Hi All,
Considering how long to stay in Burgundy, specifically we are thinking of basing in Beaune. Would this be a good base for 5-7 Days as we wander around walking or driving to different villages, communing with the locals, sampling the regional delights etc. Wish to avoid heavily touristy areas. How long should we stay: we could stay as long as a week before taking off to Brittany: but would that be too long?
Can you recommend walking areas (or links to self-guided or better yet guided walks that aren't mobbed with bicycles etc?
As I chose B&Bs I want to make sure they are not on the highways, or other noise corridors...would google maps help me sort this out?
All suggestions welcome!
Merci!
Peppermint

if i wanted quieter places I'd head further north, but i don't know the footpaths of the area well

https://www.bourgogne-tourisme.com/d...-ou-en-bateau/

Regarding walking in Burgundy, as far as I'm concerned the towpath of the Burgundy Canal is the best! No need for any sort of guide as besides being tranquil & gorgeous, you can't get lost because you're just following the water. I suggest west of Dijon as it gets less idyllic after it turns south at Dijon. I walked from Pouilly-en-Auxois to Dijon over several days. Here's the story (which I posted here recently for someone else): https://www.travelgumbo.com/blog/wal...rgundy-canal-1

There are plenty of resources online, including this one: https://ilovewalkinginfrance.com/burgundy-canal/

We once had a long weekend in Pouilly-sur-Loire, which was a good base for Nevers, Dijon and Auxerre, plus there were excellent restaurants in the area. I don't remember if we got to Beaune, but I think we might have had a morning there. Wonderful area, we would go back but just haven't got there yet.

Lavandula

I suppose it's a decent base, it's a fairly small town so that makes it easier to drive to/from. I wouldn't recommend staying there if you wanted to do train transportation. It is super touristy though. Although I imagine that's why you picked it, because you'd heard of it regarding tourism or in guidebooks for Americans, etc. People into wine go there a lot and just seemed full of wine shops to me which I don't find interesting. It does have one interesting museum (Hotel Dieu).

So it really depends how serious you are about no tourists. The advantage of a place like that is lots of businesses that may cater to you and won't in places without tourists. Like the bike rental company
https://www.bourgogne-randonnees.fr/en
There are French guidebooks you can buy that concentrate on walking tours (like Guides des Randonées à Pied or something like that).

But another advantage of staying in a touristy place is the tourism office will help you with these types of things, like these walks suggested by Beaune tourisme they have an app plus info on website
https://www.beaune-tourism.com/App-W...urgundy-Beaune

Beaune is certainly supertouristy. Since we are all tourists, though, that's not necessarily a drawback. It has services, restaurants, pretty streets to stroll through, and easy access (by car) to many, many places of interest in all directions. I've been there four times, in spring, summer, and fall, and it's never been so crowded that it was annoying or overwhelming.

Can't help with the walking tours, but there are gorgeous drives to be had not far away, through the rolling vineyards that are everyone's fantasy of Burgundy. I'd go back in a heartbeat.