Day trip suggestions from Beaune, France & Burgundy
Jun 29th, 2015, 04:37 AM
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Day trip suggestions from Beaune, France & Burgundy
My wife and I and another couple will be spending five nights in Beaune next week. I would love suggestions for day trips from the city. We will rent a car for either 2 or three days, and would love to see some countryside, small villages, vineyards, chateaus and have leisurely casual lunches in some of those towns.
The other two days we will either be taking a bike trip in the vineyards south of Beaune or a day trip to Dijon.
Any suggestions, as always, appreciated.
Dave
The other two days we will either be taking a bike trip in the vineyards south of Beaune or a day trip to Dijon.
Any suggestions, as always, appreciated.
Dave
Jun 29th, 2015, 07:14 AM
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Jun 29th, 2015, 08:41 AM
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We found Beaune a great place to base for touring the area a few years ago. For five days, we visited Cluny, Autun, Avallon, Vézelay, Semur-en-Auxois, Châteauneuf-en-Auxois, Flavigny-sur-Ozerain and other locations. Also spent a full day in Dijon. If you click on my username above, you will find my trip report and photos from this trip. We really enjoyed exploring this part of Burgundy.
Jul 2nd, 2015, 08:28 AM
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DW...you don't have to drive far afield from Beaune...the vineyard concentration is very thick thereabouts. In and around Pommard, for example. All so close, you can do a few every day you're tipping.
Jul 2nd, 2015, 08:53 AM
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It is perhaps a little far away for a day trip (2 hours by car), unless you have plans to visit other places along the way, but one of my favourite towns in France is Troyes, in the southern part of the Champagne region. I recommend it for a couple of reasons.
First - Champagne, of course. (Although you will be in a wine region in Beaune, it's always fun to taste champagne.)
Second, there is an amazing Tool and Trade Museum (Musee d'Outil) that celebrates hand-made tools and the artisans and craftspeople who worked with them. It's also located adjacent to a medieval medicinal garden. My father and husband loved this place and we happily spent a couple of hours wandering around.
Third - Troyes is a lovely, well-preserved medieval town.
Alternatively, Troyes makes a great overnight rest-stop on a drive from Paris to Burgundy or vice-versa.
First - Champagne, of course. (Although you will be in a wine region in Beaune, it's always fun to taste champagne.)
Second, there is an amazing Tool and Trade Museum (Musee d'Outil) that celebrates hand-made tools and the artisans and craftspeople who worked with them. It's also located adjacent to a medieval medicinal garden. My father and husband loved this place and we happily spent a couple of hours wandering around.
Third - Troyes is a lovely, well-preserved medieval town.
Alternatively, Troyes makes a great overnight rest-stop on a drive from Paris to Burgundy or vice-versa.
Jul 4th, 2015, 11:33 AM
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We also did the south wine route out of Beaune and it was a beautiful drive. If you're there for Saturday dinner or Sunday lunch, a restaurant near Beaune has an amazing more-than-you-can-eta 4 course meal for 20 euros. It's Ferme de la Bace on rd 970 in Bessey en Chaume. Reserve ahead as it's very popular with locals.
Jul 4th, 2015, 01:30 PM
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We were in Beaune two weeks ago. A few things to keep in mind:
It will be hot for the next 10 days, with high temps over 100 on Tuesday (plus thunderstorms), a brief respite on Wed and Thursday, then back up into the mid to upper 90s. Therefore, I suggest you don't be too ambitious with your itinerary, at least as far as outdoor activities are concerned. Enjoy the AC in your car!
Make sure you walk around Beaune at night and take in the seven outdoor illuminations at spots around town. This year's were impressive, some of them were charming and funny as well.
One dress code note: wear cool and comfortable clothes, of course, but avoid acid/lime green! I wore an acid green top on our trip and when we walked through the Place Carnot, I was immediately swarmed by small insects. I must have looked like a particularly succulent new leaf. They were harmless and didn't really bother me, but all day, I was sweeping them off my arms and front, while my husband swept them off my back (at one point I had dozens on me, not exactly the look I had in mind for lunch at a Michelin-starred restaurant).
It will be hot for the next 10 days, with high temps over 100 on Tuesday (plus thunderstorms), a brief respite on Wed and Thursday, then back up into the mid to upper 90s. Therefore, I suggest you don't be too ambitious with your itinerary, at least as far as outdoor activities are concerned. Enjoy the AC in your car!
Make sure you walk around Beaune at night and take in the seven outdoor illuminations at spots around town. This year's were impressive, some of them were charming and funny as well.
One dress code note: wear cool and comfortable clothes, of course, but avoid acid/lime green! I wore an acid green top on our trip and when we walked through the Place Carnot, I was immediately swarmed by small insects. I must have looked like a particularly succulent new leaf. They were harmless and didn't really bother me, but all day, I was sweeping them off my arms and front, while my husband swept them off my back (at one point I had dozens on me, not exactly the look I had in mind for lunch at a Michelin-starred restaurant).
Tomorrow will be cooler and I hope you'll have time to give Dijon a visit. Enjoy!
Jul 8th, 2015, 04:16 AM
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A couple of places we visited last year are:
- Chateau de Pommard is lovely and worth a visit - our fave
- Chateau de Cormatin
- Chateau de Couches
- Chateau de Sully
- Routes des Grand Cru - we stopped at a few villages along here
- Imaginarium in nuits st georges - this gives you an interactive tour of how wine has been produced in the area over the years (and wine tasting at the end)
We spent 3 days just driving and loved every minute of it so enjoy!
- Chateau de Pommard is lovely and worth a visit - our fave
- Chateau de Cormatin
- Chateau de Couches
- Chateau de Sully
- Routes des Grand Cru - we stopped at a few villages along here
- Imaginarium in nuits st georges - this gives you an interactive tour of how wine has been produced in the area over the years (and wine tasting at the end)
We spent 3 days just driving and loved every minute of it so enjoy!
Jul 14th, 2015, 09:46 AM
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Wow! What an awesome trip.
We started out by spending two nights in Paris. It was close to 100 degrees both days, but a bit overcast and not too bad considering the temperature.
We stayed at the http://www.hotelatmospheres.com/, which was a wonderful hotel in the 5th about midway between Notre Dame and the Pantheon on Rue de Ecoles. Very trendy, modern and clean hotel with an excellent continental and hot breakfast. We paid $208 euros for a twin room...very, very nice and in a great location.
We did the normal tourist sites in Paris, zipped around on the subway, ate in Montmarte, saw the Eiffel Tower, Sacre Couer, Arch de Triumph, etc. Very, very crowded but as we'd been there before we avoided the lines and did not visit the sites directly. The Louvre was not too crowded, and as always the Luxembourg Gardens are a great way to spend an afternoon. We ate (and drank) pretty well and prices were not that far out of line with our home base in suburban Detroit.
We whisked off to Beaune on the train for five nights at http://www.chambres-de-limprimerie.fr/index.php - what a marvelous B&B in absolutely charming Beaune. Nestled in the heart of the Burgundy wine region, we ate and drank superior wines and food for five days, taking in a couple driving day trips to Pommard, Mersault and a full day in Dijon via train. We had a lovely time, perfect weather (the temperatures broke and we had 78 and sun the whole time).
What a wonderful trip that culminated in one last night in Paris before heading home. We love France and have found that the French are friendly, welcoming and have a "live and let live" attitude that is wonderful to witness.
We will be back to France someday, maybe to explore this area in more detail or to head over to Bordeaux and see what's up over there!
Awesome trip.
Thanks for all the advice and assistance.
We started out by spending two nights in Paris. It was close to 100 degrees both days, but a bit overcast and not too bad considering the temperature.
We stayed at the http://www.hotelatmospheres.com/, which was a wonderful hotel in the 5th about midway between Notre Dame and the Pantheon on Rue de Ecoles. Very trendy, modern and clean hotel with an excellent continental and hot breakfast. We paid $208 euros for a twin room...very, very nice and in a great location.
We did the normal tourist sites in Paris, zipped around on the subway, ate in Montmarte, saw the Eiffel Tower, Sacre Couer, Arch de Triumph, etc. Very, very crowded but as we'd been there before we avoided the lines and did not visit the sites directly. The Louvre was not too crowded, and as always the Luxembourg Gardens are a great way to spend an afternoon. We ate (and drank) pretty well and prices were not that far out of line with our home base in suburban Detroit.
We whisked off to Beaune on the train for five nights at http://www.chambres-de-limprimerie.fr/index.php - what a marvelous B&B in absolutely charming Beaune. Nestled in the heart of the Burgundy wine region, we ate and drank superior wines and food for five days, taking in a couple driving day trips to Pommard, Mersault and a full day in Dijon via train. We had a lovely time, perfect weather (the temperatures broke and we had 78 and sun the whole time).
What a wonderful trip that culminated in one last night in Paris before heading home. We love France and have found that the French are friendly, welcoming and have a "live and let live" attitude that is wonderful to witness.
We will be back to France someday, maybe to explore this area in more detail or to head over to Bordeaux and see what's up over there!
Awesome trip.
Thanks for all the advice and assistance.
