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Stalwart
Posts: 8597
    
Location: London. 2011 2.3 Adria Twin SP
| Will be reluctantly heading back from Spain in a few weeks, and thinking of stopping in or around Biscarrosse? just for some cycling for a few days (weather permitting  ) Have never been to this area S/W of Bordeaux...Any other suggestions worth a day or two appreciated (route home via N10)
Wife just sent photo of here arrival at work this morning....... Grey and cold car park with heavy rain lashing down......not looking forward to my return 
Edited by JudgeMental 2012-04-25 8:41 AM
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Stalwart
Posts: 1867
Location: South Lincs Autotrail Tracker RS
| We have stopped on the Aire at Parentis-en -Born N44*20.653 W001*05.907 page 63 No 96 3rd ed Aires book lots of cycling around the lakes and woodland . Would certainly go back when the occasion arrises. Just over the border heading North St Jean-de-Luz is worth a visit with a fantastic beach and promanade , but the Aire in the station car park is very noisey and small ok for a 1 night stopover if you like trains .
Edited by kelly58 2012-04-25 8:46 AM
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Stalwart
Posts: 950
Location: Grange Moor, West Yorkshire Elnagh Slim 6
| Try Capbreton and/or Lacanau Ocean both are nice places.
Capbreton is purpose built on the beach and is about 7E pn including electricity
(you can go skinny dipping at Hossegar as well if you want) 
Mike |
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| We are regular visitors to this area.
As kelly says there is a nice lakeside aire (about 10km from the coast) at Parentis.
Just a little further south on the lake there is another at Ste Eulalie-en-Born (our preferred spot).
There is a fairly busy aire just behind the sea dunes a Mimizan Plage. Not to our liking as it is really just an extension of the beach car park.
The aire at Biscarosse Plage is to the north of the town in one of the many pine forests.
It's a lovely area of miles of sandy beaches with rolling Atlantic waves, a series of warm clean lakes with sandy beaches set just behind the sea, and pine forests (courtesy of Napoleon).
Worth a few days to explore. |
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Stalwart
Posts: 8597
Location: London. 2011 2.3 Adria Twin SP
| Sounds good, thanks! Have always fancied a look at area.... |
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Regular Visitor
Posts: 192
Location: Devizes , Wiltshire : Frankia I740BD
| Stayed on the aire at Navarrosse and also used the ACCSI site at Mayotte just North of Biscarrosse.Camp site mainly statics but one of those sites that grows on you after the initial impression !!Cycle path through the pines to Biscarrosse town. Supermarket in town has an aire , a dump and LPG.
Another nice aire at Gastes but not a lot there but the lake ! All good cycling country .
Unfortunately stopped at Capbreton aire on a weekend when the whole of Spain arrived !! Kids playing football at 1.0 am. Slight sense of humour failure that night !
Recommend the Biscarrosse area
Edited by whisturx 2012-04-25 9:41 AM
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Stalwart
Posts: 1399
Location: Swindon, Wiltshire
| kelly58 - 2012-04-25 8:42 AM
We have stopped on the Aire at Parentis-en -Born N44*20.653 W001*05.907 page 63 No 96 3rd ed Aires book lots of cycling around the lakes and woodland . Would certainly go back when the occasion arrises. Just over the border heading North St Jean-de-Luz is worth a visit with a fantastic beach and promanade , but the Aire in the station car park is very noisey and small ok for a 1 night stopover if you like trains .
I am down that way in the summer. There is a campsite just outside St Jean-de-Luz (Camping Larrouletta) that has fully serviced pitches, a pool and access to a lake. There is a bus stop outside the campsite gates. |
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Stalwart
Posts: 1399
Location: Swindon, Wiltshire
| I recall reading somehwere when I was researching sites down that way that at Biscarrosse lake, there are cycling paths all through the pine forest, some which lead directly to the beach. Photo's show that the cycle paths are exactly that, Paths and not mud tracks. |
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Stalwart
Posts: 1450
Location: Stockport Autosleeper Duetto on a MK7 Transit
| Don't forget to visit the Dune du Pilat (the biggest sand dune in Europe) which is about 15 kmn north of Biscarrosse. It has a car park and a set of steps to get to the top and then you can walk for for miles on top of a sand mountain with good views. |
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| Have spent many holidays in that area - on various sites from the Gironde estuary almost all the way down to Spain.
Lots of cycle paths through the pine forests, some have concrete surfaces, some consist of miles of paving slabs, although they sometimes can be covered in sand.
After cycling for miles you can always nip over the dunes for a swim along the huge beaches which stretch for miles, where you will often be on your own.
Sea is a bit chilly, and not often suitable for swimming, but ideal for cooling off.
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Permanent Fixture
Posts: 592
| Hi Judge.
Couple of snaps of the lake aire, and the marina aire a couple of miles away.
The lake aire has nice toilets and is a lovely spot to spend the day on the beach, the marina aire has water and disposal for grey and toilet, and nice cafe at the adjoining camp-site. |
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Stalwart
Posts: 950
Location: Grange Moor, West Yorkshire Elnagh Slim 6
| We'll be down in that area for all July nearly. Come say hello if you see us.
(Bring beer and you'll be made very welcome!)
Mike |
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Permanent Fixture
Posts: 592
| Second time lucky? |
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| pkc - 2012-04-25 12:18 PM
Second time lucky?
.........are they less than 100 kbs ?
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Permanent Fixture
Posts: 592
| Again. |
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Permanent Fixture
Posts: 592
| Thanks Malc.
 (Biscarrosse & Blaye aires 002 (1632 x 1088) (539 x 359).jpg)
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 Biscarrosse & Blaye aires 002 (1632 x 1088) (539 x 359).jpg (43KB - 31 downloads)
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Permanent Fixture
Posts: 592
| Yes,
 (biscorrosse lake 003 (1632 x 1088) (600 x 400).jpg)
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biscorrosse lake 003 (1632 x 1088) (600 x 400).jpg (88KB - 28 downloads)
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Permanent Fixture
Posts: 552
Location: West Yorkshire/France. Tribute T725 (2012)
| Eddie, to be honest the department of the Landes is the area of France we like the least. The landscape holds little of interest and there are few interesting towns. Yes the great sand dune is worth a visit, but unless you are beach people, which we are not, then for us not much else. Better to stay south on aire at Angelet, buses to sophisticated Biarritz and historic Bayonne, or aire at Hendaye Plage and take train to San Sebestian and northern Spanish coast (both these aires are car park style and busy, so maybe not for you). On other hand drive onto Bordeaux area, explore the city, visit vineyards and sample some great wines then take your choice of some quality aires on the Garonne. But what ever your choice most be better than Benidorm!!! |
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Stalwart
Posts: 2743
Location: Blackburn Lancs. AutoSleeper Nuevo 2003
| Use your common Eddie and don't bother coming back yet.
It's bloody dreadful here, howling rain and temps down to buggerall - never mind the wind.
Martyn |
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Stalwart
Posts: 1005
Location: Burstner Marano 595 Dawlish, Devon
| robertandjean - 2012-04-25 8:19 PM
Eddie, to be honest the department of the Landes is the area of France we like the least. The landscape holds little of interest and there are few interesting towns. Yes the great sand dune is worth a visit, but unless you are beach people, which we are not, then for us not much else. Better to stay south on aire at Angelet, buses to sophisticated Biarritz and historic Bayonne, or aire at Hendaye Plage and take train to San Sebestian and northern Spanish coast (both these aires are car park style and busy, so maybe not for you). On other hand drive onto Bordeaux area, explore the city, visit vineyards and sample some great wines then take your choice of some quality aires on the Garonne. But what ever your choice most be better than Benidorm!!!
Now,oddly enough we love the whole of the south-west French coastal areas, but Biaritz is our least favourite. We spent several days last year just wandering around the Bernaise area nearby and that was really nice.
We did try the Aire at Cap Breton a couple of years ago, and stayed perhaps one minute...full, dirty and smelly was our verdict,and that was September!
Bordeax is very good, but we were disappointed with the 'new' international Camping site there. It's a lovely city though, esepcailly the walk along the river (best at high tide!) where a lot of redevopement of the old warehouses has taken place over the past few years.
Edited by Keith T 2012-04-25 8:34 PM
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Stalwart
Posts: 8597
Location: London. 2011 2.3 Adria Twin SP
| LordThornber - 2012-04-25 8:24 PM
Use your common Eddie and don't bother coming back yet.
It's bloody dreadful here, howling rain and temps down to buggerall - never mind the wind.
Martyn
have just been watching the football, Chelsea have Munich in final so SHOULD be easier.....
Hi Martyn, have already extended trip by 2 weeks (6 in total) Medical insurance only allows 55 days per trip
seeing the state of some down here who only rely on NICS card, I wonder if insurance worth paying for....So relaxing down here my blood presure normal (if tracker leaves me alone ) Stopped at Biarritz aire on way down, weather was awful, town looked very smart but in no rush to return, to posh for me...
will watch the weather carefully and maybe stay on here a few days more rather then endure poor conditions. But bicarrosse is one of the areas i have never visited and flat cycling while boring, can be great for an invigorating burn up. plus only have 2 bottles of muscadet left and one jar of rhubarb jam! (joke) have found a lovely dry white Spanish wine at £2 a bottle
might try R&J's suggestion and try San Sebastian for a night and then the lake. One thing for sure last complete winter in UK
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Stalwart
Posts: 651
Location: 24800 France, Hymermobile B594,1993 2.5td
| It all depends on your view of pine forest and sand dunes, can be a bit samey after 36 hrs.  But I loved the time we spent on the lac where the water was milky warm (memory may be at fault because my usual beach was Westward Ho!) and if you enjoy water sports, swimming/surf then Biscarosse plage can provide it all, lazy floats and beaches shaded by the pines overlooking the placid lake and the oil rigs and the firing range ............. |
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Stalwart
Posts: 8597
Location: London. 2011 2.3 Adria Twin SP
| Only for a night or two..just want to see area. thanks PKC for photos! and everyone else for their advice. and thanks to ChrisB for aire at Ste Eulalie-en-Born, this is now in our sat nav..... looks like our kind of spot
giving something back: A lovely aire we stayed at on way down (south of Poiters on N10) was at Chateu Archer, small Aire maybe 12 places, handstands on grass, adjacent to lake and sports fields.free electric, all services, very peaceful. Signposted from village, sat location on our POI wrong..Oh! and 3 euro
I know I should have just bought single crossing and booked return when I knew what I was doing...., but when wife called CC to change return yesterday, girl said £20 please! but could not get through to DFDS and asked that she ring back. She called 10mins later spoke to someone else and no charge, so be careful
Edited by JudgeMental 2012-04-27 10:34 AM
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| Oops - dreaded Error 500
Try again ...
Edited by ChrisB 2012-04-27 11:21 AM
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| Tried to attach some photos (reduced to <100kB) but failed - one more try
Edited by ChrisB 2012-04-27 11:25 AM
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| I now understand why others get so frustrated with this site. Where's the emoticon for pulling your hair out when you need it!
PS
Could neither add photos with original post or edit add/remove photos. All efforts resulted in Error 500 before I could attempt to upload attachements.
One more go to edit this posting before I disappear down the pub.
Last edit:
Wetherspoons here I come.
Edited by ChrisB 2012-04-27 11:30 AM
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Stalwart
Posts: 847
Location: South Devon M/H 2010 Swift Mondial (Comfortmatic)
| Eddie. Medical insurance is important - even in Benidorm but I know that many do rely on E111 cover as their only option due to age and pre existing conditions.
I have two recent examples from stays at Villasol which is close to you.. A lady on a nearby pitch saw the local GP and he advised her to immediately to go to the Emergency Room in the A and E in Alicante about 30 miles away. She had E111 cover only. Fortuneately they had a car. She had a heart attack. The husband had to liaise with the hospital and surprisingly there was a language barrier and there was considerable inconvenience of driving back and fore to the hospital from the campsite. Fortuneately all went well but the time lapse between seeing the GP and getting into the hospital could have been fatal.
The previous year a Dutchman next to me had a heart attack. He had private health insurance. He immediately was booked into the Levante private hospital across the road from the site and treated, an ambulance arrived within 5 minutes of the phone call to the insurers and he had relevant tests and treatment immediately. Again he survived.
I pay £134 per year for up to 90 days per trip with Insure and Go which includes minorish pre existing conditions for myself and wife and consider that a small sum to be covered appropriately.
In an emergency I know which service I would prefer especially as heart attack situations are time critical.
As far as Biscarosse is concerned I found it to be a totally depressing area but it was raining for the entire 3 days of my visit. It is good for cycling though as it's flat.
Edited by Mike88 2012-04-27 11:43 AM
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Contributor
Posts: 378
Location: Hampshire, Autotrail Dakota 08
| Small request Judge, could you tow the Sun back with you.
Please |
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Stalwart
Posts: 8597
Location: London. 2011 2.3 Adria Twin SP
| Caroline - 2012-04-27 1:08 PM
Small request Judge, could you tow the Sun back with you.
Please
well its deep in my bones so will be bringing it back.....how long the warm feeling lasts? probably not very long! Anyway, Italian Lakes and Tuscany to look forward to in July |
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Stalwart
Posts: 8597
Location: London. 2011 2.3 Adria Twin SP
| Thanks again to ChrisB for Aire at Ste Eulalie-en-Born, lovely spot so peaceful..camping among the trees, it was really a hot day just relaxed and reading by lake. and after that God awful Biarritz Aire on way down a blessed relief....
I liked the look of area genrally..nice for cycling but weather was good so that makes all the difference anyway! In 2nd pic you can just about see municipal site over the road. free services are to left of Aire. cost 5 € a night
Edited by JudgeMental 2012-05-25 11:24 AM
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