kwar

Hi all...

My husband and I will be traveling to France for the 1st time on March 13th 2015. We arrive in Paris on March 17th and will be there for 6 full days. We would like to go to another location for 3 nights prior to Paris. I was thinking we should just stay in France since I'm sure there's much more to see. If there is something amazing in another country thats close and easy to get to Paris from, I would also be open to that. We are not huge museum/architecture people. We like to see how the locals live, enjoy good food and wine, pedestrian filled streets, non tourist shops, outdoor markets etc.

We already have a tour planned to see Normandy so we don't need to see that. I keep hearing go the the south of France. Nice, Monaco etc. My only hesitation is the weather in March might be cold and I also feel like there will be super high end stores (which I'm not interested in) and other than that, I'm not really sure what else we might enjoy there.

I am very overwhelmed and will be leaving in 5 weeks. I appreciate any suggestions and advice on how to make my trip the most effective with travel and such. I should also add, since we will only be there for 3 nights, being somewhat close to an airport will be great.

Also, we have always been hotel people. While traveling in Europe last year, some of the locals were adament that we should book thru air B and B instead of hotels. Thoughts?

Thanks in advance!

Kathie

There ear al kinds of interesting places to visit in France. I'd mark Monaco off your list, as it seems contrary to your interests.

There are a number of areas to visit specifically for wine: Reims for champagne, Alsace, Bordeaux and Burgundy as well as small wine areas.

Another option is to spend all of the nights you have in Paris and take a day trip or two if you can tear yourselves away from Paris: Chartres for the cathedral, Versailles, even Reims are close and accessible. (There is a long thread here about day trips from paris that lists something like 50 day trips, all places 1.5 hours or less by train.)

As far as hotels vs.B&Bs or apartments, choose what you like. Personally, I like having the services available from a hotel, so I understand your preference.

Christina

Monaco is for rich people, Nice is regular. The major cities on the coast have a varied population of residents who are not all rich (eg, Marseille and Nice, as well as the bigger ones in Provence like Avignon, Arles and Nimes).

I haven't been there in March, but I don't think it will be the feeling you might be looking for from southern France and the Riviera, so somewhere else might suit you better.

YOU don't say if you've ever been to Europe, but if not, I'd say London is pretty amazing, certainly there is plenty to see there. Amsterdam is easy to get to, also, from Paris. I wouldn't call it quite as amazing as London, but it's worth seeing.

You might consider Alsace for your second French visit. Go to Strasbourg, visit something around there.

Given you only have 3 days for this idea, I'd pick London, Amsterdam or Strasbourg. YOu could maybe visit Nancy or COlmar from Strasbourg.

Christina

oh, as for locals telling you where to stay? I find that very odd, it wasn't by any chance someone who was trying to rent you a place? AirB&B isn't even legal in some cities, anyway. My thought is you should forget it given your thoughts on planning and liking hotels. It can be a big hassle.

yestravel

Dijon & Beaume are nice towns to visit. Dijon can easily be reached from Paris by train. For a larger city Lyon has fabulous foods and some intersting sites. Also an easy train trip from Paris.

However, there is a ton to see and do in Paris. I've been dozens of times and have yet to make a day trip out of the city despite plannning to.

Not endorsing AirBnB, but for 6 nights having the extra space in an apt is very nice. Lots of agenices that you can book from. There apparently are some issues currently with AirBnB in Paris.
Enjoy your trip.

kwar

Thank you for all of the info. @ Christina, I mentioned I was in Europe last year. We were in London, Amsterdam, Austria and Germany. London was magnificent!! I have also been to Italy... Rome, Florence, Tuscany. That was my favorite trip of all.

Ae there places that are quant with wineries, cute shops, etc? I was also told to check into San Sebastian in Northern Spain and i keep hearing about Annency?

FrenchMystiqueTours

Where are you flying into on the 13th? Paris? One thing to keep in mind is that if you are going to take a TGV or Intercités train anywhere then you need to buy those tickets up to 3 months in advance for the cheapest prices. For most trains schedules aren't released more than 3 months in advance. If you are considering London then the Eurostar tickets go on sale 6 months in advance. So if relying on trains I'd make a decision soon and buy your train tickets. You can use www.capitainetrain.com to check schedules and prices and to buy tickets.

If you're arriving in Paris and you are already planning on visiting Normandy for a few days then Brittany is adjacent to Normandy and is worth visiting. Don't count on great weather in March but you never know. There are a few direct trains each day from CDG to Rennes, which is a great city and is the transport hub of the region so you can make trips to Mont Saint-Michel, Dinan and Saint-Malo among many other options.

If that appeals to you then go directly from CDG to Rennes and spend a few days there and then go to Normandy and then finish up your trip in Paris.

As far as booking hotels you can look at the tourist office website for any town or city and find hotels and other types of accommodation there. Rennes, for example:

http://www.tourisme-rennes.com/en/home.aspx

Sarastro

AirB&B is not necessarily illegal, it´s just that most of the apartments that they and many others rent are not legally registered nor legally operated. The laws in France and particularly in Paris last year changed dramatically the short term apartment business. Most people will not see the change for a while and most rentals made this year will probably continue as usual.

However, in the future the number of short term apartments available for use by tourists, in French cities with more than 200,000 inhabitants, will dramatically diminish.

Underhill

There is SO much more to France than Paris! Get a copy of the Michelin Green Guide to France and start discovering the many wonderful places to visit.

yestravel

hello -- you might want to check into Beaume and Dijon as I mentioned above. both fit the description you want.

TravelGeekery

I think Nice is very nice for a few days, it won't be as touristy in March.. and from there you can make a trip to Marseille, Grasse (perfume-making), Aix en Provence.. plenty of bigger and smaller cities, all quite charming.

We tried a few Airbnb apartments in both Paris and Nice and have had only good experience. We went for full appartments (not just a room). You can have a look at my blog if you want to read some reviews.

I also like Nancy a lot. It has a great laid-back ambiance. It's full of students and not touristy at all. And from there, it's an easy train ride to Strassbourg or Luxembourg.

Surfergirl

Avignon.

kwar

@frenchmystictours are you a travel agent? It would be great to talk with one regarding our trip and what we will need to have done ahead of time and how to make the most of our short 3 nights wherever we choose. or, can someone recommend a travel agent familiar with France?

kwar

just saw your response @yes travel and @ travelgeekery, will look those up now.

Thank you!

FrenchMystiqueTours

Haha, no I'm not a travel agent but myself and others on this forum are all do it your-selfers with a lot of experience traveling in France so none of us here uses a travel agent. I bet you don't need a travel agent and if you just sort of lay out a clear plan of your trip then people can make enough suggestions for you to choose from so you can do it all yourselves.

Why don't you give us forum members a try first, cuz our advice is free.

So where are you flying into on the 13th (if Paris be sure to specify whether CDG or Orly) and at what time do you land? Have you got anything booked yet, like a hotel or a D-Day tour? What date are departing and from where? Are your flight tickets booked yet? Will you be willing to rent a car for your time outside of Paris? Are you planning on doing the D-Day tour as a day trip from Paris?

Providing the details of the logistics of your trip makes it much easier to offer specific suggestions.

RainyDay09

I always wondered what other places I should prioritize in France for my next visit. I've been to Paris a couple of times, but no other place in France. Nice has always been on my to-do list. Bordeaux? provence?

kwar

I very much appreciate and welcome your help, thank you! My husbands work is booking us a round trip ticket, we can depart and arrive from different airports. We are going for 10 days, the last 7 have to be in Paris. We want to fly into somewhere and spend 3 days and would then like to be easily accessible to Paris (non flights).

While in Paris his company has planned for us to do a city tour, cooking class, River dinner cruise, Normandy and other things around the city. Normandy will be a full day but we will come back to Paris that same day.

I keep looking at pics of Annecy and it looks very nice. Nice seems to keep being brought up to me as well as a lot of other places. I am overwhelmed!))

Thank you again and please let me know if you have any other questions. We are not opposed to even another country if it's convenient but I don't want to be rushed so I'm thinking just staying in France will be best?

nytraveler

Where else i France to go depends on lot on two factors:

When you are going - March is very early spring - hopefully countryside will be pretty

What your interests are

We love Strasbourg since it is French/but also a little German and there is a lot to see and do - including a day trip to Colmar - and there is a fast train that makes it more possible than it used to be for a short trip from Paris

StuDudley

Annecy is in the Alps - and is farther north than Minneapolis, MN in the US. And Alsace is even farther north. What's the weather like in Minneapolis in mid March?

I would head south - to Provence. Take the TGV from CDG to the Avignon TGV station, or fly to Marseilles.

Stu Dudley

latedaytraveler

KWAR, another vote for heading south as suggested by STUDUDLEY -
"I would head south - to Provence. Take the TGV from CDG to the Avignon TGV station, or fly to Marseilles."

Or NICE on the Cote d'Azur ...