The Route South

When we first went to France we did all the normal things. First it was Normandy and Brittany, next it was the Loire Valley. As we became more adventurous we went further a field, first to the Vendee and then the Dordogne. It was not until our extended trip in 1992 that we got down as far as the Mediterranean. From then on we were hooked, as I am sure many others have been. The purpose of this page is to share our experience of visiting the South of France and to provide information on sites, routes and general information on the areas that we have visited, which may be of help to others.

So why the South of France? If you have been and don’t know the answer to this question don’t bother to read on, it will be a waste of time. I love the South of France and would be happy to spend months at a time there. But why? Difficult to quantify but could be the warmth and sunshine that is more reliable that other parts of France.

Getting There

Others might have a different view but for me the most straightforward embarkation point is Dover-Calais. I know you can start the journey from other ports but this is still my preferred option. If you use the ferries they are also the cheapest. Perhaps the first decision is whether to stay on the English or French side of the channel before your journey south. If you can get to Dover between 4.00 and 6.00pm I would suggest crossing that evening and staying at either Le Bien Assise or Chateau de Gandspette as both these sites are within 30/45 minutes of the ferry terminal. Le Bien Assise stays open until 10.00pm and although Gandspette reception does not remain open as late I am sure there would be no problems providing you arrive before the restaurant/bar closes. Crossing in the evening allows you a full day travelling the next day. Both these sites are only 15 minutes away from the A26 and the rest of the autoroute system.

Some people will debate the relative merits of the autoroutes over the N roads. The autoroutes are fast and direct and compared to the motorways in the UK are relatively empty albeit at a cost. I estimate that to tow a caravan to the South of France and back would cost in the region of £135 in tolls. Car and caravans are charged as group 2 on the autoroutes. Sometimes, during the peak August holiday season they have been known to reduce tolls to group 1 if you travel mid week rather than at the weekends. On a Sunday in France you will find very few commercial vehicles on the roads which makes a pleasant change. If time is of the essence then you might be best staying on the autoroutes. Another advantage of using the autoroutes is that every 10 kms there are aires or service stations which are equipped with toilets and often picnic areas. A lot of people use these rest areas and in particular the service stations as an over night stop over. Personally I am not keen on that idea and would much prefer to leave the autoroute and seek out a nice little municipal camping site for an over night stay. On the other hand if you have plenty of time and don’t want to travel too far in one day then the N roads make an excellent alternative to the autoroutes. They are very well maintained and outside of the towns you generally don’t find a lot of traffic. The only proviso I would make is that it might be worth nipping onto the autoroute to avoid large towns and cities. Which type of road you choose will depend on whether the journey is part of the holiday or just the quickest route between two points.

Over the years we have tried various campsites along the route. It obviously depends on how many miles you want to travel in any one day so the sites are dotted at strategic along the route and most are only a few miles off the autoroute. They are listed in order from Calais with approximate mileage from Calais.

Campsite

Near

Miles from Calais

Camping-Caravaning St Louis *	Ardres	10
Camping Bouscarel *	Oye Plage	12
Camping Les Oyats *	Oye Plage	12
Le Bien Assise	Calais	20
Chateau de Gandspette *	St Omer	30
Manoir de Senlecques	Boulogne	37
Vivier aux Carpes	St Quentin	120
Camping Municipal Val-de-Vesle *	Reims	200
Camp Municipal Chalons	Chalons	200
Camping De Troyes	Troyes	260
Camp Municipal Parc Ste Marie	Chaumont	301
Camp Municipal Navarre	Langres	350
Camping de la Liez *	Langres	350
Camping Municipal Les Cent Vignes	Beaune	400
Camping Chateau de L’Eperviere	Sennecey-le-Grand	420
Le Temps Libre	Bourgé Chambalud	510
Camping Le Chateau De Senaud	Albon	545
Ardeche Camping *	Privas	560
Camping du Pont d'Avignon *	Avignon	612
Camping Nostradamus *	Salon de Provence	638

For additional campsites on the Route South check out this website

http://users.pandora.be/leo.huybrechts/gb-frame.htm

The Mediterranean

The majority of the holidays we have spent next to the Mediterranean have been spent at Port Grimaud. However we have also stayed at Frontignan Plage, near Sete and Valras Plage near Beziers. The beauty of Port Grimaud, its location is on the Golfe of St Tropez, is that it is more sheltered than those parts of the Med directly on the sea. Mind you the downside that it is also much busier in terms of people and traffic. We stayed at Frontignan and Valras too long ago to usefully comment as conditions and sites may have changed but as we visit different areas I will add more comments.

Port Grimaud - South of France

For those looking for a holiday with direct access to a beach in the South of France, Port Grimaud could the answer for you. It is situated on the N98 coast road between St Maxime and St Tropez. There are three sites with direct access to the sea and another two which are within walking distance. I have given details of the three sites below; it is only Les Mures that I have not stayed at.

Port Grimaud is a village that was built on marshland at the mouth of the Giscle River to create a modern community. The houses, in traditional styles, are designed around canals which allow the residents to have moorings. As you can imagine life in Port Grimaud is not cheap. To complete the community there are shops, restaurants and even a hotel. The village was designed by the world famous architect Francois Spoerry. Work started in the 60's and to a much lesser extent is going on today.

Of the three sites Prairies de la Mer is the only one with all its pitches on the seaside of the road. Both Camping de la Plage and Les Mures have pitching areas on either side of the road with access via pedestrian subways. It is worth noting that in season the N98 is exceptionally busy and an excursion to the nearest supermarket, about 3 miles away, can take at least half an hour one way. So it is best to plan your shopping trips to the less busy times of the day. Avoid Mondays which tend to be busy with the new influx of visitors. Go early, they open at 8.30am and its cooler!

Usually the whole idea of going to the coast for a holiday is to enjoy the sun bathing and swimming. However there are excursions in the locality that are worthwhile. Obviously Port Grimaud is only a stroll away from the nearest site so even as an evening promenades it must be on your list. The Sunday market is worthwhile if you are good at being up early, well at least 9.00am with some of the best products I have ever seen on a French market. St Tropez is a must. Particularly interesting is an evening trip when you can watch how the other half live! There are large pay car parks which are well signed on the way into the town. Ignore the beggars who sit by the pay booths. Alternatively if you want to go during the day why not go by one of the ferries that depart at various points around the bay. Grimaud is worth a visit, either by car or by the 'Petit Train' which leaves from Prairies. As you enter Grimaud by car there is a wine co-operative where you can buy wine by the bottle or fill a container. Plan de la Tour is another option that is up in the hills above Ste Maxime.

Le Grau du Roi – South of France

Le Grau du Roi is about the nearest Mediterranean beach to Calais, to get there you just head directly south from the ferry port. This area of the Med is not perhaps as sophisticated as the Port Grimaud area as the hinterland is more wild marshland of the Camargue but this also adds to its charm. The beaches of Le Grau du Roi and La Grande Motte are in the relatively sheltered Golfe d’Aigues-Mortes and as a result not as exposed as some of the beaches nearer the Spanish border. The major difference between the two areas of the Med is the ability to get out and explore the countryside without encountering traffic congestion, even in the peak August holidays.

If you get fed up with laying on the beach (!) there many places of interest to visit. Aigues-Mortes is only 8kms away and this charming walled town is well worth a visit. You can walk all round the walls and there are some superb views out across the marshes. Even nearer is La Grande-Motte. This unusually development was started in the mid sixties to encourage tourism to the area. It is built of quite a grand scale and is famous for its pyramid shaped apartment blocks. I was amused because each block has its own specific colour sun blinds, one block blue and another green. Further away, but not too far, is Stes Maries de la Mer, which hosts an annual gypsy festival you can even climb onto the roof of the church. This was the only place during our visit where there was some slight traffic congestion but I think this was more to do with parking. Incidentally there are a couple of free car parks away from the beach side of the town. Nimes is well worth a visit, particularly its outstanding Roman Amphitheatre which seems in a better condition than the Coliseum in Rome.

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