Hi, My family of four - wife, daughter 5, son 9 and myself will be driving down to Barcelona for 5 nights staying at the Gallery Hotel [unless you can recommend otherwise]. We are hoping to arrive in Barcelona on 14th August, this gives us 3 days to get there from Paris [staying at Hotel Du Golf, Bussy St George]. My son would like to travel over the Millau Viaduct so the route I have plotted is A10-A71-A75-A9-A7. Could anyone recommend two overnight stops in France between Paris and Barcelona?
We then have seven days to drive from Barcelona to Calais for our return home on the 25th, any suggestions on places to visit and stay would be greatly received. Please remember the children have trouble sitting for longer periods so breaks are a must.
Thanks all!
Tony
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So you%26#39;re ready for the interminable choruses of %26quot;are we there yet?%26quot; emanating from the back seat, lol!
We drive down through France into Spain every year (with our dog, so we have to keep our daily journeys to a manageable level otherwise we hear heavy sighs coming from the back seat). We find around 6 hours a day is enough for us, coffee breaks included. www.viamichelin.com will help you plan your trip, giving you distances, routes %26amp; journey times.
The actual journey time from Paris to Barcelona is around 10 hours, so why not stay in Millau for a couple of nights. The views of the viaduct from the town are spectacular %26amp; Millau is a pretty place. The Gorges du Tarn are nearby %26amp; the whole area is beautiful. http://www.ot-millau.fr/
On your return journey, there are so many routes you can take. We have taken the route through the Pyrenees which is great, although you may find the journey is a bit slow on the mountain roads. Similarly, the coastal route from Roses to Argeles sur Mer is spectacular, but long winded due to the steep, twisty turny mountain roads. We stayed on the autoroutes last year %26amp; went over to Lyon for a couple of days before heading back to the UK.
My advice to you is to spend a couple of days in a couple of places on the return journey so the kids have a break from being in the car every day.
A couple of sites for hotels which may help you are:
www.logis-de-france.fr/fr/recherch/index.htm
www.accorhotels.com/accorhotels/index.html
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Why not stop in Millau itself ? - an attractive town and from where you can take an open-top bus to the viaduct which takes you along the access roads not open to the public.(tickets from the TIC) it stops at the visitor area at the north end of the viaduct and if you decide not to stop in Millau, do stop here, as it is close to the start of the viaduct, whereas I don%26#39;t think there%26#39;s a similar facility at the south end. Your son may be disappointed with just driving over it, as there are high barriers, so getting views of the bridge is a must. Another good place to visit about 20km away is Micropolis - a sort of interactive museum dedicated to insects - highly recommended.
We stayed at La Capelle Hotel in Millau which was basic but clean (like a Travelodge) a room with a double and 2 singles was 65euros.Wonderful views from the terrace outside main entrance.Millau also has a good market (Thursdays/fridays?) an interesting museum. and riverside walks etc from where you get long-distance views of the viaduct.
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Thank you both!
Mainzerstrasse - does La Capelle Hotel have car parking?
Also because the drive from Paris is so long, I would like to break the journey, where do you recommend an overnight stop before Millau?
senoraylan - The Gorges du Tarn seems a little way out from Millau, the area does seem lovely. Also would the coastal route from Roses to Argeles sur Mer with long twisty turny mountain roads sounds great for the return trip, where do you recommend we stop off for the night.
I must say that this is my second trip to France, the first two were Disney and Paris. We have 12 days to see the best of France and I don’t really know where to begin other than 4 nights in Barcelona.
Your help is appreciated.
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If you want another place to stay on the way down, check out Bourges. We stayed there last year for a night, a lovely town with a fantastic cathedral. We stayed at the Mercure Grand Hotel Du Bourbon, a very nice 3* opposite a park which I%26#39;m sure the kids will appreciate. (Accor hotels website) www.bourges-tourisme.com/accueil_english.php
However, it is only 5 1/2 hours straight through to Millau, you could do that if you stop for lunch %26amp; let the kids run off some excess energy. The Gorges du Tarn start about 1/2 an hours drive away from Millau %26amp; are well worth spending 2 nights in the area.
On the way back, you would probably be best crossing the border %26amp; staying in Collioure or Argeles sur Mer. Maybe a couple of nights for some beach time? From Argeles sur Mer you head up towards Perpignan where you rejoin the autoroutes %26amp; decide which way you want to go from there.
We use the Rough Guide to France to help us decide where to stay, but France is so vast %26amp; beautiful, it is often a difficult decision!
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senoraylan - any pointers on self catering in or near Barcelona with parking?
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Hi, touranman. If you stay in Barcelona itself, parking is very expensive. You could look at staying somewhere like Sitges, a lovely town on the beach which is about 1/2 hour away from Barcelona by train.
Post this question on the Barcelona forum %26amp; i%26#39;m sure you will get plenty of answers from people with more knowledge of the area than me. We%26#39;ve only visited Barcelona once, so don%26#39;t know it in depth.
A couple of sites for you to have a look at:
www.barcelonaturisme.com
http://www.sitgestour.com/index.php?lang=en
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Not sure whether La Capelle has its own car park ( we were travelling by rail), but there%26#39;s a public one directly outside and there seemed to be street parking nearby. Would also agree that Bourges is an attractive town. other places we like in southern France include Carcassonne and Nimes (and the Pont du Gard Roman viaduct nearby) - both of interest for children. Montpellier not especially inspiring, however. Just ask if there%26#39;s anything else.
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I agree with the previous recommendations to stay in Millau and we too found the Capelle to be a decent place and a good value. Just be aware that the public parking lot next to the hotel and the streets are regularly patrolled so be aware of the hours of enforcement. I think parking is free at night. Along with being right next to the old part of town with all of its shops and restaurants staying at the Capelle has a couple other benefits - there is a public laundromat right around the corner and there are at least two factory outlets for the leather goods the town is noted for. The hotel desk staff will help you find both. When we were there in November the tourist center under the south end of the bridge was still under construction - hope it%26#39;s ready when you get there.
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For scenery Auvergne is not yet inundated by tourists and arguably one of the most beautiful regions of France. Some of the highlights traveling primarily A75 South of Clermont Ferrand:
Exit A75 at St. Flour and continue south on D921 with possible stops in Chaudes-Aigues (we like Hotel Beausejour 04.71.23.52.37) or Neuveglise (Hotel Relais de la Poste with an unbelievable view). Either of these places are an excellent place to spend your first night if it’s not too far.
Continuing southbound on D921, stop in Laguiole to purchase some of their famous knives. Sets of these table knives (known by their horn handles and bee emblems) have sky-rocketed in price recently but these are the originals. The brand names to look for are David (factory near the town’s entrance) or Calmels (only sold at their small shop in town).
Exit Laguiole to the east on D15 to Aubrac for lunch at Chez Germaine (closed Sunday evening and Mondays). Germaine died several years ago but her restaurant remains the absolute finest place in France for Aligot. Aligot, a mixture of mashed potatoes and young cow’s milk (for example cantal) was virtually unknown outside of Auvergne until several years ago when it began being served in Paris, almost as a fad food. (Best place in Paris for aligot is L’Abmassade d’ Auvergne in the 3eme.) We go just for the aligot but all of the food here is excellent, even by French standards and worth the side trip. You might be surprised by the number of people eating here as the location is very remote but its reputation is widespread. Though no one here leaves hungry, try a fruit tart dessert, share if you must but they are not to be missed. Your kids will love it and never forget this experience. Return eastbound to A75.
As an alternative to D921 you could stop at Garabit to see Eiffel’s famous viaduc de Garabit. Depart A75 at exit 30 (just south of St. Flour) and continuing towards Ruynes-en-Margeride and follow D909 south to Garabit. Staying at the hotel Beau-Site http://www.beau-site-hotel.com/. The bridge is illuminated by night and is a very impressive site. The restaurant hotel is very comfortable and quite accommodating (moderately priced as well). Return to A75 the next morning.
As a point from which to absorb the complexity of the engineering and the enormity of the viaduct project, Millau provides an excellent vista; as a location to overnight – it’s unimaginative at best. I have always been under whelmed by what it has to offer.
Continuing southwards towards Barcelona, I should try to spend the last night en route at Collioure in Rousillon. Here is more information:
http://www.collioure.com/index-fr.htm
As a final note, except for a fee of about 5-6 euro to cross the viaduct, A75 south of Clermont Ferrand is toll free. The A9 tolls as you continue south are minimal.
Mappy.com or Viamichelin.com will have complete details.
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Thank you all for your help.
I really want to give the children a nice break between Bussy St George and Barcelona, and all you tips have been helpful, unfortunately however Sarastro I am concerned about venturing off the beaten track and then finding myself pushed for time. I am really having trouble finding quality overnight accommodation along the A71/A75 around Clermont-Ferrand, why is it that the majority of rooms seem to based on 3 people. Senoraylan The Gorges du Tarn sounds and looks ideal for the kids, but I cannot find any accommodation. I am I not looking in the right place?
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