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Hi,

 We are planning next years French holiday and would like to sail to santander and spend about three weeks camping  on the coast between santander and Bordeaux.However  the map looks a bit blank with hardly any towns and lots of pine forest!!! Does anyone have any recomendations or warnings? we have two boys  aged 6 and 3 .

Thanks

Did that Xing a few years ago (but it's not cheap!).   Pyrenees are spectacular.   There was a good funicular railway to the top of one of the mountains - but pick a clear day if you want to see any distance.

We stayed at Bidar - just outside Biarritz and it was nice but often the clouds from the mountains keep the sun away till nearer lunch time.   If sun is important - suggest further north or away from the coast.

If you're going as far as Bordeaux, wouldn't you be better with a shorter crossing and see more of France on the way down?

We went Poole-Cherbourg this year, travelled down through Normandy to Royan, not too far from Bordeaux. Took around 5 hours towing. Saw some pretty villages, great chateaux etc. Then we moved inland for a week to the Loire valley, which was fantastic. The coastal area of the Vendee/Gironde is flat, not alot to see there if you want the 'real' France. Saintes and Cognac were brilliant though. Most of the major towns along the coast had a bit of a battering during WW2, La Rochelle, Royan etc....so lots of the buildings are post 1945. You don't have to travel that far inland to get to the good stuff though! We were considering doing the Spain up through France route at some poing, but costs are stupid! In my opinion, it's better to get a cheap ferry crossing, and spend the difference in fuel.....see as much of that fantastic country as possible!

Next year, we're going to the Loire for a week or so, before going back up to Normandy. Couple of years ago we went down to Vias, on the Med coast, which was ok, but too long a journey towing for us. It takes practically 4 days off the holiday. It was worth doing once, just to see how diverse France is. Might do it again if I was allowed 3 or 4 weeks leave! Unfortunately, I'm not! :-(