FRANCE A LA CARTE

SELF-DRIVE TOURS

Millau and Viaduct

PRICE: from €350 per person (base 2 sharing room)

Includes : 3 nights in 3* hotel with breakfast (base 2 sharing double room)
Guided visit of the Millau Viaduct
Hire car type VW Golf or similar (unlimited mileage, CDW insurance included)

ENQUIRE

These are short breaks based on a hire car awaiting you at the regional airport of your choice, accommodation reserved for you in advance in country inns or guesthouses ... and a 'suggested itinerary' mapped out for you. You can stick to our suggestions (they are based on years of experience and actually living here!) or just use the programme as a rough guide. You can be between one and five people, as you wish.

An unusual 4 day break which combines a visit to the breath-taking new Viaduct (designed by Norman Foster) with a pilgrimage to the home of the world's finest cheese.

Probably the most remarkable engineering feat in Europe since the construction of the Eiffel Tower, Norman Foster's viaduct in Millau inspires awe in even the most sceptical onlooker. How such a gossamer thin structure - higher than the Eiffel tower - can span such a vast distance between two massive plateaux and carry normal motorway traffic is a wonder indeed. But there's more to Millau than this bridge: it's where the Tarn river tumbles out of its steep-sided gorge, surrounded by high plateaux with good sheep grazing. This is the home of France's famous cheese, Roquefort, made exclusively from ewe's milk and matured in deep underground caves. And, of course, this is the home to good country cuisine and surprising local wines. 4 days may well not be enough!

how to get there:
by hire car (included in package) from Rodez (75 mins) or Montpellier (105 mins)

programme:

day 1: arrival at airport. Pick up car and drive leisurely through the Massif Central to the Tarn. There are tiny stone-built villages and vineyards clinging to steep hillsides to see as you wend your way towards Millau. The hotel is in the Tarn Gorge, with steep cliffs towering up left and right. Overnight in your hotel at Peyreleau. 

Day 2: After breakfast a visit to Millau and its viaduct (20 minute run from the hotel). Join the guided tour run by the Tourist office (meet in central Millau - price included in break) to learn all about this exceptional architectural masterpiece conceived by Norman Foster. At a length of 2460 metres and with piers of 340 metres in height, this motorway viaduct has the grace and elegance to fit harmoniously into the dramatic landscape of the Massif central.
In the afternoon you could enjoy the hotel's pool and private beach by the river Tarn
Gourmet dinner and overnight at hotel.

Day 3
Beyond the Viaduct - on the road to St Affrique and Albi - you'll find the village of Roquefort and its famous caves. These natural caverns are where the cheeses are stocked and left to ripen: it's also where the Penicillium roqueforti - responsible for the green-blue veins in the cheese - have their home. Entrance to the caves of the Papillon brand is free, there's a modest charge to visit the more extensive 'Société' caves, for an hour-long tour: very welcome on a hot day!
Gourmet dinner and overnight at hotel.

Day 4: after breakfast you could either explore the Tarn Gorge a bit more or go straight up to the Rodez area and discover the village of Bouzouls before heading back to the airport.

accommodation
Your 3* hotel is located in the Tarn Gorge. All the rooms have a view on to the river and are equipped with bathroom, WC, TV (sat) and hairdryers. The hotel has a private beach and access for bathing in the river ... but if you find the water too cold there is also a heated pool at your disposal. The hotel has an excellent restaurant, bars and lounges all over-looking the dramatic riverside setting.

room with a view

This trip can be combined with a visit to the Airbus Assembly line in Toulouse for groups of 6 or more.