plymouth santander

[92kk k100lt 193214]

Used to camp with the family at the Atlantic coast off Bordeaux. We would take a midweek ferry and arrive Bordeaux Thursday evening and stay at Holiday Inn with an excellent underground car park. 2 nights there and camp site Saturday morning and the girls' shopping craving already sorted.

Great city too, my favourite but the coast at Arcachon is also really good if you don't want urban. However if she might like some shopping Meriadeck Centre is good and walkable from the Holiday Inn. Tram outside the door too.

[AlanHolt]

I've stayed here, and its a truly beautiful place with great hosts. Not too easy to find, especially at night, and not cheap, but worth it for a night of luxury.

[Peirre]

Don't be suprised if the ferry gets in later than 7pm, so plan accordingly and have a plan B

I've stayed here, and its a truly beautiful place with great hosts. Not too easy to find, especially at night, and not cheap, but worth it for a night of luxury.

Sounds great, I also know of a couple of campsites over on the peninsula as I used to catch the Royan ferry as my preferred route used to take me that way

[Simon_100]

How many days are you allowing to run down the Pyrenees to Colliure? Three would be ideal but if you did it in two then Jaca or Ainsa would be good places to aim for, both of them nice little towns - although Jaca is technically a city! - in the case of Jaca you would have time to romp around over the frontier, maybe do the Irati run and Port de Pierre de Saint Martin, but on day 2 you'd be pretty much limited to the N-260, which is Ok but you miss out on a lot, e.g. Tourmalet. If you went for Ainsa you'd have two much more intensive riding, maybe through Belsa and back into Spain via the Val d'Aran and over Port de la Bonaigua.

Much better would be three days, in which case Isaba in the west and somewhere like Tremp or La Pobla de Segur - in both cases you may be able to by me a beer! :whistle: - and do much more on the last leg to Collioure - needless to say, don't go through Andorra, I did just that on Tuesday - as if I needed reminding!

If you could spare four or more days you could base yourselves at a place for two or three nights and have a day riding without luggage and - dare I say this. without a pillion if you chose a place with a pool! (thumbs)

Note that despite the dubious joys of French municipal camp sites - my 'joy' on Tuesday night was lying awake while a bunch of grungies encamped in the public ground next door played boules and bongo drums until 03.00 - I always recommend hotels in Spain, they are better value, friendlier and allow late check-in - and the food's much better IMHO!

You'd be wise to book in August, especially around the 15th, when both the Spanish and the French have a national holiday and the two sets of vacations, i.e. the ¡first and last fortnights, overlap. I think booking.com has more valid opinions than Trip adviser, where people just seem to talk about themselves rather than the accommodation.

Enjoy

Simon

[ollydog]

hi bud,

al mentioned llanes loverley place just had a day there, but we stayed in raino which is 2 hours from the port, hotel presa big garage great food and beer and cheap, my missus loved it we paid £91 for 3 nights through booking.com

steve