Jenny755

Hello Fellow Travelers,
I have been trying to create a 3 week trip itinerary to Paris and the Eastern part of France. We visited Paris and the western section 4 years ago and are ready to continue our exploration of our favorite country.
There will be four of us and our interests are varied- wanting to catch everything -museums, food, wine, art, history quaint villages, outdoor scenery and generally lingering in cafes. We are interested in renting a car for flexibility and of course trains when they provide a more efficient use of time. We will be flying in and out of Paris and have already purchased our tickets for May 2016.
So far I have the following tentative schedule:
1) Arrive Paris and head to Alsace- stay 4 nights- thinking of Colmar as a base to tour all the beautiful villages on the Route du Vin
(do we take the train to Strassbourg or Colmar and rent the car there or begin with the car in Paris?)
2) Leave Alsace and head to Chamonix- stay 3 nights
We are interested in seeing the French Alps, Mont Blanc, maybe hike a little and perhaps visit Annecy
The route if we stay in France (trying to avoid crossing borders in case it is difficult now?) shows to be about 4-5 hrs. Is Chamonix our best base or should we consider something else in the Alps? We want to see scenery and enjoy the mountain air
3) Leave Chamonix and head south to either the French rRviera or Avignon area- if we begin in the Riviera we would stay 3 nights preferably in a smaller village and not Nice. If we head to Avignon area we would stay 6 nights.
We are interested in seeing the smaller beautiful villages, the Calenques and hill towns. Prefer a base that may give us choices of restaurants at night- love for the chance to eat and then just walk home to our accommodations.
4) return to Paris and stay 3 nights

One big concern is the distance from Chamonix to Avignon and/or Nice- long hauls and would love to stop along the way to visit to break up the trip.
The same for the return- should we stop somewhere for the night (perhaps Dijon?)

We can also reverse the trip if that is a better option.

Any help to narrow down our choices will be greatly appreciated.

Thank you all in advance!

bilboburgler

Chamonix is ok (a friend has a chalet) but also look at the smaller towns/villages in the Jura (south of Pontarlier is especially nice) the hike of the trans-Jura is great.

Michael

You should consider getting the Burgundy-Jura Green Guide, as both area covered are between Alsace and the Alps.

Rent the car in Alsace. go down through the Jura and go back to Paris through Burgundy.

jamikins

Instead of long haul drives consider:

1. Booking open jaw flights into Paris (spend your time in Paris and get over jet lag before driving) and out of Nice

2. Taking the train from Avignon to Paris

traveller1959

Take the TGV from Paris to Strasbourg (direct, 2:19) or better to Colmar (direct, 2:51) and rent a car at the train station. Even if some others may write you should drive from Paris and have a few stops along the way, take the TGV. You will save the hassle of driving out of Paris, the train will be by far the fastest way of travelling and you will save your time for better places in the Alps. Colmar might be a bit easier because it is a smaller town than Strasbourg and driving out may be easier.

Second, where to base in Alsace. I personally find Colmar more charming than Strasbourg and you may stay in town, so you do something by walking. The alternative would be staying in a wine village. There are many country hotels in the region, many of them with pools and most of them with excellent cuisine, their own wines (or those of a relative or friend) and fruit schnapps (eau de vie).

I recommend a base near Colmar. Charming villages are Eguisheim, Riquewihr (however touristy), Turckheim, Ottrott, Gueberschwihr and more. Be sure that it IS a wine village (in the foothills of the Vosges) and not a farming village in the plains.

Just to give you an example, this is the hotel where we stayed last time (and we loved it): http://www.leclosdesdelices.net/en/

But you find many more options in all price ranges if you use the booking engines and tripadvisor.

In Alsace, you find abundant picturesque villages and towns (including historical small towns like Rouffach and Obernai), wineries and museums. Of course, the museums in Colmar and Strasbourg, but do not miss the Ecomusee Alsace in the south, near Mulhouse. It is an open-air farmhouse museum. Drive through the mountains and the three lakes which are named for their colours (lac blanc, lac noir, lac vert). Visit the WWI battlefield on Viel Armand and have a rustic meal, followed by a dessert with the world's best homemade cream at the nearby Molkenrain mountain farm.

The most direct route from Alsace to Chamonix will lead you through Switzerland. On the way, you may include a few stops or sidetrips. Bern is on your way and also Chateau Chillon at Lac Leman.

Chamonix is the base for Mont Blanc. Be aware that the Alps' highest mountain is often in clouds.

From Chamonix, you can take the fast autoroute through the Rhone Valley to Provence or Côte d'Azur. I would rather recommend taking two or three days to drive the spectacular Route des Grandes Alpes. This route leads over several mountain passes, many of them reaching altitudes of nearly 3,000 metres (the passes, not the mountains).

Along the route, you will find many charming mountain villages with boutique hotels that will serve you specialties of the mountains, like fresh trout and dishes prepared with genepi (wormwood).

One of the most beautiful spots in France is Guillestre, a village in a mountain valley which is said to be the place in France with the least rain (because it is protected from all sides by mountain chains). There you find accomodation and many mountain-related activities like hiking, canyoning, whitewater rafting etc.

After the Alps, I understand that you have not yet decided whether to stay in Provence or Côte d'Azur.

Both have their pros (and no cons). In Provence, you have tons of Roman heritage as well as some fine medieval history (among them the Papal Palace in Avignon). The question is where to stay. If you prefer a small village, Les Baux will be the place to be. If a smaller town with a better selection of restaurants should be the place, consider Arles.

Côte d'Azur has the fantastic coastline and outstanding modern art museums. If you want a good choice of restaurants in walking distance, Mougins might be a place for you. If you prefer staying directly on the coast with sea views, a places between St. Raphael and Manedlieu (Theoule-sur-Mer, Antheor, Agay) might appeal to you.

This would be a beautiful place: http://miramar-beachspa.tiara-hotels.com/en/

Or, in a lower price range, this one: http://www.hotel-cote-azur.com/

But again, there are many more options. By end of May, swimming will be possible (though still a bit chilly) and hiking through the Esterel mountains with spectacular views of the azur blue sea will be unbeatable.

traveller1959

And I second jamikin's advice for the way back. Whereever you are, you can take the TGV back to Paris. I personally would prefer spending as much time as possible in the south and take the open-jaw flight out of Nice, alternatively the TGV to an airport hotel at Charles de Gaulle.

theotherside

If driving from Chamonix to the Riviera, allow 2 nights in between. We did this in the opposite direction a few years ago and stayed in Barcelonnette and Briancon. If you decide on this journey consider col du Galibier and Col de la Bonette on tbe way.

kerouac

Take the train to Strasbourg and rent the car there -- but get it only when you are planning to leave Strasbourg. You should not miss Obernai and Mont Ste. Odile when you leave Strasbourg -- they are only about 30km away.

In Colmar, the Unterlinden museum has just reopened after a long renovation.

To go to the Alps, take the Ballon d'Alsace road along the crest of the Jura mountains.

neckervd

Chamonix will be rather deserted in May. But the Aiguille du Midi gondola will run (Aiguille du Midi - Pointe Hellbronner - Courmayeur from May 28th only).
Fares: adults 59 EUR, kids 50 EUR, Family ticket 176 EUR

Colmar - Chamonix by car:
via Berne:
5 hrs journey (non stop), no border controls
Fuel cost 35 EUR, road toll 40 EUR
via Nantua (all in France):
8 hrs journey (non stop)
Fuel cost 55 EUR, road toll 15 EUR

Route des Grandes Alpes:
beautiful, but very time consuming. Some passes may still be closed in May. Shortcut via Aosta - Turin - Briancon or via Albertville - Frejus Tunnel - Briancon.

traveller1959

Here are two websites about the Route des Grandes Alpes. The total length would be too much for you, but you can drive sections of it.

traveller1959

http://www.losapos.com/great_alpine_road

Jenny755

I am very new at posting and was so excited to get so many comments so fast-Thank you all!
I have given some thought to the information posted.
First, need to clarify that our airline tickets are already purchased round trip Paris but do like the idea of taking a train back from either Nice or Avignon.
Also, we have a total of 19 nights/20days and do want tostay in both Nice (3 nts) and Provence (6 or 7 nts), just need to figure which one to do first based on our itinerary.
Based on your recommendations we have decided to take train from Paris to Colmar and use it as our base for Alsace.
After further thoughts on your comments about the Alps we are reconsidering doing it at all and just leave it for another time??? Worried that so much depends on weather and only have 3 nts-2 days to work with- truly wanted to have the "into the void" experience but may miss it if it's cloudy. It seems we are making the driving so much more complicated(only have one driver- others not comfortable driving in Mountains) by diverting to Chamonix. The Route des Grandes Alpes is gorgoeus but do agree that it is best to split it up with one night stops- a lot of checking in and out. As an alternative we could take a more direct route from Chamonix to Avignon (shows to be 4.5 hrs- is it so? and maybe stop somewhere on the way for a short break- a vineyard perhaps ?
In Provence Les Baux does look beautiful- still deciding if we want a larger town.
Your comments please...

kerouac

I have been through the Alps many times without being able to see them.

You mean you actually plan to skip Strasbourg, one of the jewels of Europe?

kerouac

Les Baux is much too small a place to consider staying. I will be taking some friends there in July, but I doubt that we will even devote half a day to it, even including the <I>Carrières des Lumières</I>.

StCirq

I would stay in Strasbourg over Colmar in a heartbeat, though Colmar is darling.

As for Les Baux, have been there many times and would never even think of staying overnight there. It's the size of a pinhead, and getting in and out of it in tourist high season means steep, hilly roads absolutely clogged with traffic. If you want a smaller village but one with easy access and not terrible crowds, base in Maussane-les-Alpilles.

Jenny755

Kerouac- i agree with you about Strasbourg - we will spend a day visiting just not make it our base.
St.Cirq, appreciate the comment on accessibility and things to do in small towns. What are your thoughts on St. Remy de Provence or found a precious cottage in Cabrieres d'Avignon ( is it too small also?)
Access in and out is key for us since we will be traveling everyday to the hill towns, the calenques etc.
We are also just considering staying in Avignon- so central- and enjoy the variety it must offer.
Please share your thoughts and comments...

kerouac

Avignon is a good base.

StCirq

Jenny, I am not a fan of St-Rémy, BUT many people are. It's a good-sized town with plenty of hotels and lovely shops and cafés and all, and a market that a lot of people swoon over, but for me it's Little America in Provence. And, since you mention ease of getting in and out of places is important for you, St-Rémy would not be my choice, especially on Wednesday, market day. Major traffic jams.

I'm sure I've been through Cabrières, but I don't have any specific memories of it, sorry. You might look at Ile-sur-La-Sorgue, which has crowd issues in high season, too, but is easier to navigate in and out of. And yes, Avignon is a good choice.

Christina

Les Baux is a tourist attraction, I wouldn't even consider staying there. Sure, I guess you can there are some accommodations, but I wouldn't.

I would also do open-jaw, but don't see any reason to go to Nice since it doesn't sound like you will be in that area. I'd fly out of Marseille.

There aren't too many villages you can stay in and go to restaurants and walk home at night. I stayed at one where I did just that (Roussillon), but most accommodations are rural and not within walking distance of restaurants.

traveller1959

Actually, where you want to stay also depends on available accomodation. We usually pick our region, then we look for accomodation within this region and finally at the micro-location.

Basically, whereever you are or whatever type of accomodation you prefer, you have these options:

- The center of a city or a larger town: you can walk to museums, through the Old Town, you have a huge selection of restaurants in walking distance, you have shopping. But you also have some traffic to negotiate, the location maybe noisy, you won't have a view (unless you pay double price for "cathedral view" or something) and it is not exactly romantic. Examples: Avignon, Strasbourg, Colmar.

- The fringes of a city or larger town. There you find the motel-type budget hotels. Often, there is nothing in walking distance.

- A small village: You can walk around the village, to bakeries, neighbourhood stores, wineries, a limited number of restaurants. A nightly walk maybe charming. Examples: Eguisheim, Riquewihr, Ottrott.

- The countryside: Your accomodation is right in the vineyards, fields or open nature. You have gorgeous views, at night you hear the crickets and nothing else. The accomodation has a large garden, a terrace, maybe even a pool and you can have your meals outside. However, you need a car to get to attractions. If it is a hotel, you often have an outstanding restaurant. Examples: Les Baux.

- A small town: Would be a compromise between countryside or village and city. Examples: Rouffach, Obernai, Arles, St. Remy.

It's up to you and your style of travelling what you prefer. An important aspect is where you want to have dinner (on-site or in walking distance) and whether you are interested in early-morning and evening walks.