Sailing into St Malo – Visiting the French Towns of La Rochelle – Bayonne and Biarritz – France 🇫🇷
April 2025 and we set off on a 30 day road trip across France to tour Spain and Portugal. We sail from Portsmouth to St Malo aboard Brittany Ferries new hybrid vesseL The “St Malo” which itself was a comfortable and impressive experience. WE quickly drove south with eventually a stop to stretch legs and have a wander in La Rochelle (a favourite of ours). After an overnight budget hotel on the outskirts of Saintes we continued to Bayonne and a two night pause. On our way south we stopped to admire the vast fortress at Blaye which guarded the approaches to the city of Bordeaux. We then spent a day exploring the pretty heart of Bayonne with its colourful timber framed buildings before heading to the beaches of Biarritz.
#europe #france #spain #portugal #roadtrip #portsmouth #brittany #brittanyferries #saintmalo #larochelle #saintes #blaye #bayonne #timberframe #biarritz
27 Comments
Such a mesmerizing presentation 👌
Wow! A variety of antique buildings each boast their own unique beauty! Thanks for sharing your visiting the French Towns of La Rochelle! I enjoyed watching your precious video until the end today too! 8:21 Hello! Greetings again from 100tourKOREA! Stay in touch, my dear friend! See you again! Have a wonderful weekend!
This is a very beautiful and pleasant place for us to visit which is very relaxing…..very interesting and entertaining.
Good morning Ivor and Robert hope you are both well. We loved this was a really lovely relaxing start to the day. You showcase tge area perfectly with a variety of architecture and natural beauty. The sea at Biarritz is stunning such a wonderful colour. A big 👍 from us . Hope you have a great Sunday Best wishes Dave and Dawn ❤️
What a wonderful road trip! The combination of a relaxing start on the ferry, charming towns like La Rochelle, and the lively atmosphere of Biarritz is simply fantastic 🚗🌊 You can truly feel the joy of traveling, the fun of short stops, and the peace and quiet that such a trip brings. Thank you for taking me on this French journey—it's precisely these kinds of impressions that make you long for the sea, old streets, and good food.
Beautiful historical place
Bardzo ładna i spokojna relacja z podróży. Piękna muzyka i zdjęcia dały nam relaks do porannej niedzielnej kawy. Dziękujemy za udostępnienie. Pozdrawiamy serdecznie.
What a fantastic way to kick off a road trip! St Malo ferry sounds like an experience in itself – great to hear it was both comfortable and impressive. Loved the stops in La Rochelle and Bayonne – such beautiful and characterful towns.
This video absolutely blew me away! The attention to detail and the captivating storytelling combine to create something truly special. I'm already eager to see what incredible content you'll produce next! 🤩
Really nice trip my friend 👌👌you are so lucky to have a chance to visit these wonderful places, thanks for a lovely video, happy Sunday 👌👌👍👍
Hi 👋 are you on the new ship owned by Brittany ferries? Loved all the places you visited and I have added them to my never ending list of places to visit in the future! Enjoyed immensely
wow an incredible night view there looks a nice area to explore
🌞have a cool week🔆👍like☑full view✅🥸Au🦘
You could stay all day and wonder at all the different buildings..
Hi Ivor. What a beautiful trip!😍 These are great shots, and the truly beautiful music fits perfectly.😉 Each of your stops has something special, and everywhere there are such beautiful sights and experiences that are truly impressive.🤩 Great work. Thank you for sharing. Best regards to the UK.🤗
Thanks for sharing this wonderful journey, Ivor. You truly showcased the charm and beauty of each stop, from the historic streets of Bayonne to the coastal views of Biarritz. The architecture, landscapes, and sea views were all stunning, and the new hybrid ferry experience sounded impressive too. Excellent share, and I’m already looking forward to the next leg of your adventure.
Great footage of these French Towns.
What a charming journey through coastal France! From the sleek hybrid ferry to the timeless beauty of La Rochelle and the vibrant energy of Biarritz — every stop feels like a postcard. You’ve captured the spirit of travel with warmth and elegance. Truly inspiring! 👌👍
We did this route about 20 years ago when my parents lived in Britany, the interior of the ferry looks way nicer now. La Rochelle looks like a lovely town to explore, with lots of history. The weather and temperature during your trip looks absolutely perfect. You ticked off a good few towns in your first few days and all very beautiful. I look forward to seeing where your adventures take you next Ivor and Robert – take care – Nettie.
I love the Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth I think it's a brilliant piece of modern architecture. (And I can't say that about all modern architecture, a lot of boxes!) The tower looks beautiful all lit up. And that's a lovely part of France to explore.
very good sharing 👏 👍
La Rochelle sure moves me especially when I see the towers in the port as my ancestor Jean-Batiste Cousineau left from this port to reach Quebec City , in those days it was " La Nouvelle France " he was engaged by the king of France to come and defend the people against the "Iroquois " . All the Cousineau in North America are descendants of him . Sure is a place I would love to see with my own eyes. The Citadelle de Blaye must also have a great historical background never heard about it but sure is another nice place to see. You must of pass in or around the city of Bordeaux…must be a very crowded city but also one more nice one to see. The Ramparts and botanical garden in Bayonne is so nice love the palm trees 🌴 there ,the little red bridge was pretty with Robert and some lovely flowers . Love those small narrow streets with the tall apartments. The Saint-André church was also very lovely another nice city to see. Biarritz near the sea is another nice place and at some places we could see the Pyrenees mountains were it must also be nice to see . So you did the east coast from La Rochelle to Biarritz it must of been a great road trip .
Thanks for this beautiful video and pictures Ivor and thanks Robert for the nice pictures you must have took also 🤪
Have a great week and until the next one my friends take care 😉👍
Hélène et Serge 👩❤️👨⚜️🌈
Brilliant. I like it very much. Have a great time. Greetings. ~ Milan
That was brilliant Ivor I’ve always wanted to sail from Portsmouth (a place we visit often) over to France 🇫🇷
So much to do the other side too ! (Will have to make it happen) 🙏🏼
Enjoyed 👌🏻 best wishes to Robert and your self 👍
Simon 🤠
The views of La Rochelle are iconic. Nice video!
Un beau voyage dans ces belles villes côtières 😊💛
Such a lovely view. I love night views. And that sunrise is spectacular. Beautiful town. Love the old buildings. Breathtaking views . Thanks for sharing with us 😊 😀
That was a pretty epic trip Ivor..With all those remarkable stops and interesting and beautiful views definitely worth it. Take care and have fun exploring..