joeandjudy

We are planning a late spring trip to France, our first visit. We were thinking 3 days Paris, 3 days Burgandy(Beaune) and 3 days Provence. Is this doable? any suggetions on locations are appreciated!!

Michael

Doable, yes. Desirable, maybe. Even though it is a relatively short train ride from Beaune to the Provence, consider that day pretty much lost on transfer to and from the hotels and the train stations. Besides, what do you mean by the Provence? Are you flying back from the south of France or do you have to go back to Paris? If so, there goes another day.

Chicago_Heather

Agree with Michael on questioning whether you would want to spend so much of your time traveling. But, one question is whether you'll have a car or not. Also, what are your interests? What do you want to see/experience while you're in France? Chateaux? Wine villages? Countryside?<BR>

elle

Are you driving or taking the train? Where will you be flying into and out of France?<BR><BR>If I had just nine days in France, I would probably split it in the following way (this is mostly a driving itinerary, but with some adjustment, e.g. substituting Dijon for Beaune, you could probably do some of it by train):<BR><BR>2 days in Paris<BR>Depart Paris early on Day 3 for Beaune<BR>Spend the remainder of Day 3, all of Day 4, and the first half of Day 5 in and around Beaune.<BR>Depart Beaune mid-day on Day 5 for Provence (consider basing yourself in the Vaucluse or in Avignon), arriving there late in the day.<BR>Spend day 6, 7, and 8 in Provence.<BR>Return to Paris on Day 9 via TGV from Avignon.<BR><BR>

klondike

Doable? yes. Advisable? Not IMO. I would research Burgundy and Provence and pick one or the other. Give yourself time to enjoy and experience where you are. While some might suggest spending all the time in Paris, on the off chance you don't get back any time soon I would want to have experienced both capital and country.<BR><BR>I personally have a fondness for the Beaune region, but depending on when in the spring the flowers would be beautiful in Provence. <BR><BR>Good luck deciding whatever; it's half the fun!

Tango

I would pick 2 areas not three - so Paris and one of the others. That way you won't be rushed and you can really take in the sites, linger in cafes, etc.

joeandjudy

Thanks for the replies.<BR>We originally planned on renting a car, but the France rail and drive pass seems to be the best option-4 days rail/3 days car. My wife has now decided she would love to see the Med. coast as opposed to Provence.<BR><BR>Both our interests are similar, wine ,country, art, and water.<BR>Does this change anything?<BR><BR>We are planning 9 days for actual time in France, and 2 days for travel to and from home.<BR>We thought that flying in and out of Paris were our best options.

klondike

Sounds good to me. Have you thought of flying into Paris and out of Nice? That would save you travel time some. There are some great threads on the Cote d'Azur area. My favorites are the smaller (versus Cannes, Marseilles) like Cassis, Frejus, St. Paul de Vence and Eze. Bon Voyage.

elle

Does she have her heart set on the Cote d'Azur part of the Mediterranean coast? If so, you could base yourself somewhere in the Var for excursions to both the Cote d'Azur or the heart of Provence.<BR><BR>Be aware, though, that the major French navy base is nearby at Toulon, and there have been a lot of war preparations going on there (despite Chirac's public downplay). Who knows what that area could be like by late spring?<BR><BR>Would you consider the other side of the Rhone (Languedoc-Roussillon)? The village atmosphere can still be very Provencal, the coast is not as glamourous, but then again, not as crowded, and (with a few exceptions, such as the wines from Bandol in Provence) the wines are more interesting.<BR>