One day in Paris, Champagne, and somewhere between Beaune and Nice
May 20th, 2015, 05:07 AM
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One day in Paris, Champagne, and somewhere between Beaune and Nice
Hello! I'll be traveling to France in August this year. We will be a group of 2 couples and will arrive to Paris at 8:00 AM local time. We will only be spending that day in Paris. I'm looking for a location and/or hotel recommendation that would be best suited for making the most of our short time. I think we may hire a car to take us around the city to efficiently visit the major sites. I'm looking for moderately priced hotels in the $150-$200 range.
Following Paris, we will rent a car and go to the Champagne region for another overnight. I'm in the wine industry and am working on appointments with our winemaker. I'm undecided if we should stay in Reims or outside the city. What's your experience? Recommendations appreciated. Again, moderately priced.
We will then drive to Beaune for a one week stay in an apartment. Would love daytrip ideas from this location. We'll do some wine tasting, but not everyday. Mostly we love to wander, look at architecture, visit churches, parks, eat, drink, take it easy...
From Beaune, we will drive to Nice and stay in another apartment. We do have the possibility to stop and stay in another town along the way to break up the drive. Any ideas for a quaint, picturesque village along the way or a site that should not be missed? We don't have to stop (we can add another day to Beaune or Nice), but we could.
Once in Nice, I think we'll give up the car and take trains and busses to neighboring towns - it seems like the traffic will be terrible and public transport is good. We'll be flying out of Nice.
Thanks for wading through this long message! Thanks in advance for your advice and recommendations!
Following Paris, we will rent a car and go to the Champagne region for another overnight. I'm in the wine industry and am working on appointments with our winemaker. I'm undecided if we should stay in Reims or outside the city. What's your experience? Recommendations appreciated. Again, moderately priced.
We will then drive to Beaune for a one week stay in an apartment. Would love daytrip ideas from this location. We'll do some wine tasting, but not everyday. Mostly we love to wander, look at architecture, visit churches, parks, eat, drink, take it easy...
From Beaune, we will drive to Nice and stay in another apartment. We do have the possibility to stop and stay in another town along the way to break up the drive. Any ideas for a quaint, picturesque village along the way or a site that should not be missed? We don't have to stop (we can add another day to Beaune or Nice), but we could.
Once in Nice, I think we'll give up the car and take trains and busses to neighboring towns - it seems like the traffic will be terrible and public transport is good. We'll be flying out of Nice.
Thanks for wading through this long message! Thanks in advance for your advice and recommendations!
May 20th, 2015, 05:24 AM
#3
Last thing you want in Central Paris is a thing like a car
Getting to Champagne by car with 4 adults makes a little more sense, but it is boderline with such great trains still, lets go with it
I'd stay in Epernay, far nicer for the evening and most big players are in town, plus you might actually bump into the staff you meet in the evening rather than just disappear into the city of Rheims.
Non wine based theme from Beaunne is to go north and the various sites around Auxerre, Chablis and Vezeley, old towns, castles, monestries etc. Just pop on the Burgundy web site to see the range.
Places you could stop at the places mentioned or Cravant a little walled village with what used to be a good B&B with supper.
Getting to Champagne by car with 4 adults makes a little more sense, but it is boderline with such great trains still, lets go with it
I'd stay in Epernay, far nicer for the evening and most big players are in town, plus you might actually bump into the staff you meet in the evening rather than just disappear into the city of Rheims.
Non wine based theme from Beaunne is to go north and the various sites around Auxerre, Chablis and Vezeley, old towns, castles, monestries etc. Just pop on the Burgundy web site to see the range.
Places you could stop at the places mentioned or Cravant a little walled village with what used to be a good B&B with supper.
May 20th, 2015, 05:36 AM
#5
>> I think we may hire a car to take us around the city to efficiently visit the major sites. <<
A car isn't efficient. I'd just get a very central hotel and walk around to get a glimpse of some of the iconic places . . . the Louvre, Notre Dame, the river (take a night time ride on the Vedettes du Pont Neuf), the Tuileries, the view of the Eiffel Tower.
Stay somewhere in the 1st/4th/5th/6th close to the river and you'll be walking distance to all these.
A car isn't efficient. I'd just get a very central hotel and walk around to get a glimpse of some of the iconic places . . . the Louvre, Notre Dame, the river (take a night time ride on the Vedettes du Pont Neuf), the Tuileries, the view of the Eiffel Tower.
Stay somewhere in the 1st/4th/5th/6th close to the river and you'll be walking distance to all these.
May 20th, 2015, 06:01 AM
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You have a 7 hr drive from Beaune to Nice. I certainly would not deviate much off the direct autoroute for your one-nighter - certainly not to Alsace - that's in the wrong direction - further away from Nice than Beaune by 1 1/2 hrs.
Northern Provence is a little over half-way to Nice. If you are a wine person, I would stay overnight at Chateauneuf-du-Pape and do some wine stuff there. I would perhaps stay here:
http://www.chateaufinesroches.com/uk/index.php
Burgundy
Visiting Chateaux
Look for a brochure titled “Route des Ducs de Bourgogne”. http://www.route-des-ducs.com/
Save your ticket for the first chateau, and you will get a discount on the second chateau. Save the ticket on the second chateau & you will get a discount on the third, etc, etc, etc.
Monday (remember, shops close in Dijon & Beaune in the AM).
Leave the Gite & take the D17 south to La Rochepot – this is a pretty drive. The town of Orches is quite cute. Continue on the D17 to La Rochepot or Nolay.
Market in Nolay. This is a very small market, but the town has several antique shops. If this interests you, go there. I think the shops are open on Monday because there is a market there on Monday
Vist Chateau Rochepot*. Pg 279 in my Green Guide.. Note that it closes for lunch
Visit Chateau Sully* (pg 305 in GG) or Chateau Couches .
Tuesday
Visit Beaune*** in the AM. This is one of our “top 5” medium sized cities in France. Spend the better part of the morning there. The “popular” Hotel Dieu*** gets a lot of attention and it is quite elegant from the outside – but only OK on the inside. But it deserves a visit on the inside.
Afternoon – one of the chateaux you didn’t visit yesterday.
Wednesday.
Head out northwest on the A6. Get off the A6 at Exit # 21 and head towards Tanlay
Get the “Route des Ducs de Bourgogne” brochure. Remember about saving the entrance tickets.
Visit the Chateau de Tanlay**. This was our favorite chateau in the region. Tours start at 10 – so get there then . It is about a 1 ¾ drive from the gite (1 hr of freeway).
Next, drive to Noyers & explore this cute village. Note on villages in Burgundy - compared to Provence, Dordogne, and many other places you have visited in France – there are not as many “cute little villages” in Burgundy. This is one of them, but not in the “top 50%” in France.
Visit Chateau Ancy le Franc** Note that it closes for lunch – that’s why I have you visiting Noyers during lunch. If you can get to Ancy le Franc by 11:30 when their last tour of the morning departs – do that if you don’t mind back-to-back chateaux.
Visit Abbaye de Fontenay*** if you like abbeys.
Take the D980 south from the Abbey to Semur en Auxois*. See pg 296 in the GG. This village is more interesting from the outside than from the inside. As you take the R de Paris from the D980 toward Semur – there is a very nice view of the perched village. If you want to see the “scene” pictured on pg 298 of the GG. Circle clockwise around the exterior of the village to where I have marked “fantastic view” on the GG map of Semur. Next, drive toward the informatioin center (marked on map) & park your car outside the “gate” of town & explore the old section of Semur if you like.
Thursday
Visit Dijon*** This is our favorite city in France – after Paris. Find the “Dijon the Owl’s trail” brochure I sent you & follow this walk. The walk is fantastic. The “centerfold” has the route for the walk.. This may be market day in Dijon at Les Halles – but only in the AM. Lots of interesting sites to visit.
Friday
Head out north on the A6. Take the exit #22 and find your way west to Vezelay** pg 314. We did not approach Vezelay from this direction – we visited Vezelay after Auxerre. But I figured that on your last day in the gite, you might only want to do a half-day – so I “cut out” Auxerre – which is too bad because we really enjoyed Auxerre.
After Vezelay, head south on the D958 on a pretty drive to Chateau Bazoches. I mentioned Vauban earlier – this is his chateau. There is a “self guided” tour, but note that it closes for lunch.
If you don't mind a small drive, visit the Chateau Cormatin** – this is one of our favorites. The interior & especially the gardens are fantastic. http://www.castlesinsouthernburgundy...rmatin_uk.html
From our 2006 visit
Top 3 restaurants
Stephane Derbord in Dijon – one of the top 5 meals of all time in France (we dine out about 40 times per year in France)
Michelin 1 star
First round of Amuse Bouches
Bite sized squares of Croque Monsieurs
Carp mousse with black & white sesame seeds
Parmesan chip and a bite sized tomato “truffle” with a semi-liquid center
Second round of Amuse Bouches
Sushi (California roll) with cockle, with Asian spices & bean sprouts
Potato puree
Leek Mousse with green beans
55E menu
-Smoked sander – thin rolls stuffed with finely julienned vegetables served with tart greens (incl dandelion greens) topped with paper thin lengthwise sliced carrots. The plate was edged with a piping of honey mustard and crumbled hazelnuts
-Perch with a wild mushrooms and green beans served in a deep plate with a “soup de poisons” reduction sauce
-cheese chariot
-Poached , pealed pear with a red wine sauce in pain epice with sage ice cream – all very refreshing
65E menu
-Sauteed scallops, each served on a cucumber “coin” with a topping of lemon cream & caviar, with julienned apples & dandelion greens
-Sandre on a bed of spinach with a butter sauce accompanied by a small tomato stuffed with diced cepes on a squash “coin”
-Filet of Cerf, served with berries & a dark berry reduced sauce with green beans & wild mushrooms with a ‘grain” of some sort
-Cheese chariot
-pre-dessert refresher
-Chocolate fondant – top & bottom layers of dark chocolate “sandwiching” lighter chocolate mousse with dark chocolate wafers & vanilla ice cream
-Post-dessert refresher
Hostellerie du Vieux Moulin in Bouilland, just north of Beaune
Also a hotel
www.le-moulin-de-bouilland.com
Michelin 1 star
Amuse Bouches
Skewered rolled duck breast slice, with mustard dollop
Homard tartare “confit”
Arugula sorbet with whipped cream top layer & balsamic drizzle (in a glass cylinder)
39E menu
-Seared tuna with fennel sorbet and a side of pickled vegetables
-Supreme de Pintade thinly sliced in a “spiral” presentation on a bed of herbed crushed potatoes, with vegetables in a side casserole
-Excellent cheese chariot
-Seasonal fresh fruit with pepper-flecked yoghurt ice cream
65E menu
-Daurade with vegetables a la Pistou
-Rougets with a confit of fennel and a bouillabaisse reduction with macadamia nuts
-Pigeon with polenta and zucchini “packet” stuffed with caviar d’aubergine and a rich reduction sauce
-Cheese chariot
-Poached plum with amaretto cream and puff pastry triangles
-Post dessert of Marc de Bourgogne ice and assorted sweets
Charlemagne in Pernand-Vergelesses just north of Beaune
Slight Asian twist
Michelin 1 star
37E menu
Six amuse bouches which arrived on a Plexiglas “cube” with holes & shelves to present the various items
California rolls with a “crisp”, held in place by a teeny wooden clothes pin
Fish mousse on a cracker
Parmesan pastry palmier
Pickled fish filling wrapped in a won ton wrapper on a skewer
Marble sized savory (no idea what it was)
Small piece of spiced pork on a bone
Second Amuse Bouche course
Glass of creamy smoked fish puree (to drink)
A herb-crusted langoustine
-Bread presentation – 3 different breads stacked on a skewer, with a wooden base into which a recess had been routed to hold a corked vial with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, which were to be shaken before pouring onto your bread plate as a dipping sauce
-Tuna ceveche served at the bottom of a glass with a smoked tomato cream, slivered green onions, and a dot of washabi cream
-Cabillaud a la vapeur with a vanilla/olive oil drizzle, layered with wild mushrooms, served with a pork bun with a crustacean filling, on a bed of cucumber-wrapped ratatouille. This was not your grandmother’s cabillaud recipe
-Strawberry/red berry gazpacho – heavenly creamy/frothy served in a slanted glass with a brochette of halved strawberries and strawberry marshmallow cubes
45E menu
Same Amuse Bouche courses
-California rolls with snails and langoustines speckled with black and white sesame seeds
-Lisettes (small mackerel) served atop a bone marrow tube filled with spinach & julienned carrots tossed in Asian spices
-Porc cotolet (cutlet/loin) served with artichoke mousse, drizzled with peanut butter with a cluster of small wild mushrooms in tempura
-Pyramid of chocolate with other sweets
Other restaurants – all were excellent
Le Jardin des Remparts in Beaune. We dined here several years ago, and it was one of our top 5 of all time then. It didn’t “wow” us as much this visit. Michelin 1 star.
La Rotisserie du Chambertin in Gevrey Chambertin. It has an upstairs Bistro, and a downstairs restaurant in a wine cave, with animated winemaking scenes as you descend into the cave. We dined downstairs.
Le Montrachet in Puligny Montrachet. It was “complet” the first few times we tried to reserve. Obviously very popular. My St Pierre was overcooked. Lovely setting.
Relais de la Diligence in Meursault. Excellent value. It was the “sleeper” of the group
Les Gourmets in Marsannay la Cote. Michelin 1 star. Very nice
One day we took an overnight trip to Troyes, and dined there. On another occasion, we met some friends at a Michelin 1 star restaurant in Macon – which is not in Burgundy. We also spent 2 weeks in Beaujolais
We “checked out’ about 10 other restaurants in Burgundy (including 1 stars) and the menus did not seem interesting enough to make us choose them over the ones we selected. There’s a lot of Charollais beef on menus in this region. I have not experienced any beef in France that’s as good as the beef we have in the US, or beef I’ve tasted in Italy (one exception may be Aubrec beef). Bresse chicken is also a very popular item on menus. I’ve tried this several times in other areas of France & thought it wasn’t really that much better than a good farm-raised chicken.
I also have a 31 page itinerary for Provence & Cote d'Azur. We've vacationed in these regions for a total of 40 weeks. If you would like a copy, e-mail me at [email protected] & I'll attach one to the reply e-mail. I've sent copies to over 3,000 people on Fodors.
Stu Dudley
Northern Provence is a little over half-way to Nice. If you are a wine person, I would stay overnight at Chateauneuf-du-Pape and do some wine stuff there. I would perhaps stay here:
http://www.chateaufinesroches.com/uk/index.php
Burgundy
Visiting Chateaux
Look for a brochure titled “Route des Ducs de Bourgogne”. http://www.route-des-ducs.com/
Save your ticket for the first chateau, and you will get a discount on the second chateau. Save the ticket on the second chateau & you will get a discount on the third, etc, etc, etc.
Monday (remember, shops close in Dijon & Beaune in the AM).
Leave the Gite & take the D17 south to La Rochepot – this is a pretty drive. The town of Orches is quite cute. Continue on the D17 to La Rochepot or Nolay.
Market in Nolay. This is a very small market, but the town has several antique shops. If this interests you, go there. I think the shops are open on Monday because there is a market there on Monday
Vist Chateau Rochepot*. Pg 279 in my Green Guide.. Note that it closes for lunch
Visit Chateau Sully* (pg 305 in GG) or Chateau Couches .
Tuesday
Visit Beaune*** in the AM. This is one of our “top 5” medium sized cities in France. Spend the better part of the morning there. The “popular” Hotel Dieu*** gets a lot of attention and it is quite elegant from the outside – but only OK on the inside. But it deserves a visit on the inside.
Afternoon – one of the chateaux you didn’t visit yesterday.
Wednesday.
Head out northwest on the A6. Get off the A6 at Exit # 21 and head towards Tanlay
Get the “Route des Ducs de Bourgogne” brochure. Remember about saving the entrance tickets.
Visit the Chateau de Tanlay**. This was our favorite chateau in the region. Tours start at 10 – so get there then . It is about a 1 ¾ drive from the gite (1 hr of freeway).
Next, drive to Noyers & explore this cute village. Note on villages in Burgundy - compared to Provence, Dordogne, and many other places you have visited in France – there are not as many “cute little villages” in Burgundy. This is one of them, but not in the “top 50%” in France.
Visit Chateau Ancy le Franc** Note that it closes for lunch – that’s why I have you visiting Noyers during lunch. If you can get to Ancy le Franc by 11:30 when their last tour of the morning departs – do that if you don’t mind back-to-back chateaux.
Visit Abbaye de Fontenay*** if you like abbeys.
Take the D980 south from the Abbey to Semur en Auxois*. See pg 296 in the GG. This village is more interesting from the outside than from the inside. As you take the R de Paris from the D980 toward Semur – there is a very nice view of the perched village. If you want to see the “scene” pictured on pg 298 of the GG. Circle clockwise around the exterior of the village to where I have marked “fantastic view” on the GG map of Semur. Next, drive toward the informatioin center (marked on map) & park your car outside the “gate” of town & explore the old section of Semur if you like.
Thursday
Visit Dijon*** This is our favorite city in France – after Paris. Find the “Dijon the Owl’s trail” brochure I sent you & follow this walk. The walk is fantastic. The “centerfold” has the route for the walk.. This may be market day in Dijon at Les Halles – but only in the AM. Lots of interesting sites to visit.
Friday
Head out north on the A6. Take the exit #22 and find your way west to Vezelay** pg 314. We did not approach Vezelay from this direction – we visited Vezelay after Auxerre. But I figured that on your last day in the gite, you might only want to do a half-day – so I “cut out” Auxerre – which is too bad because we really enjoyed Auxerre.
After Vezelay, head south on the D958 on a pretty drive to Chateau Bazoches. I mentioned Vauban earlier – this is his chateau. There is a “self guided” tour, but note that it closes for lunch.
If you don't mind a small drive, visit the Chateau Cormatin** – this is one of our favorites. The interior & especially the gardens are fantastic. http://www.castlesinsouthernburgundy...rmatin_uk.html
From our 2006 visit
Top 3 restaurants
Stephane Derbord in Dijon – one of the top 5 meals of all time in France (we dine out about 40 times per year in France)
Michelin 1 star
First round of Amuse Bouches
Bite sized squares of Croque Monsieurs
Carp mousse with black & white sesame seeds
Parmesan chip and a bite sized tomato “truffle” with a semi-liquid center
Second round of Amuse Bouches
Sushi (California roll) with cockle, with Asian spices & bean sprouts
Potato puree
Leek Mousse with green beans
55E menu
-Smoked sander – thin rolls stuffed with finely julienned vegetables served with tart greens (incl dandelion greens) topped with paper thin lengthwise sliced carrots. The plate was edged with a piping of honey mustard and crumbled hazelnuts
-Perch with a wild mushrooms and green beans served in a deep plate with a “soup de poisons” reduction sauce
-cheese chariot
-Poached , pealed pear with a red wine sauce in pain epice with sage ice cream – all very refreshing
65E menu
-Sauteed scallops, each served on a cucumber “coin” with a topping of lemon cream & caviar, with julienned apples & dandelion greens
-Sandre on a bed of spinach with a butter sauce accompanied by a small tomato stuffed with diced cepes on a squash “coin”
-Filet of Cerf, served with berries & a dark berry reduced sauce with green beans & wild mushrooms with a ‘grain” of some sort
-Cheese chariot
-pre-dessert refresher
-Chocolate fondant – top & bottom layers of dark chocolate “sandwiching” lighter chocolate mousse with dark chocolate wafers & vanilla ice cream
-Post-dessert refresher
Hostellerie du Vieux Moulin in Bouilland, just north of Beaune
Also a hotel
www.le-moulin-de-bouilland.com
Michelin 1 star
Amuse Bouches
Skewered rolled duck breast slice, with mustard dollop
Homard tartare “confit”
Arugula sorbet with whipped cream top layer & balsamic drizzle (in a glass cylinder)
39E menu
-Seared tuna with fennel sorbet and a side of pickled vegetables
-Supreme de Pintade thinly sliced in a “spiral” presentation on a bed of herbed crushed potatoes, with vegetables in a side casserole
-Excellent cheese chariot
-Seasonal fresh fruit with pepper-flecked yoghurt ice cream
65E menu
-Daurade with vegetables a la Pistou
-Rougets with a confit of fennel and a bouillabaisse reduction with macadamia nuts
-Pigeon with polenta and zucchini “packet” stuffed with caviar d’aubergine and a rich reduction sauce
-Cheese chariot
-Poached plum with amaretto cream and puff pastry triangles
-Post dessert of Marc de Bourgogne ice and assorted sweets
Charlemagne in Pernand-Vergelesses just north of Beaune
Slight Asian twist
Michelin 1 star
37E menu
Six amuse bouches which arrived on a Plexiglas “cube” with holes & shelves to present the various items
California rolls with a “crisp”, held in place by a teeny wooden clothes pin
Fish mousse on a cracker
Parmesan pastry palmier
Pickled fish filling wrapped in a won ton wrapper on a skewer
Marble sized savory (no idea what it was)
Small piece of spiced pork on a bone
Second Amuse Bouche course
Glass of creamy smoked fish puree (to drink)
A herb-crusted langoustine
-Bread presentation – 3 different breads stacked on a skewer, with a wooden base into which a recess had been routed to hold a corked vial with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, which were to be shaken before pouring onto your bread plate as a dipping sauce
-Tuna ceveche served at the bottom of a glass with a smoked tomato cream, slivered green onions, and a dot of washabi cream
-Cabillaud a la vapeur with a vanilla/olive oil drizzle, layered with wild mushrooms, served with a pork bun with a crustacean filling, on a bed of cucumber-wrapped ratatouille. This was not your grandmother’s cabillaud recipe
-Strawberry/red berry gazpacho – heavenly creamy/frothy served in a slanted glass with a brochette of halved strawberries and strawberry marshmallow cubes
45E menu
Same Amuse Bouche courses
-California rolls with snails and langoustines speckled with black and white sesame seeds
-Lisettes (small mackerel) served atop a bone marrow tube filled with spinach & julienned carrots tossed in Asian spices
-Porc cotolet (cutlet/loin) served with artichoke mousse, drizzled with peanut butter with a cluster of small wild mushrooms in tempura
-Pyramid of chocolate with other sweets
Other restaurants – all were excellent
Le Jardin des Remparts in Beaune. We dined here several years ago, and it was one of our top 5 of all time then. It didn’t “wow” us as much this visit. Michelin 1 star.
La Rotisserie du Chambertin in Gevrey Chambertin. It has an upstairs Bistro, and a downstairs restaurant in a wine cave, with animated winemaking scenes as you descend into the cave. We dined downstairs.
Le Montrachet in Puligny Montrachet. It was “complet” the first few times we tried to reserve. Obviously very popular. My St Pierre was overcooked. Lovely setting.
Relais de la Diligence in Meursault. Excellent value. It was the “sleeper” of the group
Les Gourmets in Marsannay la Cote. Michelin 1 star. Very nice
One day we took an overnight trip to Troyes, and dined there. On another occasion, we met some friends at a Michelin 1 star restaurant in Macon – which is not in Burgundy. We also spent 2 weeks in Beaujolais
We “checked out’ about 10 other restaurants in Burgundy (including 1 stars) and the menus did not seem interesting enough to make us choose them over the ones we selected. There’s a lot of Charollais beef on menus in this region. I have not experienced any beef in France that’s as good as the beef we have in the US, or beef I’ve tasted in Italy (one exception may be Aubrec beef). Bresse chicken is also a very popular item on menus. I’ve tried this several times in other areas of France & thought it wasn’t really that much better than a good farm-raised chicken.
I also have a 31 page itinerary for Provence & Cote d'Azur. We've vacationed in these regions for a total of 40 weeks. If you would like a copy, e-mail me at [email protected] & I'll attach one to the reply e-mail. I've sent copies to over 3,000 people on Fodors.
Stu Dudley
May 20th, 2015, 06:08 AM
#7
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Thank you for your responses. I'll look into them. To clarify, I thought we'd hire someone to give us a tour of the major sites in Paris - does that not make sense? Maybe just a well-located hotel? I'm not sure if we'd be able to check in or drop our luggage at a hotel so early, so I thought a car/driver where we could keep our luggage while we hit the major sites. Maybe it's not practical. I'll check hotels and maps for 1st, 4th, 5th, or 6th as mentioned.
We thought we'd rent a car in Paris as we leave for Champagne for ease of luggage and to have as soon as we get there for Champagne house touring.
In Champagne, I was looking at Chateau des Etoges. I think that's in Epernay, but will check it out.
Thanks again! I look forward to seeing additional recommendations.
We thought we'd rent a car in Paris as we leave for Champagne for ease of luggage and to have as soon as we get there for Champagne house touring.
In Champagne, I was looking at Chateau des Etoges. I think that's in Epernay, but will check it out.
Thanks again! I look forward to seeing additional recommendations.
May 20th, 2015, 06:18 AM
#9
Chateau des Etoges, is in ..... Etoges about 15 km from Epernay.
I'd stay in at http://magnaquies-epernay.jimdo.com/...es-guest-home/ on the Avenue de Champagne just because it has position, a great breakfast room, good home champagne and lovely owners.
But they may not have a availability and there are a few classy places to stay in town. Restaurants in town are generally average to good but the ambience is superb
I thought the OP wanted somewhere between Champagne and Burgundy..
I'd stay in at http://magnaquies-epernay.jimdo.com/...es-guest-home/ on the Avenue de Champagne just because it has position, a great breakfast room, good home champagne and lovely owners.
But they may not have a availability and there are a few classy places to stay in town. Restaurants in town are generally average to good but the ambience is superb
I thought the OP wanted somewhere between Champagne and Burgundy..
May 20th, 2015, 06:29 AM
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If we arrive early at a hotel - we let the hotel store the bags for us. You might have problems with bags for 4 people and then 5 people inside a car. Probably 3 of you won't be able to see much out of the window. Paris is for "walking" anyway. We do a lot of one-nighters in Paris & we just enjoy strolling around and not doing anything "major". If you want to "see" some of the major sites, get postcards or watch a Rick Steves video. If you want to "experience" Paris in 3/4 of a day - just stroll around and concentrate on one area - perhaps the Isle St Louis and the Quays around the Seine (past the Louvre & Musee Orsay).
Stu Dudley
Stu Dudley
May 20th, 2015, 08:28 AM
#12
>>I'm not sure if we'd be able to check in or drop our luggage at a hotel so early<<
I've never seen a hotel in Paris that won't hold your bags prior to check in. And even w/ a 2 or 3 PM check in time -- often a room is available early.
I've never seen a hotel in Paris that won't hold your bags prior to check in. And even w/ a 2 or 3 PM check in time -- often a room is available early.
May 20th, 2015, 08:49 AM
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I think the OP is using the British use of hire to mean they plan to rent a car to drive around major tourist sites in one of the biggest European capitals. You shouldn't do that in any city of any size that has a public transportation system.
May 20th, 2015, 08:57 AM
#16
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>> Looks like you should work for Fodors<<
That sounds like work. We retired early in 1999 so we could travel more.
We're staying for 3 nights just outside of Epernay at this place
www.labriqueterie.fr
before 2 weeks in Nancy/Lorraine & 2 weeks in Paris.
Stu Dudley
That sounds like work. We retired early in 1999 so we could travel more.
We're staying for 3 nights just outside of Epernay at this place
www.labriqueterie.fr
before 2 weeks in Nancy/Lorraine & 2 weeks in Paris.
Stu Dudley
May 20th, 2015, 09:12 AM
#17
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We spent five days in Burgundy based in Beaune and loved our time there. In addition to all the suggestions from StuDudley, you might find a few more in my trip report:
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...tober-2011.cfm
The Burgundy section begins in my post of November 10.
There are photos here:
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...nce-photos.cfm
We recently watched a wonderful documentary, A Year in Burgundy, that follows several winemakers throughout a year. Very interesting and great preparation for visiting this part of the world. It's available on Netflix in the US.
http://www.ayearinburgundy.com/
And recently another documentary by the same producer, A Year in Champagne, has come out on DVD, but isn't yet available on Netflix.
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...tober-2011.cfm
The Burgundy section begins in my post of November 10.
There are photos here:
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...nce-photos.cfm
We recently watched a wonderful documentary, A Year in Burgundy, that follows several winemakers throughout a year. Very interesting and great preparation for visiting this part of the world. It's available on Netflix in the US.
http://www.ayearinburgundy.com/
And recently another documentary by the same producer, A Year in Champagne, has come out on DVD, but isn't yet available on Netflix.
May 20th, 2015, 09:13 AM
#18
I was in Annecy completely out of season last year, but it was still lovely: http://anyportinastorm.proboards.com...nnecy-november
Jun 2nd, 2015, 02:00 PM
#19
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Just wanted to follow up on the current results of your great advice.
Paris: we'll take a taxi from the airport to our hotel in the 6th arr. We decided on Hôtel de Buci. It was over my initial, average budget, but I was able to fit it in the overall budget. Looks pretty well located for a short visit. We will take a walking tour by the following sites and stop when we feel the need (to go into a place, stop at a café, etc.): St. Sulpice, Luxembourg Gardens, Ste. Chappelle, Notre Dame, walk the Seine, the Louvre (don't think we'll go in), Jardin des Tuileries, take in the view from one of the bridges, and then to the Eiffel Tower, maybe Arc de Triomphe. I'm sure we can't get all of that in, but we'll see what we're up for upon arrival.
We will rent a car the following day when we leave Paris for the Champagne region. I'm not sure where would be easiest to book one for pick up considering our hotel in the 6th. Any suggestions? We will stay in Épernay at Hôtel Jean Möet. We'll have a visit with a small grower/producer (still need to decide which and book it) and we're hoping to make it to the Champagne bar/tasting room that's a treehouse - sounds fun! For The rest of the day and evening, we will walk through town. The next day we have a cave tour and tasting booked at Ruinart in Reims and we'll have lunch and a visit to the cathedral before leaving for Beaune.
We have a full week in Beaune at an apartment, so we are not too pressed to book our days in advance during this time. We'll probably just relax for a few days and then take several day trips. I appreciate all of the earlier day trip suggestions. I'm sure I'll come back for advice when I dive into this a bit more.
We decided to turn in our rental car in Beaune and take the train to Nice. We have an apartment booked here as well for the remainder of our trip (5 nights). It appeared to me that Nice was pretty central and well connected by busses and trains so that a car wasn't really necessary. Do you agree? I suppose we could always get one for a day if something we wanted to do was out of reach by public transport. I haven't really looked into it much yet. We would like a day or two on the beach and in the water. I need to dive into this one a bit more as well.
Thank you all for your advice and recommendations! I'm relieved and excited to have all the accommodations and the train travel sorted. The rest seems easy! All we really have to do is show up! I'm working on French with Rosetta Stone and Duolingo! Having fun learning! We've got a bit more than 2 months to go - plenty of time.
Paris: we'll take a taxi from the airport to our hotel in the 6th arr. We decided on Hôtel de Buci. It was over my initial, average budget, but I was able to fit it in the overall budget. Looks pretty well located for a short visit. We will take a walking tour by the following sites and stop when we feel the need (to go into a place, stop at a café, etc.): St. Sulpice, Luxembourg Gardens, Ste. Chappelle, Notre Dame, walk the Seine, the Louvre (don't think we'll go in), Jardin des Tuileries, take in the view from one of the bridges, and then to the Eiffel Tower, maybe Arc de Triomphe. I'm sure we can't get all of that in, but we'll see what we're up for upon arrival.
We will rent a car the following day when we leave Paris for the Champagne region. I'm not sure where would be easiest to book one for pick up considering our hotel in the 6th. Any suggestions? We will stay in Épernay at Hôtel Jean Möet. We'll have a visit with a small grower/producer (still need to decide which and book it) and we're hoping to make it to the Champagne bar/tasting room that's a treehouse - sounds fun! For The rest of the day and evening, we will walk through town. The next day we have a cave tour and tasting booked at Ruinart in Reims and we'll have lunch and a visit to the cathedral before leaving for Beaune.
We have a full week in Beaune at an apartment, so we are not too pressed to book our days in advance during this time. We'll probably just relax for a few days and then take several day trips. I appreciate all of the earlier day trip suggestions. I'm sure I'll come back for advice when I dive into this a bit more.
We decided to turn in our rental car in Beaune and take the train to Nice. We have an apartment booked here as well for the remainder of our trip (5 nights). It appeared to me that Nice was pretty central and well connected by busses and trains so that a car wasn't really necessary. Do you agree? I suppose we could always get one for a day if something we wanted to do was out of reach by public transport. I haven't really looked into it much yet. We would like a day or two on the beach and in the water. I need to dive into this one a bit more as well.
Thank you all for your advice and recommendations! I'm relieved and excited to have all the accommodations and the train travel sorted. The rest seems easy! All we really have to do is show up! I'm working on French with Rosetta Stone and Duolingo! Having fun learning! We've got a bit more than 2 months to go - plenty of time.
