Mediterranean France vs Bay of Biscay France

I'm torn between 2 itineraries: one that visits many ports in the South of France (Aug, 2015) and the other that visits many ports along the Bay of Biscay (Sept, 2015).

I've never visited either area and I'm sure there are vast differences.

Wanted to ask my fellow Cruise Critics their thoughts and opinions on the ports and things to see/do. Both look very appealing!

I'm leaning towards the Mediterranean b/c you can't beat the warm summer nights. =)

Happy to hear your views and much appreciated!

Hi JV,

With no more information than what you have written, I can only say the the temperatures along the Med coast will be somewhat higher than along the BoB.

Ira

Thanks for your reply Ira. Let me clarify:

Med Ports: Antibes, St. Tropez, Toulon, Marseille, Monte Carlo - all in early/mid August

Bay of Biscay Ports: Bordeaux, La Rochelle, Pont-Aven (Concarneau), (also Bilbao) - all in early September

I've only been to Paris in France so I really have no background on any of these spots. All seem appealing in one way or another. Just was hoping for some port feedback. Are any overrated? Worth visiting? Tourist trap? Etc...

Many thanks!

Thanks for your reply Ira. Let me clarify:

 

Med Ports: Antibes, St. Tropez, Toulon, Marseille, Monte Carlo - all in early/mid August

 

Bay of Biscay Ports: Bordeaux, La Rochelle, Pont-Aven (Concarneau), (also Bilbao) - all in early September

 

I've only been to Paris in France so I really have no background on any of these spots. All seem appealing in one way or another. Just was hoping for some port feedback. Are any overrated? Worth visiting? Tourist trap? Etc...

 

Many thanks!

We did the Bay of Biscay ports in June and they were delightful. Had a little rain but not much. We were on the larger O ship and you cannot fit down the river to get to Bordeaux so we docked at Le Verdon. Not much going on in Le Verdun but everyone uses the port as a take off point for winery tours. La Rochelle and Concarneau are lovely coastal towns with a totally different feel then the French Mediterrean ports. We really enjoyed Bilbao and had a late night there so we took the bus down to San Sebastian and it was a delight at that time of year.

The only French Med port I have been to recently is Monte Carlo. We took the bus/train down Eze and Nice. We were there in May and it was fine but I have no idea what the crowds or weather will be in August.

We just got back from B2B cruises and I will not sail again in the summer unless it's up north. Too many crowds in the ports since everyone is on holiday. I am a cheerleader for the shoulder seasons of May/early June and September.

Thanks Terrier1. I also was just in the Med earlier this month on Riviera and yes there were crowds but the weather was amazing! It wasn't too hot actually and the nights were spectacular. I live in New York so I guess I crave sailing in warmer waters.

Thank you for the great info! Like I said....all look very appealing!

September will have less crowds because the French vacation in August and return to work in September.

La Rochelle was the headquarters of the French Huguenots, an interesting medieval town. Concarneau is an active fishing port with a very early morning auction for Paris fish mongers and restaurant suppliers. It's original downtown is on a small fortified island. Of course, it is touristy, but September should be fine. The typical French vegetable and fruit market is located right outside the bridge. Pont Aven used to be the center of painting schools, Paul Gauguin lived there for a while. Lots of art galleries.

The Med ports are located in larger cities. Saint Tropez is where the VIPs used to meet, in August everybody else is there, definitely a tourist trap.

I was on that cruise with Terrier1 (hi Jean!) and agree completely with her comments. I loved the ports along the coast of France, although you should take that with a grain of salt; I have never been to the French Riviera ports.

I also agree with Terrrier1 about the time of year - May & September are great months for cruising/touring in Europe. I would imagine that the French Riviera especially would be overrun with tourists in August. I also prefer the shoulder season for cruising as there's less chance of the ship having a lot of children aboard.

I would favour the September itinerary as well. August is hot in the Med., and full of tourists. Is this the Barcelona to London itinerary on Marina September 2, 2015? If so, it looks amazing to me;I've done something similar. Loved Bordeaux and Lisbon, plus you get Oporto which is also wonderful.

Thanks Wendy. This is the Amsterdam to Barcelona sailing on the Marina on 9.2.15. It does look amazing which is why I'm having a hard time deciding!

The Jewels of the Riviera sailing on 8.5.15 (on Riviera) also has some great ports in Spain and Italy so this is a tough one. The only place I would be fearful of tourists in August would be Rome and Florence. I think the rest of the stops should be doable.

I wish I could do both but the darn work thing gets in the way! =)

Also, thanks to Floridiana and HawkeyeCruisr for your response!

JVNYC

I have a suggestion if you have the time to do a Back to Back (B2B) cruise.

The cruise “Continental Glory” on Insignia sails from London on 16 August, 2015 visiting ports in France, Portugal and Spain, arriving in Barcelona on 27 August. She sails on the cruise “Mediterranean Serenade” from Barcelona on the 27th for 10 days visiting Mallorca, Provence (Marseilles), Saint-Tropez, Sardinia, Sorrento/Capri, Rome, Livorno (Florence/Pisa), and Portofino, ending in Monte Carlo. In 21 days, you will have a wonderful experience in ports we have enjoyed.

Cheers,

Don

Hello Don and thanks for the great suggestion! However I am seeing that the Mediterranean Serenade itinerary is in 2014 and not 2015. That would have been ideal....but I don't think I could do 20+ days as I'm still in the working world (ugh)! Ah....can't wait for the day when I can do as you brilliantly have suggested!

Hey JV

>The only place I would be fearful of tourists in August would be Rome and Florence. <

You have not yet been to the French Riviera in the Summer. :)

One more vote for the Amsterdam/Barcelona cruise.

After you have done the 15 min Guggenheim tour in Bilbao, take the bus to San Sebastian. Enjoy the beach and the tapas.

Bon voyage

Ira

I'm torn between 2 itineraries: one that visits many ports in the South of France (Aug, 2015) and the other that visits many ports along the Bay of Biscay (Sept, 2015).

 

I've never visited either area and I'm sure there are vast differences.

 

Wanted to ask my fellow Cruise Critics their thoughts and opinions on the ports and things to see/do. Both look very appealing!

 

I'm leaning towards the Mediterranean b/c you can't beat the warm summer nights. =)

 

Happy to hear your views and much appreciated!

Thanks for your reply Ira. Let me clarify:

 

Med Ports: Antibes, St. Tropez, Toulon, Marseille, Monte Carlo - all in early/mid August

 

Bay of Biscay Ports: Bordeaux, La Rochelle, Pont-Aven (Concarneau), (also Bilbao) - all in early September

 

I've only been to Paris in France so I really have no background on any of these spots. All seem appealing in one way or another. Just was hoping for some port feedback. Are any overrated? Worth visiting? Tourist trap? Etc...

 

Many thanks!

I've done several Mediterranean cruises...and I've also done the other route (or similar to it...on Marina during its maiden season). I really love the Mediterranean...but I will always also look back on that Marina cruise with great fondness. I don't think you can go wrong either way...

My notes:

First of all, early August in the Mediterranean MAY be extremely hot. I have no problem with it--we always seem to be cruising in the dead of summer since my wife works for a school district--and it is just as hoit back here at home anyway, but I know some people have an issue with the heat.

You also need to look at the itinerary as a whole...I am sure both itineraries head a lot of places other than France.

Bay of Biscay ports will be a lot less crowded than Med ports...Also, touring these towns is a bit easier and less expensive as you tend not to stray too far from the port...(We typically form small groups here on Cruise Critic and hire private guides in most ports)...

The Bay of Biscay ports are best for touring the Wine Regions of France...

In Bordeaux, we hired a guide who took us on a winery tour along with a small city tour ...In La Rochelle, we actually opted for a ship's excursion to go to the Hennessey Distillery...Pont Aven/Concarneau, we just wandered on our own through the small medeival walled town--very picturesque, very enjoyable--though it did rain on us a bit...We also did Bilbao on our own--the highlight , of course is the Guggenheim Museum, but the town itself and its bridges et al are very scenic...

On the Med side, Marseilles is a big industrial port city, San Tropez a very trendy tourist town, Monte Carlo another expensive touristy city...but, from all of these, what we've usually done is to tour to other places in the region...Near Marseilles is the Provence--towns like Arles, Avignon, Nimes, etc.--but it's a wide region to explore in a port stop...From Monte Carlo, we've visited towns like Gourdon, St. Paul de Vence, Eze, Cannes and Nice (on multiple cruises of course)--again, a wide area...I've found it pays to hire a van/guide and to pick a set of stops...But, some people will be happy just sticking to Monte Carlo or Marseilles, of course...

There is a lot to offer on both routes--and you will have an enjoyable cruise no matter which way you go...

Anfd, whichever way you decide, I would recommend planning on going back another year and doing the other...

Ah, Amsterdam, that makes it even better! I love that city, and it cries out for a pre-cruise stay of a few days.

Is the other itinerary Barcelona to Monte Carlo, Aug 5, 2015?

If so, the problem I see with that itinerary is that it has one day stops in Rome and Florence. I have vowed to never do that type of itinerary--I would rather start or end in Rome. Doing the one-day marathon of travelling to Rome, and to Florence would just seem awful to me, especially in the heat of August.

I have been too cowardly to try any cruise that crosses the Bay of Biscay. I am too subject to mal de mer and husband says this is a prime place to encounter rough seas.

All the excursions we have taken from the Mediterranean French ports we have visited on cruises have been delightful. We have ported in Monaco, Old Town Nice, Old Port Marseilles and New Port Marseilles so far.

Hi Wendy. Yes, the 8.5.15 itinerary is Barcelona to Monte Carlo but it's actually the 14 day one (additional 7 nights Monte Carlo to Rome). I just did Rome On Your Own on the Riviera earlier this month and it actually wasn't very hot....maybe we got lucky. It's a long day for sure but Rome is always worth it.

The best thing for me about sailing in the Med during the summer is the wonderfully warm soothing breezes on board when sailing at night and the early morning. It's so nice to wake up early in the morning and go out on the balcony barefoot for the sail in and not have one chill. Love it!

I think Bruin Steve has the best idea....I don't have to choose....I can always do the other the following year. =)

Pam, I agree...I'm a little nervous of the Bay of Biscay...especially in September when there could be things churning in the Atlantic as September is peak hurricane season!

I too was very nervous about the Bay of Biscay but had a wonderful crossing in May.

One of our ports was Le Verdon and a shuttle took us to nearby Soulac-sur-Mer, a very pretty seaside town.

I don't think you will find hurricanes a problem in Western Europe.

Pam, I agree...I'm a little nervous of the Bay of Biscay...especially in September when there could be things churning in the Atlantic as September is peak hurricane season!

No hurricanes in Europe but the Bay of Biscay and the area around Barcelona

have been two of the roughest places we have ever sailed. May would be better than September for sure.

As this was a thread which was started as a cruise comparison, I'm a little surprised that the issue of the Spanish VAT hasn't come up yet-

The Ocean will be what the Ocean will be, particularly as you are travelling in the shoulder season and it is likely that your conditions will either be as smooth as glass, or.....well, you know......not :eek:

-taxes, however, are a known quantity.

Well, I certainly have found that cruising in the mid-May to mid-June time period seems to have the calmest waters and September much more chance of rougher waters.

July and August are out for me. I cannot stand sightseeing in the heat, humidity and crowds of those time periods.