I did the Peak Du Midi d'Ossau in the French Pyrenees a few years ago with a group from work. We took the ferry across. It's a bit of a drive, but there's plenty to have a go at round there, and really beautiful countryside. We had some really heavy rain and thunder for a couple of days, so we did a couple of day trips out to Biarritz and Lourdes.
On the way back, we stopped in Lens. We managed to find a bar as you do and spent the night drinking with a load of RCL fans who were on their way back from a game. It was when Anelka was playing for us, so we had a fair bit to talk about. We couldn't find a hotel nearby (the driver was pissed), and we ended up kipping in a local park like a load of tramps. We got moved on by the police in the morning. I've still got the scarf that one of the RCL fans gave me.