Burgundy/Provence Itinerary
Mar 21st, 2009, 02:47 PM
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Burgundy/Provence Itinerary
My wife and I hope to travel to France in late May and wondered if someone might suggest and itinerary for travel between Burgundy and Provence. We plan to fly to Paris and go to Dijon by train. The remainder of the trip would be by rental car from Dijon ... down through Burgundy and Provence. We would drop the rental car off in Provence and return to Paris at the end of the trip by train. We would like to limit lodging cost to about 100 Euros/day and would appreciate any suggestions on lodging, especially B&Bs. We are seniors and have traveled similarly before in France, Germany, Italy, and the UK.
Mar 21st, 2009, 03:08 PM
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Many Gites de France B&Bs (http://www.gites-de-france.com/gites...breakfasts)are less than $100.
Mar 21st, 2009, 03:19 PM
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How about indicating how many days you have for this trip. If you already have plane tickets or know specific dates, provide the day of the week you land in Paris. Do you plan to spend any time in Paris (other as a stop-over from Provence to CDG?
It might "save" a day to take the TGV directly from CDG to Provence & start the trip there. Then on to Burgundy/Dijon and take the early TGV from Dijon directly back to CDG airport for the trip home.
Do you have winetasting interests ??? lots of Chateaux?? any other special interests??
Stu Dudley
It might "save" a day to take the TGV directly from CDG to Provence & start the trip there. Then on to Burgundy/Dijon and take the early TGV from Dijon directly back to CDG airport for the trip home.
Do you have winetasting interests ??? lots of Chateaux?? any other special interests??
Stu Dudley
Mar 21st, 2009, 04:24 PM
#4
Hi Lyndell; Try this for some basic information. www.burgundyeye.com iris1745/dick
Mar 21st, 2009, 06:59 PM
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If you have enough time, 4 days in Burgundy would be wonderful--it's a very large region with much to see. From Dijon you can head north to see the ancient town of Vézelay, with the lovely and historic basilica that is still one of the starting points on the pilgrimmage road to Santiago de Compostela. Just a bit south of Dijon is the medieval town of Autun, which has a magnificent Gothic cathedral with fine sculptures on the façade by Ghisilbertus. On the outskirts of the town is a Roman arena still in use, and there's a fine view of the surrounding countryside from the cross on a hill behind the town.
Then head south to Provence on the Autoroute du Soleil, stopping at Vienne (more Roman sites, including the Temple to Livia built by the emperor Claudius) and Tournon. You might spend the night near Montélimar at Le Poët-Laval, a perched medieval village lovingly restored by the owners of the small hotel there, Les Hospitaliers.
On your way to Provence stop to see the charming small town of Dieulefit, then Nyons (appellation-controlée olives can be had at the mill), and finally Vaison-la-Romaine.
All that will give you a very nice trip through part of Burgundy and the Drôme before you reach Provence.
Then head south to Provence on the Autoroute du Soleil, stopping at Vienne (more Roman sites, including the Temple to Livia built by the emperor Claudius) and Tournon. You might spend the night near Montélimar at Le Poët-Laval, a perched medieval village lovingly restored by the owners of the small hotel there, Les Hospitaliers.
On your way to Provence stop to see the charming small town of Dieulefit, then Nyons (appellation-controlée olives can be had at the mill), and finally Vaison-la-Romaine.
All that will give you a very nice trip through part of Burgundy and the Drôme before you reach Provence.
Mar 22nd, 2009, 02:29 AM
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Mar 22nd, 2009, 05:56 AM
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Hi Lyndell; Underhill mentioned two places we loved, Vezelay and Autun. But Beaune is very special, just south of Dijon and not to be missed. Fontenay Abbey is also special. So much to see in that area. Enjoy iris1745/dick
Mar 22nd, 2009, 06:17 AM
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I would have to agree with Stu for the better planning of of your trip. Go down to Provence, pick up the car and work your way back to Paris for your departure trip.
Your dates of Paris arrival and departure would, of course, need to be know to be able to help with your trip planning. Many try to squeeze in much to much.
Enjoy..
Joan
Your dates of Paris arrival and departure would, of course, need to be know to be able to help with your trip planning. Many try to squeeze in much to much.
Enjoy..
Joan
Mar 22nd, 2009, 03:35 PM
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Thanks to you all for the information. I should have mentioned how long we expect to have (~3 weeks) and that we do not plan to spend any time in Paris. We don't have our tickets yet but hope to arrive at Paris CDG about May 28. A friend, who works for an airline, has offered us some "buddy passes" ... so we may not be able to schedule dates perfectly. If ticket prices come down enough we will buy tickets instead of using the buddy passes. Can anyone comment on the Gevery Chambertin area? The best wine I ever had came from there. Thanks again!
Mar 22nd, 2009, 05:08 PM
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It's great that you've budgeted 3 weeks - too many people try to do it in 10 days
Before I do some research and offer some sugggestons, it would be helul if you provide some sort of guidance:
1. 3 weeks is more time than most people allocate to see these two areas (we've spent 4 weeks in Burgundy/Beaujolais, & 16 weeks in Provence). Do you want a slow-paced trip, or would you consider adding Alsace into the picture and perhaps spend 5 days in Alsace, and 8 each in Burgundy & Provence?
2. How about the number of hotel/B&B changes??? When we spent 2 weeks in Burgundy, we stayed near Beaune in a gite the entire time. We found ourselves spending too much time driving on the freeway to get to the many sites in northern Burgundy - Auxerre, Vezelay, Tanlay Chateau, Ancy le Franc Chateau, Fontenay Abbey, etc. We also took an overnight trip to Troyes, which we really enjoyed. Would you prefer to just "base" in one place in Burgundy for the entire time,
OR
make a few hotel changes - like taking the train from CDG to Troyes, staying overnight there, renting a car the next day, driving to the Auxerre area, staying overnight there 4 nights, then on to the Beaune/Dijon area for 4 nights?????
3. How about self-catering Gites? These are complete houses with multiple bedrooms, kitchen, DR/LR, laundry facilities, yard, views, etc. They rent from Sat to Sat & the places where we've stayed in Burgundy, Alsace, & Provence rent for about 500E to 700E per week. The gites in Provence had private pools. You can save a lot of $$$ on food by cooking at the gites some of the time, and you have a lot more room to stretch out in Gites. However, you have only 2 months till you leave, and researching gites & renting them will take some effort. Do Gites interet you?
Let me know
Stu Dudley
Before I do some research and offer some sugggestons, it would be helul if you provide some sort of guidance:
1. 3 weeks is more time than most people allocate to see these two areas (we've spent 4 weeks in Burgundy/Beaujolais, & 16 weeks in Provence). Do you want a slow-paced trip, or would you consider adding Alsace into the picture and perhaps spend 5 days in Alsace, and 8 each in Burgundy & Provence?
2. How about the number of hotel/B&B changes??? When we spent 2 weeks in Burgundy, we stayed near Beaune in a gite the entire time. We found ourselves spending too much time driving on the freeway to get to the many sites in northern Burgundy - Auxerre, Vezelay, Tanlay Chateau, Ancy le Franc Chateau, Fontenay Abbey, etc. We also took an overnight trip to Troyes, which we really enjoyed. Would you prefer to just "base" in one place in Burgundy for the entire time,
OR
make a few hotel changes - like taking the train from CDG to Troyes, staying overnight there, renting a car the next day, driving to the Auxerre area, staying overnight there 4 nights, then on to the Beaune/Dijon area for 4 nights?????
3. How about self-catering Gites? These are complete houses with multiple bedrooms, kitchen, DR/LR, laundry facilities, yard, views, etc. They rent from Sat to Sat & the places where we've stayed in Burgundy, Alsace, & Provence rent for about 500E to 700E per week. The gites in Provence had private pools. You can save a lot of $$$ on food by cooking at the gites some of the time, and you have a lot more room to stretch out in Gites. However, you have only 2 months till you leave, and researching gites & renting them will take some effort. Do Gites interet you?
Let me know
Stu Dudley
Mar 22nd, 2009, 05:40 PM
#12
Hi; If you like Stu's suggestion of staying in Auxerre, this chateau is 6 miles outside Auxerre. It comes with a French breakfast, very nice and is reasonable. www.chateauderibourdin.com/ iris1745/dick
Mar 23rd, 2009, 08:38 AM
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In September of 2006, I and two friends spent a week touring and tooling about Provence, the Rhone Valley and Burgundy. We flew from Newark, NJ to Paris CDG. We had time enough to take the RER train into Paris. We arrived at Gare de Lyon about 10:30 am with plenty of time to spare to catch our 2:20 TGV to Avignon. We had a delightful lunch at Le Train Bleu Express, the restaurant downstairs from Le Train Bleu. Upon arriving in Avignon, we picked up our rental car and headed about 10 miles west of Avignon to Tavel, where we stayed at Le Pont du Roy, a delightful inn run by a father/son team: Dad is the manager, son is the chef. We did day trips to Avignon, the Pont du Gard and Arles. After 3 days, we headed to Perouges which is about 20 miles NE of Lyon. We stayed at the Ostellerie de Vieux Perouges: an atmospheric 15th century inn in a restored village. Huge rooms with equally large bathrooms: for 75 Euros/night. A day trip to Lyon, had lunch in a bouchon (restaurant offering typical Lyonnais fare) and did a 90 minute cruise of the Rhone and Saone river.
Finally, we headed north and based ourselves in Chagny @ the Hostellerie de Bellecroix, about 10 miles south of Beaune. Although Beaune is small, there is enough to keep you busy for a day..and then there was the wine..(sigh...)We had time enough to visit the vineyards of Mersault, Volnay, Pommard and Clos Veugeot..
We felt that 7 days in these 3 regions was the perfect way to spend our time touring..We returned the rental car in Dijon and took the TGV back to the Gare de Lyon, whereupon we spent 3 days in Paris.
Finally, we headed north and based ourselves in Chagny @ the Hostellerie de Bellecroix, about 10 miles south of Beaune. Although Beaune is small, there is enough to keep you busy for a day..and then there was the wine..(sigh...)We had time enough to visit the vineyards of Mersault, Volnay, Pommard and Clos Veugeot..
We felt that 7 days in these 3 regions was the perfect way to spend our time touring..We returned the rental car in Dijon and took the TGV back to the Gare de Lyon, whereupon we spent 3 days in Paris.
Mar 23rd, 2009, 11:39 AM
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Stu - In respose to your question of March 21:
We do not have any special interest but would enjoy a bit of wine-tasting and visiting Chateaux. And, of course, we'd enjoy seeing the culture and tasting the food of both Burgundy and Provence.
For your questions of March 22:
1. Re: Slow paced trip or include Alsace?
I think we would prefer slow paced, though we usually try to see so much that we end up a bit hurried. We visited Strasbourg a few years ago and had not planned to go into Alsace unless we heard of a "must-see".
2. Re: Number of hotel/B&B changes ... and staying in Troyes?
I had thought that we would stay in 4 or 5 different locations as we traveled south (or north) but am not adverse to making fewer changes. Your suggestion of Troyes for the first night(or two because of jet-lag) sounds very good to me.
3. I think that we would like to stay in a Gite one week of the trip. Do you know if it is difficult to get rooms through a local tourist office in France should we have to delay in making reservations? We usually make our reservations a month or two in advance but may run into some problems on exact dates this trip.
We do not have any special interest but would enjoy a bit of wine-tasting and visiting Chateaux. And, of course, we'd enjoy seeing the culture and tasting the food of both Burgundy and Provence.
For your questions of March 22:
1. Re: Slow paced trip or include Alsace?
I think we would prefer slow paced, though we usually try to see so much that we end up a bit hurried. We visited Strasbourg a few years ago and had not planned to go into Alsace unless we heard of a "must-see".
2. Re: Number of hotel/B&B changes ... and staying in Troyes?
I had thought that we would stay in 4 or 5 different locations as we traveled south (or north) but am not adverse to making fewer changes. Your suggestion of Troyes for the first night(or two because of jet-lag) sounds very good to me.
3. I think that we would like to stay in a Gite one week of the trip. Do you know if it is difficult to get rooms through a local tourist office in France should we have to delay in making reservations? We usually make our reservations a month or two in advance but may run into some problems on exact dates this trip.
Mar 23rd, 2009, 12:51 PM
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Quick answer about your question regarding reservations. There are several French bank holidays in May, when the French like to take off for a 3 day weekend - and rooms are hard (not impossibile) to find. You should be able to plan for this if you know when the holidays are (the only one I know about is May 1 - and you're going late in May).
I'll have a rough itinerary later today or tomorrow - I'm kinda busy today.
Stu Dudley
I'll have a rough itinerary later today or tomorrow - I'm kinda busy today.
Stu Dudley
Mar 24th, 2009, 01:31 PM
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Here are some ideas for your Burgundy & Provence adventure.
Standard warning. Shops in Troyes, Dijon, Auxerre, Avignon, Arles, Aix, etc are closed on Sunday (except food stores in the am), and many close on Monday too. We never plan to visit a city on Sunday. Touristy towns like St Remy, Beaune, & Gordes, will have stores open, but they may be closed on Monday am or all day.
The stars (**) next to a site below is the Michelin Green Guide rating . I’ll add a + or – if I think it is better or worse than the Michelin rating.
I use this site for all my train travel planning. It is much more user friendly than the SNCF site.
http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en
Best fares & availability on planes are usually mid-week – so that’s a good time to depart. Also, FF tickets are more plentiful.
Itinerary
Wed – Depart US (if that’s where you are from)
Thurs – arrive at CDG. Take the train from CDG to Troyes. There are many schedules. All RER trains from CDG go to the Gare du Nord, and then it’s a ½ mile walk to the Gare d’Est where the trains for Troyes depart. Schedules from CDG to Troyes are;
11:18 - 1:38
11:48 - 2:17
1:25 – 3:41
3:40 – 6:03
5:10 – 7:45
Stay 2 nights in Troyes***. Go the library & try to get a copy of the Green Michelin Guide for Alsace and copy the Troyes & Provins sections. Follow the walking Itinerary in the Green Guide for Troyes. We stayed at a “functional” hotel close to the train station – Royal Hotel. We had an excellent dinner at the Valentino – very good value too. Troyes is a very interesting city architecturally. It’s not a shopping mecca – just a pretty city. Michael (another Foderite) loved the tool museum here. We enjoyed another museum that was opened since my Michelin Guide was published – it had displays about fabric weaving, old machines that did this stuff, and lots of other early industrial machines. It was housed in an interesting building. You should be able to find the name of the museum from your hotel.
Friday – Continue exploring Troyes. If you arrived early on Wed, you may run out of things to do today. If so, pick up the car early & visit Provins.
Sat – Pick up a car & head to Provins** if you did not visit it yesterday. This is a smallish town with some interesting ramparts. Follow the waking tour in the Michelin Guide. We enjoyed the Grange aux Dimes* exhibit. We thought the “Souterrains a Graffiti” guided tour was very tedious – I couldn’t wait to leave (tour is in French)
Hop on the freeway & head to Burgundy.
As I mentioned above, we spent too much time in the car on freeways when we were there, so I’ll suggest that you stay 4 nights in upper Burgundy near Auxerre, then 4 nights in southern Burgundy near Dijon or Beaune.
In northern Burgundy, I would stay in Auxerre, Vezelay, or the B&B that was mentioned above.
Try to visit Auxerre**+ on Saturday. Go to the tourist office close to the Tour de Horlogue, and pick up an English walking itinerary. The walking route is painted on the sidewalk/street – except where the streets have been recently paved over. We really enjoyed Auxerre. Spend at let a half-day here – perhaps even longer.
Sunday – don’t visit Auxerre. Sunday is a good day to visit Chateaux & Abbeys, and enjoy the countryside. Here is a site for the Chateaux in Burgundy.
http://www.routedesducs.com/
If you save your ticket for the last chateau you visited, you’ll get a discount on the next chateau. Today perhaps visit Tanlay** in the morning, and Ancy le Franc** in the afternoon. You may be able to slip in Fontenay Abbey***- too.
Monday – Visit Vezelay** and it’s Basilique***-. The town is a little touristy, but interesting. Then visit Ch Bazoches* - Vauban’s chateau. You can see Vezelay from Bazoches. If you have time left in the day, visit Avallon*. Because of all the driving we had to do from our gite near Beaune, we did not have the opportunity to visit Avallon.
Tuesday. Visit Semur en Auxois*. This perched village is very picturesque from the outside, but less interesting on the inside, IMO. If you look at the picture of Sameur in your Michelin Green Guide, the location of this scene is where the “view” icon is located on lower half of the map in the GG. You’ll take lots of photos at this spot. Also note the large crack in the tower as you approach Semur on the Rue de Paris.
Visit the cute village of Noyers, and another Chateau or two. We didn’t like Ch Bussy Rabutin. Also, Flavigny sur Ozerain, where the film “Chocolate” was filmed, was perhaps the most disappointing village in France that we have ever visited.
Wed – head to southern Burgundy. I would stay in either Dijon or Beaune. If Coco (another Fodorite) has rooms available, I would stay in Dijon at her B&B. I believe it has cooking facilities, so you could go to market & cook at home if want to do that.
http://www.myhomeindijon.com/
Visit whichever town you choose to stay in. In Dijon***, make sure you take the Owl walk. Dijon is my favorite city in France, after Paris. Our best dinner in the last 5 years was at Stephane Derbord in Dijon.
Thurs – Visit Autun**-. I did not think the lower village was interesting at all, but the Cathedral** and the small area around the cathedral were both worth visiting.
Visit Ch Rochepot* (not in the link above), and then drive around the pretty vineyard area. From Rochepot, nead north on the D17 through Oiches (or something like that – it’s at a fold in my map), and then just west of St Roman and on to Pommard. Then swing south & drive through Mersault, Puligny Montrachet, Chasagne Montrachet, & Santenay.
Friday – visit the Cote de Beaune from Beaune to Dijon. See the Green Guide. Visit Clos de Vaugeot, Givrey Chambertin, etc. These wine village are not nearly as cute & interesting as the villages in Alsace or even villages you’ll visit next on the Cote du Rhone. They are very "functional". We had an excellent dinner at Rotisserie du Chambertin in Givrey Chambertin. There is an upstairs more-simple restaurant, and a much nicer one in the cellar – where we dined.
Visit another Chateau, or anything you missed on a previous day.
Satuday – market day in Dijon (Beaune too). I wouldn’t miss the market in Dijon. If you choose to stay in Dijon, visit the market there first, and then head off to Beaune for the remainder of the day. If you stay in Beaune, spend this entire day in Dijon. Dijon always seems to have a major event planned for Saturdays. We were there for 3 Saturdays in ’06, and there were 5 events planned – the yearly Patrimonie, a “fun” bike ride the same day as the Patrimonie, an antiques faire, a huge Pipe Organ/hurdy gurdy festival, and a street market.
Sunday - Perfect day to leave Burgundy & head south. There won’t be any trucks on the roads, and also no heavy commute traffic around Lyon.
However, first visit the Chateau & Gardens at Chateau Cormatin** (not to be confused with Ch Commarin). This was perhaps our favorite Chateau.
http://www.burgundytoday.com/histori...x/cormatin.htm
To get there, leave Dijon/Beaune south on the A6. At exit # 27 near Tournas, take the scenic D14 west to Cormatin. Tournas would be a good place for lunch – but perhaps not on a Sunday. Restaurants will be open, but not the shops in the village..
Head south on the A6.
From about Macon south all the way to Provence, the A6 is not really scenic. There’s lots of ugly commerce, nuclear power plants, etc. There are a few interesting stops – but not as interesting as places you’ve just left in Burgundy, or places you’ll visit next in Provence.
Option - If you want to stay someplace overnight between Burgundy & Provence, I would stay at Perouges** – just northeast of Lyon. This is a perfectly preserved medieval village. They filmed Three Musketeers movies there. It is touristy, but surprisingly not tacky at all – no postcard stands, toothbrushes with child’s names on them, etc. It’s small, however, & won’t take long to visit. Stay at Ostellerie du Vieux Perouges. Also visit Cremieu* just south of Perouges if you have the time.
On to Provence.
Like Burgundy, Provence is a little spread out, and if you’re going to be there for more than about 6 days, I usually recommend staying in 2 different locations. Normally I suggest splitting the time in a village like St Remy, and in the scenic countryside like the Luberon. In your case, I would try to reduce the driving down from Burgundy a bit, and suggest two options:
1. Stay in the area around Uzes in northwest Provence, and then stay in southeast Provence in the Luberon near Gordes.
2. Stay in the Dentelles/Cote du Rhone region around Seguret, and in southern Provence in St Remy.
I would stay in Provence for at least 9 nights. It think there is more to do here than in Burgundy.
We always stay in Gites while in Provence, but a good B&B in the Luberon that I’ve visited twice, is Kevin’s place (another Fodorite)
http://www.masperreal.com/index.html
Here is a site that I use quite often to get Provence info
http://www.beyond.fr/
I have a 27 page itinerary about Provence. I won’t repeat it here – obviously Fodor’s people would not want me to post something that large. I’ll refer to generalities here. You can get a free copy if you e-mail me at [email protected] & I’ll attach a copy to the reply e-mail.
Sunday – check into your hotel/B&B. Get acquainted with the neighborhood.
Instead of a day-to-day schedule, I’ll indicate things to do that can be done in 1 day & won’t involve a lot of driving. I’ll also indicate the best day of the week to do this, and what day not to do it.
All of these are described more thoroughly in my Itinerary
1. Avignon & Villeneuve les Avignon. Don’t do this on a Sunday or Monday. These can be visited from any of the 4 base locations I suggested.
2. Monday only . Market day in Bedoin – in the am. Do this if you base near Seguret in the Dentelles, or from the Luberon with an early start. After the market, drive up to Mt Ventoux if it is sunny on top (you’ll see it from Bedoin), and don’t go up if it is cloudy on top. Take scenic drive “Route one – east of Vaison” in my Itinerary, stopping in Brantes.
3. Luberon – pretty countryside & perched villages. May need 1 ½ days if you are not staying in the Luberon, or you don’t visit Gordes & Roussillon after the l’Isle sur la Sorgue market.
4. Gorges de l’Ardeche and Aven d’Orgnac stalactite & mite cave. Do this any day (Sunday),
5. Vaison, Cote du Rhone wine villages, and the Dentelles. Not on Sunday or Monday
6. Chateauneuf du Pape winetasting & tour at Beaucastel. Theater at Orange. Not weekend.
7. Sunday antiques/food/crafts market in l’Isle sur la Sorgue. Gordes & Roussillon after.
8. Lavender Route, and 2 picturesque villages classified as “the Most Beautiful Villages of France”. This is why we return to France
9. Aix en Provence and Lourmarin. Market day in Aix is Tues, Thurs, Sat. Don’t visit on Sun or Mon. This can be visited from the Luberon or St Remy region.
10. Southern Luberon – Cucuron, Pertuis, etc. You can also visit Lourmarin on this day.
11. St Remy, Glanum, Les Baux, and a drive in the Alpillies - visiting Eygalieres. Don’t do this on a Monday when many shops are closed in St Remy. If you are not staying in St Remy, you may have to spread this out over 1 ½ days.
12. Uzes, Pont du Gard, & Castillon du Gard. Market day is Saturday in Uzes. Don’t visit on Sunday or Monday.
13. Arles & Terascon Chateau. Not Sun or Mon
14. Nimes & combine with something else – not Sun or Mon
This is more days than you have available – and I’ve left many things out.
Option – If you want to visit a little coast, I would stay 2 nights in Cassis (see my itinerary for things to do).
Getting back to CDG
1. Fly from Marseille
2. Take the TGV from Avignon or Aix to CDG, or to Paris.
3. Take the TGV or drive to Valence. Take the scenic train from Valence through the Alps to Chambery & stay there overnight. Next day take the TGV to Paris, or a 1 train-change to CDG.
Stu Dudley
3/24/2009
Standard warning. Shops in Troyes, Dijon, Auxerre, Avignon, Arles, Aix, etc are closed on Sunday (except food stores in the am), and many close on Monday too. We never plan to visit a city on Sunday. Touristy towns like St Remy, Beaune, & Gordes, will have stores open, but they may be closed on Monday am or all day.
The stars (**) next to a site below is the Michelin Green Guide rating . I’ll add a + or – if I think it is better or worse than the Michelin rating.
I use this site for all my train travel planning. It is much more user friendly than the SNCF site.
http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en
Best fares & availability on planes are usually mid-week – so that’s a good time to depart. Also, FF tickets are more plentiful.
Itinerary
Wed – Depart US (if that’s where you are from)
Thurs – arrive at CDG. Take the train from CDG to Troyes. There are many schedules. All RER trains from CDG go to the Gare du Nord, and then it’s a ½ mile walk to the Gare d’Est where the trains for Troyes depart. Schedules from CDG to Troyes are;
11:18 - 1:38
11:48 - 2:17
1:25 – 3:41
3:40 – 6:03
5:10 – 7:45
Stay 2 nights in Troyes***. Go the library & try to get a copy of the Green Michelin Guide for Alsace and copy the Troyes & Provins sections. Follow the walking Itinerary in the Green Guide for Troyes. We stayed at a “functional” hotel close to the train station – Royal Hotel. We had an excellent dinner at the Valentino – very good value too. Troyes is a very interesting city architecturally. It’s not a shopping mecca – just a pretty city. Michael (another Foderite) loved the tool museum here. We enjoyed another museum that was opened since my Michelin Guide was published – it had displays about fabric weaving, old machines that did this stuff, and lots of other early industrial machines. It was housed in an interesting building. You should be able to find the name of the museum from your hotel.
Friday – Continue exploring Troyes. If you arrived early on Wed, you may run out of things to do today. If so, pick up the car early & visit Provins.
Sat – Pick up a car & head to Provins** if you did not visit it yesterday. This is a smallish town with some interesting ramparts. Follow the waking tour in the Michelin Guide. We enjoyed the Grange aux Dimes* exhibit. We thought the “Souterrains a Graffiti” guided tour was very tedious – I couldn’t wait to leave (tour is in French)
Hop on the freeway & head to Burgundy.
As I mentioned above, we spent too much time in the car on freeways when we were there, so I’ll suggest that you stay 4 nights in upper Burgundy near Auxerre, then 4 nights in southern Burgundy near Dijon or Beaune.
In northern Burgundy, I would stay in Auxerre, Vezelay, or the B&B that was mentioned above.
Try to visit Auxerre**+ on Saturday. Go to the tourist office close to the Tour de Horlogue, and pick up an English walking itinerary. The walking route is painted on the sidewalk/street – except where the streets have been recently paved over. We really enjoyed Auxerre. Spend at let a half-day here – perhaps even longer.
Sunday – don’t visit Auxerre. Sunday is a good day to visit Chateaux & Abbeys, and enjoy the countryside. Here is a site for the Chateaux in Burgundy.
http://www.routedesducs.com/
If you save your ticket for the last chateau you visited, you’ll get a discount on the next chateau. Today perhaps visit Tanlay** in the morning, and Ancy le Franc** in the afternoon. You may be able to slip in Fontenay Abbey***- too.
Monday – Visit Vezelay** and it’s Basilique***-. The town is a little touristy, but interesting. Then visit Ch Bazoches* - Vauban’s chateau. You can see Vezelay from Bazoches. If you have time left in the day, visit Avallon*. Because of all the driving we had to do from our gite near Beaune, we did not have the opportunity to visit Avallon.
Tuesday. Visit Semur en Auxois*. This perched village is very picturesque from the outside, but less interesting on the inside, IMO. If you look at the picture of Sameur in your Michelin Green Guide, the location of this scene is where the “view” icon is located on lower half of the map in the GG. You’ll take lots of photos at this spot. Also note the large crack in the tower as you approach Semur on the Rue de Paris.
Visit the cute village of Noyers, and another Chateau or two. We didn’t like Ch Bussy Rabutin. Also, Flavigny sur Ozerain, where the film “Chocolate” was filmed, was perhaps the most disappointing village in France that we have ever visited.
Wed – head to southern Burgundy. I would stay in either Dijon or Beaune. If Coco (another Fodorite) has rooms available, I would stay in Dijon at her B&B. I believe it has cooking facilities, so you could go to market & cook at home if want to do that.
http://www.myhomeindijon.com/
Visit whichever town you choose to stay in. In Dijon***, make sure you take the Owl walk. Dijon is my favorite city in France, after Paris. Our best dinner in the last 5 years was at Stephane Derbord in Dijon.
Thurs – Visit Autun**-. I did not think the lower village was interesting at all, but the Cathedral** and the small area around the cathedral were both worth visiting.
Visit Ch Rochepot* (not in the link above), and then drive around the pretty vineyard area. From Rochepot, nead north on the D17 through Oiches (or something like that – it’s at a fold in my map), and then just west of St Roman and on to Pommard. Then swing south & drive through Mersault, Puligny Montrachet, Chasagne Montrachet, & Santenay.
Friday – visit the Cote de Beaune from Beaune to Dijon. See the Green Guide. Visit Clos de Vaugeot, Givrey Chambertin, etc. These wine village are not nearly as cute & interesting as the villages in Alsace or even villages you’ll visit next on the Cote du Rhone. They are very "functional". We had an excellent dinner at Rotisserie du Chambertin in Givrey Chambertin. There is an upstairs more-simple restaurant, and a much nicer one in the cellar – where we dined.
Visit another Chateau, or anything you missed on a previous day.
Satuday – market day in Dijon (Beaune too). I wouldn’t miss the market in Dijon. If you choose to stay in Dijon, visit the market there first, and then head off to Beaune for the remainder of the day. If you stay in Beaune, spend this entire day in Dijon. Dijon always seems to have a major event planned for Saturdays. We were there for 3 Saturdays in ’06, and there were 5 events planned – the yearly Patrimonie, a “fun” bike ride the same day as the Patrimonie, an antiques faire, a huge Pipe Organ/hurdy gurdy festival, and a street market.
Sunday - Perfect day to leave Burgundy & head south. There won’t be any trucks on the roads, and also no heavy commute traffic around Lyon.
However, first visit the Chateau & Gardens at Chateau Cormatin** (not to be confused with Ch Commarin). This was perhaps our favorite Chateau.
http://www.burgundytoday.com/histori...x/cormatin.htm
To get there, leave Dijon/Beaune south on the A6. At exit # 27 near Tournas, take the scenic D14 west to Cormatin. Tournas would be a good place for lunch – but perhaps not on a Sunday. Restaurants will be open, but not the shops in the village..
Head south on the A6.
From about Macon south all the way to Provence, the A6 is not really scenic. There’s lots of ugly commerce, nuclear power plants, etc. There are a few interesting stops – but not as interesting as places you’ve just left in Burgundy, or places you’ll visit next in Provence.
Option - If you want to stay someplace overnight between Burgundy & Provence, I would stay at Perouges** – just northeast of Lyon. This is a perfectly preserved medieval village. They filmed Three Musketeers movies there. It is touristy, but surprisingly not tacky at all – no postcard stands, toothbrushes with child’s names on them, etc. It’s small, however, & won’t take long to visit. Stay at Ostellerie du Vieux Perouges. Also visit Cremieu* just south of Perouges if you have the time.
On to Provence.
Like Burgundy, Provence is a little spread out, and if you’re going to be there for more than about 6 days, I usually recommend staying in 2 different locations. Normally I suggest splitting the time in a village like St Remy, and in the scenic countryside like the Luberon. In your case, I would try to reduce the driving down from Burgundy a bit, and suggest two options:
1. Stay in the area around Uzes in northwest Provence, and then stay in southeast Provence in the Luberon near Gordes.
2. Stay in the Dentelles/Cote du Rhone region around Seguret, and in southern Provence in St Remy.
I would stay in Provence for at least 9 nights. It think there is more to do here than in Burgundy.
We always stay in Gites while in Provence, but a good B&B in the Luberon that I’ve visited twice, is Kevin’s place (another Fodorite)
http://www.masperreal.com/index.html
Here is a site that I use quite often to get Provence info
http://www.beyond.fr/
I have a 27 page itinerary about Provence. I won’t repeat it here – obviously Fodor’s people would not want me to post something that large. I’ll refer to generalities here. You can get a free copy if you e-mail me at [email protected] & I’ll attach a copy to the reply e-mail.
Sunday – check into your hotel/B&B. Get acquainted with the neighborhood.
Instead of a day-to-day schedule, I’ll indicate things to do that can be done in 1 day & won’t involve a lot of driving. I’ll also indicate the best day of the week to do this, and what day not to do it.
All of these are described more thoroughly in my Itinerary
1. Avignon & Villeneuve les Avignon. Don’t do this on a Sunday or Monday. These can be visited from any of the 4 base locations I suggested.
2. Monday only . Market day in Bedoin – in the am. Do this if you base near Seguret in the Dentelles, or from the Luberon with an early start. After the market, drive up to Mt Ventoux if it is sunny on top (you’ll see it from Bedoin), and don’t go up if it is cloudy on top. Take scenic drive “Route one – east of Vaison” in my Itinerary, stopping in Brantes.
3. Luberon – pretty countryside & perched villages. May need 1 ½ days if you are not staying in the Luberon, or you don’t visit Gordes & Roussillon after the l’Isle sur la Sorgue market.
4. Gorges de l’Ardeche and Aven d’Orgnac stalactite & mite cave. Do this any day (Sunday),
5. Vaison, Cote du Rhone wine villages, and the Dentelles. Not on Sunday or Monday
6. Chateauneuf du Pape winetasting & tour at Beaucastel. Theater at Orange. Not weekend.
7. Sunday antiques/food/crafts market in l’Isle sur la Sorgue. Gordes & Roussillon after.
8. Lavender Route, and 2 picturesque villages classified as “the Most Beautiful Villages of France”. This is why we return to France
9. Aix en Provence and Lourmarin. Market day in Aix is Tues, Thurs, Sat. Don’t visit on Sun or Mon. This can be visited from the Luberon or St Remy region.
10. Southern Luberon – Cucuron, Pertuis, etc. You can also visit Lourmarin on this day.
11. St Remy, Glanum, Les Baux, and a drive in the Alpillies - visiting Eygalieres. Don’t do this on a Monday when many shops are closed in St Remy. If you are not staying in St Remy, you may have to spread this out over 1 ½ days.
12. Uzes, Pont du Gard, & Castillon du Gard. Market day is Saturday in Uzes. Don’t visit on Sunday or Monday.
13. Arles & Terascon Chateau. Not Sun or Mon
14. Nimes & combine with something else – not Sun or Mon
This is more days than you have available – and I’ve left many things out.
Option – If you want to visit a little coast, I would stay 2 nights in Cassis (see my itinerary for things to do).
Getting back to CDG
1. Fly from Marseille
2. Take the TGV from Avignon or Aix to CDG, or to Paris.
3. Take the TGV or drive to Valence. Take the scenic train from Valence through the Alps to Chambery & stay there overnight. Next day take the TGV to Paris, or a 1 train-change to CDG.
Stu Dudley
3/24/2009
Mar 25th, 2009, 08:51 AM
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Join Date: Apr 2006
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We loved this inexpensive, charming bed and breakfast just outside Avallon, quite close to Vezelay (a town which I agree with some others is not to be missed): hotel moulin des templiers. For some reason, the link isn't working, but do a search. Lovely setting, lovely hosts. I wish I were having a drink alongside the stream right now.
