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Lyon, Beaune, or Dijon as stopover from Antibes to Colmar?

Lyon, Beaune, or Dijon as stopover from Antibes to Colmar?

Old Mar 2nd, 2015, 08:47 AM
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Lyon, Beaune, or Dijon as stopover from Antibes to Colmar?

We'll be driviing from Antibes to Colmar and have 2 nights on our itinerary along the way. We had pretty much settled on staying in Beaune and then I read posts suggesting that if you aren't there to visit the wineries and wine and mustard shops (which we aren't) there wasn't much else of interest, though we would like to see the hospice (Hotel Dieu). Many posters preferred Lyon (which seems large for a one-day visit) or Dijon. I just thought I'd ask for additional comments on the "virtues" and pros and cons of a one-day visit to Lyon vs Beaune vs Dijon. We enjoy wandering through "quaint streets," visiting cathedrals, and driving through pretty scenery.

If we base in Beaune or Dijon, would it be practical to visit one during the day and stroll through the other in the evening since they are close together? Or to make a quick stop in Dijon on the way to Colmar if we stay in Beaune?

Thanks for sharing your experiences and opinions!
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Old Mar 2nd, 2015, 09:07 AM
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Why not make a few-hour stop in Beaune and then end up in Dijon? But Antibes can be a very tiring drive even on autoroutes - especially if you encountered the not so uncommon IME bouchons or nottlenecks.

Lyon would be much more half-way and in one afternoon or so you can at least see the physical beauty of this city at the confluence of two fast-lowing rivers.

Beaune is a nice regional town besides its wine connections - Dijon is really the mustard town or was anyway.

You can't go wrong but I'd take Lyon for logistics reasons givene all three are great but Lyon is much greater than the other two IME. Especially if into good good food - Paul Bocluse's original restaurant is in a Lyon suburb with Paul still manning the kitchen even at an advanced age - my son ate their a few years back.
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Old Mar 2nd, 2015, 09:31 AM
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My suggestion, considering you have a car, would be to stick with Beaune. If it's just 1 day, you won't have time to do the cities justice and the car will be a liability. Beaune is a lovely town, without the complications of driving into a city, with parking at hotels right on the edge of the old town. I spent a very happy week+ in Beaune and only half of 1 day was spent on a wine tour. For me it's no contest, given your itinerary and wish list. I think Beaune is a perfect choice.
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Old Mar 2nd, 2015, 09:35 AM
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A couple of years ago we stayed in Beaune and used it as a base for visiting other parts of the region including Dijon. We, too, were not there for wineries. I think a stay in Beaune with a full day visit to Dijon would work very well. We took the train to Dijon (around 30 minutes), stopped at the tourist office by the station, picked up a map and brochure for the Owl's Trail and spent the next few hours walking around with stops to visit the sites along the way. We were back in Beaune late afternoon. The town of Beaune is very pleasant and picturesque. We did visit the Hospices, but mostly just enjoyed walking around the ramparts or through the town after returning from our daily excursions.

As for Lyon, you can do quite a bit in a one-day visit. We stayed near the Place Bellecour and using a 1-Day transport pass, visited the Croix Rousse neighborhood, the traboules, Vieux Lyon, and some Roman ruins.

If you're interested in more details, you can find my trip report and pictures by clicking on my username. We loved our visits in Lyon, Beaune and Dijon.
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Old Mar 2nd, 2015, 10:11 AM
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For one day, it probalby doesn't matter, but I agree for a one-day visit, maybe a smaller place is better. I agree with the above that you can see a lot in Lyon in one day if you stay in a very central hotel, but if you are having a car, which it sounds like, that seems too much of a hassle for driving in and out of the city, paying for a garage or whatever.

I like wine but don't understand the fascination with wine tasting on vacation or visiting wineries, etc. I just order it with dinner, that's all. I would never buy and try to ship wine home from Europe, I'm not that big a spender (or that picky, I guess). So I visited Beaune mainly just to see it and see Hotel Dieu. So one day would be okay there, actually. No, there isn't much to do there, it's a very vert small place, but if you are there only one day and that is really only part of a day, it's probalby okay. If you ahve one full day (ie arriving night before and leaving day after), I'd pick Dijon.

There aren't really a lot of quaint streets to wander through in Beaune, it's just a small village.
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Old Mar 2nd, 2015, 10:15 AM
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I would not want to drive into Lyon. We've taken the train there twice for a full day visit. We've driven in, through, and around Beaune dozens of time when we stayed in a gite just outside of Beaune for 2 weeks. I found Dijon easy to drive into - which we've done 3-4 times.

I like MainGG's plan of staying in Beaune (easiest drive in/out & parking) and taking a train to Dijon. Perhaps arrival day in Beaune, and the next day in Dijon.

Stu Dudley
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Old Mar 2nd, 2015, 11:30 AM
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would choose Beaune...had a very nice three days with some side trips. There is free parking at the city parking lot on edge of town, easy walk to the center. The Hospice is most unique even from an architectural point of view (see pics).

You'll find the in-town Patriarche Winery a worthwhile visit....we were there alone without a single tourist and enjoyed it. I'll attach some pics which may give you an idea of what Beaune and vicinity offers.

For lodgings check out the small hotel we found in town. I would guess that you will like Colmar, also.

another Stu
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Old Mar 2nd, 2015, 11:56 AM
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https://picasaweb.google.com/stuartt...eBurgundy2009#
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Old Mar 2nd, 2015, 12:45 PM
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As 'tower' points out, Beaune is easy, and kind of pretty, and if you're going to see the Hotel Dieu anyways, you may as well make things comfortable and simple.

I like Dijon better as a place that feels "real" and not just a picturebook for tourists, but as PalenQ points out it could make for a really long day, and you might not really have much of Dijon by that time.

If you really do get knackered by the drive then Vienne, south of Lyon, could make a nice easy, pleasant stopover, and you could hit Beanue on the way north the next day (but avoid rush hour in Lyon).
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Old Mar 3rd, 2015, 12:03 AM
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There are tons of gems between Antibes and Colmar. I suppose you have your reasons for having chosen just Lyon and/or Beaune. Go to the place you like best to stay, you cannot get wrong anyway.
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Old Mar 3rd, 2015, 10:01 AM
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neckervd - what are some of those gems you are talking about - not saying there are not but I'd like your input - I too think others are in play, not to mention Avignon or Arles - what would you recommend besides Lyon, Dijon and Beaune?
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Old Mar 3rd, 2015, 10:13 AM
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Here are some mid-way stops on the way from Antibes to Colmar

Mountain route:
Entrevaux & adjacent villages
Gorges just north of Entrevaux
Barcelonnette
Embrun
Briancon
Grenoble
Chambery
Annecy
Besancon

We've visited all of these places several times (Grenoble only once).

Stu Dudley
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Old Mar 3rd, 2015, 10:17 AM
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Interesting, I just took a look at a Google map routing from Antibes to Colmar. The route they say is shortest in both time and distance would take you through Genoa, Milan, Como, Lucerne, and Basel. This adds a whole other set of possibilities.
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Old Mar 3rd, 2015, 12:36 PM
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>>Interesting, I just took a look at a Google map routing from Antibes to Colmar. The route they say is shortest in both time and distance would take you through Genoa, Milan, Como, Lucerne, and Basel. This adds a whole other set of possibilities.
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Old Mar 3rd, 2015, 01:12 PM
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Good points, Stu. I've never driven the Italian coast between Nice and Genoa. Are you saying that it's not especially picturesque because of all the tunnels? Another thing to consider is that you would have to buy a vignette for Switzerland. Also don't know how the Italian tolls would compare to the French. As far as the insurance issues go, I really don't know what happens when you rent a car in France using your CC coverage then drive it into Italy. Good question.
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Old Mar 3rd, 2015, 03:44 PM
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It is a quite scenic drive - except when you are inside the 100 or so (at least it seems like 100) tunnels. On with the sunglasses, off with the sunglasses, on with the sunglasses, off, etc. We've driven it 4-6 times.

Forgot about the Vignette - that would be a problem.

About 20 years ago, I called my CC company to find out if I would be "covered" if I drove a French car into Italy. They said they would cover it. As you probably know, you are required to purchase CDW from the rental agency if you rent a car in Italy. Now I think almost all of the CC disclosure statements say that they will not provide CDW coverage in Italy, or Ireland, etc.

It's best to call the CC company to verify insurance stuff.

Stu Dudley
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Old Mar 3rd, 2015, 07:13 PM
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Once again, I appreciate so many taking time to provide such thoughtful responses in sharing your experience and expertise. From what I have read about Beaune, it sounds appealing, and the preponderance of "votes" seem to go in that direction. As suggested, a day trip to Dijon would be easy by train. Even though we have no interest in visiting the wineries, the vineyard loops near Beaune sound as if they would pass through pretty scenery.

We will probably leave Antibes between 8-9 am, which means we could arrive in Beaune by mid-afternoon, depending on whether we stop along the way for lunch or eat on the run. So we'll have that evening, all the next day, and could spend some time in that area the following morning as the drive to Colmar is only 3 hours (though we will likely try to get there as early as possible as it appears there is a lot of interest to see in that area).

Tower - thanks for sharing the links to your photos. They have whet my appetite! The roof designs remind me of some I saw on a cruise on Lake Thun in Switzerland.

PalenQ - We will have already visited the area around Avignon and Arles, as well as Aix-in-Provence.

Maine GG - I also stumbled across the route through Italy and Switzerland while doing research online but we have visited some of these areas on previous trips and are trying to see as much of France as we can in the 24 days we'll be there.

StuDudley - The mountain route is beautiful I'm sure but I would imagine a more challenging drive. Can you describe what the drive is like? I have had enough hairpin curves and switchbacks in my life!

To all who commented on insurance coverage, we purchased the premium car rental insurance offered by AMEX for $24.95 (it covers more than is covered by using the credit card alone) and it does not cover Italy or Ireland (and a few other countries).

As an aside, since someone steered me to the viamichelin site instead of Google driving directions, I am shocked at how expensive it will be to drive in France. The estimated cost to drive the 6 hours from Antibes to Beaune (500 Km or 375 miles)is around 120 Euros, with almost 60 of that for tolls. Yesterday we drove 500 miles or 800 Km in 8 hours at a cost of $30 for gas (thanks to the fuel economy of our recently purchased hybrid; it cost about twice that with our non-hybrid car of the same make). There were no tolls anywhere for any of the highways we traveled.)

Does anyone know the typical current cost of gas (petrol) in France? We are paying about $2.25 per gallon where we live in the US (up from a recent low of about $1.80 per gallon). I know it's much more expensive than what we are used to. Should we request a diesel rental car since I have read that diesel fuel is cheaper (it's more expensive here). Are we likely to be able to get diesel with an automatic transmission, which is what we are renting? (Sorry, the only thing I know about cars is how to drive them!)
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Old Mar 4th, 2015, 08:08 AM
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>>StuDudley - The mountain route is beautiful I'm sure but I would imagine a more challenging drive. Can you describe what the drive is like? I have had enough hairpin curves and switchbacks in my life!
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Old Mar 4th, 2015, 04:38 PM
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Thanks as always Stu. You are a gem!
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Old Mar 5th, 2015, 08:56 AM
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Palen:
I never RECOMMEND places to people of whom I don't know what they are interested in. I usually just mention some interesting towns or stunning landscapes/museums, etc. It's then up to the OP to make a choice.

Antibes to Colmar by car is a huge thing as there exists many possible itineraries. Let's try nevertheless:

EASTERN ITINERARY
Antibes - Breil (Fortress) - Roya Valley (gorges) - Tenda Pass - Limone Piemonte (resort) - Cuneo - Turin (first capital of Italy, tons of museums and palaces) - Bard (castle) - St. Vincent (spa) - Chatillon (road to Breuil/Mattterhorn) - Aosta Valley castles - Aosta (medieval town, roman theatre, city gate and museum) - Gd St. Bernard Pass (hospice, dogs, panorama) - Martigny (roman theatre etc, museums) - Vernayaz (gorge) - Bex (salt mines) - Lavey (spa) - Bouveret (Swiss Vapeur park/Aquapark) - Chillon castle - Bulle/Gruyeres - Fribourg (medieval city center/cathedral) - Berne (medieval city center, cathedral, museums) - Solothurn (medieval city center) - Augusta Raurica (roman theatre and museum) - Basel (medieval city center, tons of museums) - Ecomusee d'Alsace - Colmar.

ALPINE ITINERARY
Antibes - Vence - Isola 2000 (resort) - Lombarde Pass 7710ft - Vinadio (Fortress) - Bersezio - Maddalena Pass 6500ft - Meyronnes (5 fortresses) - Vars Pss 7000ft - Vars (winter sport resort) - Guillestre - Briancon (Fortress) - Serre Chevalier (winter sport resort) - Lautaret Pass 6750ft - Galibier Pass 8868ft - Valloire (winter sport resort) - Telegraphe Pass 5150ft - Modane - Iseran Pass 9070ft - Val d'Isere (winter sport resort) - Ste. Foy Tarentaise - Petit St. Bernard Pass 7177ft - Courmayeur Mont Blanc - Chamonix Mont Blanc - Col des Montets 4800ft - Col de la Froclaz 5020ft - Martigny - Col du Pillon 5072ft (gondola to Glacier 3000) - Interlaken - Bruenig Pass 3307ft - Glaubenbielen Pass 5300ft - Unesco Biosphere Reserve Entlebuch - Willisau (small medieval town) - St. Urban Monastery - Hauenstein Pass 2222ft - Rheinfelden - Belchen Black Forest 4600ft - Schauinsland 4211ft (biggest mines of the area with about 100 kms of galleries) - Freiburg im Breisgau (medieval city center) - Neuf Brisach Fortress - Colmar.

ROUTE NAPOLEON ITINERARY
Antibes - Grasse (Parfumeries) - Castellane (Verdon gorges) - Leques Pass 3750ft - Boade adventure park - Digne-les-Bains - Lake Escale - Sisteron (fortress) - Gap (medieval city center, cathedral) - Lake Sautet - La Mure (starting point of the famous La Mure railway) - Lake Notre Dame de Commiers - Grenoble - Grande Chartreuse Monastery - Granier Pass 3720ft - Chambery (castle of the Dukes of Savoy and other old buildings) - Lake Bourget - Aix-les-Bains (spa) - Annecy (scenic town, lake) - Geneva (medieval city center, cathedral, tons of museums incl. Red Cross Museum and CERN, lake) - Coppet (castle) - Nyon (castle and Swiss national Museum) - Marchairuz Pass 4750ft (viewpoint over Lake Geneva and the Alps) - Lake Joux - Vallorbe (Caves and Iron Museum) - L'Auberson (Museum of boites a musique, automates and orchestrions) - Noiraigue (Areuse Gorges) - Le Locle (underground mills) - La Chaux-de-Fonds (Swiss Watchmaking Museum) - Maiche - Vaufrey - Reclere (caves and prehisto park) - Belfort - Masevaux - Hundsrueck Pass 2500ft - Willer - Grand Ballon 4410ft - Breitfirst 4200ft - Platzerwaesel Pass 3878ft - WW1 Necropole Nationale du Bois Maettle - Munster - Colmar.

RHONE VALLEY ITINERARY
Antibes - Draguignan (US WW2 military cemetary, dolmens) - St. Maximin la Ste. Baume (Basilica Ste. Marie Madeleine) - Aix en Provence - St. Cannat (park for kids) - Salon de Provence (16th century city center with Nostradamus Museum) - Les Baux de Provence - St. Rhemy de Provence (Glanum Les Antiques, etc.) - Avignon - Orange (roman theatre) - Montelimar (city of nougat) - Privas (Parc Naturel des Monts d'Ardeche) - Valence - Tain l'Hermitage (Valrhona chocolate factory, can be visited) - Vienne (roman theatres and other roman buildings, big modern roman museum at St. Romain en Gal) - Lyon (roman theatres and museum, textile museums, WW2 Resistance and Deportation History Museum and Center) - Macon - Cluny monastery - Tournus (St. Philibert church) - Beaune - Dole - Arc et Senans (Royal Salt Mines) - Besancon (Fortress, museums) - Grammont castle - Ronchamp (famous church built 60 years ago by Le Corbusier) - Cornimont - Col de la Schlucht - Colmar.
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