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Hello all
I am attempting to put together a very last minute trip (don't laugh, travel is down is this economy, right? right???) and was hoping for some opinions on the regions of France. My wife and I have been to Paris a number of times though we have never strayed out into the countryside.
My first two thoughts were for the Loire or Provence. Our biggest desire is to relax and enjoy the wine, food and people. We will probably do some site seeing but the vilages with their cafes and restaurants are of top importance.
Which would you choose to immerse yourself in the culture? Or would you suggest something entirely different (Dordogne, Alsace) ? Additionally, which self-catering company have you used (finding availability hasn't been too bad, though trusting the info is another story!) ?
Thanks for any insight you can provide!
Smitty
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Loire or Provence or ...
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We spent a week in St Remy de Provence in October and LOVED it. Rented an apartment through VRBO - Villa Nova. Beautiful interiors. Second bedroom was not much of a bedroom, but we worked around it.
St. Remy is big enough to have plenty of options for meals, great market day, and small enough to walk. Good place from which to venture to Avignon, Arles, Aix, Roman ruins, etc. If you look at Stu Dudley's posts, he has lots of ideas and advice. Have a great time! Very Envious!
If the villages and cafés and restaurants are of top important, between the Loire and Provence I would have to choose Provence. It's just much more varied and attractive IMO.
Of course, my first choice would be the Dordogne. Alsace I would rank third out of your four. The problem is, regions of France are so incredibly distinct in terms of topography, landscape, food, culture, and everything else it's almost as though each is a separate country - which means you have to do some research to narrow down what appeals to you most. There are villages, cafés, and restaurants all over France - you need to figure out what type of village it is you're looking for.