janeanngriffin

Current Tentative plan- arrive Paris Aug 24 (2 nights)
TGV to Bordeaux pick up rental car- start road trip same day- drive to St.Emilion (1 night)
Drive towards Sarlat (need name of SMALL town as base 4-5 nights).
Considering Rocamadour or St. Cirq Lapopie??
Depart Dordogne region drive towards Provence.. suggestions... most scenic route...
Provence stay (4-5 nights) considering towns St Remy- Vaison la Romaine- Arles?
Luberon stay (4-5 nights) considering Isle-sur-la-Sorgue- Gordes- Roussillon?
****We prefer small quiet towns where we can walk to dinner after a day of touring the region.
From Luberon we were thinking of heading up towards Mont Blanc (4-5 nights) ....scenic drive suggestions? Since it is September I understand that some of the Switz regions have Cattle Alpine Descent Festivals and that would be a great bonus to attend!!
On day 24 (Sept 16) we need to be in Munich- considering train/plane from Geneva or Zurich ... open to suggestions.
NEED to return car somewhere in France.
Hopefully this skeletal itinerary can be filled in with all your expert advice!!! Thanks jane

neckervd

Why not Montignac - Toulouse - Lubéron - Provence?

Alpine area: if you go to Mont Blanc area (Chamonix etc.) only, you may return your car at Geneva airport, French sector.
If you intend to enter into Switzerland, Basel airport, French sector, might be the better place.

Alpine Festivals in Switzerland:
http://www.myswitzerland.com/en-ch/s...?strubrik=2312

There are no cheap flights from Switzerland to Munich, but tons of buses (fares start at 19 EUR) and trains.

StCirq

Bad choices for the Dordogne at that time of year. Don't even consider Sarlat or Beynac or Laroque-Gageac or Domme. Look farther afield in the beautiful villages. And get your place nailed down asap. August is a zoo in that area, through to the middle of September most years.

Neither Rocamadour not St-Cirq-Lapopie holds any appeal for me. Try Figeac and towns around that area. Figeac is a gem.

The most scenic route for me toward Provence involves crossing over the MIllau viaduct, even staying in MIllau, which was a very famous town for glove-making a century or more ago. Then head for the coast and, depending on whether you decide on the Riviera or inland Provence, take it from there.

janeanngriffin

Thank you for the suggestions, I have been busy with my maps and your insight. So here is the latest, Im open for more responses.

Paris 3 nights

Train to Limoges rent car... drive through interesting towns like Thrivers, Norton, Brantome until we reach Domme where we will stay 4 nights and do day trips from there.

On way towards Provence Stop in the Aveyron Region for 3 nights stay near Conques or Estaing.

CONTINUE back roads( N106) towards Uzes- Pont de-Gard to reach...

Bedoin(4 nights)

Move to Luberon (Lacoste) include one day trip to Cassis/ ports (3 nights)

Depart Lacoste for Mt Blanc. Stop somewhere for 1 night to break up the long drive....considering Grenoble (recommendations welcome) before driving to Chamonix.

Chamonix region (3 nights) return car in Chamonix take train to Geneva.
Train or flight Geneva to Munich

***After reading about the problems people have with returning the car on the French side of Geneva I decided to take the easy way and return in Chamonix.

This current itinerary leaves me 2 days...where should I add them ???

Edward2005

"Bad choices for the Dordogne at that time of year. Don't even consider Sarlat or Beynac or Laroque-Gageac or Domme."

I'm also considering a first-time trip to the region this summer. How is June in terms of crowds?

Whathello

No real crowds in June.
Crowds stRt in July with first holiday then are in force around 14th of July. Unbearable start of August and start of decrease after 15th August. First week of September you have grandpas and grannies with small kids then quiet after 15 of sept.

neckervd

Chamonix - Geneva by train is possible, but the Chamonix - Geneva bus would be the better choice.
However, if you don't want to visit Geneva, there are shorter or more scenic train itineraries from Chamonix to Munich, like:
Chamonix - Martigny - Visp - Bern - Zurich - Lindau - Munich,
Chamonix - Martigny - Visp - Glacier Express - Chur - Lindau - Munich,
Chamonix - Martigny - Visp - Glacier Express - Samedan - Scuol - Landeck - Fernpass - Garmisch - Munich.

The cheapest solution might be:
car ride Chamonix - Martigny - Chillon Castle - Gruyeres - Berne - Basel airport, French sector
bus ride Basel airport - Basel SBB
meinfernbus Basel SBB (south side) - Munich (fares start at 19 EUR)

PalenQ

Chamonix region (3 nights) return car in Chamonix take train to Geneva.
Train or flight Geneva to Munich

***After reading about the problems people have with returning the car on the French side of Geneva I decided to take the easy way and return in Chamonix.

This current itinerary leaves me 2 days...where should I add them ???>

Well how about - ditching the car in Chamonix - to go up Mont Blanc can only be done on a mountain train and the area around Chamonix is poor for driving into the Alps - again trains and gondolas.

anyway - for the extra two days instead of going to Geneva from Chamonix take the very very scenic Chamonix-Martigny (Switzerland) narrow-gauge train - one of the most scenic in Europe - especially in its propitious descent to the Rhone Valley at Martingy - then take a train to the Interlaken area-

spend a day there and then take the train to Zurich and onto Munich. For lots about Swiss trains check www.swisstravelsystem.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com.

Or from Martigny take the train to Zermatt - spend a day in this awesome Alpine setting then train to Zurich and onto Munich.

StCirq

June is fine in the Dordogne, Edward. The earlier, the better, but generally a fine month here without hordes of visitors.