Karen and Malc's Gap Years: France

Our longest trip yet in Bessie the campervan (or motorhome as Malc prefers to call it…I don’t think SHE minds!). Actually, the French have a more appropriate name for them: "Le Camping Car".... We left Dover on the 6^th June and travelled nearly 2000 miles in three weeks, stopping for two nights in some places but usually only one night before moving on.

Our route:

Dunkirk to Boiry-notre-dame

Bouzy – in the champagne region (very apt!)

Beaune

St Porcain-sur-Sioule

The Lake at Royere de Vassiviere

Abzac

Dunes de Pyla

I’le D’Oleron

Les Sables D’Olonne

Piriac-sur-mer

Challones-sur-Loire

Near Azay-le-ridout

Villaines-en-Juhel

St Valery-en-Caux

Cayeux-sur-mer

Dunkirk

Almost EVERY village we went through seemed to be asleep and shops and businesses didn’t get going until about 10 with a two-hour lunch break…even if it was a restaurant; we were met with indignation in one village when we tried to get lunch at 2:00pm!

France LOVES motorhomes and has many Aires that are for motorhomes only – no caravans or tents – which seemed to add to the strange custom of motorhomers waving to each other (but NOT to caravans) as they passed each other on the road. We met one lazy couple that had made a paper hand, which had been stuck to the dashboard to save them waving!

Initially we stayed on campsites, our favourite being at the Dunes de Pyla in the Bordeaux region after staying with our friends Bett and Al at their holiday home in Abzac. The campsite was in a pine forest next to the dunes and had a fantastic restaurant looking out to sea with the most amazing sunsets whilst we were there.

The dune from Cap Ferret across the water

Paragliding on the dunes

The campsite restaurant - what a view!

Bett and Al spoilt us whilst we left Bessie safely hooked up at the campsite where they have their holiday home. They took us to Cap Ferret and a fantastic Oyster Bar that only serves oysters, whelks, prawns and lovely bread with white or rose wine. Simple!

We soon decided to get a bit more adventurous and tried staying at the French Aires. We had seven nights in a row at amazing places and spent a grand total of 12 Euros as most of them are free to encourage visitors!! Why can’t we do that in Britain?

BEAUNE: