After an overnight in Annecy, we will drive to Beaune where we need to arrive late afternoon to check into our apartment there. It looks like the most direct route is via Bourg-en-Bresse, Mâcon, Tournus and Chalon-sur-Saône. One thought I had was to drive around the Beaujolais region just south of Mâcon before heading for Beaune. If we did that, we would have no time to see other places north of Mâcon like Tournus or Chalon-sur-Saône, or anywhere else interesting along that route.

Any suggestions for this leg of our journey would be greatly appreciated.

The drive time between Annecy and Beaune is about 2-1/2 hours non-stop by autoroute if weather and traffic are OK (I just did this drive). I think your question is something only you can answer because only you know what is of most interest to you and how much time you'll have to explore. Either of your ideas sounds fine to me.

Personally I would rather explore the countryside and villages between Mâcon and Tournus. Perhaps visit Cluny (and the famous abbey) and/or pick up a scenic road in the region, such as the D15, and/or pass through villages like Blanot, Lugny, Berzé-la-Ville, Berzé-la-Châtel (has a château), Cormatin (has a château), Chapaize, Brancion (has a château ruin), Uchizy, Farges-les-Mâcon and of course, Tournus. I might take a pass on exploring Mâcon itself.

Really there are loads of charming anonymous villages (not named above) to see in this area. Not that there may be much to do in these places other than absorb their charm and ambiance. But that's something I like to do on vacation as I prefer just seeing and experiencing beauty and doing things at a leisurely place as opposed to planning activities and visits to specific places and sites.

You know from my response in your other thread that I recommend getting Michelin maps if you want to explore the countryside.

I think we will skip the Beaujolais and take our time getting from Mâcon to Beaune along a scenic road or two. We also prefer absorbing charm and ambiance at a leisurely pace.

We have always relied on the 1:200.000 Michelin maps for France. They are so good, and we've never felt the need for a GPS. (It would probably drive us crazy trying to cope with our random wanderings anyway.) This time I'm going to get a road atlas since we're going to be driving in several regions. Michelin has one now that is 1:200.000, NOT spiral-bound, but it's not available yet in the US or Canada. Hope to find one at FNAC when we arrive.

Thanks again for your suggestions. It's so helpful to get such detailed information. I've enjoyed your photos, especially the Burgundy series which pretty much convinced us that we would include some time there during this trip. I'm starting another thread about daytrips from Beaune. Hope you'll chime in there too.

You should have no problem finding the Michelin atlas here. I'm still using my 2007 edition and need to get an update. I'll have some suggestions for you on your new Beaune day trip thread I'm sure and so won't lots of others. You already know about my trip report in Burgundy so you've got a few ideas to start with. See you in your next thread!

I'm thinking of ordering the atlas on the FNAC site and choosing the option of picking it up in a store in Paris. We'll be there for a day before leaving for Lyon.

My favorite photo from your Burgundy set is the one of the magnificent Charolais(?) bull relaxing on his hilltop, surveying his territory. You have such an eye for scenes that evoke the local ambiance. Looking forward to your next photos.

I posted a suggested route & sites for Annecy to Beaune on your other post.

Stu Dudley

I'll be working on my Annecy trip report in upcoming days so perhaps it might be done before you leave. If you liked the Burgundy photos wait till you see these. There will be plenty of cows.

BTW, I had no idea what kind of cow I photographed so I googled (because google knows everything) and found out "la charolaise" is a breed of cow that is big and muscular with short, solid legs.

The church just outside Bourg-en-Bresse is definitely worth a visit.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mksfca/...ith/4861353662

FMT - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charolais_cattle . But, the photos aren't as nice as yours.

Michael - That does look like a splendid church. Your other photos in that album are great too.

Most pictures are geo-tagged, which, if interested in that location, could help in figuring out an itinerary.