DeborahAnn

I would like to help a friend visit Paris for the first time. Because I will be paying for most of our travels, I am trying to be as economical as possible which means traveling in the really off-season, Jan or Feb 08. I also need the airlines to come forth with some bargain fares for those of us willing to travel at that time of the year

I wanted to add another location in France to our trip but not sure which out of so many of my favorites would be a "winner in winter"

I will not rent a car so we will travel by train which has me considering: Dijon, Lyon, Avignon, Marseille or Nice. Winter is the only season I have not been to France so I don't know which region would be better. We live in Maryland so I thought France would have similar weather during that time of the year.

For many reasons I want this to be a memorable trip for my friend so choosing where to take her is important. Thanks for any suggestions, Deborah

Cimbrone

Of the places you mention, Nice for sure. Also consider basing yourself out of Aix-en-Provence.

The south is a nice contrast with Paris, and it will be quite a bit warmer. I haven't been to Marseille, but it doesn't have the best reputation, certainly not for an extended stay. And Avignon is okay, but not as vibrant as Nice or Aix.

StuDudley

Provence is farther north than Milwaukee, and Paris is north of the Canadian border.

I love Paris in the off season - I really wouldn't go anyplace else in February.

Dijon is close, & if you nab a PREM fare it's dirt cheap to get there. Hotels are less expensive than in Paris, and you pay about 2/3 the price for an equivalent dinner there.

It may not be a whole lot more expensive to visit France in March or April if you avoid the weeks around Easter. Provence (Avignon) would be an iteresting and different place to visit then, but I'de sure want to have a car while there. There are trains to l'Isle sur la Sorgue for the market, and also to Arles. Bus service to St Remy, etc.

If others suggest London - remind them that't you're on a tight budget.

Stu Dudley

Stu Dudley

DeborahAnn

Thanks for both the suggestions, this trip has to be in Jan or Feb as I am planning a trip with my husband and other friends to Italy in April, such a happy problem

I appreciate both suggestions as it helps to see in print what I have been thinking about in trying to decide on a second location.

Thanks for any and all suggestions. Deborah

robjame

<<Provence is farther north than Milwaukee, and Paris is north of the Canadian border.>>

Stu, I guess that your point here is that similar latitude does not result in similar weather (climate).
So what can one expect weather-wise in Dec, Jan, Feb in Provence?
I would be interested in what the weather is like at that time of year in areas south of Paris.

BTilke

Would you also consider Strasbourg? It makes a good base for a car-free winter trip...you can day trip by train to Colmar in France, Baden-Baden and Freiburg in Germany, even Basel in Switzerland (there are many other possibilities, of course). And you can try out the new high speed train from Paris to Strasbourg.

StuDudley

>>So what can one expect weather-wise in Dec, Jan, Feb in Provence?<<
Don't know - we've only been there in May, June, first half of July, Sept, & Oct.

I think Kevin & Patricia have reported that sometimes you can have lunch outside that time of year. I don't know when the mistral stars to blow.

Stu Dudley

Cimbrone

The mediterranean keeps the south of France warmer than its corresponding latitudes in North America.

MaureenB

We spent three nights in Nice in May 2006. Really liked that small city, with easy access to many, many day-trips. I posted a trip report about it:

"We arrived in Nice in the early afternoon on Friday, via train from Venice.

Our Hotel le Grimaldi (http://www.le-grimaldi.com/) was a short cab ride from the train station. It was 10EUR for myself, my daughter, my gargantuan bag, and her two small ones. We were greeted graciously at the hotel, which immediately struck us as a good find.

The hotel is actually two Belle Epoque buildings back-to-back. One side is much prettier to enter, as it faces a nice church. The other side is fine, too, but a bit boring. I think the side on rue Grimaldi is the plain one, and the other side on rue Maccarani is prettier.

The man at the front desk carried my bag to the room, and showed us around. There’s a business center on the ground floor, with free internet use on their two computers, and a free printer to use. (Also wireless in the lobby, I think for a fee.)

Our room was a ‘classic’, twin-bedded room, which was large enough, had a little balcony, a sparkling tile bath with fluffy bright yellow towels, and nice toiletries. It was 150EUR, plus tax and 10EUR per person if we opted for the hot/cold breakfast buffet. They suggested we check out the buffet (served till 10:30a.m.), and if we were interested the next morning, we could sign on for it. Their deal is that you have to buy it everyday to get the 10EUR rate. Otherwise, per day, it’s 15EUR.

So the next morning, we were happy to find hot eggs, proscuitto, yoghurts, cereals, cappuccino, assorted croissants, juices, etc. We thought it a good deal and quite convenient, so we enjoyed it each morning.

For our first dinner, I had brought the name of a restaurant I’d found on Travel Talk, and the front desk agreed it was a good one, a local favorite in old Nice. It’s called Acchiardo, at 38 rue Droite in Vieux Nice. We headed over for their opening at 7p.m., and were very happy with it. Really friendly and attentive service, very quaint and casual atmosphere, with a good menu. I had a steak dinner, which actually included vegetables on the side. My daughter had two different salads. We had bottled water and a half-liter of house red wine. When the bill arrived for 28.50EUR, I thought they’d made a mistake because it was so much less than I’d been accustomed to paying in Venice, Florence and Rome. But, no, it was correct. (We would have maybe eaten there another night, but found out it closes on weekend nights, believe it or not.)

We walked all over old Nice, then through the pedestian area to the promenade and took that way back to the hotel. It’s such a beautiful walk at night. The Chateau hillside is all lit up, the palm trees are lit, and the waves look so pleasant. It was how we ended each of our Nice nights, with that walk back to the hotel.

The next day we decided to take the short bus ride on the #81, to visit the Villa and Jardins Ephrussi de Rothschild, near Saint Jean Cap Ferrat. (The bus is just 1.30EUR each direction, which you pay in exact change on the bus.)

It was a nice visit, especially to see the views of the sea down below on both sides of the hillside. I thought the price was a bit steep, at 9.50EUR for an adult, because the Villa isn’t really all that interesting (sorry!), but the gardens are pretty. There’s also a nice little café there, for a light snack or drink or meal, which was a welcome break from all our walking.

While we were there, a very strong wind came up, which caused quite a bit of white caps in the water below, and chased everyone in from the patio tables. The wind stayed with us for the rest of the day, but wasn’t terribly annoying.

From the Villa, we did the easy walk down to the port of St. Jean to walk around and check it out. There are nice boats in the little harbor, with cute restaurants and shops. It’s very tiny, so doesn’t take long to walk from end to end of St. Jean. We spent just about an hour and a half there, then caught the #81 back to Nice.

That evening, we returned to old Nice for dinner. We loved that neighborhood’s little streets, overall atmosphere, and cute shops. We found the Restaurant la Tapenada, 6 rue St. Reparate and had a very nice dinner. It was probably about 60EUR for the two of us, on their fixed price menu, with a bottle of house wine. Very nice little place, with friendly and attentive service. They even let my daughter trade her dessert for a salad. So she had two salads to start, one after the other, and they timed the arrival of our main courses perfectly. We were perfectly happy with our meal there.

The next day we decided we’d stick to the coast and see Antibes, which is a short 20-minute train ride from Nice. We were glad we’d chosen Antibes, as it’s beautiful. The sea wall makes a nice walk, and the Centre Ville is very charming.

We wandered its streets, shopped in a tiny clothing boutique, found a little place for omelettes (nothing special, but nice enough), then headed back to Nice by train after about 4 hours total. It was a good choice for a quick day-trip.

That evening we weren’t very hungry, so opted for the simple Pasta Basta, once again in old Nice. It was a nice meal, although not extraordinary. Good prices and decent service.

All in all, we were very impressed with Nice and the surrounding area. It’s a very pretty city, with a friendly attitude, sitting on a lovely shore. There are many options for things to do near Nice. We’d considered St. Paul de Vence and Digne, but with the beautiful clear weather, we were drawn to stay at the seaside, and were glad we did."
>-

StCirq

I have sunbathed in the Dordogne in February. I've also been in a snowstorm there in February. Obviously, the farther south you go, the warmer it's likely to be, but there are no guarantees.

ira

Hi DA,

For how long?

DeborahAnn

thanks for the ideas, I know it is going to be difficult to select just one. I think our stay will be 4/5 days out and one week in Paris. That's the plan right now in my head, to be revised many times over before I book anything. Deborah

ebcutler

I live in Maryland, too!

We are inveterate winter travelers because we hate the crowds!

I agree with the suggestion about Dijon. Or you might want to consider Lyons, the gastronomic capital of France.

You did not say what you like to do? Are you partial to museums and historic sites? Do you like to hang out and shop? Are you adventurous about food?

Aix-en-Provence is a real treat, very historic, a lovely art museum, and great ambiance. In the winter, however, you have to be prepared for weird weather, including the mistral winds. It's easy to get there by train but it's a long ride.

Dijon and Nancy are closer and are also wonderful art and history places. Lyons is bustling, but the old town with its Roman ruins is a treat.

There are places nearer Paris, too. It might be a bit brisk weather-wise but Normandy is wonderful. We rented a gite (apartment)in Honfleur for a week in early March and it was just fantastic. If yoy have just a few days, you could consider a location convenient to Mt. St. Michel, Omaha Beach, and Bayeux. Rouen is a town I would be delighted spend a few days in.

I think you want to start by imagining the pleasures you seek for those few days. If you want the trip to be memorable for your friend, then you may want to focus on his/her particular interests,

But I will tell you -- I'd love to be your friend.

Best, Ellen

DeborahAnn

Would like comments from others who have been in France during the winter. Thanks, Deborah

azandfl

Dijon is our favorite place in France. We were in Dijon last December and the weather was not bad. We wore coats and hats but you would not find it worse than weather in Maryland at that time of year. We also went to France in January one time and it was cool but there was only a dusting of snow in Paris. We stay at a charming place in Dijon. You can find it at www.myhomeindijon.com. There are quite a few trains from Paris to Dijon so it is not necessary to have a car. You can walk to so many places after you arrive in Dijon. It is more reasonable than Paris. The more reasonable airline fares for traveling to Europe in the winter often show up closer to the time of winter setting in. Good luck