tcreath

Well, as of right now DH and I are thinking Switzerland and the Burgundy Region for next year's vacation. Yes, I already have two vacations scheduled between now and then but they are already basically planned so I feel the strong desire to start vacation planning yet again!

Anyways, we are thinking of spending a week in Switzerland and 3 days in the Burgundy region. This would probably be in late May/early June of next year. We would more than likely be coming from the Montreux area and would be driving. And since we are using ff miles we are thinking that it may be best to just fly out of Lyon instead of Paris or Geneva.

Okay, so if we are coming from Montreux and (probably) flying out of Lyon, where would a good base be? We love exploring the countryside, small villages and towns, cafes, and just relaxing and enjoying the culture. I'm thinking maybe Dijon or Beaune. Any suggestions?

Thanks!!
Tracy

cigalechanta

haven't been to Dijon yet but we did stay in Beaune which we liked and we always spend a night in Avallon.

PalenQ

Beaune would seem to be a perfect base for putzing along the Burgundy Wine Road, which runs at the foot of vineyard-carpeted hills with famous wineries dotting it.

Beaune is a cute town - a vibrant regional town.

dijon is also nice but is a much bigger city, which would appeal to some more than smaller quieter towns.

But you can't go wrong.

I think Beaune would be better as a base for motorists as many famous wineries are approximate to it. Dijon entails the problems of driving in a big city in and out each day.

But Dijon is a gem for a big city.

Linda431

I'm partial to Beaune.

Dijon has a lot of traffic and an insane traffic circle that we got stuck on one time and couldn't get off. I felt like Charley on the MTA. It has more of a big city feel to me.

Beaune is a pretty little town and a great town for walking. The shopping area is arranged around the town square (or circle actually). If you go, don't miss the market on Saturday morning.

Michael

I would pick Dijon because it is more centrally located in the entire Burgundy area, which means that if one wishes to visit the northern area (Montbard, Auxerre, the chateaux of that area, the small towns, etc.), it is easier from Dijon. Beaune is of course very accessible from Dijon.

PalenQ

And Vezelay bien sur.

StuDudley

In Sept, we spent 2 weeks in a Gite just 10 mins south of Beaune. Burgundy is very spread out. It took us too much time to drive to the wonderful sites around Auxerre - Tanley, Ancy le Franc, Vezelay, Bazouches, Fontenay, Noyers, etc. If you only have 3 days in Burgundy (hope that's 3 full days & not 2 1/2) & stay near Beaune like we did - I doubt if you will have time to visit more than about 3 of the sites I listed (including Auxerre). Avallon & Chablis are not on this list because we got tired of driving up there several times & we never made it to these last two sites.

You could stay somewhere in mid Burgundy (Dijon is almost as far away from Auxerre as Beaune is), but I doubt if any place in that region would be as charming as Beaune. Vezelay might work, but I think I would get tired of it after about 2 nights. If I had only 3 nights, I'de stay in Beaune or Dijon & make only 1 trip up to the Auxerre/Vezelay region.

There is an early morning TGV train from Dijon to the CDG airport. Stay in Dijon your last night (or all three).

Stu Dudley

tcreath

Thank you all so much for your advice! Although we do like cities, we usually prefer to stay in smaller towns. I think Beaune, or perhaps somewhere just outside of it, would work better for us.

This looks like such a lovely area! We know that 3 days isn't very long but we are looking for a nice relaxing visit and to get a small a taste for the area.

Thanks again!
Tracy

cigalechanta

tcreath, because we love fine dining we cannot afford fine hotels usually but we stayed here:

it's an easy walk to town as it sits on the edge of town and we walked to find a restaurant easily that was beyond our expectations. The location makes touring easy to get in and out. We had our own table outside our door for breakfast. A lovely lady runs this place.

http://www.lehome.fr/

ripit

We stayed at Le Home several years ago. I agree that it is a very charming hotel with a lovely hostess and a good value too. I also agree that it is easy to get in and out from here and they have plenty of parking. It was a bit too far out of town for my tastes, however. It is about a mile outside of the town center. Not a bad walk but Beaune is the type that I like being in after dark. I also like to be a short stroll to the local cafes to enjoy coffee and croissant in the morning.

We are heading to Beaune this June and we will be staying at Hotel des Remparts. I took note last time we were in Beaune that I liked the look and location of the hotel. They have reasonable rates as well. I believe we are paying 79 EUR per night.

hopscotch

I've stayed in Beaune, Nuits-St. Georges, central Dijon, and the south side of Dijon. Nuits is central but they are all so close that it doesn't make much difference. Get the Michelin Green Guide to Burgundy/Bourgogne and map it out. You don't have a lot of time.