Preparing a trip to the south of France

[gigantoraptor]

Hello all,

 

In juli I go to the south of France for 2-3 weeks. We go every year to a different place. Now I want to ask if there are good hunting spots over there that are free accessible? I would prefer to find some vertebra fossils but I know that might be hard. Inverts are also fine. Anyone here that can help with tips or locations? I never found fossils in the south before but I know they are there. 

We don't go to the West/South coast because there are too many tourists over there. 

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Greetings

[caldigger]

No! Don't go....without taking me with you.

[caterpillar]

Temperature is very high in July in the south of France. There are many tourists in the southwest coast but there are more in the southeast.

What kind of fossils do you collect?

[gigantoraptor]

3 minutes ago, caterpillar said:

Temperature is very high in July in the south of France. There are many tourists in the southwest coast but there are more in the southeast.

What kind of fossils do you collect?

Everything I can find, We prefer South-East

[Tidgy's Dad]

Can't help, but good luck and have a great holiday! 

[Darktooth]

Sorry I can not help with any information pertaining to the area, but I wish you good luck in having a good time while you are there.

[ynot]

@Coco,  @fifbrindacier may be able to help.

Good luck!

[fifbrindacier]

There are much more tourists in the South East than in the South West. I don't know where you'll be but if you prefer the South West, you should ask to @Max-fossils, with his family he often goes there in summer.

 

Sophie.

[Coco]

Hi,

 

I am very far from the southeast... Perhaps @herve could help you.

 

Coco

[herve]

Hello,its possible to have more informations ?  Herve

[The Amateur Paleontologist]

My opinion is that if you're after Cretaceous fossils, the best place in South-East France is the département of Alpes de Haute-Provence. Around Sisteron and Salignac, there are extensive outcrops of the Aptian-Albian (Early Cretaceous) Marnes Bleues Formation in which you can occasionally find the remains of marine reptiles (especially platypterygiine ichthyosaurs). In the area around Barrême, there are exposures of Barremian (also Early Cretaceous) carbonate rocks in which you can find various heteromorph ammonites, for instance Heteroceras, Emericiceras, Anahamulina, Hamulina, Acrioceras, Macroscaphites…

A preparator, Luc Ebbo, started a museum in Salignac (called the "Paléogalerie") which is devoted primarily to the Cretaceous fossils of the Alpes de Haute-Provence; you might want to go there - he has some fantastic fossil material over there (for instance, an ammonite "graveyard" - see attached).

 

Hope this helped!

 

Christian

Edited May 7, 2018 by The Amateur Paleontologist

[Max-fossils]

The ‘Gorges du Verdon’ are an apparently rich place in fossils. Nevertheless hunted there but heard of fossils being found there. And it’s a beautiful place in general (set aside fossils), so you’ll definitely enjoy it if you spend a day there. 

You didn’t tell us exactly though where you are gonna be in southern France, and distances can easily get big. So I suggest you just use the map of Fossiel.Net, there’s more than enough info there  

And if you then find a location (or more) that you would like to go to, put a new post  on TFF asking for advice on hunting in that location, perhaps someone will be able to give you more tips! 

 

In any case I wish you good luck and happy hunting!!!

 

Best regards,

 

Max

[Max-fossils]

Oh btw, south-east France is MUCH more touristic than south-west France. Especially the Côte-d’Azur attracts truckloads of tourists every year. If you are more after calmer places away from tourists, you are better off at the south-west on the Atlantic coast. But otherwise (apart from a few famous hotspots) the more you go inland in the south the less tourists you get.

[taj]

The advice of The amateur paleontologist is good , but be wary of Geological Reserves  in that area . I heard they can be quite touchy . You need to do your homework very precisely before going there is these are the areas you want to explore ....

[herve]

Hello the South East France is a region with 5 departements,it is very bigest its a place with 2 pnr (parc regional naturel) with restriction but J find lot of fossils in another places? Best regards