left turn between the Aire and the town.( more Marmots) ( beware of cows with calfs) ( eye out for Patous). gavarnie done then back to Gedre and if you have time there is a great scenic drive from here to the Cirque de Troumouse, the last few miles of this has a toll but it's worth it .Also enroute to Troumouse you will see a sign for a Barrage, it's only a couple of miles and worth it , if you are fit you can walk from this barrage to the Cirque de Estaube. Back to Gedre then Luz Saint Sauveur to take the scenic( and narrow in places) road across the Col du Tourmalet and the Col D'Aspin to Arreau. About three quarters away along this mountain rd is a great place to stop for an overnight on grass by a lake , there might be up to 40 MH's parked there but loads of room but strangely because of the lay of the land and trees you cannot see this spot from the route and would drive by it . You turn RT where it's signposted for Hourquett d' Ancizan and the MH aire is only a few hundred yards more. From Arreau to Aragnouet, From here you are only a few minutes drive from Piau Engaly ski ctr , and a few minutes from the tunnel to Spain for a day trip , but best is the little mountain road up to Lac d Oredon and Lac de Cap De Long there is also a cafe /restaurant at the barrage and other roads/ walking trails to other nearby lakes , stunning views from over 2,500 mtrs without having to walk .Love these places and could go on but better stop now , hope this has given you some ideas. If you follow the suggested route on Google Earth you'll see it makes some sort of sense.

Brilliant post and so informative
Thank you

Cashing in on some of the info here also, thanks everyone. We are heading back to France in the summer. Previously we have done the West Coast to Bordeaux & back taking in Ile de Ré, La Rochelle, Oleron etc. We have also done Normandy - Paris - Black Forest - Strasbourg - Normandy.

This year we will probably meet up with my BIL near Bergerac and after/before that I was thinking of heading down to the Pyrenees so very appreciative of the info on here especially that campsite suggestion of Aidob as, unlike T18con, we will be on the lookout for a good family site at some point as a treat. The idea of exploring the Pyrenees with a few nights & days at Les Trois Vallees is rather appealing

Many thanks for all the suggestions guys! plenty to look up now.

That's the first time I've seen a road close for lunch, tarmac sandwiches I suppose

Yes that is correct. I did a google translate a while back on another forum from a picture uploaded by someone asking the same question. If I remember, there was a weight limit involved. I shall try and find the post.

Davy