Burgundy 7 day car trip after week in Beaune
 

My husband and I are looking to travel by car in the area west of Beaune the third week of April. This will be after a week in Beaune touring the area without a car. We are interested in smaller towns and villages with charm and character. Tonnerre, Tanlay, Vezelay, Chateauneuf-en-Auxois, Semur-en-Auxois are names that look interesting but I'm sure there are a few other places too that we would like. Any advice for a 7 day itinerary with lodging recommendations (again with charm and character/we prefer really nice inns or hotels) for 2 or 3 locations during this week. We will pick up and drop the car in Beaune. Beautiful walks along rivers/canals and in pretty towns are our preference along with seeing historical sites. Thank you!

Get the Michelin map for the "plus beaux villages de France" of which there are several in Burgundy.

https://flic.kr/p/7dPd3z

https://flic.kr/p/7dPdQZ

lovely area, did it by bike about 30 years ago. Might be worth looking at the little railway lines that go north from Auxerre and Chablis which denote two lovely valleys with towns and abbeys that are worth visiting. Even little Cravant is worth a walk by

Had a divine lunch at Moulin des Ruats outside Avallon, and it would certainly meet your criteria as a place to stay.
https://moulindesruats.com/fr/
Their website describes the place accurately as "un havre de paix." Convenient for Vezelay, Auxerre and Semur en Auxois, maybe Tanlay and Ancy le Franc depending on your daily drive tolerance. Guedelon too which ought to be on your radar.

Not sure if you want to go further south for the excellent wines of Givry and the stunning Cormatin chateau, but if you do, there is a charming guest house in between them called L'En Vert du Monde.

Didn't Anthony Bourdain once claim that Michael's above Noyers was among his faves in France?
I am done. the bon Beaune

I already can't imagine why a tourist would spend a week in Beaune. It is too small except for dedicated winos.

You could add Noyers, Flavigny, Abbaye de Fontenay, Auxerre, Chablis to that list. While we have had several stays in Burgundy over the years, I cannot suggest suitable bases. We always stay in self catering holiday accommodation, often in small villages with little commerce.

Our favourite part of Burgundy is the southern part below Givry and from Macon to Cluny. We just prefer the feel of the towns and villages, and it is not as commercialised as the Beaune area. Still good wine but more budget friendly for us. We do not do wine tastings. Travel is very personal I think. I can understand Kerouac’ s comment. Beaune is a lovely town and the Hotel - Dieu is magnificent. But without a car, you will need to research public transport options or day tours for day trips to other places. If you cycle, cycling to some of the wine villages is popular. We stayed near Beaune last year but had a car and only went into Beaune once. We visited Chateauneuf en Auxois from there.

Last year we also stayed near Chatillon sur Seine which is still in the Cote d’Or, but is relatively unheard of on travel forums. It is on the Route de Cremant which is the “ champagne” of Burgundy. And very nice it is too. If you like museums, Chatillon has a very good one. The big drawcard is the magnificent Tresor de Vix. This is a large urn - 1.65 m high with wonderful intricate carvings around the top. It is apparently only 1 mm thick. It was found nearby in the grave of a princess from over 2000 years ago. She was found buried on a chariot and wearing a sold gold neck piece with tiny carvings of Pegasus on the points. It is also on display. The rest of the museum is interesting too. We went down to Semur , about 60 kms away, one day. This was not our first visit, but we enjoyed it again.

if you are interested, i have several trip reports here beginning with our 2014 trip where we stayed near Cormatin and also in Villeneuve sur Yonne. It is titled On the road again- another country roads tour. Unfortunately I neglected to name the areas.. Scroll through to the post from July 18. If you click on my name you will get my profile with my trip reports. Burgundy always was at the end of our trips. In 2016 we stayed in Charolles and in 2018 we stayed in Lugny. While these are not in the areas you name, they are both lovely areas and worth a couple of days. Both are in the Saone et Loire. Depending where you go, some of the places from Villeneuve may be on your path as you wander around eg Abbaye de Pontigny, St Florentin ( lovely church), Brienon sur Armancon ( impressive lavoir).
Bon voyage.

We spent five full days based in Beaune and found it to be an excellent hub for visiting the surrounding area. Our apartment was located inside the walls only a couple of blocks from a parking garage for which we were given the code. It took only a few minutes each morning to get on the road. One day we walked 10 minutes to the station and took the train to Dijon for the day (approx 30 minutes).

Except for a few hours to see the Hospices, we spent every day outside Beaune. In the evenings we found several restaurants we liked within a few minutes walk of the apartment. We did absolutely
nothing wine-related while we were there (although we could probably be called "winos" ;)). So I wholeheartedly recommend Beaune as a base and hub, especially if you have a car. Yes, it is small, but we found that to be an advantage after touring all day.

"Based" in Beaune is totally different from spending a week there before renting a car!

I agree that if you have a car, Beaune is a good base to visit the area. However, the OP has indicated they will not have a car for that week, so they will have to look at other options if they wish to visit places out of Beaune.
At that time of year the vines will not have many leaves. We were in the Beaujolais towards the end of April last year and the leaves were just beginning to sprout.

Hi 1889,
We absolutely loved Semur, so much so that we went back (from Beaune) the next day again. Great for your desired riverside strolls in pretty historic towns.
If you might be interested in one day heading south instead of your westerly designs, the walk or cycling from Meursault village down to Puligny-Montrachet is excellent. It is not only quintessential Burgundy-vineyard-scenery-central but also, its village terminus rewards any fan of dry white wine---the Domaine Leflaive cold lunch/tasting is worth crossing an ocean for. We prefer Meursault whites but still...

Likewise the walk/cycling from Pommard down to Meursault...No river as you've hoped but a lovely pair villages connected with very sympa scenery and vibe. Rockstar Geddy Lee apparently owns a villa somewheres nearby and we can understand why! Smart guy.
Good luck.
I am done. the grapes

Hi, not far from Beaune, I highly recommend visiting the Château de Couches. It’s a magnificent place featuring a medieval dungeon, a Renaissance main pavilion, a charming chapel, and ancient gardens - all on a very human scale.
The real highlight is the tour combined with a tasting of the local wines in the place!

They also have an excellent gourmet restaurant serving regional dishes, and you can even stay overnight. As far as I remember, they only have two guest rooms located in one of the outbuildings. They are very chic and well-appointed. It’s the ultimate experience: you get to enjoy the park and the atmosphere all to yourself once the visitors have left in the evening or early in the morning.

Hello, we will be spending 5 nights in Beaune in mid-April also. We will have a rental car. I have been reading blogs and researching the area and have started a list of nearby villages that we might visit. We also purchased a Burgundy Michelin map. I’ve appreciated the replies to your post and hope to follow some of the advice offered.

Norskie, 1889 and others,
Beaune's weekly marche is a good one. The squash guy and his young daughter run a colourful stall.
When they see us coming with our Nikons, they always run like hell! *their display is one of the most photogenic.
Fwiw, Beaune and some other local towns/villages hold a pair of modest spring/fall fests each year.
Those affairs are low-key but might appeal.

I am done. the vineyardz

Zebec and all on this thread,
Thank you for the great suggestions! I’m so looking forward to touring this area.