sunshineboca

I'm getting started with planning for trip to France next May. Hubby and I plan to fly to Paris and spend one week in a rental apartment. I have been reading and researching, and have settled on a location in Saint Germain.... that was exhausting! Whew, glad that's done.
Since we plan about 16 nights (no plane flights yet), I need help to plan the rest. We will return to Paris for two or three nights before returning home. That leaves 6-7 more nights.
We would like to go the the Alsace wine area and follow the route des vins..I have read about some of the popular towns but don't know where we will base ourselves yet. We plan to train to either Strasbourg or Colmar and rent a car. I believe we can get direct high speed train to either location? How many nights would be reasonable to enjoy the area? We plan to visit wineries, enjoy some of the quaint towns, enjoy restaurants , breweries or whatever else the area offers. (Barely started my research yet). Any suggestions or advice is welcome.
We also would like to visit the champagne area. I know Reims and Epernay are an easy day trip by train from Paris but I wondered if it makes any sense to drive there from Alsace, visit the area , drop the car then return to Paris by train?? We could probably spend an overnight there if that worked. (Or go there before Alsace and return from Colmar). I hate to take more time from Paris by day tripping there as we are first timers.
If I can get the itinerary set I can then work on the details.
Thank you in advance.

nytraveler

Is there some reason to return to Paris rather than do an open jaws flight? You would avoid a wasted day if you return from Frankfurt - or Basle or wherever rather than circling back.

You can easily pick up a car on the way out of Paris and visit reims and Epernay on the way to alsace. For the latter definitely spend at least 3 nights (2 full days) in Strasbourg - with other nights possible either in Colmar or one of the larger wine towns.

sunshineboca

Thank you nytraveler. I will look into those options.

laurie_ann

A good book series for driving trips in Europe is Karen Brown's guides. She has a website too. http://www.karenbrown.com/

Christina

There is a TGV to COlmar, but it stops in Strasbourg anyway. I don't know if the rail line is really highspeed to COlmar or not, but at least you don't have to change trains. There aren't many runs like that, though, per day == most require you change trains in Strasbourg. But there is one around 11 am.

Returning to Paris to go home doesn't make any sense if you are in Germany. But if you are about the same distance as to Paris, that would be fine and I think your plan of stopping in Reims on that end is fine, if you do that.