Frelon

Salut

Does anyone have experience of visiting or living in or around Clermont-Ferrand please? I am in my forties, looking to tour France with a view to living there and I'm looking for somewhere with little wind or rain, looking at the data on the Internet, the Auvergne region seems to be dry and not above average wind, and C-F to be one of the larger towns there. I love to ski and play tennis and I speak a good level of French, I am not one to hide out in the countryside (not yet anyway), I do like doing things with people, and CF looks like a lovely mid-size kind of place (from looking at pictures on the Internet!).

Any advice on C-F, or regions of France generally, is gratefully received.

Thanks
Frelon

dmu

Hi, and welcome to the forum!
To be honest, I've never actually stopped off in Clermont-Ferrand, so can't advise on the actual town. On the other hand, I've passed by several times on the Autoroute and observed that the area is very industrialised and unattractive, apart from the Puy de Dôme, of course.
This year C-F was often cited as being one of the hottest towns during the heatwaves (40°C) and when the Auvergne is affected by heavy rain bad enough for the national News, C-F suffers. With the climatic changes, the weather shouldn't be a factor any more....
Don't let me stop you from visiting C-F on your Tour de France, but be warned that the beauty of the Massif Central starts/ends south of the city!
The area around Perpignan might suit, with the Pyrénées on one side and the Méd on the other. Or the Pays Basque/Béarn.... or south of Toulouse.....
Good luck in your search!

Frelon

Thanks for the advice dmu.

Moses2013

I'm actually just planning the trip from Roscoff to Catalonia area in Spain again and must admit that I usually just want to get through France quickly. I was looking at maybe taking the route past Clermont-Ferrand for a stopover, but the expensive tolls have put me off and I also have to agree with dmu. Apart from the tolls, his points are kind of the reason why I want to avoid Clermont-Ferrand and then it's also a Sunday, so the town will be dead anyway. No doubt you have great countryside outside the town (like most of France) but the town itself doesn't seem attractive to me personally compared to other towns and regions. As I'm also more an ocean person, I'd rather take the other expensive but quicker route and stay in a nicer place like Île d'Oléron.

dmu

The A75 is free from C-F to Béziers, except for the toll over the Viaduc de Millau.
If you do go that way, stop off somewhere south of C-F in the stunning Massif Central/Aubrac/Larzac, maybe as far as Lodève, after which the plain is flat and uninteresting, apart from the hectares of vineyards....

cyrian

Hi
My DD studied in C-F almost 20 years ago.
My main comments are that
a) (like most of France) C-F is dead on a Sunday.
b) It is also VERY cold in winter with the cold wind coming down from the Puy de Dome.
c) it gets very warm in summer.
The local stone is a dark grey and this is used for building which gives a dull appearance and the impression of being dirty.
I found the locals friendly and helpful.
You may be able to get a job in the hospitality industry.
You could also look at St. Etienne.
HTH

Moses2013

Cheers and will check that out. I now used the Michelin Route Planner and the biggest problem for me is the toll on the A71 through C-F.



The other Alternative is past Angers Poitiers.

Annetje

FWIW, one of my brothers bought a place there a few years ago and sold it the next year.
He hated the climate. He's now in Charente Maritime and loves it.