My mom, sister and I are in the very early stages of planning for a potential trip to France in June '08. It's actually my sister and I treating my mom to a trip to Provence but we are planning to incorporate 2 days in Paris and 2 days in Burgundy as well.

We are thinking about driving our rental car after our stay in the Luberon to somewhere in Burgundy for our 1 night, 2 day visit. I know it's not nearly enough time in this region, but figured it would be a nice pitstop and a good place to drop the rental car off and hop on the TGV back to Paris.

I have never been to Burgundy so don't know the best place to stay - Dijon seems to get good reviews. We are more country, than city. We love cottage, quaint type places to stay, if even for 1 night. I was thinking about Dijon and Beaune as being the two places we hit during our short stay. Auxerre I read somewhere has great shopping, but after looking at a map it seems a bit far north. Our main interest I would have to say is shopping and staying at a quaint place outside of the villages.

Any help would be great!
Thank you.

Hi,
Since you'll have a car, why not stop between Dijon and Beaune along the wine coast (the golden slope 8-))
I don't know your budget but you can check Chateau Ziltener in Chambolle Musigny http://www.chateau-ziltener.com/index.html
and Le Richebourg in Vosne Romanée, they both had great reviews
http://www.hotel-lerichebourg.com/ph...=1&lang=fr

Welcome to Burgundy!
coco

Dijon is the perfect place for hopping the TGV back to Paris - not only a fine historic town but for a unique place to stay not far from the station i think check out Coco's flat, which has gotten many many rave reviews from Fodorites who have stayed there. Search Fodors for
www.myhomeindijon.com and read them.

From a Dijon base a wonderful short drive would be along the Burgundy Wine Road to Beaune, probably 30 miles or so of a neat road running at the base of hills carpeted with vineyards with famous wine houses and villages to stop in along the way.

Thank you Pal but "my home in Dijon" is for 2 persons only!

I would stay in Beaune to get the small town charm. Visit Perouges on the way there, to see a perfectly maintained medieval village. If you have time, also visit the fantastic chateau & gardens at Ch Cormatin - just west of Tournas. Next day explore some of the chateaux (Ch Sully would be a good choice) & countryside & then end the afternoon in Dijon to shop & take the TGV back to Paris. Dijon has wonderful shopping and it's my favorite city in France after Paris.

Stu Dudley

I would also recommend Beaune over Dijon. It is a great small town and easy access to explore the vineyards. We had an amazing tourguide that we found through Rick Steves (about the only thing we liked from his book). If you have the time and like wine, I highly highly recommend getting a tour guide. And since you'll have a car and there are only 3 of you, that's perfect. A lot of tour guides will drive your car for you while telling you all about what you are seeing.

I daydream about Beaune all the time. We hopped on a train from there to Paris - only slightly longer than from Dijon.

marking

PS the food in and around Beaune was amazing. I think I gained 5lbs in 2 days.

I'm so jealous of your trip!

Thank you all for the great suggestions!

PalenQ, I have heard great things about Coco's flat. I suppose I could make my mom or sister find other lodging.

I think Beaune may be our speed as far as quaint and charming goes ... but we will definitely visit Dijon.

Stu, thank you for suggesting Perouges. I'd never read anything about this village and I love medieval.

I don't think you can go wrong in any Cote d'Or (Coco is that what they call it) area Dijon-Beaune-and south. I rode my bike through there once and didn't see a not swell village or town the whole way... until i got to Macon that is.

We stayed at the Hotel Belle Epoque in Beaune. Perfect location, quaint courtyard, flowers, nice room, quite large, very good breakfast, and a helpful manager. Price in June was $85. Read about it in a guide book I can't remember. Took TGV straight to Paris.

HI K,

>a trip to Provence but we are planning to incorporate 2 days in Paris and 2 days in Burgundy as well....

I suggest either 4 days in Paris or 4 days in Burgundy, but not to split the time.

I agree with Ira about either 4 days in Provence or 4 in Burgundy and not splitting the time. BUT, if you are set on splitting you will love Beaune. We were just there about three weeks ago and more than enjoyed it.

Katzen, no village has great shopping.
Some on market days have some nice crafts and embroided linens but not much. Peruges I agree with for a special stay if you like quiet, quaint, historical, with cobblestones that you no longer see anywhere very much.
We like Avallon and spend a night there on our way to Provence. Beaune is another place we stop at.

Hi, we plan to go to Beaune for 1 day from Paris in July for either a day trip and return to Paris for the night, or spend a night in Beaune then return to Paris the next day. We plan to visit Hospice de Beaune (which I believe is Hotel Dieu right?), and a chateau for wine-tasting. We were thinking of either Chateau de Mersault or Chateau de Pommard, or does anyone have any other chateau to recommend, which is near Beaune city centre, as we will not be driving, can't read or speak French, and would have to rely on public transport or walk to get around?

Also, any recommendations of where to stay in Beaune, we are on a budget, but would prefer it to be near the train station, the Hospice and transport links to chateau?

Thanks!

Bthe way, does anyone know how to get around Beaune to the chateau if we are not driving...will there be buses to take? Any online interactive maps that will show the route? Thanks.

Hi vg,

See your other post. I don't recommend a chateau visit if you don't have a car.

vgkl, you can take bus 44 that goes from Dijon to Chalon sur Saone (and back) with stops in Beaune Pommard and Meursault.
Check http://www.cotedor.fr/jahia/Jahia/ac...e?article=3967
Then click on "télécharger le guide" (load)
and then check pages 81, 83 and 92. and there you go!

You can write Chateau de Meursault or Chateau de Pommard on a piece of paper and show the driver, he/she will surely tell you what bus stop you should go down.

I realize that this thread is a couple months old, and my recommendation does fit best with car-based travelers (so not really useful to vgkl who just topped it yesterday)... but still, it might be a worthwhile choice for someone else reading this thread.

Coco's suggestion of Le Richebourg does look like the kind of place that we would love to choose. Like you, we chose to try to squeeze in two days, one night in Burgundy (two nights if our stay in Villeneuve-sur-Yonne counts) this September (coming back from Turin to Paris).

For better or worse, we decided that this would be our one night to choose relatively budget lodging - - partly because this looks so good:

http://perso.orange.fr/gite-oree-du-bois/index_eng.htm

From Gites de France - - and under half the cost of Le Richebourg.

Best wishes,

Rex

Very nice and very close from Citeaux abbey, thank you Rex