Driving holiday - France / Spain or other suggestions

Nicman

Hey there,
My fella and I are looking for a honeymoon alternative. Since we're not the luxury cruise/ Mexico resort/ maldives type of people we're looking for an alternative. Like a regular holiday but given it's the h-moon we'd still like it to feel a little different and more rare than an annual holiday.
We talked before we ever got engaged about driving down along the coast of France and North Spain, camping/ surfing etc along the way. Any suggestions here from past experience? I've found that there are no ferries from spain to ireland which is a bit awkward - would have to double back to get home :-( any alternatives? Also I know the west coast of France can be jammed with young-kid-families and although wouldn't mind it, don't want it in our faces for the entire trip. aNy ideas here?

We're also open to complete alternatives...doesn't ahve to be a driving holiday...doesn't ahve to be france/ spain. Just looking for something a bit different but still our style (ie not too fancy!) ;-)

Thanks

First Up

Nicman wrote: »

Hey there,
My fella and I are looking for a honeymoon alternative. Since we're not the luxury cruise/ Mexico resort/ maldives type of people we're looking for an alternative. Like a regular holiday but given it's the h-moon we'd still like it to feel a little different and more rare than an annual holiday.
We talked before we ever got engaged about driving down along the coast of France and North Spain, camping/ surfing etc along the way. Any suggestions here from past experience? I've found that there are no ferries from spain to ireland which is a bit awkward - would have to double back to get home :-( any alternatives? Also I know the west coast of France can be jammed with young-kid-families and although wouldn't mind it, don't want it in our faces for the entire trip. aNy ideas here?

We're also open to complete alternatives...doesn't ahve to be a driving holiday...doesn't ahve to be france/ spain. Just looking for something a bit different but still our style (ie not too fancy!) ;-)


Thanks

There is now a ferry to Spain. LD Lines just started a service from Rosslare to Gijon. The complication is that it calls first to St Nazaire in France, so the total time on board is quite long. Its 21 hours to St Nazaire and another 15 to Gijon.

You could get off at St Nazaire and drive down the coast from there. The stretch south of the Loire estuary is known as the Vendée and features lots of nice beaches as well as small towns. Great roads. There's thread running about the LD Ferry and a lot of people on it are familiar with the campsites.

Alternatively you could go to Roscoff in Brittany from either Cork (Brittany Ferries) or Rosslare (Irish Ferries) That would add about 4 hours to the driving but the ferry crossing is shorter by about the same amount.

Hope that helps.

bbam

Nicman wrote: »

Hey there,
My fella and I are looking for a honeymoon alternative. Since we're not the luxury cruise/ Mexico resort/ maldives type of people we're looking for an alternative. Like a regular holiday but given it's the h-moon we'd still like it to feel a little different and more rare than an annual holiday.
We talked before we ever got engaged about driving down along the coast of France and North Spain, camping/ surfing etc along the way. Any suggestions here from past experience? I've found that there are no ferries from spain to ireland which is a bit awkward - would have to double back to get home :-( any alternatives? Also I know the west coast of France can be jammed with young-kid-families and although wouldn't mind it, don't want it in our faces for the entire trip. aNy ideas here?

We're also open to complete alternatives...doesn't ahve to be a driving holiday...doesn't ahve to be france/ spain. Just looking for something a bit different but still our style (ie not too fancy!) ;-)

Thanks

If it were me I'd be thinking of driving down through France to the Pyrenees and maybe on into Spain a bit..

the Loire Valley is stunning to drive through, and if you keep your stops to the smaller towns then you won't see so much of us with our screaming kids :P:P

Bordaux region is similar.. we've stopped off for trips at Vineyards where we were the only people there..

Even along the coast in peek season you'll find deserted beaches if your happy to walk maybe 1-200m from the roadside, not sure what a newly married couple could do there but they can be found;).. Again, stopping in the smaller urban centres is so much less crowded and even relaxed..

I havent got as far as the Pyrenees yet but a friend and his girlfriend drove there last summer and loved it...

There is a ferry to Spain, but its a bit of a budget affair, the first leg to St Nazziar in France takes 22 hours, I think its a 6 hour stop and then on another leg to Spain, about 6 hours I think.

two wheels good

France is great for camping and the Atlantic coast is great for beaches and surfing. So you're on the right track.
Although Brittany is lovely, south of Nantes will give you better weather and higher temps.
Some nice islands to visit too, some where cars are prohibited, others which can be traffic-jammed in high season.

As mentioned, Loire Valley: v. scenic and a visit to a few chateaux would be very romantic.
The Pyrenees are stunning; great landscapes, many national parks, hiking, lake swimming... Well worth considering too if you have enough time.