Nouvelle-Aquitaine by Campervan with Dog and Cat: Itinerary, Tips and Useful Information

Visiting Nouvelle-Aquitaine by campervan gave us unique views over the Atlantic coast of southern France. We arrived in this region after visiting Normandy and Brittany, and we were thrilled to discover these areas all the way to the regional capital Bordeaux, before heading to Bayonne and Biarritz.

Itinerary

Want to visit this region day by day with us? We’ve recreated a short daily diary. If you want to read our itinerary in short, you’ll find it here, while if you want to know our thoughts and which stops we consider unmissable, you can click here.

Day 1-2: we arrived in La Rochelle in the middle of a downpour, which is why we decided to stay near the airport and just take a short walk on the cliff. The next day we visited the city centre, still in the pouring rain, moving to the car park near the small harbour and discovering the covered market. In the afternoon we moved along the banks of a river to stretch our legs, walking along the shore, and then to Saint-Thomas-de-Conac, a small countryside village, for the night. We stayed overnight for free.

Day 3-4: we made the most of the sunshine to clean the whole van, surrounded by the local hills, then headed to Bordeaux, where we stayed near a lake outside the city. We also took the opportunity to find a garage for an oil and filter change and to sort out a few issues with the van.

Day 5-6: with the mechanical errands sorted, we headed to the car park offered by a family living near their own vineyard at Vignobles Pestoury. We took advantage of the tour and tasting on offer, then bought a couple of bottles of wine, genuinely delicious.

Day 7: our last visit to the city of Bordeaux, with its European-style streets: Rue Sainte-Catherine is lovely, as are the Cathedral and the Town Hall. Here we tried a delicious macaron filled with pistachio ice cream! We also had the pleasure of meeting the Caramaps team, the app we use to find information on stopovers and services. We stayed overnight for free in Lanton, on the bay of Cap Ferret.

Day 8: we moved to Cap Ferret, where you can take beautiful walks on the beach and see breathtaking sunsets. We stayed overnight for free.

Day 9-10: we visited nearby L’Herbe, a small fishing community where you can get lost among nets and huts. Then we moved to Biganos, a small harbour with a row of lovely, colourful houses, and finally to Arcachon, where we took a stroll through the district called “Ville d’Hiver”, with spectacular villas from the era of Napoleon III. The town centre is decidedly chic; you can walk down to the shore trying choux pastry treats along the way. We stayed overnight for free.

Day 11: we moved to the Dune du Pilat, while a strong wind blew relentlessly. It was a real shame seeing part of the surrounding forests burned in summer 2022. We then moved to Biscarrosse beach, where we watched a spectacular sunset. We stayed overnight for free on the lake (there are quite a few height restrictions in this area).

Day 12-13: we found a small peaceful corner by Lake Mimizan, which also offers a lovely walk along the pier. We stayed overnight for free.

Day 14-15: after a stop on the beach we moved to Bayonne before dinner. Here we bought a delicious Breton custard cake, which we devoured while visiting the city. The Cathedral and cloister are worth a visit. We moved to sleep by the sea, at a stopover area only allowed out of season, popular with numerous surfers, from where you can admire the Biarritz lighthouse in the distance.

Day 16: we reached Biarritz and strolled through its streets all the way to the statue of the Madonna overlooking the coast and the small harbour, before moving to a car park overlooking the bay with the chance for a lovely walk. From here we moved to Saint-Jean-de-Luz for a short stop before reaching our last French stop, Hendaye, from where we crossed into Northern Spain.

In Short

Below are just the stops. We always stayed overnight for free, at car parks with no restrictions or at free campervan areas.

Day 1-2: La Rochelle - Saint-Thomas-de-Conac

Day 3-4: Bordeaux

Day 5-6: Vignobles Pestoury

Day 7: Bordeaux - Lanton

Day 8: Cap Ferret

Day 9-10: L’Herbe - Biganos - Arcachon

Day 11: Dune du Pilat - Biscarrosse

Day 12-13: Mimizan

Day 14-15: Bayonne

Day 16: Biarritz

Roads

As in the rest of the country, we didn’t find any roads in dangerous condition.

Services and stops

In France it’s very easy to find equipped, free service areas for water fill-up and waste disposal. We had no trouble with free overnight stays since we travelled in the low season. If you go in summer you might find it harder to find parking.

Travelling with your pet

To travel within Europe with your pet you need to have:

• passport
• microchip
• valid rabies vaccination

Check whether your pet's breed is allowed in the country you're visiting. We recommend always being careful in crowded places, as people might be scared of your pet which is why we always keep our pets on a leash. In many cases a muzzle is required, so we recommend keeping one handy.

We recommend bringing a bowl (we use one that clips conveniently onto a backpack) and a water bottle if the day is particularly hot.

Reflections and unmissable stops

We didn’t know Nouvelle-Aquitaine, and we have to be honest, certain features of it pleasantly surprised us. Even though the weather isn’t the most favourable, you can feel a calm and peaceful atmosphere.

By campervan or car, in our opinion the unmissable destinations are:

• La Rochelle: the town is worth a walk. If you don’t run into bad weather, we suggest a visit to the nearby islands.
• Bordeaux: the regional capital loses a bit of its authentic charm, but the city offers plenty of amenities and the surrounding hills are beautiful.
• The Cap Ferret bay: Cap Ferret, L’Herbe, Biganos, Arcachon… in hindsight we would have stayed much longer in this area, so little touristy but genuinely lovely!
• Dune du Pilat: a must-see, this desert overlooking the Atlantic coast!
• Bayonne: we really loved this town, much more authentic than its neighbour, the more touristy and chic Biarritz.

Our vlog

In the video below you can hear our thoughts on these areas, or find the full series about the country at this link  .

Our maps

Below you can browse all the maps for our trip. If you want to know how to download them and use them offline, you'll find everything at the following link⚠️ we can't guarantee that the marked spots still exist! Please keep the area clean and follow the rules.

Vandipety takes no responsibility for how the information provided here is used.