Walker42

I've completed the hotel bookings for our upcoming 3 week road trip in July/Aug except for one night. We're a family of 4 with 2 young teen boys.

We've got one night between our 3 nights in Senlis and 5 nights in Ribeauville. Tentatively I'm going to book a night near Vézelay. From Senlis we'll see the Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte and perhaps spend an evening in Auxerre then overnight in Vézelay. The next day the "obvious" choice to me is to see Vézelay in the morning before driving to Beaune or Dijon (we can decide day of), and continuing to Ribeauville after dinner.

I would like to make sure we devote ample time to Vézelay without rushing (and depending on how much energy we have at the end of the prior day we may do some wandering in the evening). Do you think we'll want to stay through lunch or will we be ready to move on long before then - assuming an early start from a hotel in the town?

Since we'll only have one afternoon at best, and I'm sure Dijon or Beaune will be nice, are there any "non obvious" places or activities anyone can suggest? I haven't seen anything about swimming in the area (perhaps closer to Alsace) but if there is any swimming amidst natural beauty that would be a winner for us. I'm also assuming that our time would be too short for a bike ride?

For reference our itinerary is:

1 night Brussels
3 nights Bruges
3 nights Senlis
1 night Vézelay?
5 nights Ribeauville
1 night Rothenburg ob der Tauber
3 nights Bamberg
1 night Veste Wachsenburg (near Erfurt)
Last night Dusseldorf airport

Thanks!

nytraveler

Vezelay is a charming town that is extremely vertical. Not sure where you are staying - but it's a fairly long climb up, a lot to explore at the top and a lot to see on the way up and down.

We stayed not that close by - in Avallon - on the edge of the french national forest - in the Moulin des Ruats. A charming old mill that has been turned into a cute hotel with a wonderful restaurant (Parisians often go there for the weekend for the dining - and I don;t believe you can stay without eating there at least one night). But the food is excellent and I understand the forest has a ton of wildlife. the stream is pretty - but I can't imagine it's big enough to swim. But kids might like exploring some of the forest.

parisian

Did you have a look to the distances ? Vezelay to Ribeauvillé take almost 4 hours on the autoroute. If you wish to spend the evening in Beaune or Dijon, be ready to arrive in Alsace around 2a.m. earliest

Walker42

Thanks nytraveler, Moulin des Ruats looks very nice and it seems no dinner is necessary to stay. I also am looking at the Hotel Crispol just a little up the road, which has a nice view of a distant Vézelay.

And parisian, from Beaune the drive to Ribeauville is 2.5 - 3 hours. The intent is to stay until at the latest 7-8 pm in Beaune or Dijon (or wherever).

kerouac

Since you put an accent of Vézelay, I imagine that you would have put the accent on Ribeauvillé -- if you knew it was there.

So, just in case you don't know, it is ree-bo-vil-ay and not ree-bo-veel.

kerouac

of = on

Walker42

did not know.