Driving through western France: the best spots to take a break
Covers routes from the Brittany/Normandy ports - A10/A83
The best places to take a break in western France
Picnic stops:
Aire de Grissay (A83): This aire has a playground, as well as the usual toilets and picnic benches. Nearby is the Château de Tiffauges – Bluebeard's medieval castle – if you fancy a longer stop.
Mervent–Vouvant forest (A83): Not a service station, but a proper off-the-motorway woodland destination for a picnic.
Saint-Savinien (A10): Off the autoroute again, this time for a beautiful old village and a riverside park beside the Charente.
Sightseeing:
Falaise (A88): A fairly short drive from the Caen port of Ouistreham, so ideal if you are early for the ferry. Falaise, very close to the autoroute, was the home of William the Conqueror and the medieval chateau, though rebuilt since his time, is worth a visit.
Les Machines de l’Ile (A83): Some readers might remember the mechanical Sultan’s Elephant that toured the world 20 years ago. The elephant and other spectacular machines are on show at this cultural project based in the old shipyards of Nantes (lesmachines-nantes.fr).
Château de Villandry (A10): The Loire Valley is famous for its chateaux, and this one is a short detour from Tours. It is a medieval fortress renovated in the Renaissance by François I’s finance minister – and, of course, it has lovely gardens (chateauvillandry.fr).
Maillé (A10): Oradour-sur-Glane is France’s most famous martyred village from World War Two but, although rebuilt after 1945, Maillé has a tragic story of its own. On August 25, 1944, an SS unit massacred 124 of the 500 residents. An excellent museum recalls the tragedy (maisondusouvenir.fr).
Overnight:
Le Mans (A28/A11): This city is synonymous with motor sport, which might lead some to believe it is just an industrial centre. Not at all: like so many French cities, Le Mans has a picturesque and well-preserved old town, including Roman remains.
Angoulême (N10): Often overlooked by foreign visitors, Angoulême has a fine pedestrianised city centre and enjoys a commanding position above the river Charente. It is home to an international comics festival, so watch out for the cartoon murals around the city.
Arcachon (A63): A short distance south-west of Bordeaux and situated on the Bassin d’Arcachon, this town attracted the wealthy in the 19th Century for its supposed health-giving properties. If you have time, trek up to the extraordinary Dune du Pilat, the tallest sand dune in Europe.
Major tourist attractions:
Puy du Fou (A87): To describe this enormous attraction as a theme park would be to undersell it. Puy du Fou deserves the description of “something for all the family” with its 26 spectacular shows, including chariot racing in a 115m amphitheatre (puydufou.com).
Futuroscope (A10): This futuristic theme park with a science and technology slant has been open for nearly 40 years but has continued to innovate to retain its position as one of Europe’s most popular theme parks (futuroscope.com).
What are your favourite stops while driving through France? Let us know at letters@connexionfrance.com
