France for a month in 2017

Old Jul 29th, 2016, 05:26 PM
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France for a month in 2017

Hi ... my wife and I are planning a trip to France for a month during 2017. We've been to Paris once for a few days and so one week will most likely be spent going back there. Aside from this, what are the recommendations on areas to see and stay? June will most likely be the month we go and also overlap into the first few days of July for the Tour de' France. I'd very much like to see one or two stages of the race.

Budget ... is $8k-$10k a realistic budget for the month?

Interests ... we love the food, the wine and local cuisine. Outdoor cafe's, art and local cultural aspects are favorites. Cycling ... I'd definitely like to rent equipment and do some local day trips-rides.

Time frame ... June thru a few days into July

Favorites ... daily markets, outdoor cafes, concerts, bookstores, good walks, good restaurants, museums and local culture.

We've read some from this blog, and it seems to fit our style: http://slowlanetravel.com/

We're thinking to stay at least a week in various locations, but haven't done enough planning or research yet to decide where. Most likely we'll rent thru airbnb, vrbo or such. We do not plan to eat out every meal ... perhaps 4-6 times a week. My wife is an excellent cook, so we can save some with eating in.

As mentioned we'd appreciate thoughts, recommendations and suggestions on all of the above. Thanks in advance.

Ciao - Dorm
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Old Jul 29th, 2016, 05:56 PM
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That should be a comfortable budget as long as it doesn't include airfare, that you decide to live modestly and don't plan on doing a lot of shopping. (One designer purse would be a quarter of your budget.)

Areas that we enjoyed exploring (keeping in mind that we traveled by car outside Paris):

Loire Valley (stay in a private chateau, many are not expensive)
Alsace (Strasbourg is a wonderful city with a real German flavor on top of the French and you can easily see Colmar and some of the wine villages on day trips)
Normandy (we stayed in Bayeux that was a great center for several day trips as well as the town itself)
Burgundy has a number of charming towns and wine villages (we stayed at a converted old mill in Avalon that had a fantastic restaurant; don;t miss exploring Vezelay)
Reims/Epernay and the champagne region (we loved visiting Dom Perignon especially)
Nice and the Riviera - obviously

I'm sure others can give a lot more info - esp on the Dordogne, where we have not been yet
I;m
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Old Jul 29th, 2016, 08:56 PM
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Well, you haven't narrowed it down much, so more research is needed. There are dozens of areas of France that would meet your criteria. Obviously I am partial to the Dordogne because that's where I chose to live, but you could equally find what you're looking for in the Corrèze, Languedoc-Roussillon, Pays Basque, Haute Vienne, Alpes-Rhônes, Midi-Pyrénées, Normandie, Bretagne, Lot et Quercy, Alsace et Lorraine...just about anywhere. Depends on much more specific criteria than you have laid out. France is rife with great markets, bookstores, good restaurants, museums, local culture, art, wine, outdoor cafés, and great biking opportunities. Those criteria don't narrow down the whole picture at all.

Your budget is ample. Seeing the Tour de France may not turn out to be what you imagine. It is, IME, either hordes of people in a popular venue and over in a flash, or a lonely stretch of road and over in a flash.

Your question is way too broad at the moment. You need to hit the books and research the websites of towns and cities and villages that hold some interest for you. As of now, pretty much anywhere in France would work for you.
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Old Jul 29th, 2016, 08:59 PM
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We really enjoy slow travelling. We stay for one week and sometimes two in a self catering holiday rental and find it a relaxing and affordable way to travel. We will be returning for ten weeks in early September. Our accommodation has been booked through Gîtes de France.
There are so many places you could visit. #1 has already given some good ideas We really enjoy Burgundy, but have not had a wrong choice yet. As well as the well known places such a Provence, Normandy, Dordogne etc, you could look at some not so familiar places such as the Aveyron or the Auvergne .
If you click on my name you can read my reports on our 2012 and 2014 trips.
Bon voyage.
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Old Jul 29th, 2016, 09:04 PM
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Since we retired (early) in 1999, we've spent a month in June and a month in Sept vacationing in France. We rent gites through Gites-de-France http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...e-web-site.cfm - usually staying 2 weeks in each gite. This allows us the time to "take it easy" and really enjoy the region. Often, when we've spent 1 week in a gite, we felt "rushed".

Our favorite regions in France are:
1. Provence & the Dordogne
2, Languedoc, Brittany, and the Cote d'Azur
We've stayed in 63 gites for a total of 104 weeks - plus apts in Nice, St Tropez, and (of course) Paris.

For a month, I would recommend 2 weeks in Paris and 2 weeks in either the Dordogne or Provence. Don't try to "dash around" and "see everything". It took us about 20 years to realize that "less is more".

Two weeks ago, we were staying here https://www.gites-de-france.com/loca...74G103018.html near Mt Blanc in the Alps.

Stu Dudley
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Old Jul 30th, 2016, 01:15 AM
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Though you'll be all right renting short-term outside of Paris, you will probably find that not much will be available in 2017.

A new law was recently passed which will require apartment owners to comply with certain regulations - if they do, they will be issued a registration number and will be allowed to advertise their property on the internet.

This law will begin to take effect sometime in mid-September 2016, and agencies and individuals will no longer be able to advertise on the internet without a registration number.
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Old Jul 30th, 2016, 05:04 AM
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Thanks to all for your replies. Rhon, your blog and trip report are very helpful in narrowing down the department area for the stay periods. The idea to stay 2 weeks in one spot before relocating is appealing, so we'll consider this in our planning. Stu - thanks for the gite rental site as well.

Right now, Provence and Paris look to be the areas for most of our trip. We may elect Dordogne as well. We never know what to expect once we arrive. We are definitely 'slow lane travelers' and will not be guilty of trying to cram all of it into one trip.

Ciao - Dorm
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Old Jul 30th, 2016, 06:12 AM
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Do you have my 31 page Provence & Cote d'Azur itinerary, or my Dorodgne itinerary? We've spent 40 weeks in Provence & Cote d'Azur & 10 in the Dordogne (returning for 3 more this Sept). These itineraries describe our favorite villages, cities, scenic drives, markets, sites, etc. I've sent them to over 5,000 people on Fodors. If you would like a copy, e-mail me at [email protected] & I'll attach one or both to the reply e-mail. Specify which itinerary you want - I have several others.

Stu Dudley
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Old Jul 30th, 2016, 06:19 AM
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>>take effect sometime in mid-September 2016, and agencies and individuals will no longer be able to advertise on the internet without a registration number.
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Old Jul 30th, 2016, 07:18 AM
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Well, if you want flat cycling then look at the Loire, Britanny (along the canal), down the cote sauvage and the cote d'or from Rochelle to Bordeaux, along the Canal du Midi, Alsace along the Rhine and through the vinyards

If you like a little more hills, then maybe the Chablis area, Champagne (though you could cycle from Eperney to Belgium on rivers and canals) Normandy. etc.

There a bunch of good short routes on the green route map.

http://uk.france.fr/en/about-france/...happiness-bike
http://www.freewheelingfrance.com/pl...in-france.html

or you may prefer longer routes

http://www.mybikeguide.co.uk/
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Old Jul 30th, 2016, 07:37 AM
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I've seen the Tour de France several times and it is exciting, even though I'm not a big cycling fan. For those who are, I think they would definitely enjoy it. However, I've seen the finish in Paris where it is not over in a flash, they go in circuits for some time in the city. And then, of course, you get the finish, the award, it's exciting. They have jumbotrons so you can see it from some distance.

IN any case, if you really want to see the Tour, that will define your trip as it starts in Germany and the first few days in July it will only be in Verdun and Dijon. So that's it. I think it's due in Dijon around 7/4 or 7/5. If you are serious about that, you will have to be ending in Burgundy. Which isn't a bad idea, actually, that is a good place to cycle. And it isn't that far from CDG airport for departures, either.

If you are there a whole month you can go anywhere, of course, but if you do really want to see the Tour and end in Burgundy, Provence is a better fit logistically than the Dordogne for the other part of the trip. You could do Paris-Provence-Burgundy.
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Old Jul 30th, 2016, 08:05 AM
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I haven't been to all corners of France, although maybe more than average. I like smaller places, but not too small. Towns, rather than villages. Of all the places I've spent time, there are a few to which I'd be happy to return for a week.

Chinon, in the Loire region.
Eymoutiers, east of Limoges.
Uzès, in the south near Avignon.
Beaune, in Burgundy.
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