LYC

Bonjour and Hello!

I plan to surprise my parents and husband to a trip to France some time during Autumn 2018. All of us have yet to travel to Europe, and all of us have always been curious about France. We are not super adventurous - no hiking or cycling, please, but we love the beautiful scenery we saw when we "googled" for Paris and Nice.

Based on the pictures alone, I have yet to identify the difference between Lyon and Provence, my apologies. I would truly appreciate if anyone could help me by giving me recommendations how to plan my itinerary for 10 nights in France.

Merci; thank you in advance!

Iwan2go

What a sweet person you are! If you'd give a better idea of what you're looking for - what are your interests, what kinds of things do you want to see and do, city or country, etc - and your budget, where you're flying from (more or less jet lag to be dealt with), and if the ten nights is on the ground in France (sounds like it is), etc, you'll get some great ideas.

LYC

Thank you for your comment, Iwan2go!

I must say my parents and I mostly love country but my husband is 50/50 for both city and country. I would like to only target France because we will be flying from Malaysia to Amsterdam first, then take a train down to Paris. After the 10th night, we will take the train back to Amsterdam where we shall spend another 3 days there.

My mom is 100% vegan while the three of us are not. My parents and I have never experienced Autumn, so this trip will be our very first. I am not very concerned with much walking as my parents are as fit as fiddle, but I personally do not prefer hiking due to my weak knees and back ache. My hubby, on the other hand, is a frequent traveler (for work purposes) and he would love to do some wine tasting.

I browse through some websites that recommended Provence, Loire Valley and Burgundy, so it would be nice to include that in the plan. I am ready to scrap Nice if recommended accordingly, due to the 10 nights constrain.

StuDudley

We spend 2 months in France every year, traveling around to different regions. Ten nights is really not enough time to see much at all. Don't even think about the Loire, Burgundy, Paris, and Provence on such a short trip. However, if you want to do this and have a "very active" itinerary, this is what I would recommend.

Day 1. Take a train or fly to Nice & explore Nice.

Day 2. Explore more of Nice

Day 3. Rent a car at the train station. Drive to St Paul de Vence (get there by 9:00 - you may need to pick up the car yesterday). Explore St Paul, then drive to Tourrettes sur Loup & explore that village. Then drive the "Loup loop".

Day 4. Drive to the Luberon Valley & spend 3 nights in a hotel near Gordes. Explore Gordes, & Roussillon that first day.

Day 5. Explore more of the Luberon Valley, visiting Menerbes, Bonnieux, Saignon, Goult, and Lourmarin. Actually, the "treat" on this day is just to drive around and enjoy the fantastic Luberon countryside along with the villages.

Day 6. Drive north to Pernes les Fontaines, pick up a walking itinerary at the Tourist Office, and try to visit as many fountains as possible. Don't miss the store that also has an interesting folklore museum. Then head east to Venasque & visit that village. Then head to Senanque Abbey & visit the Abbey. Imagine it in July when there is a sea of blooming lavender in front of the Abbey.

OR

Spend the day in Avignon

Day 7. Drive to the Avignon TGV station, return the car, and take the 2 3/4 hr TGV to Paris & spend your remaining time there.

Stu Dudley

LYC

Thank you, Stu Dudley for sharing!

I have forgotten to mention that Paris will be the goal for this trip. You have helped so much; I have not even considered Avignon previously!


LYC

StuDudley

My wife & I have spent 43 weeks vacationing along the Cote d'Azur & Provence. I developed a 36 page itinerary that describes our favorite villages, scenic drives, markets, cities, etc. Also the above "Loup Loop". I've sent this itinerary to over 3,000 people on Fodors. If you would like a copy, e-mail me at [email protected] & I'll attach one to the reply e-mail.

Stu Dudley

Underhill

Lyon is one of France's largest cities and is known for its fine foods. Provence is a huge region south of Lyon and includes the Côte d'Azur (Riviera to some). You could spend a month in both western and eastern Provence and see only a small portion of the sights. While eastern Provence is well served by public transportation, the western portion is not; there a car is really necessary.

bilboburgler

Your mum is going to need this https://www.happycow.net/

PalenQ

Yes 4 days in Paris then hop TGV train to Avignon or Nice or other areas of 'Provence' (skip Lyon - nice big city but the realy beauty of France IME lies in the bucolic countryside) - in Nice you do not really need a car and can take trains or buses up and down the coast - like to St-Paul-du-Vence; Antibes; Monaco, etc.

Anyway for lots on French trains check www.voyages-sncf.com (book your own discounted tickets if book far enough in advance to get them); www.seat61.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com.

Or if parents are interested in Normandy D-Day beaches hop trains to Bayeux and base there for a few days - visit Mont-Saint-Michel too -no need for car but car would be nice.

LYC

Wow, Thank you (bilboburgler) for the link; that was extremely helpful for my mom!

Special thanks to PalenQ for directly answering my question. That truly helps!

Many thanks to Stu Dudley and Underhill for your advice.

Thank you so much for all your time!
Keep the comments/ideas coming!

I really do not want to miss out on Paris for our first trip to France, and I am uncertain if Avignon is somewhere my husband will adore. Sigh, the two generation gap! Haha....

StuDudley

Perhaps consider arriving in Paris & immediately taking the 2 3/4 hr TGV to Avignon. Then spend 5 nights in Provence staying out in the countryside in the Luberon if you want to be surrounded by beautiful countryside, or in St Remy if you want to stay in a village where you can walk to shops, restaurants, cafes, and hear a lot of English spoken.

Then take the 2 3/4 hr TGV from the Avignon TGV station back to Paris & spend 5 nights there.

Even with 5 nights/4 days in each location - you won't even begin to scratch the surface of interesting places to visit in each location.

Stu Dudley

PalenQ

Yes can take TGVs directly CDG Airport to Avignon-TGV station.

Whathello

AVIGNON is not necessarily well liked by everyone. I prefer for one Aix en Provence which is also a very busy small city full of students.

From Aix it is better to have a car or stay as said around nice without one. From there Cannes Antibes - do a small walk around the cape - a small walk known as le sentier des douaniers (customs officers' Trail).

So for me 4-5 days in Paris. 3-4 days in nice the rest elsewhere.
I have developed a need for the Michelin green guides when I want to plan a trip.

Weather will be nice on the Riviera in early November (8 times out of ten) and can be miserable and wet and gray and rainy and windy in Paris (more than 50 pc).

Have fun.

PalenQ

AVIGNON is not necessarily well liked by everyone. I prefer for one Aix en Provence which is also a very busy small city full of students.>

But Avignon area has other towns like Arles, St-Remy-de-Provence, etc. to base in if not liking more touristy Avignon -which I have stayed in several times and really like it.

Aix is a great city but does not IMO offer so many easy neat varied day trips as from an Avignon-area base - at least for what first-time tourist is want to want to see.

Kathie

If it was me, I'd spend the 10 nights in Paris and take some day trips, such as to Champagne, Chartres, and perhaps another nearby place. depending on your interests.

tuscanlifeedit

I'm certainly not an expert but is Provence a really good choice for someone who wants to experience Autumn?

PalenQ

I'm certainly not an expert but is Provence a really good choice for someone who wants to experience Autumn?>

weather-wise YES - can be really dank dark and dreary in northern France and in autumns I've been there no brilliant colors like many Americans enjoy - maybe I've been in the wrong places? At least Provence in early to mid-autumn will be much warmer and more sunny I believe than say Paris or Normandy.

StCirq

Autumn is lovely in Provence and most of the rest of southern France. It's our favorite season of the year here in the Dordogne. Still warm, you can swim until about mid-October (in a pool...the Med is always freezing for me, even in mid-summer), there's no highly notable foliage as in, say, New England, but the landscape is colorful, the fall produce is wonderful, and it's warm during the day and great cool sleeping weather at night.

I don't have much affection for either Avignon or Aix, though I'd pick Aix if I had to choose. I like Arles and the Camargue. But I find most all of Provence "overworked" these days and prefer to be where we are in the SW or in Languedoc (though everywhere is a bit of a mess in July and August these days).