Is This the Most Beautiful Road Trip in France? Dordogne to Normandy in a Campervan!

Is This the Most Beautiful Road Trip in France? Dordogne to Normandy in a Campervan!

Have you ever wondered why France is always mentioned as the best road trip destination in Europe? Well, I’ve visited multiple times and spent 5 weeks exploring in my camper van to understand exactly why. In this four-part series, I’m going to reveal all. So, if you’re thinking of coming to France in your camper van, your motor home, or maybe even your car, I’m here to share with you some of France’s very best locations, which will hopefully inspire and help you plan the road trip of a lifetime here in France. Let’s get into it. In the final episode, I’ll leave Carcasson. explore the magical Dona Valley, pass through Limoge on the way to the Eel Deray, and do a whistle stop tour of Britany before ending my trip in Normandy. Hello and welcome to part four of this epic four-part France adventure. If you haven’t yet watched episode 1, 2, or three, I would definitely recommend going back and watching them. In this final part, we’ve got some really exciting stuff. So, this morning, I’m in the Dona Valley. There’s so many of these amazing quaint villages, abies, castles, shadows, caves. I’m really excited to explore this area. And it’s an area that many people from the UK come and visit. Now, we’re starting in the medieval village of Dom. I think that’s how you pronounce it. It’s one of the best preserved medieval villages anywhere in the Dona region. Now, today is Thursday, the 8th of May. Why that’s significant is because it’s V day here in France. It’s been 80 years since the liberation of France and since the day that Germany surrendered World War II and therefore I think V day for the French is as important as any other country really that was involved in World War II. So we’ve just had a bit of breakfast in the square and now we’re heading up to the viewpoint here in Don. Now there’s actually a cave that’s located beneath the village itself. Doesn’t open until 12 and I’m here quite early so I’m not going to be able to visit that one today. If you do visit this specific area, you have to come and visit this next place that I’ve parked at. It’s called Lot Xac. I’ll put it on the screen, by the way. And it’s this completely fascinating limestone cliff that has houses and caves somehow built into it. I’m not giving it a very good uh example, so I’m just going to show you on my drone. Before then, I just want to show you this camping uh that I’ve parked in. You can park here for a couple of hours. You can park here all night, but it’s just so clean and in this beautiful valley. I think the one thing I’ve noticed from Dana so far, traveling up yesterday and driving around this morning, is it’s very set up for camper vans. There’s always an option for parking larger vehicles, which is great for us motor home, camper van, caravan users. Anyway, I’m going to go and check out the village, but first I’m going to fly the drone. Take a look at this place. [Applause] [Music] So, this place, I’m not even going to try and pronounce it again. It’s just one of them places you have to come and see to believe the verticality of it. Another great way of seeing a number of these villages in Dana is on one of these boats. Now, it’s a traditional boat of this region. Can you see it? There it is. And the next place I’m going to visit is probably the most famous place for doing one of these boat rides. So, I’m not going to do it here. But it allows you to get on the river and just get this mad view looking up to what I can only describe as one of the most bizarre, unique, and stunning places I think I’ve ever been. Definitely in France for sure. But yeah, as I say, you don’t need long to visit this place. Um, a little walk down to the chatau and back just to really take it all in. Of course, there’s some cash you could potentially stop at, a number of gift shops, but other than that, I don’t think there’s a lot here, but it doesn’t need to be in its own right. It is definitely worth a visit. Now, I’ve made a short drive from the last location to the next location. It was about 5 km away, so maybe 6 7 minutes. And we’re at a place called Bayak A Kaznak. Now, this is often listed as one of the prettiest villages anywhere in France. It’s definitely on the list and it’s dominated by a 12th century chatau chatau bayak which sits overlooking the the village and the Dana valley. Now it’s in this location that I’m planning to get on the Dana River and we’re going to do one of them traditional boats. Hopefully Jem can come on with me and uh yeah be a nice little experience. [Music] I’m about to repeat pretty much what I’ve said in part two, part three of this video series. Been to many beautiful, quaint, picturesque towns, medieval villages on this France trip. France is absolutely packed full of them. Um, it’s a real privilege to be able to visit so many of them. And I have to say this place is right up the very top in terms of the most pretty, the most charming, the most picturesque. It really is. I mean, if you come to Dora, there is no question. You have to come and see this place for yourself. Jaw jumping. It really is. So, I’ve just bought a ticket for €10 to go on the Gabar, which is this traditional boat. It’s going to give us a ride on the Dona River. Don’t think I had to pay for Jen, but she’s allowed on, so should be a pretty good experience. [Music] [Music] So, I’ve made it up the hill to Chatau Brain. Is that what it’s called? I didn’t record the way up because of it being so steep. The last thing you guys want to hear is me wheezing and spluttering. You’ve probably had to witness all the sweat on my head, which is pretty gross. I’m about to enter Shat Dub. Okay. Now, so that is the castle. part of this visit done. Um, an extraordinary castle. I can’t really tell you too much about the history of it. I’m not the best on French history, but Richard the Lionheart lived here. Um, you can go and see his bedroom. So, if anyone’s aware of him, this is where he lived. My time in this village is now up, which is slightly a shame. I feel like I’ve been here quite a few hours now, but it’s been completely worth it. And we’re going to continue heading through this Dana Valley, find a park up for tonight, and then tomorrow I’m exploring some prehistoric caves. It’s hard not to fall in love with this region. I’ve been here for like a day, day and a half tops. Um, it’s just so charming and another reason why I’m starting to feel that France really is the ultimate road trip. It’s just got everything. Everything you would ever want, need, and imagine from a road trip. France has it and in abundance. And it’s so bloody big. Anyway, get back down this slippy old hill. For now, I’m just going to pinch 30 seconds of your time, if you don’t mind, of course, to tell you about my new Road Trip France guide book, which is now available. Take a look. So, Roadtrip France contains everything you need for an unforgettable France adventure. It’s perfect for camper van, motor home, caravan, car, or even motorbike users. It has all of the vehicle requirements and legal stuff to get you into France. Plus, it’s packed full of itineraries, airs, campsites, and hotels. Each must-sea location comes with a QR code and what three words reference to make navigation simple. Plus, there’s room in the back to plan your very own road trip. Now, all of my guide books are written in a downto-earth, easy to follow and relatable style. Now, that’s a style that you guys seem to love. In fact, in May 2025, my NC500 guide book became the bestselling travel guide book anywhere in the UK. Plus, all of my guide books have received thousands of five-star reviews. Just go and take a look on my website or Amazon. So yeah, go and grab Road Trip France now by scanning the QR code on the screen or visiting my website robbbys.com where you’ll get free delivery plus free access to our France Google map. This is an exclusive if you order direct through my website. Thanks for listening. Now let’s get back into the video. Good morning and welcome to sunny Dana. So today I’m at a place called Lasco. In 1940 a cave here was discovered with some incredible prehistoric hand paintings. Some of the best preserved anywhere in the world. Now, unfortunately, soon after the paintings were damaged by the public here, which is obviously a cry and shame. So, what they actually did was close the original cave, recreate it light for light for visitors to come and experience. That’s what I’m going to do this morning. [Music] The experience at Lasco is absolutely fascinating, and for all intents and purposes, you’d honestly think you were in the original cave thanks to this 50 million euro reconstruction. It is really something to behold. [Music] So I’ve made the short drive to a little village called St. Leon Sou Vazair. Now this is a beautiful little commune similar to a lot of the places in Dora. I’m stopping here just to take a little look, probably get some lunch. On the drive here, I noticed quite a few people in kayaks heading down the river. And next to the camping air, which I’ve just parked up at, there’s a canoeing kayaking company. So I’m really tempted. I’m going to go and grab some lunch and see what the crack is cuz an hour drifting down the river here sounds like a pretty good way to spend the afternoon. So yeah, let’s go and get some lunch and take a look around first and we’ll do a bit of kayaking after hopefully [Music] just through here. So I’m on the river now currently setting off. We’re going to pass three castles and then at the end there’s a place that eludes me. It’s called Lorac Sand something something and it’s basically this incredible mind-blowing village that’s kind of carved out of a rock. That’s going to be the highlight right at the end which should be nice. But it’s so peaceful as I’m sure you can appreciate. In summer it does get a little bit busier than this. But I’ve been meaning to get out on a kayak ever since I saw them in Dana yesterday. So this isn’t the actual Dana River. This is a different river. Um but we are still pretty much in the Dana region. My face looks shiny because I’ve put quite a bit of uh sun cream on. Yeah, beautiful. Some would say I’m as happy as a pig in I’ll let you guys finish that one off. Don’t want to get demonetized on YouTube. [Music] If you were planning on doing any canoeing, kaying indula, pretty much throughout France, um especially on these rivers, how it works is you pick how long you want to go for. It could be an hour, could be 2 hours, could be 3 hours. They’ll drop you at the start in the van, in the shuttle, and then they’ll pick you up at the end. Sometimes their base is at the end, so you just get out of their base. Other times, you’ll give them a call when you’re ready and they’ll come and collect you. Simple as that. I think for this three-hour session, it’s cost €24, including the shuttle up there and the shuttle back, which I don’t think is bad. It’s a really relaxing, enjoyable way to see some of the countryside and see some of these castles. So, why not? So, it’s coming up to 2 hours on the river now, and we’re just approaching the Arc Santo, which is a trogodite, I think I’ve said that right, system. Now, people have been living here since the 16th century up in the actual rock, the cliff itself. And that’s going to be the exit point for this canoeing session. But yeah, I’m just approaching this final crescendo. But it is a fantastic way of getting out and uh just doing something a little bit different on your your road trip. So, I’ve skipped forward almost 2 hours and we’ve drove to a place just outside of Limoge. And there’s a reason we’ve come up here. It it just so happens to have an airport. And tomorrow we’re picking up somebody from the airport who’s going to join us for the last weekend of this trip. Should be pretty good. We’re actually staying on a camping air that’s attached to a football field. Very random, but it’s absolutely stunning here. The weather’s lovely. Nice green area. So, we’re going to bunker down for the night, get a bit of work done. Really boring for me on a road trip when I get to the van. Usually, I would like to relax, maybe have a glass of wine, watch a bit of TV, but it’s not the reality job that I do. and creating these guide books and videos. You know, I can be up until 10:11 backing up files, writing stuff about the books, editing photos. It’s dead boring stuff that I wouldn’t. Anyway, enough waffle. It’s been a great day today. I’ve really enjoyed getting out on the kayak and the tour of the cave early was really, really cool. So, yeah, lots of interesting different little things coming up in the rest of this video. I think you’ll enjoy watching it. Pick it up tomorrow, probably at the airport. Good morning. You find me in a very exciting car park. Now, this is one of the main supermarkets here in France, if you didn’t know. The other one is Intermarsh. Now, I know this isn’t riveting travel inspiration, but it’s just a little bit of advice because when you come to France, inevitably you’re going to stop at either of these supermarkets. My main advice, especially if you’ve never been to one of these and you’re from the UK, fresh milk is very rare. In the smaller ones, you’ll get it in the larger ones. The next thing, if you want fresh veg, you’ve got to weigh it, bag it, and get a label there. And then if you take it to the till without a label, it’s going to cause absolute chaos. Now behind me is the petrol forcourt, the petrol station. Now throughout France, I would say 95% of them are card only. There’s no paying at a booth or a counter, which is pretty convenient. And if you have LPG gas in an undersung tank or a refillable bottle, a lot of the petrol stations do actually have it. You’ll need a specific bayonet fixing for France. It’s actually a lot easier than the standard UK one. Now, if you use like a Calag gas or a camping gas, I think they’ve got refills in a lot of petrol stations and a lot of supermarkets. So, me and Jem are going on a 30 minute mini walking tour of Limoge. I’ll be honest, I didn’t know much about this place before we come here. I’ve done a bit of research since and it’s known for its pottery. It’s got a lot of medieval history, halftimbered houses, a couple of which are in front of me, beautiful Gothic cathedral, historic cobbled streets, and interestingly enough, there’s a butcher quarter that was once home to a number of butcheries that were famous in this area. They’ve now been transformed into calves, shops, boutiques, that kind of thing. So, join us on this miniature walking tour of a city I didn’t know much about, but we’re about to find out more about it. [Music] In the end, Lamoj was actually well worth a visit. It’s home to a beautiful cathedral and the old butcher’s court has been transformed into a hip center flourishing with cast restaurants. And you can even still see the old butchers hooks which remain on the outside of the timbered buildings. To be honest, the entire Liman region has so much to offer and is considered to most off the usual tourist trail. I’ve definitely not shown anywhere near enough of it in this video. So that’s it. Short but sweet walking tour done of Limoge. But for now, we’ve got to get back in the van and we’re heading to the airport. Let’s find out who it is who’s coming to join us. Well, the big surprise you’ve all been waiting for is jazz. [Music] So, we’ve come to the Martr village which is called Oridoran and it’s a really poignant place to come and visit if you’re interested in World War II. So in 1944, all of the villages were massacred by a faction of the SS. Uh 643, all ages, elderly, adults, and even two-month-old babies were completely tortured and massacred. They burnt the village to the ground, and what remains is here today uh to visit. Now, at that point in World War II, the Germans knew their time was up. Um you had the D-Day landings in Normandy, and you had a slightly smaller but also effective landing in the south of France. Basically, the Germans knew their time was up. They were having to retreat and there were just numbers of the SS that were particularly violent, that were particularly evil. And you just can’t comprehend what’s happened here. You know, we’re here on a bright, sunny, beautiful day. But, you know, in 1944, the 10th of June, you can’t really comprehend what’s happened here. Seeing the remains, it just doesn’t feel real. Just doesn’t calculate that people could be so evil and inhumane. So, we’ve made it to cognac, which is home of brandy, of course. Now, similar to champagne, to be labeled cognac, it has to be from this region using a specific grade and strict production methods. Anything else isn’t cognac, and it would just be a generic brandy. We’ve come to Hennessy. Now, Hennessy is interesting. The founder was from Cork and Ireland, but it was established here in France and then adopted by the hip-hop community as a badge of status. Now, we can’t tell you much more about it because we didn’t do the tour. We’re against time. So, instead, we visited the shop, the boutique, and we’ve come for a little tasting. I’ve wimped out and gone for a little cocktail. Jazz has gone for the full shebang, the old tot. Um, but obviously brandy is um distilled using grapes. I think that’s what makes it unique to this part of France. And there’s miles and miles of vineyards in and around cognac. And of course, similar to the Champagne region, there’s different cognac producers. And if you come here, you can visit them. And yeah, do your best. If you do one of the tours here, there’s one that involves going on the river on a boat, which will make for pretty cool experience, I reckon. But if you are short on time like me, just come in for a drink, have a look around the boutique. There’s some very expensive brandy, some lesser and more affordable brandy. Uh, I’m going to be getting a bottle for our friend George for his wedding. Not encouraging him to drink it on his wedding because last time he had brandy. He almost lost his bride to be. Um, so yeah. Cheers. Cheers. Me and Jazz have temporarily swapped. So I’m going on the neat Hennessy. The neat brandy. Jazz said it tastes like nothing you’ve ever tried before. And that would be true in a normal household, but I think my mom used to like brandy back in the day. And when we were teenagers, me and my mates when they’d go away for the weekend, we come around, raid the drinks cupboard. Sometimes all that’d be left is stuff like this. It definitely puts hairs on your chest. In a Coke or a cocktail, I think I can I can deal with that. Might sound a bit windish. Let me know in the comments below. Do you guys like brandy? We’ve arrived at our campsite on Hilder and the thunderstorm that was threatening to cancel or delay or disrupt Jazz’s flight earlier has made its appearance. Roads are like rivers. The lightning is all around. Not looking good, bro. What do you think of the rain? You don’t care. We’re on Hootopia, one of three Hootopia campsites on Eel. Gem has escaped again. Now, these Hootopia campsites you can find all over France and they are supposedly a reliable brand where your service, cleanliness, and facilities are consistent throughout. Don’t know what the dog is doing. You know, like Thunder makes certain people go weird and certain animals go weird. Maybe this is what’s going on. Maybe she’s just an old creep. So, today we’re doing a little bit of exploring of Eel Day. The weather is a little bit better. There’s obviously no thunderstorm today. So, we’re having a walk into little town village uh San Mar see a little church from here. We’re surrounded by vineyards. We’re right by the beach. And in a little while, we’re hoping to hire a bike from Hootopia, the campsite for €13 for a day, which I don’t think is terrible. And there are 136 km of biking tracks. It’s full of beaches. There’s a beautiful lighthouse at the top. A number of wine producers you can go visit. Unfortunately for us, it’s a Sunday, so they only operate for half a day or they don’t open at all. So, we’re going to improvise and make our own wine tasting day somewhere along the line. It feels like a very relaxed sort of seaside resort island. I’ve heard good things about it. And today, we’re not going to see all of it, but we’re going to explore some of it. [Music] [Music] Heat. Hey, Heat. [Music] One of the biggest regrets of my France trip was not spending longer on the Eel Duray and the Northwest in general. But with just a couple of days there, we really fell in love with the place and will definitely return back in the future. We loved how it was so relaxed, naturally beautiful, and despite the rain making a return, we just had one of those special and hilarious days out that we’ll always remember. Now, don’t ask me why I was wearing Jazz’s coat here. I think we’d had a few glasses of wine and I thought I’d be a gent and offer her in my rain coat. So yeah, it was just one of those hilarious days. We loved the place. So after dropping my partner Jazza off at N airport, we’ve made the 2-hour drive up to San Malo. Now this is one of the main coastal towns here in Britany. Now Britany is an exciting region that’s very close to the UK. You can get fairies direct to San Malo, I believe. And combined with Normandy, a lot of UK holiday makers come here just because of its close proximity to the UK. Now, unfortunately on this trip, as you know, I’ve cut off big corners of France. France is actually twice as big as the UK. I think a few people failed to appreciate that or they don’t even know that fact. Now, this weekend, I’ve actually got to be back in the UK for our good friends George Lucy’s wedding. So, I’ve had to cut the trip a little bit shorter than I originally intended, which means we’ve cut off pretty much the entire sort of chunk of Britany. So, we’re here in one of its main towns, St. Melo just to get a feel for the place. Now in the short time I’ve had driving through Britain, you can definitely get a sense that the architecture is different. So in Sand Mallow, what I’m going to go and do is explore the old town and the ramp parts and just get a feel for the place. There’s definitely a Celtic heritage here. There’s some links to the CS throughout Britany, some rugged and dramatic coastline with some beautiful beaches. It’s well known for its food, its oysters, its seafood, and there are many reasons and many places in Britain that you might want to visit on your own France road trip. All of the worthwhile locations, of course, are going to be in the Road Trip France guide book. Now, if Jem stops tugging me to sniff every single leaf on every bush I bought past, we might actually make it into this place. If not, it’s going to make for one hell of a boring video. [Music] making my way through the old town here in Sant Melo. Now, if you look at map of S Melo, you’ll find out we’re actually not far from a place called Dinard or Din. There’s actually a small ferry which does a trip back and forth from the two. Because I’ve parked here in San Melo, it probably makes sense for me to try and catch this boat to go and explore Dinard. Going to see if I can find the place where the boat leaves. See if I can get a ticket. See if Jem can come and then we should be all good. [Music] [Music] So, we made our way on the short boat trip to Dinar, a Victorian seaside town, which really actually reminded me of many English seaside towns. We made our way back to the return ferry and headed to S Melo before getting back on the road. I’ve made a drive of around 45 minutes and behind me you can see this sort of car park camping air and I’m at one of Northern France’s most iconic landmarks, Lamar San Michelle. Now I’m sure if you’ve done any research into France, especially Northern France, you’d have seen images of this place all over Google online blogs, YouTube, Instagram, you name it, this place will be on it. Now, I’m not actually going to make a visit up to the actual village and the abbey until tomorrow morning. But what I am going to attempt to do is try and get some nice photos. We’re kind of approaching golden hour. The weather is iffy, so it’s unlikely I’m going to get any decent light. It’s still going to be really nice of me to get some shots, take a look at the abbey, the village that sits perched up on that massive cliff from kind of a distance. At the time of visiting, it cost me around €18 to stay in the motor home air overnight, which also gives you access to the free shuttle bus, which I jumped on to get me down to the dam. Now, this is a great place to grab some photos. So, we’ve been stood here for some the last 30 minutes, hoping that we get some glimmers of light. And we’ve had a little bit that sort of cast over the grass here, which look really golden and nice. You I’ll probably show you a photo. It’s one of them places that you get excited about visiting. So, I’m actually going to be up there tomorrow at 9:00 a.m. But for now, pick it up tomorrow. Exciting times. Good morning. In a very strange turn of events, I’m looking up at Lemon San Michelle, which is where I’m about to head. We’re about to jump on the bus. It’s covered in cloud, which I’m pretty sure is quite rare because we’re so low to the ground. And whilst it is quite high on its peak, it’s not that high that you would think it’d be in the cloud. Probably a quite rare phenomena happening at the minute. But we’re going to head up there anyway. Now, a top tip for visiting especially during the summer season, is come either really late in the day or come really early. You’ve probably heard me say that on a number of occasions throughout these four episodes. That’s especially true for here because this has turned into almost an entire resort with hotels, restaurants, this huge car park inside. So, as you can imagine, during the summer months, it must get absolutely packed. So, yeah, get in early, which is what I’m doing today. [Music] [Music] So, I’ve just made it inside the walls of this village. Feels like I’m pretty much straight out of a Harry Potter set. Hogwarts Castle on the top. This is like Diagon Alley. Um, if you haven’t watched Harry Potter, you probably got a clue what I’m going on about, but it looks like a fairy tale place. It’s like it shouldn’t even be real. It shouldn’t exist. Now, when I was doing a bit of research into Lamar San Michelle, I found it pretty fascinating that it’s surrounded in such a dramatic tidal zone. What that means is there’s quite a lot of um dangerous quicksand around. When the tide comes in, it rushes in as fast as a galloping horse. That was one of the quotes that I read. So, if you are planning on walking around to get some photos, just be very careful. [Music] Heat. [Music] [Music] Heat. [Music] So that’s my visit to the abbey done and dusted and it was originally constructed in the 10th century and then work has been done to it uh mainly in the 11th and 13th centuries. On this trip I’ll visit many shadows, many of these abbies. This is on a different level. It’s just incredible. I can see why it’s a UNESCO World Heritage site, the the island in itself. I think I’m the first person to hit the gift shop and leave the abbey. So if you do come early, it definitely pays off. I was reading before I visited, they have three million visitors a year to lemons Michelle. So as you can imagine, it’s going to get so busy here, but completely worth a visit, especially if you’re in Normandy and you’re looking for something that’s really grand. It’s almost like a maze, a labyrinth of different rooms that you follow. It is so so impressive. It’s funny on the way out there’s a sign saying, “Beware of the seagulls. They nest all in the gardens and they can attack.” So I’m not going to stand here waffling. I’m going to leave the garden, say my goodbyes to this beautiful place, and then we’re carrying on towards the Normandy beaches. My first stop was the Normandy American Cemetery located about 1 hour and 40 from Lemon Sanm Michelle. Now, I’m pretty conscious that I’m not making this video too history rich, too packed on World War II information. If you are coming to Normandy, it’s just baked into the land here to and it’s so important the liberation of France and of course the British and American involvement in World War II coming here, coming to Omaha Beach, Gold Beach. It was D-Day that really set the wheels in motion for the liberation of France and the end of the war. So, it is really, really important. The grounds of this cemetery and the monuments are absolutely spectacular, pristine as you could imagine. And there are actually 9,387 graves, many of which are from American soldiers that died in the first or second waves as they try to push up the beach in some pretty horrific circumstances. With all the bloodshed, with all the violence, it’s so strange to be here on such a sunny, nice day. And yet on that day in June 1944, it was a complete opposite. And of course, there was some horrific things obviously ensuing down on Omaha Beach. So, you want to actually access Omaha Heart Beach itself. Um, I’d probably advise parking in the American Cemetery Place. Uh, it’s free to park there, plenty of room if you’ve got a camper van or a motor home, and just make the short walk down the hill. And, uh, eventually you will be here. So, we’ve almost made it down to the actual beach. But what you’ll find along pretty much the entire Normandy coast was the Atlantic Wall, this unit of defenses that Hitler had ordered his army uh to create to protect them from a potential invasion from the UK. Now along the cliffs at Omar, every so often you’ve got these German defenses, these German bunkers that probably in 1944 would have some pretty huge machine guns, 88 mm guns, anti-tank guns, and of course the normal MG42 machine guns, which would have caused a mass amount of casualties on the D-Day landings as the American soldiers here and the Canadians a bit further down and the British a bit further along would have experienced getting off the boats, the sea craft coming onto the beach. They’ have had no cover and it would have been pretty easy pickings in the first couple of waves for the Germans using these pretty powerful MG42 machine guns. Now, of course, the main objective of the Allied troops during the D-Day landings was to overrun the German defense. They would have been trying to penetrate these defenses, which from down here looks non impossible. But after the second and third waves came, they actually began to get a bit more success. managed to liberate this whole northern section of Normandy. And then that allowed more and more troops from the UK and the US to bring supplies in and mount a real counterattack against the Germans who eventually retreated. And that’s pretty much how the war was won in a very small nutshell. Now, what’s really amazing to me about Omaha Beach, it’s absolutely stunning. It’s beautiful. It’s backed by these dunes, golden sand, and gently sloping beautiful blue waters. And yet that contrast of all of the war images that you kind of come to associate with this place. I’m sure you guys have watched Saving Private Ryan. Well, this was the beach that was based on the opening shot the first 20 minutes of Sing Private Ryan. And I mean on that day can’t imagine what the the soldiers were going through. Now in the far distance you can see the cliffs of Point Duh Hawk. Now, that was famously where the US Rangers scaled the 9 ft cliff and managed to take control of the cliffs. Now, why the cliffs of Point the Hawk was so important is because they had a great viewpoint down on Omaha, which is 6 milesi pretty much all the way to Point the Hawk. And then the other side, which was Utah Beach, these were the two main beaches that the US forces took control of. And then going back that way, you had Juno Beach, Shaw Beach, and Gold Beach, which the British and Canadian forces took control of. I’m going to be going to Gold Beach a little bit later. Um, that’s where the main British contingency was. But just to summarize being here and my feelings, it’s just so strange because how bloody beautiful it is. You know, had there not been this point in history that was so difficult for the French and of course all of the soldiers involved. Water here would have been full with oil, diesel, and blood. There would have been body string all over the place, craters, mines, barb wire. It would have just been the complete opposite of this. Like today, this is like a paradise. This is probably as far from that day in 1944 that you could ever imagine. [Music] [Music] Following Omaha Beach, I made the short drive to the Longsare battery where you can explore some of the German Atlantic water defenses. I then continue to the seaside town of Aramalsh. We’re going to cross the road and we’re going to head down to the beach. Now, what you’ll be able to see from the beach here is the Malbury harbors. Now, these were an amazing feat of engineering. These blocks of concrete weighed ridiculous amounts. To actually get them here and get them in position really was a feat of its time and they’re still here today, which proves they’ve kind of passed the test of time. Now, these harbors were obviously used once the British forces managed to get control of the area. They were used uh exactly as as the name says, as a harbor to get supplies, to get more troops, to get tanks, vehicles, everything they needed to continue the war efforts into France and push the Germans out. [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] The next obvious stop was the British Normandy Memorial, a dog friendly location and home to 1,457 silhouettes representing soldiers, sailors, and airmen sat in the beautiful wildflower meadow above Gold Beach. Now, for me, this was a real poignant thing to witness and one that actually really stuck with me. So, I’ve made the drive to Bayer. Now, this is home to the Bayer Tapestry. I always thought it was called the Bayer Tapestry, but the French pronounce it differently. Anyway, enough about the name. The tapestry itself wasn’t amazing, and it’s a shame that I can’t show you because it’s just unfathomable like how long this single piece of tapestry is. Um, if you do visit here, you’ll understand exactly what I’m going on about. Fortunately, I wasn’t able to take any photos or video. I think it cost like 113, something like that to enter. Now, if you are planning on coming soon, it’s closing in September 2025, and it won’t be reopening until 2027. Just something to bear in mind. So, there’s a lot more to buy than just the tapestry. You’ve got this beautiful cathedral behind me, which was actually spared during World War II. Uh, a lot of the town didn’t end up getting damaged. And that’s good for visiting today because it’s still got its original cobble streets, halftimbered houses, beautiful little winding narrow streets full with restaurants and beastro and that kind of thing. And it was actually the first town liberated in the whole of France during the D-Day landings. I’m probably going to be staying here tonight, but I’ve got to shoot off now and get Jem her tapeworm treatment. I’ve actually found a vet here in Bayer. Let’s go and get Jeem sorted. So, for anybody that’s taking their dog or dogs to France on a road trip, getting them the wormer, the takeworm treatment for the return back to the UK is dead simple. Most vets will do it. You just got to call them up, give them a little bit of notice, maybe the day before just to be safe. Pick a time that suits. The main thing to bear in mind is the tapeworm treatment has to be given at least 24 hours before returning back to the UK. So, for example, Gems is at 6:00 p.m. today. The ferry 6:00 p.m. tomorrow. That’s just in that time frame. With gem’s tapeworm treatment sorted, we made the drive to Enflur. I didn’t record anything here, but it’s a place I’d definitely recommend a visit to, and it’s here we actually spent our final night in France. Good morning. So, it’s the final day of this France trip. It’s always mixed feelings on the last day of a trip. You’re excited to get home and get back to a bit of normality, but absolutely gutted to be leaving this place, especially when there’s so many places that I still need to visit. And I’ve actually spent a bit of time this morning planning my next couple of road trips because I’m not done with this place and I don’t think I will be for a number of years. It’s that epic. Now, it’s been an expensive start to the day. I’ve lost my Starink Mini going down uh the toll road at 130 km an hour. There was no way I was going to try and turn back at the next junction and try and grab it. Just not safe to do so. So, a costly mistake. Uh and something that I need to learn a lesson from. Anyway, we’re in the seaside town of Atria, which is home to the equivalent of the Jurassic Coast, the white cliffs, similar to Dural Door. Now, I remember when I went to Dirt Door, specifically Lworth Cove, and I met a photographer from Switzerland, who was showing me photos from this place. And ever since then, I’ve really wanted to come. So, I’m going to end my trip here today, show you some of these fabulous clips, and then we’re going to move on to the ferry and get ourselves home. But yeah, one last really exciting bit of the trip for me. And I can’t wait to show you this place. [Music] So, the sun has burned off the early morning mist, and what we’re left with here at Atruta is a beautiful day, it has to be said. Now I’m slowly making my way above the cliffs, above the sea arch, which kind of resembles Durgel Door. And you might notice I’m a little bit out of breath. It is a little bit steep, but it’s definitely not unattainable. There are people here well into their 70s. So don’t be put off cuz the views up here are stupendous. Just take a look at this one I’m about to show you. [Music] [Music] [Music] I just feel like I’ve just got to come and reiterate how stunning and beautiful this place is. Uh I’m always a big fan of like dramatic coastal scenery, landscapes. I guess that is the wannabe photographer inside of me. But this is just absolutely stunning. I do remember these kind of feelings when I first went to Dirt Door. Um very similar place here, but it’s an absolute must if you’re up in Normandy in the north part of France. There’s no reason not to come and visit this place. It’s just completely remarkable. So me and Gem have just done our photo shoot down on the beach for the new book. Um it’s quite cringy when there’s people walking past like staring, but is what it is. It’s what uh it’s what I have to do. And we’ve stopped at this little beach bar. Um, and it’s red hot. So, last one of the trip. Um, it would be rude not to. And to be honest, I’m not going to get a view like this with a beer for quite a while. So, soak it in. Make the most of it. See? Magnific. Well, it’s that time of the trip. I’ve got a couple of hours until I’m going to get the ferry home. And yeah, it’s strange on this France trip because there have been a number of sections of France that of course I’ve missed. I’ve missed pretty much the entire west coast from the Bas country, Beerit all the way up to Bordeaux. Uh the Pyrenees is an area that I would have liked to explore. Uh the Luis Valley which is a very popular place especially for British people as it’s so relatively easy to get to. With all that said, I want to answer the big question, the question that I posed at the start of this video. Now, is France the ultimate road trip? Now, that’s a very broad question, but I think it personally is for so many reasons. So many experiences that I’ve had on this trip make me believe that France, it really is the ultimate place to come for a road trip. First of all, you’ve got the diverse landscapes. Now whether it’s shadows up on a cliffside and mountain side overlooking incredible valley filled with miles and miles of vineyards whether it’s the Alpine region with its snowcap mountains jaw-dropping roads and literally your breath is taken away round every bend around every corner and then you contrast that with the Mediterranean beaches which to me was a real highlight. It just felt like I was on a normal holiday, which isn’t something that I’ve normally experienced on a road trip. And the main thing for me that makes me think that France is potentially a better destination than the UK. It’s just so friendly. If you’re here in a camper van, a motor home, or a caravan, there are camping airs literally all over the place. Some of them are even free. You can empty your gray waste and your black waste all over the country for free. There are bins everywhere for free. There are amazing campsites for relatively low cost. If you use the tolls, they’re going to cost you, but they’re so convenient. There are stops literally every 15 to 20 km. And if you combine all that, the charm, the history, the food, the people, believe it or not, the experiences, I think France really is the ultimate road trip. And you know, one thing that really puts people off coming to France is this thing here. There’s a little bit of water in between France and England that people don’t realize is only 18 mi long. Now, for most of us in England and in the UK, it’s actually quicker to get to France than it is up to the highlands of Scotland. So, when you’re planning your next road trip, you just need to have a little think about what it is you’re looking for from that road trip because I think all the answers are pretty much here in France. And for me, this trip has been incredible. I can’t wait to come back. I’m going to come back later in the year to tick off some of the places that I didn’t get to on this trip. And I’m sure many of you that have been to France before are screaming out locations right now. Why didn’t you come here? Why didn’t you go there? And that really is another great thing about France. It’s so big. I keep saying it. It’s twice as big as the UK. Just imagine how many road trips you can fit into a lifetime here, let alone a couple of weeks, 4 weeks, 6 weeks, whatever time you’ve got. There’s always room for more in France. And with that, guys, I just want to say a huge thank you. If you’ve managed to watch all four of these episodes, then I really appreciate it. Thanks to Al for helping with the video editing on these. And yeah, it means an awful lot that I can continue doing this. I can continue traveling around Europe, around the UK, even around the world, sharing my travel tips with you guys, and hopefully inspiring you guys to come on your very own road trips to places like France. So, if you want to support the channel, you can do it for free. Just hit the subscribe button, turn notifications on. That’s going to help me massively. And of course, if you want to go a little bit further, go and check out the No Fuss Travel Guides website or my own website, which is robbby roams.com. There you’re going to be able to get the new Road Trip France guide book. You can also follow me on Instagram, Robbie Romero. And I’ve made a ton of tips videos about the legalities of coming to France, what you need, paperwork, dogs, cars, all of that good stuff you’ll find on my channel. And so I’m going to make the rest of the sun before I have to catch my ferry. But it’s been an absolute pleasure on voyage and I’ll see you guys in the next See you. [Music]

👉 Order the Road Trip France Guidebook here: https://robbieroams.com/product/road-trip-france-guide-book-robbie-roams/

🚗 Epic France Road Trip – Part 4 🇫🇷 | Dordogne, Limoges, Oradour-sur-Glane, Cognac, Île de Ré, Brittany & Normandy
In Part 4 of our unforgettable France road trip, we explore some of the country’s most captivating and emotional landscapes. Starting in the charming region of Dordogne, we wind our way through the historic city of Limoges, then visit the haunting ruins of Oradour-sur-Glane, a powerful WWII memorial site.

From there, we head to Cognac, home of the world-famous spirit, before crossing to the island paradise of Île de Ré. Our journey continues through the dramatic coastlines and charming villages of Brittany, and finally leads us to the iconic beaches and historic landmarks of Normandy.

This leg of the trip is packed with beauty, history, and unforgettable moments. Join us on the road as we uncover hidden gems and soak in the magic of western France.

🔔 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for the final leg of our journey!

#FranceRoadTrip #DordogneToNormandy #TravelVlog #Brittany #IledeRe #Cognac #WWIIHistory #VanLifeFrance