Last Weekend proved a little difficult to get to Biarritz or San Sebastian so I went to La Rochelle instead (VFR) as my IR is still not back from the CAA. This was the furthest I’ve been and was great trip. La Rochelle I thought was a lovely place to visit, Although I didn’t realise it was French Bank Holiday and accommodation proved challenging, but we found a place to stay in the end. Wanting to go further a field, I have access to a Turbo Arrow 4 which has recently had a new avionics fit and is IFR capable. Can anyone recommend a ‘GA friendly’ airfield in the South of France, ie, no silly landing and parking fees and no mandatory handling ?. At the moment I
will plan to go VFR as IR not back yet, although not sure If I did have it whether I would be confident enough to go IFR…..what do you guys think? As I said, great avionics in this Arrow4 (GTN750, HSI, RMI, DME) but basic Wing leveller autopilot (no altitude hold).
Glad you liked La Rochelle. It’s really nice there. Very scenic, great both daytime and in the evenings when everybody is out and about.
Can anyone recommend a ‘GA friendly’ airfield in the South of France, ie, no silly landing and parking fees and no mandatory handling ?
Would you be going there directly from the UK?
If so, you could check out Tarbes LFBT (close to the Alps – hire a car and drive up) or Cannes LFMD (“boutique central” – but I recall there are some IFR requirements in the form of a website test you need to pass, so maybe file “Y”). There is also Annecy LPFP (great value for all). IMHO the coastal places are the most interesting, unless you are close to the mountains and then you get the scenery.
great avionics in this Arrow4 (GTN750, HSI, RMI, DME) but basic Wing leveller autopilot (no altitude hold).
That’s fine. You can hold altitude easily enough using the trim wheel. The AP probably has HDG hold which will do you for 99% of IFR – assuming you have a moving map GPS which shows the current track as a line ahead of the aircraft.
Peter, yes was planning direct from EGBE. I recon about 4.5 hrs in the Arrow4, so maybe a stop halfway down for lunch somewhere. Someone else had mentioned to me about the online test for LFMD, not sure if that’s for VFR though, I will research that. Had a trip in this Arrow4 yesterday and was very impressed, though the AP in heading mode ‘fish tails’ and would make you sick. 
Peter wrote:
There is also Annecy LPFP (great value for all). IMHO the coastal places are the most interesting, unless you are close to the mountains and then you get the scenery.
Annecy is LFLP, but I second that suggestion, lovely place.
Rob2701 wrote:
Can anyone recommend a ‘GA friendly’ airfield in the South of France, ie, no silly landing and parking fees and no mandatory handling ?.
I can recommend Montpellier, Avignon and Figari, these airports are easy, friendly, no handling issue and not expensive. Also the towns and landscapes are worth a visit.
I wouldn’t let my choice of destination be constrained by which place offers immigration and which doesn’t.
Many small places are much more worthwhile than those on the beaten track.
Choose which place you like most, and if it happens to have no immigration, stop at an adequate airfield on your way there.
Only minor problem: many of the “small” places require some French radio skills for added safety (discussed here loads of times).
I would add Beziers and Carcassonne: both featuring immigration, both IFR and both pretty cheap (less than €20) and AFAIR both have 100LL.
Only minor problem: many of the “small” places require some French radio skills for added safety (discussed here loads of times).
They may also require the French TOTAL fuel card.
And if you can’t speak any French, good luck with getting fuel The only way they can do it AFAIK is for one of the locals to use his card and you pay him (in cash, obviously – he won’t be walking around with a CC machine ).
To someone relatively new to “going places” I would recommend easy but high value destinations. La Rochelle is a brilliant example.
Sure one can stop at say Caen to clear Customs/Imm and it is under €5 but it’s another hour wasted and you end up arriving for a very late lunch. But of course opinions vary; if passengers need the toilet and won’t do the bottles then … 
Personal recommendation is Royan (20 mins south of La Rochelle) where I just stayed for three weeks, very friendly and “full-service” – see my trip report.
Last year a thunderstorm over LFMD forced us to land in Cuers where we were treated very friendly and the lady at the restaurant arranged a pickup by a pilot who runs a chambre-d’hôte. Guy at the fuel station was a British teacher. Next day we flew on to Figari which has to be my favourite aerodrome on Corsica.
Can anyone recommend a ‘GA friendly’ airfield in the South of France, ie, no silly landing and parking fees and no mandatory handling ?
Toulouse (Blagnac), Carcassonne, Perpignan
They should all have customs. The cities are scenic. The airports are GA friendly (although there is a walk from the GA parking to the terminal in two of the three) and relatively close to the cities. Carcassonne is particularly nice.
And they are all reasonably priced – Toulouse being the most expensive of the three – but still good value.
