Help me with my first summer European trip!

[russty_james]

Looking to take the California away for two weeks in the August holidays starting from Dover. I will have a wife and 10 year old child in tow fully loaded with bikes and canoes. Son loves canoeing, snorkelling, swimming/slides, I'm an avid road/mtb cyclist, wife is happy to chill on a beach with a book or maybe a few nice walks! Looking at doing maybe 3-4 stops as I don't want to feel like were on the road all the time

My rough idea so far,
- Dordogne - 3-4 Days
- Costa Brava - 7 Days
- Alps maybe -3-4 Days

Has anyone else done something similar? Any brilliant locations or sites I should'nt be missing out? Welcome all ideas on a postcard, no idea where to start.

Thanks

 

[Pineweasel]

Here's a great spot in the Dordogne: https://www.campinglecapeyrou.com/campsite-france-dordogne.html

 

[LemonDrop]

You might decide going to Spain and then up via the Alps is a bit too round the houses. If so, the beaches in the Languedoc are lovely.

have a look at the Drôme region as well, as an option instead of the Alps; it is stunning, lots of canoeing, walks and a big cycling area.

We stayed here and the views are breathtaking (make sure you book a 3 star pitch for guaranteed views though)

 

[Hotel California]

Imo , you need to pick one of the three destinations and make stops on the way to that destination .
If you want all three destinations you have given you need more than two weeks .
Slow travel is the way to go , there's so much to see on the way ...

 

[LemonDrop]

This summer we went to the Alps, Drôme, Languedoc and then hot footed it home over 3 weeks. 2 would have felt rushed I think.

 

[Amarillo]

My rough idea so far,
- Dordogne - 3-4 Days
- Costa Brava - 7 Days
- Alps maybe -3-4 Days

Delete Alps and add Pyrenees which are helpfully located exactly halfway between the Costa Brava and the Dordogne.

 

[TripleBee]

Dordogne:

3 - 4 days weeks: the triangle between Sarlat-la-Canéda, Montignac and Le Buisson-de-Cadouin.

The rest? The time you need to get there and get back home.

JK

But you will find 4 days is too few for the Dordogne. At least, I think it is.

The rest I don't know.
The Alps, take the Route Napoléon. Make sure your brake pads have still enough thickness!

 

[Volky]

I agree that Alps, Spain, Dordogne is a stretch in 2 weeks if you want some relaxation. You’ll spend too much time on the road, which you may love but your 10 year old might not! Pyrenees would be my suggestion - our route this year was Pyrenees, Costa B, Dordogne and it worked well. Happy planning!