2-3 weeks in France, no car. Any ideas?
 

I'll be spending 2-3 weeks in France this summer with my boyfriend. We know we definitely want to spend a week in Paris. I've been there before and fell in love with the city. As far as the rest of the trip, I'm a little lost as to where to start. We will not be renting a car because neither of us is 25 yet, and I'd rather not pay extra because of it. We'd like to base ourselves in two or three areas and explore from there. What places do you recommend for a 21 & 23 year old couple? I've been to the Normandy beaches and Loire Valley already, although my boyfriend has not. These both are possibilites. I really would just like to relax and enjoy the scenery and local life in each area. Any help would be appreciated!

I'd suggest a southern town/city to get some heat and then somewhere on the way. So lets assume you use the train. www.sncf.fr click the union jack/star spangled banner.

In the middle I might look at Dijon as a city, lets you get out to the Burgundy wine regions Auxerre is on the train as is Beaunne.

Further south I'd look at Arles or Avignon though some might suggest Nice

Burgundy we be a good choice...I agree with Beaune.

Reims (cathedral there is gorgeous) is also lovely and some champagne houses might be fun.

If you go back to Loire, Amboise is nice and Chenonceau is marvelous. I think there are concerts at the chateau at Amboise during the summer.

Barbizon is not far from Paris and is very charming and Fontainebleu is close by.

Avignon or Aix-en-Provence as you can visit those cities and other nearby towns (Orange, for example) by train. Aix is a university city. Pau and Toulouse are another pair.

My favourite summer combo week might be one week in Strasbourg/Metz/Nancy then a week in the western Loire Valley. Angers is a very attractive, pleasant, and not expensive city. You could base there and visit Saumur, Chinon, Nantes and even Bourges (they have a beautiful light show in the summer: http://www.ville-bourges.fr/tourisme...rama-nuits.php ) all without a car.
You could also rent bikes for a peaceful day or two exploring Le Loir area above Angers (Le Loir not the same as La Loire).

If you thrive in hot weather, there's Avignon or Aix-en-Proven or possibly Toulouse and Pau.

How nice to have such a happy dilemma! :-)

I am one of those who would suggest Nice. It's on the Mediterranean and is a center for public transportation up and down the French Riviera as well as inland (by the cute little Train des Pignes). You can take trains to Monaco/Monte Carlo, Cannes and Antibes. You could even dip a toe into Italy. Closer to Nice you can bus to Villefranche, Cap Ferrat, Eze (high up with stunning views of the coast), St.-Paul-de-Vence. There are probably boat trips that time of year also.

And Nice is a lovely city in itself, with a long (rocky) beach, beautiful curvy Belle Epoque architecture, good food, and a kind of laid-back vibe.

Hello everyone!
Thanks for all the fast replies!
We'll be arriving in France on the 1st of June after coming from 2 weeks in Ireland. After France we plan on spending 2 weeks in Italy as well.

Angers sounds wonderful with the biking and easy travel to nearby cities! How long would you recommend staying in and around this area? And is the biking intense with a lot of hills? Or more relaxed with mostly flat land?

Dijon and Burgundy sound amazing as well. Would it be worth it to travel to both Dijon and Angers? With them being on the opposite sides from Paris? If you had to pick just one, which one would it be?

Nice, Arles, and Avignon all sound great! We'd want to stay somewhere with easy access to Italy as that is where we'd move on to next. I'll have to look into that area and decide which would be best for the two of us.

Also, do you think a week in Paris is too long? After driving for 2 weeks in Ireland, I thought my boyfriend and I could use a rest from being on the road a lot and could get to know the city.

I'd favor Nice above the rest since you're headed toward Italy, and Nice is a wonderful town with great access along the coast and up into the mountains by public transport.

What if I spent the time spread out in Paris, Dijon, and Nice.. then I'd head into Italy for another 2 weeks.
I was thinking 6 nights Paris, 4 nights Dijon/Burgundy, and 4-5 nights in Nice. Do you have any recommendations for places to visit around Dijon & Nice? Like day trips and such? Does anyone have experience with basing themselves in these cities without a car?

"Do you have any recommendations for places to visit around Dijon" From North to South the main sites are Vezelay and Avallon, Fontenay Abbey, Semur en Auxois and Flavigny sur Ozerain, Alise Ste Reine (Alesia) with the Gaulish site, then the Burgundy canal, the wine coast between Dijon and Beaune and further South to Santenay, la Rochepot and Citeaux abbey. I could add Chateauneuf but only accessible by car.
You'll find the bus schedules on http://www.mobigo-bourgogne.com/partenaires/transco.htm . Otherwise in Dijon you'll be able to get a sun bath and swim in Kir lake, enjoy parks like Darcy garden, the botanical garden, La Colombiere park or the small dukes garden at the back of the ducal palace for ex. You'll find many more ideas here http://www.cotedor-tourisme.com/bour...age_en_04.html
If you haven't seen the TO video yet http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5CojSGoJ4k :)

Recommendations of places to visit around Nice? Well, to quote myself,

- You can take trains to Monaco/Monte Carlo, Cannes and Antibes. You could even dip a toe into Italy. Closer to Nice you can bus to Villefranche, Cap Ferrat, Eze (high up with stunning views of the coast), St.-Paul-de-Vence. There are probably boat trips that time of year also. -

Look at Destinations on the Fodors tab above. Also search old posts here. And look at guidebooks from the public library.

I previously mentioned the Train des Pignes. Here's a link: www.provencebeyond.com/travel/railpignes.html