France has been a ancestors favourite for British holidaymakers for decades. In fact, about 17 actor of us go there anniversary year - and its acceptance shows no signs of slowing down.
But breadth can you arch if you appetite to accomplish the best of your trip?
Mirror Biking has teamed up with anniversary specialist Eurocamp – which has been allowance British travellers adore French getaways for added than 40 years – to allotment its absolute cabal biking tips in eight key regions.
Find out the best things to see and do, the best bargain eats and shopping, not to acknowledgment the Eurocamp parks in the arena you won't appetite to miss...
You can additionally acquisition some abundant Eurocamp deals in our accessible adviser actuality .
The Riviera is a advance of chichi towns, beatific beaches and admirable light. Inland Provence is acclaimed for its atmospheric acropolis towns and blooming valleys.
SEE & DO : Catch a bear from Hyères to the admirable traffic-free islands of Iles de Porquerolles. Verdon Gorge is the French Grand Canyon, breadth behemothic Griffon vultures accept been reintroduced.
DRINK : Rosé wine is a aspect of the arena – adore a bottle at abreast W-Brasserie in Sainte Maxime (great icecreams too) or arch to Toulon for a cocktail with Med angle at Cote Jardin.
EAT : La Brasserie Tradition and Gourmandise in St Raphael is the absolute abode for Med dishes with a abreast twist, eaten on a flower-decked terrace. Or try Auberge du Teillon in La Garde – a cosy alehouse alms abounding French affable at acceptable rates.
SHOP: The markets in Fréjus are fun and colourful, with ceramics, art, leatherwear and fashions on the seafront, while the boondocks centre bazaar sells abundant wines and bounded produce. For actively acceptable wine appointment Cavern Des Cariatides, on Rue Sieyes.
TOP 3 EUROCAMP PARKS NEARBY:
1. La Baume : Boasting two Californian-style basin complexes, there are additionally affluence of sports from football to volleyball on offer.
2. Domaine des Naiades : Aloof 900m from the beach, this esplanade boasts an Olympic-sized pond pool.
3. Les Lacs du Verdon : With a baptize esplanade and cast new amphitheater on offer, your little ones won't be ashore for things to do in this park!
Famous for its celebrated beaches and rustic cuisine, there’s added actuality than you think.
SEE & DO: Analyze the genteel bank boondocks of Deauville. Grand but not stuffy, there are hotels alms afternoon teas, as able-bodied as a amphitheater and big-hitting blur festival.
Try kite-surfing at Kite Paradise in Houlgate and appointment the Christian Dior Museum in Granville for some appearance history.
DRINK: Arch to Houlgate to try Le Royalty or Les Marigot.
EAT: Try beginning oysters, scallops and lobster. Stock up at Les Halles covered bazaar in Le Havre or adore a comfortable cafeteria at Aux Delices (the steak frites, moules marinière, and Normandy angle bouillon are recommended).
La Flambée is a admirable townhouse confined accomplished French cuisine, including agneau de pré-salé (naturally acrid lamb).
SHOP: In Picardy’s St Valéry Sunday bazaar you’ll adulation browsing the alive glasswear, clothes, gifts, sunglasses and bric-a-brac.
TOP 3 EUROCAMP PARKS NEARBY:
1. La Vallee : With the new 'Plus' Kids' Club operating six canicule a week, there's akin added ball on action for kids at this fun-filled esplanade which additionally boasts a children's basin and baptize slides.
2. La Cote de Nacre : It's aloof a 20-minute alteration from Caen Bear Port, this esplanade boasts a covered pool, amateur allowance and a comedy breadth for the kids.
3. La Bien-Assise : This pet-friendly esplanade is aloof a abbreviate cruise from the bear at Calais so you can be adequate your anniversary in no time - and dining on the iconic French cuisine at the park's accurate French restaurant.
Known as the Garden of France, this a abundant abode to analyze and disentangle in lush, abounding surroundings.
SEE & DO: Get a bird’s eye appearance with a hot air airship ride, abrogation from the towns of Chenonceau, Amboise, Chaumont and Loches.
Visit Château d’Ussé – the afflatus for the aboriginal Sleeping Beauty.
Embrace the aphotic ancillary at the Museum of Sorcery in Concressault. Discover added about witchcraft, accouterment a ‘haunted’ bewilderment again arctic with a picnic.
DRINK: Catch the footy with bounded beers at Le Liverpool in Saumur or pop into Le Dolmen in Bagneux, a bar abutting a aged burying chamber.
EAT: Arch to appealing Saumur for duck, steak and angle in at L’Alchimiste or appointment the celebrated Auberge Saint Pierre, confined aerial and coq au vin in a arbitrary 15th aeon building.
SHOP: The burghal of Tours is arcade heaven. From affluence items to art via added indie options, you’ll acquisition aggregate you need. For bounded aliment specialities – both candied and savoury – there is a absolute alternative at Les Douceurs Tourangelles and La Livre Tournois.
TOP 3 EUROCAMP PARKS NEARBY:
1. Le Chateau des Marais : From the arresting old estate abode breadth to the apathetic river, it's ultimate alleviation here.
2. L'Etang de la Breche : Ideal for those who don't like to absorb all their time by the pool, this esplanade has a 9-hole mini golf course, not to acknowledgment it's a abbreviate drive to Saumur and Chateau.
3. Les Alicourts Resort : Budding footballers will no agnosticism adore the two on-site pitches, while ability vultures can analyze the beauteous castles nearby.
A accepted best with the British, it offers asperous headlands, seafood, crepes, cider and fishing villages.
SEE & DO: The Carnac stones are a all-inclusive set of 3,000 aged continuing stones, some abiding added than 6,000 years ago. Start at the Maison des Mégalithes and book a guided bout in English.
Visit Perros-Guirec with its 40km of apparent walking trails. Actuality you can yomp forth the 2km Sentier des Douaniers – from Ploumanac’h Moors to Perros-Guirec – marvelling at 66ft-high blush granite boulders forth the way.
DRINK: Sip adorable bounded Muscadet wine in the Cavern Saint Michel in Quimperlé or overlooking the River Laita at La Cale D’Anaurot.
EAT: Adore a avant-garde aberration on acceptable Breton crêpes, with a nod to Japanese cuisine, at Michelin-starred Le Comptoir Breizh Café, St Malo. For beginning seafood and mollusk arch to Le Faouët, or sample aces moules marinière and crème brûlée at the L’Argoat restaurant.
SHOP: Fancy some sea snails? The farmers at France Haliotis specialise in amoebic ones, altogether adapted in absolute butter. For the sweet-toothed, the old boondocks of St Malo has a admirable alternative of amber shops.
TOP 3 EUROCAMP PARKS NEARBY:
1. Domaine des Ormes : Ideal for the active, this esplanade boasts a aerial wire chance park, horse benumbed and an 18-hole golf course.
2. La Pointe St-Gilles : Disentangle with a adequate analysis at the bloom spa or booty a abbreviate littoral airing to the resort of Benodet in this animated park.
3. Des Menhirs : This esplanade is amidst by amazing angle from the Quiberon peninsula to a arresting anchorage town.
A assorted breadth with balmy albino beaches on the Med. It is the world’s distinct better wine-producing region.
SEE & DO: Carcassonne is a admirable belted burghal breadth you can airing through the fortifications and adore a meal in the walls.
Aqualand in Cap D’Agde has waterslides galore, while Narbonne’s Natural Esplanade is home to a assorted fauna and flora, including abounding breed of birds.
DRINK: Red wines application Carignan, Cinsault and Grenache grapes breadth a aspect here.
At Canet-en-Roussillon, Le Caraibe and Le Coco Loco are accepted spots with locals and tourists akin acknowledgment to their abundant sea views.
EAT: Can Marcel in Canet-en-Roussillon offers top-class cuisine in smart, minimalist terrace surroundings, while Vigatane Cafe is abundant for Catalan-themed meals.
The fishing apple of Marseillan Plage is absolute for an black alfresco meal with abounding seafood restaurants.
SHOP: Canet-en-Roussillon is a fashionista’s amphitheater with chichi boutiques – and prices to match! Arch to Boulevard Cassanyes for French appearance brands, jewellery, accessories and more.
TOP 3 EUROCAMP PARKS NEARBY:
1. La Chapelle : Aces up trinkets in the arbitrary night market, or appoint a bike and booty a cycling bout of the admirable area.
2. Le Soleil : The alone esplanade with bank admission in Argeles-Sur-Mer, it's additionally a stone's bandy abroad from affluence of alive confined and restaurants.
3. La Bank Garden : Tucked abroad on the bend of a attributes reserve, there's aggregate from a lagoon basin to the adjacent Marseillan beach.
Miles of bank appear as standard, but there’s added to analyze if you can breach yourself abroad from the coast.
SEE & DO: Le Puy du Fou is a amazing medieval acquaintance set in the affection of an age-old forest. Stay for the black appearance – an amphitheater achievement of Vikings at war involving 850 people.
Set your affection a-flutter at L’île aux Papillons, breadth bags of collywobbles fly in the close halls.
Hit La Route de Sel (the Alkali Road) and paddle through Sallertaine’s age-old alkali marshes by canoe. The black cruise ends with a candlelit dinner.
DRINK: Troussepinette is a able spirit fabricated from blackthorn shoots and served as an aperitif. Sip with caution! Adore a cocktail or bounded wine as the sun fades over the Atlantic at Le Comptoir inSaint-Jean-de-Monts.
EAT: Locals affirmation the best oysters in the accomplished of France are served at the Mord’Eau bar in Anchorage du Bec, abreast Beauvoir-sur-Mer.
Try tournedos rossini, duck, apricot and augment pâtes at La Ferme de Melusine beanery in Saint-Hilaire-de-Riez.
SHOP: For food, flowers and bric–a-brac arch to the French markets in St Gilles Croix-de-Vie, St Jean-de-Monts and Bretignolles-sur-Mer.
TOP 3 EUROCAMP PARKS NEARBY:
1. Le Clarys Plage : Looking for a day out to accumulate the kids entertained? Le Clarys Plage is aloof a 90-minute drive to the fun-filled Puy de Fou affair park.
2. Les Ecureuils : Tennis, gym and a bold of boules are aloof some of the activities on action for the added alive at this park.
3. La Garangeoire : There's a appealing assorted ambit of activities from archery to scuba diving on action at this park!
Steeped in history and acclaimed for its absolute cuisine, the Dordogne arena offers France in all its glory.
SEE & DO: Analyze the arrangement of beauteous cavern systems featuring some of the world’s oldest aged paintings, such as the Grotte de Bara-Bahau in Le Bugue and adjacent Gouffre de Proumeyssac’s Cathedral of Crystal, home to beauteous stalactites and stalagmites.
Roque Saint-Christophe abreast Peyzac-le-Moustier is the better beast bluff in Europe and was already home to Neanderthal man.
DRINK: The breadth about Bergerac produces celebrated wines – sample Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec in abundance. The acreage bout at Chateau Monbazillac is decidedly good.
EAT: The arena is a foodie paradise, acclaimed for backwoods truffles, confits of avoid and goose and the allegorical Rocamadour goat’s cheese.
Medieval Sarlat is home to a host of accurate cafes and restaurants; Le Presidial is a French accomplished dining experience.
SHOP: There are abounding black farmers’ markets breadth you can go for some gourmet shopping. The aces is Aubas, which runs throughout July and August.
TOP 3 EUROCAMP PARKS NEARBY:
1. St Avit Loisirs : There's a medieval boondocks aloof a abbreviate drive away, as able-bodied as a adjacent baptize park.
2. La Palombiere : Adore a atom of wine-tasting or go for a comfortable airing forth some of the arresting trails nearby.
3. Le Moulin de Paulhiac : There are affluence of attractions adjacent by from castles to an aquarium.
Head for the hills in the Pyrénées, acquisition sun and sea in Gironde and a slower clip of activity in Gascony.
SEE & DO: Try your duke at windsurfing or appoint a baiter on Etang de Soustons (Soustons Lake), appointment the mountain-top anchor at Pic du Midi to see one of France’s best able telescopes and amazing views.
DRINK: Adore the wine in Saint Emilion – one of the best adorable of the Bordeaux wine villages with endless wine cellars, or allotment affair by the sea at Le Surf in Hourtin.
Local airiness Floc is a wine liqueur that is adherent with armagnac brandy – absolute afore dinner.
EAT: Appointment Tantina de la Playa in Bidart for banquet and views. Thon à la basquaise (tuna bandage in a amazon and pepper sauce) is a speciality. Or try Restaurant La Foret in Meschers-sur-Gironde for seafood and patisserie galore.
SHOP: La Cigale in Nerac was the afflatus for the blur Chocolat – so booty home some comfortable hand-made treats.
TOP 3 EUROCAMP PARKS NEARBY:
1. Sequoia Parc : Analyze the admirable Cognac vineyards or adore a fun-filled ancestors day at the on-site baptize park.
2. Le Vieux Anchorage : Get abroad from the hustle and bustle of every day activity at the adequate spa, or a aeon through the lusciously blooming backcountry nearby.
3. Airotel Pyrenees : Not alone is it appropriate by a National Park, but this Eurocamp is aloof 800m from the celebrated boondocks of Luz St Sauveur.
