ValR1821

Hi all,

My husband and I are taking the Eurostar from London to Paris on a Monday morning and then driving to Burgundy for a week-long stay in September. I was thinking perhaps to make a detour on the way down to Burgundy, with the two contenders being a drive through the Loire Valley (perhaps with a stop at a chateau like Chenonceau) or a drive through Champagne-Ardenne with a visit to a champagne-producer in the Epernay area. Mainly what I would like is to see some beautiful scenery and to stop somewhere good (and perhaps off the beaten track) for lunch. I'm a French speaker, so I'm not worried about ending up in some tiny village where the inhabitants speak little to no English.

Your recommendations would be much appreciated. Thanks!

-Val

StuDudley

When does your train arrive in Paris???

It might take you 1 hr to secure the car at the Paris train station. Then its about a 3 1/2 hr drive to Burgundy if you take the autoroute. So if you arrive in Paris at 10:00 - you'll get to Burgundy around 3PM if you don't make any wrong turns getting out of Paris. We've rented 67 gites in France - and they usually like you to arrive around 4PM. Are you renting a place in Burgundy from someone - or is it a place you own & you don't need to get there anytime before dinner?

You don't have any time at all to hit the Loire or Champagne.

Stu Dudley

aliced

Where in Burgundy is your rental? Dijon is wonderful. Can you add a few days to onset and end of the week? Like a night or two in Epernay, then head south to your stay. Or approach it from the south, Chenonceaux is one beautiful little hamlet with lovely lodging right across the street from the chateau, Hotel Au Bon Laboureur, with onsite restaurant.

StuDudley

More thoughts:

I would just head for Burgundy on the A6. Deviating to the Loire or Champagne has lots of unpredictable issues involved. You may not get to Burgundy when you want to. Instead, I would just check the time & your energy level, and visit Auxerre, Chateau Tanley, or Vezelay - sites just off the A6.

I've taken trains from Burgundy and the Loire to/from Paris several times (just this past Saturday) and also driven a couple of times. I never saw any scenic countryside out the window - just a lot of flat wheat fields, etc - except in Burgundy. I'm not a fan of the Loire countryside either - compared to other regions in France.

Not sure why you would want to deviate to Champagne to see vineyards & wineries when your next stop is Burgundy. Likewise with a chateau on the Loire when there are plenty of chateaux in Burgundy.

Stu Dudley

aliced

Because champagne is not burgundy. Hautvillers is a lovely village as is Epernay.

Because Chenonceaux is another class above about any chateaux in Burgundy. Or perhaps I missed all the outstanding ones driving down Cote D'or. Seriously.

IMO.

ValR1821

Hi Stu,

Thanks for the reply. We're staying at the Chateau de la Resle in Montigy-la-Resle for the first three nights, then staying in Dijon for another 3 nights. After posting my question and doing a bit more research, I started to come around to the same conclusion you did, which is that making a detour in Champagne or the Loire is probably too ambitious for one day. I thought to make a stop in the Loire because I've always wanted to see some of the grand chateaux there (Chenonceau, Chambord, Amboise, etc.), but I think that may have to wait for another trip to France. Same thing with Champagne - I would love to go to a few champagne vineyards and have some tastings, but I think Burgundy should have plenty of sites, vineyards, restaurants, etc. to keep us busy for the entire week.

So I think I will take your advice and simply head down the A6 and perhaps make a stop at Auxerre for lunch, then head to the B&B. We arrive in Paris at 12:45, so my guess is that we'll be on the road by 1. Our hotel is about 2 hours from Paris with no traffic, so I figure there is some time to stop somewhere for a bite to eat and a look around, and then head to the hotel for 6 or so, which should be just fine. Auxerre is apparently about 20 minutes from our hotel, so I think that is probably the way to go, and Vezelay, Chateau Tanley, etc. can be seen another day.

Thanks,
Val

ValR1821

Thanks, Aliced! I'll keep those suggestions in mind.

ValR1821

I meant - on the road by 2, not 1.

ValR1821

Aliced, as to your note, I can't unfortunately add any days on to our trip (we're traveling from the U.S. and I've already booked our plane tickets), but we are staying at a chateau for the first three nights and then in Dijon for the last three before we head back to London for the last night. We do have a rental car, though, so have flexibility in terms of where we go, etc. We could make a day trip out to the Loire from Dijon, but the more I think about it, the more I want to spend as much time as I can exploring Burgundy, and leave the Loire for another trip when I can spend at least 3-4 days there and really get a feel for it.

StuDudley

>> make a stop at Auxerre for lunch<<

Doubt it. If you start driving at 2pm, it's about 2 1/4 hrs to Auxerre. Then you'll probably park near the river & walk 15 to 30 mins into town. Getting you there at 4:30-5PM.

I would have lunch at the new restaurant at the Gare du Nord (I think that's where the Eurostar arrives). Hope this isn't on a Sat or Sun when the car rental office closes at 10AM.

Stu Dudley

PalenQ

Provins - a small hill town with its many ramparts could be a nice few-hour stop.

Vezelay would be my suggested stop if time allows - ancient pilgrimage mecca and pristine medieval hill town:

https://www.google.com/search?q=veze...w=1920&bih=950

You could easily drive there and back from a Burgundian base.

ValR1821

Stu, we're going to Paris on a Monday, so hopefully that will not affect our plans to rent a car from Gare due Nord. Perhaps that is what we will do - simply have lunch in Paris and then drive straight to the hotel and relax there that first afternoon, with dinner somewhere nearby (as to what is open on a Monday evening, I would guess the hotel proprietors could give us some recommendations).

PalenQ, Velezay is on our agenda, but I think it is further south from where we are going so we'd have to double back. I think we'll end up leaving it for another day, but thanks for the suggestion.

PalenQ

https://www.google.com/search?q=ales...w=1920&bih=950

Alesia may or may not be on your way but perhaps on a separate day - could easily do with Vezelay -ancient Roman-Gaul battle took place here. In a bucolic setting.

ValR1821

du*

Vezelay*

PalenQ

du* - ???

ValR1821

PalenQ, thanks, my husband would love that - he's very into Ancient Rome (I'm more of a Greek history buff myself, but this would be interesting to me as well). We will probably visit Vezelay/Alesia the second or third day we are there, since we'll have more time to drive around the countryside, etc. than on the first day.

ValR1821

I spelled "du" incorrectly in my previous post - Gare du Nord (not Gare due Nord). Either that or auto-correct got me.