A Few Days Between Paris and Chalon Sur Saone..Suggestions?
Mar 28th, 2014, 01:39 PM
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 30
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
A Few Days Between Paris and Chalon Sur Saone..Suggestions?
We will be in Paris for a few days in early September, then driving to Versailles on Wednesday to tour it and overnight there. We will have 2 more nights (Thursday and Friday) before we must be in Chalon Sur Saone by dinner time on day 3 (Saturday). Our river cruise starts on Sunday and includes Lyon to Avignon. We don't want to spend the whole time just driving, but would like to stay in an area with smaller towns to get a better feel for the French countryside. I definitely want to include Chartres to visit (although probably not overnight, we can do that on Thursday after we leave Versailles) and a friend had good things to say about Orleans (although that's just one person's opinion). We'd prefer to spend both nights in the same place and explore with that as our base. Suggestions will be much appreciated!
Mar 28th, 2014, 01:58 PM
#2
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 16,434
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
You'll be driving through the heart of Burgundy - so stay there. It occupied our time for 2 full weeks a couple of years ago. Stay in Vezelay if you would like a smaller town. Since you'll be in Paris, Lyon, and Avignon - stick to the small villages & visit some chateaux - there are many in the region.
Below is an itinerary I did for a friend who stayed in a gite near Beaune for 1 week. I did not sent her to Auxerre because it was too far away. But in your case, I would spend a morning or afternoon in Auxerre.
Monday (remember, shops close in Dijon & Beaune).
Leave the Gite & take the D17 south to La Rochepot – this is a pretty drive. The town of Orches is quite cute (noted on my map). Continue on the D17 to La Rochepot or Nolay.
Market in Nolay. This is a very small market, but the town has several antique shops. If this interests you, go there. I think the shops are open on Monday because there is a market there on Monday
Vist Chateau Rochepot*. Pg 279 in my Green Guide.. Note that it closes for lunch
Visit Chateau Sully* (pg 305 in GG) or Chateau Couches .
Tuesday
Visit Beaune*** in the AM. This is one of our “top 5” medium sized cities in France. Spend the better part of the morning there. The “popular” Hotel Dieu*** gets a lot of attention and it is quite elegant from the outside – but only OK on the inside. But it deserves a visit on the inside.
Afternoon – one of the chateaux you didn’t visit yesterday.
Wednesday.
Head out northwest on the A6. Get off the A6 at Exit # 21 and head towards Tanlay
Get the “Route des Ducs de Bourgogne” brochure. Remember about saving the entrance tickets.
Visit the Chateau de Tanlay**. This was our favorite chateau in the region. Tours start at 10 – so get there then . It is about a 1 ¾ drive from the gite (1 hr of freeway).
Next, drive to Noyers & explore this cute village. Note on villages in Burgundy - compared to Provence, Dordogne, and many other places you have visited in France – there are not as many “cute little villages” in Burgundy. This is one of them, but not in the “top 50%” in France.
Visit Chateau Ancy le Franc** Note that it closes for lunch – that’s why I have you visiting Noyers during lunch. If you can get to Ancy le Franc by 11:30 when their last tour of the morning departs – do that if you don’t mind back-to-back chateaux.
Visit Abbaye de Fontenay*** if you like abbeys.
Take the D980 south from the Abbey to Semur en Auxois*. See pg 296 in the GG. This village is more interesting from the outside than from the inside. As you take the R de Paris from the D980 toward Semur – there is a very nice view of the perched village. If you want to see the “scene” pictured on pg 298 of the GG. Circle clockwise around the exterior of the village to where I have marked “fantastic view” on the GG map of Semur. Next, drive toward the informatioin center (marked on map) & park your car outside the “gate” of town & explore the old section of Semur if you like.
Thursday
Visit Dijon*** This is our favorite city in France – after Paris. Find the “Dijon the Owl’s trail” brochure I sent you & follow this walk. The walk is fantastic. The “centerfold” has the route for the walk.. This may be market day in Dijon at Les Halles – but only in the AM. Lots of interesting sites to visit.
Friday
Head out north on the A6. Take the exit #22 and find your way west to Vezelay** pg 314. We did not approach Vezelay from this direction – we visited Vezelay after Auxerre. But I figured that on your last day in the gite, you might only want to do a half-day – so I “cut out” Auxerre – which is too bad because we really enjoyed Auxerre.
After Vezelay, head south on the D958 on a pretty drive to Chateau Bazoches. I mentioned Vauban earlier – this is his chateau. There is a “self guided” tour, but note that it closes for lunch.
Stu Dudley
Below is an itinerary I did for a friend who stayed in a gite near Beaune for 1 week. I did not sent her to Auxerre because it was too far away. But in your case, I would spend a morning or afternoon in Auxerre.
Monday (remember, shops close in Dijon & Beaune).
Leave the Gite & take the D17 south to La Rochepot – this is a pretty drive. The town of Orches is quite cute (noted on my map). Continue on the D17 to La Rochepot or Nolay.
Market in Nolay. This is a very small market, but the town has several antique shops. If this interests you, go there. I think the shops are open on Monday because there is a market there on Monday
Vist Chateau Rochepot*. Pg 279 in my Green Guide.. Note that it closes for lunch
Visit Chateau Sully* (pg 305 in GG) or Chateau Couches .
Tuesday
Visit Beaune*** in the AM. This is one of our “top 5” medium sized cities in France. Spend the better part of the morning there. The “popular” Hotel Dieu*** gets a lot of attention and it is quite elegant from the outside – but only OK on the inside. But it deserves a visit on the inside.
Afternoon – one of the chateaux you didn’t visit yesterday.
Wednesday.
Head out northwest on the A6. Get off the A6 at Exit # 21 and head towards Tanlay
Get the “Route des Ducs de Bourgogne” brochure. Remember about saving the entrance tickets.
Visit the Chateau de Tanlay**. This was our favorite chateau in the region. Tours start at 10 – so get there then . It is about a 1 ¾ drive from the gite (1 hr of freeway).
Next, drive to Noyers & explore this cute village. Note on villages in Burgundy - compared to Provence, Dordogne, and many other places you have visited in France – there are not as many “cute little villages” in Burgundy. This is one of them, but not in the “top 50%” in France.
Visit Chateau Ancy le Franc** Note that it closes for lunch – that’s why I have you visiting Noyers during lunch. If you can get to Ancy le Franc by 11:30 when their last tour of the morning departs – do that if you don’t mind back-to-back chateaux.
Visit Abbaye de Fontenay*** if you like abbeys.
Take the D980 south from the Abbey to Semur en Auxois*. See pg 296 in the GG. This village is more interesting from the outside than from the inside. As you take the R de Paris from the D980 toward Semur – there is a very nice view of the perched village. If you want to see the “scene” pictured on pg 298 of the GG. Circle clockwise around the exterior of the village to where I have marked “fantastic view” on the GG map of Semur. Next, drive toward the informatioin center (marked on map) & park your car outside the “gate” of town & explore the old section of Semur if you like.
Thursday
Visit Dijon*** This is our favorite city in France – after Paris. Find the “Dijon the Owl’s trail” brochure I sent you & follow this walk. The walk is fantastic. The “centerfold” has the route for the walk.. This may be market day in Dijon at Les Halles – but only in the AM. Lots of interesting sites to visit.
Friday
Head out north on the A6. Take the exit #22 and find your way west to Vezelay** pg 314. We did not approach Vezelay from this direction – we visited Vezelay after Auxerre. But I figured that on your last day in the gite, you might only want to do a half-day – so I “cut out” Auxerre – which is too bad because we really enjoyed Auxerre.
After Vezelay, head south on the D958 on a pretty drive to Chateau Bazoches. I mentioned Vauban earlier – this is his chateau. There is a “self guided” tour, but note that it closes for lunch.
Stu Dudley
Mar 28th, 2014, 02:34 PM
#3
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 78,320
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Not much to add to Stu's stupendous itinerary -
Vezelay is incredible don't miss it - and you can also visit Alesia, sight of an ancient battle between Gauls, I believe, and Roman - the final defeat of the Gauls, establishing Roman hegemony over western Europe.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Alesia
I liked driving along the Route des vins bourgogne - Burgudny Wine Road that meanders thru the heart of the Burgundy wine country where many grand crus are procued with world-famous names of various wine villages the road goes thru - Beaune is the epicenter of the industry and a fine fine city that I would recommend staying in over nice Dijon but a large city totally dead at night or in a smaller wine village.
coming right out of Paris you could hit Provins and or Troyes, two ancient cities - Provins especially has a well-preserved fortress and old-town center.
Vezelay is incredible don't miss it - and you can also visit Alesia, sight of an ancient battle between Gauls, I believe, and Roman - the final defeat of the Gauls, establishing Roman hegemony over western Europe.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Alesia
I liked driving along the Route des vins bourgogne - Burgudny Wine Road that meanders thru the heart of the Burgundy wine country where many grand crus are procued with world-famous names of various wine villages the road goes thru - Beaune is the epicenter of the industry and a fine fine city that I would recommend staying in over nice Dijon but a large city totally dead at night or in a smaller wine village.
coming right out of Paris you could hit Provins and or Troyes, two ancient cities - Provins especially has a well-preserved fortress and old-town center.
Mar 28th, 2014, 02:48 PM
#4
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 16,434
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Provins & Troyes are indeed two wonderful cities. Just make sure you don't take the tour of the underground passageways in Provins. Very tedious, in French, and no "ducking out" early. The "museum" was quite interesting, however. We didn't think much of Sens - also in that area.
Stu Dudley
Stu Dudley
Mar 28th, 2014, 04:30 PM
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 30
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Wow, what a wealth of information! When we meet the boat in Chalon, our first visit is to Beaune, glad to hear it's great. Just to shed a little more light in case it's helpful, we go from Beaune to Lyon to Vienne to Tornon and Viviers and then to Arles and Avignon. We are in our 60's but healthy so lots of walking is fine. I love castles and old churches, so there's a lot in this information. Is there a town which is kind of central to all this where we might stay both nights? Or must we change hotels each night? If so, in which town or towns should we stay each night? And if you know of specific hotels or B&Bs, please recommend. THANKS so much for taking the time to give me all this detail, this is way beyond what I hoped for!
Mar 28th, 2014, 06:20 PM
#8
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 30
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
OK, Stu, now I'll show my lack of experience...what's a Gite? Looked at some info on Vezelay, it looks wonderful. Burgundy Wine Road sounds like a good tip too, might be just the opportunity we're looking for to get a good dose of local flavor. My husband was in the wine biz for years, so we'll definitely be checking a few wineries out, PalenQ.
Mar 28th, 2014, 09:50 PM
#9
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 16,434
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Mar 29th, 2014, 06:14 AM
#10
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 30
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Stu, you are such a wealth of info! These forums are lucky to have you. The info on Gites is so interesting...kind of like VRBO, which I've used many times with great success. We can't take any really long trips now, my Mom is 93 and we don't want to be gone that long; but we do plan to do a month a year in some part of Europe in the future. These homes would be perfect. Again, Stu, thanks so much for taking time to help and for sharing your knowledge.
Mar 29th, 2014, 07:33 AM
#13
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 78,320
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Many people love Auxerre, near Vezelay and if looking for something besides a museum town to stay in - a real city for city folks check out Auxerre.
and yes stu is a Fodor treasure - gites are a whole different ball game then hotels - gites are often IME located in sleepy old villages - kind of like moving into the neighborhood and you can cook for yourself - go to local markets, etc.
I think many gites are aloof to rent for a day or two but more for a week however -depending on the season - gites are owned by folks as second country homes and rented out thru the gites de France cooking agency - kind of like airbnb.
I love gites as a way to experience a more real France - hotels can be isolating.
and yes stu is a Fodor treasure - gites are a whole different ball game then hotels - gites are often IME located in sleepy old villages - kind of like moving into the neighborhood and you can cook for yourself - go to local markets, etc.
I think many gites are aloof to rent for a day or two but more for a week however -depending on the season - gites are owned by folks as second country homes and rented out thru the gites de France cooking agency - kind of like airbnb.
I love gites as a way to experience a more real France - hotels can be isolating.
Mar 31st, 2014, 03:26 AM
#14
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 30
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Since we'll be in Paris, I'd prefer the contrast of a "not so big" city or town. We're not really city folks so much. We'll have a car, so parking is a question too. I'll check out Auxerre, sounds interesting, PalenQ. Jpie, we are visiting Beaune as part of our cruise, is it worth being there the additional two days too? Thanks.
Mar 31st, 2014, 06:25 AM
#15
Join Date: Aug 2003
Posts: 2,184
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
If you are visiting during the cruise then you will probably have ample time in Beaune, but since I am not a cruise person, I am not sure if that means you will have a half an hour there, or a day there. Beaune is nice, but as Stu says, there are many lovely places in that area. So if your cruise itinerary looks like it gives you a few hours and maybe a lunch, that is probably enough, but otherwise it is certainly worth an overnight IMO.
Mar 31st, 2014, 06:25 AM
#16
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 16,434
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
>> we are visiting Beaune as part of our cruise, is it worth being there the additional two days too? Thanks.<<
Nope. Beaune is not that large - you can easily see all in a half-day, IMO.
Auxerre has a "walk" that is "marked" on the street, taking you through various sites in town. Get the booklet from the Tourist Office that describes the walk. There is a painted stripe & several medallions on the sidewalk that "show the way" - but some of them have been paved over.
Stu Dudley
Nope. Beaune is not that large - you can easily see all in a half-day, IMO.
Auxerre has a "walk" that is "marked" on the street, taking you through various sites in town. Get the booklet from the Tourist Office that describes the walk. There is a painted stripe & several medallions on the sidewalk that "show the way" - but some of them have been paved over.
Stu Dudley
