Hello! I've have a last minute opportunity to go to Paris/Beaune in mid July to join friends. I will be flying into/out of Paris from the States. The primary portion of the trip has already been planned with 3 nights in Beaune and 3 nights in Paris. I have decided to fly in 3 days early and do a little exploring before joining up with them in Beaune. And, here is my question...thoughts on where to go for those initial 3 nights that is easily accessible by train from Paris and then easily able to navigate onto Beaune? A couple of ideas that are bubbling to the top are Dijon and Strasbourg. Normally, Lyon would be high on the list...but with the Women's World Cup finals playing at the same time, hotels/apartments are too hard to come by. Are there other easily accessible cities/towns that I should consider?

I am a 40-something, well-traveled female that enjoys architecture, general sightseeing, beautiful scenery and living like a local just relaxing with good wine and good food. I am sure I will get my fill of crowds in Paris...and would truly love to slow down and relax and just enjoy being somewhere beautiful.

For Dijon, I;m wondering if it is too similar to Beaune (as I will eventually be there)? But also had read some preferences for the smaller town feel of Dijon vs. Strasbourg. I know there isn't a wrong decision here, but would appreciate any thoughts and feedback!!

Thanks so much!

Strasbourg is a long way from Beaune, a lovely smaller city that I would recommend as a base over Dijon - nice as French cities go. Anyway for lots of good train info and booking own long-distance train tickets check www.oui.sncf - French Railways site - www.seat61.com and BETS-European Rail Experts.

I think the logical choice is Dijon, an attractive relaxed small city with a very nice historic center & close to Beaune though the 2 are not at all alike. Beaune is a great base for visiting Burgundy wine country, low rise & pretty while Dijon has a city feel though easy to negotiate & enjoy on foot. I spent time in both on a trip focused largely on walking the Burgundy Canal, enjoyed & recommend them both.

If you arrive at Paris CDG airport before 7.30am, you could reach the direct Strasbourg bound train leaving at 8.59 and arriving at Strasbourg at 10.49.
Direct trains to Lyon leave the airport at 8.26 and at 9.57 (2 hrs journey).
If hotels at Lyon are fully booked, you could check Vienne, Chambery, Aix-les-Bains, Macon or so.
A train ride from Strasbourg to Dijon takes a bit more than 2 hrs.
Dijon - Beaune is 20 min by (frequent) commuter train.

I am spending a week in Strasbourg this summer, with an overnight in Ribeauville. There are direct trains to Strasbourg from CDG airport, as mentioned by neckervd. Strasbourg has a strong bicycle culture and if you are active you can bicycle along the route des vins. Colmar, Ribeauville, Riquewihr, are all villages that you can explore. The Alsace will have a very different feel than Paris or Beaune.

Strasbourg is q big city with nice quarters - superb. But if touring the Alsace Wine Road Colmar or a small town on the road makes a better base.

Loved Beaune and stayed in one of, if not, the best B&Bs we've ever visited. Incroyable! Best shower ever ... including our house.

Atmosphere - Atmosphere in les Jardins de Loïs - Bed and Breakfast à Beaune en Bourgogne - Anne Marie et Philippe Dufouleur

Atmosphere - Garden in les Jardins de Loïs - Bed and Breakfast à Beaune en Bourgogne - Anne Marie et Philippe Dufouleur

My wife and I spent 3 nights in Dijon last September and frankly were bored during the second day. We had travelled vis train from Paris and wanted to revisit Dijon. Much preferred Beaune, previously spent 3 nights there and quite enjoyed it.

Hence, I would recommend Strasbourg prior to the visit to Beaune. Have previously visited Strasbourg and found much more to see and do in that city. Not so, Dijon, while a wonderful city, we were finished with the sites after one plus days.

Dijon can be used as a base for the visit of most places of Burgundy and surroundings, like Paray le Monial, Vezelay, Cluny, Tournus, Macon, Bourg, Salines royales d'Auxerre, Besancon and tons of vineyards. The city itself can easily be visited in 1 day.

It's true that for those visiting places for the sights, Dijon may not be one in which to linger for long. However, there are those of us looking more for ambiance, places to stroll & sit, & I found Dijon very pleasant in that way. Judging a city as "good for a day" seems to me to often say more about the person than the place, a different way of seeing, not a condemnation of the assessment. But a qualification may be in order when steering others to or away, IMO.

I should add, while I enjoyed several days in Dijon, I added days to Beaune & ended up spending maybe 10 days there. I liked Dijon very much & loved Beaune. However, the real jewels are the villages along & near the canal. Walking from one to another for several days was the best part of all for me.

I would agree with Dijon or Strasbourg, sure. I think I was in Dijon about 3 days, but one of those I did a day trip to Beaune. Dijon isn't remotely like Beaune IMO, so if that is the only objection, I'd mark that one off. They aren't similar in any way that I can think of except geographically they are near each other.

I wouldn't call Dijon a small town, either. I guess compared to Strasbourg, yes, but it's not that small.

I'll throw out Nancy as a possibility also. It's probably even a little smaller than Dijon, actually, but no podunk village. Easy by train to Beaune from there, also, fairly directly. If you are interested in Art Nouveau, they have a very good museum on that as I think that was one center, and several other things of interest and a beautiful main square. Good public transportation (bus or tram) although easy enough to walk around the very center. I would say that Dijon and Nancy probably merit about the same time for most people, based on their size and attractions. I can't even imagine spending 3 nights in Beaune, myself, though, I can't imagine what you'd do there that long. So definitely different opinion than someone who found 3 nights in Beaune more interesting than the same time in Dijon.

To "do" or to "be", indeed, very different verbs.

(I thought I had replied, but didn't see the post)
Thank you all for the considerations...such great information here. I will now have 4 nights (instead of 3) to spend before joining my travel companions. I arrive at 7:05 a.m. at CDG so the thought of being in Strasbourg by lunchtime sounds amazing! Considering maybe 3 nights in Strasbourg/Colmar area and then starting the journey towards Beaune but staying in Dijon for a day/overnight before I meet my friends the next evening. Maybe that is the best of both worlds? But, Nancy seems like a great option too! As I mentioned, I am sure there isn't a wrong decision!!

Another quick question, does anyone have any experience or knowledge of a local Cooking Class (in any of these locations...or even Paris as I will end my trip there). In previous travels, I have had the pleasure to do small, personalized (often in someone's home) cooking classes. It has always been such a wonderful experience, and I would love to do something similar while in France. I have just started the online research, but I would love to hear about any personal experiences!

Thanks so much!

I found the Beaune Tourist Office a great place for information & to make arrangements for the wine village tour I loved. I didn't do a cooking class, I'd rather let someone else cook for me, but I'd shoot them an email and ask if they've got a recommendation.
https://www.beaune-tourism.com/pract...ice/contact-us

Huggy I'm sorry to see you were bored in Dijon last year. Now you make me wonder why I have repeating guests (some even came back 12 days every year for 9 years without even going on day trips) . Is it just to please me? I am!
"Judging a city as "good for a day" seems to me to often say more about the person than the place, a different way of seeing" I fully agree Mme Perdu!

Hi Coco, I've read about your place, gets such good reviews. Always very nice to have confirmation of one's opinion though it might differ from others. Carry on!

I am not particularly interested at all in touring wineries or wine villages, so I suppose that's why I didn't find Beaune so fascinating. Just didn't seem like much to do there, and it was very concentrated on wine shops and wine tourists. There is the old Hotel Dieu, as I recall, and I think that's about it other than wine shops, wine tastings, etc. I actually like wine a lot, also, just not interested at all in visiting wineries. So if you are, you will probalby find it more interesting than I did.

I agree with the tourism office idea, I know the main TI office in Dijon had lots of day winery tour brochures, also.

I actually think there are cities that are just good for a day, although I wouldn't put Dijon in that category. I would Beaune, though, ha ha.

I'd put Dijon in that one-day category -like IME most large French cities. Sundays many stores still must close. Beaune yes just a nice regional town and base for folks plying the Route des vins de bourgogne - the road going either way from town t explore little wine villages and wineries. Not interested to wine stick to Dijon as Dijon Gives a Hoot! Be sure to get the Tourist Offices's "Owl Trail" thru town and cathedral.