Driving Inspiration: France
From day trips to long weekends, summer holidays to road trips of a lifetime, France has everything for the perfect getaway.
Spring in Aquitaine
With stunning vineyards, bustling cities, long winding rivers, surfing beaches, picturesque villages and beautifully-dense woodlands, it’s no wonder that the region of Aquitaine is a major pull for visitors from the UK. Spring is an ideal time to visit, before the busier peak season in the summer.
The highlights include Bordeaux, the hub of the wine-growing region with wine trails to suit every kind of grape lover; Biarritz, the jewel of the French Basque coast, beloved by surfers and the fashionable set; the half-timbered houses of Bergerac, famous for its lovelorn literary hero Cyrano de Bergerac; and Pau, a peaceful spot to catch wondrous views of the Pyrenees.
From beautiful beaches to vineyards and the river valleys of the Dordogne, historic Aquitaine has it all.
Bask in Biarritz
This elegant resort on the French Basque coast has been a playground of the rich and famous since the 1850s, leaving a legacy of luxury hotels, fine architecture and a sense of undimmed glamour.
But Biarritz is as fun as it is cosmopolitan, especially when the surfers arrive! The huge variety of beaches, shops, attractions, cafés and restaurants make it a thriving holiday spot from spring to autumn.
Among the attractions of Biarritz is La Côte des Basques, the first surfers beach in Europe, thronged with boards from sunrise to sunset (when the tide comes right up to the roadside). There are other beaches to discover, like the more peaceful Port Vieux, and the beautiful sweeping bay of Grand Plage, overlooked by some of the town's grandest Art Deco buildings.
