wren

Please give us your opinions on this itinerary in late June!

Paris
Paris
Paris
Paris
Paris
Amboise via Chartres...we'll pick up car there
Loire
Loire--drive to Burgundy in afternoon
Beaune
Beaune
Lyon
Lyon
home

We were contemplating about drving east to the Alps and staying in Annecy, and dropping the first night in Lyon. Ideas??

Weadles

I would definitely try to visit Annecy. The scenery is spectacular, and the old town is well worth a visit, although it will be crowded by the end of June.

Have a great trip!

wren

Weadles,
Would you spend the night, and where?

Wayne

One interesting alternative is to spend the night at one of the other lovely villages on Lake Annecy, notably Talloires or Menthon. Or you could even opt to stop at Aix-les-Bains, closer to Lyon than Annecy. From any of those places you could visit Annecy and other sights by car. My point is simply that you can possibly find less costly accommodations than those right in Annecy, and still be able to enjoy the place. Good luck.

jmw

Have you considered dropping Beaune and keeping Lyon and Annecy? I don't have a map in front of me, but is there any chance you could day-trip to either Beaune or Annecy from Lyon? I'm a train-rider, so know nothing about driving times. Actually, when I read your itinerary, I thought it sounded great. Have a wonderful time. J.

wren

jmw...We are wine lovers, so several nights in Burgundy are "mandatory"!! We are both really looking forward to that!

Wayne,
Do you have any suggestions as far as places to stay?

jmw

Well in that case, if you cannot day-trip to Annecy from Lyon, I'd save it for another time. From what I hear, Lyon should be savored, not rushed. Bon Voyage! J.

Joelle

Lyon has many things to offer in terms of sightseeing. However Annecy will be quieter.
Doing both towns sounds a bit too much to me.

One recommendation for Beaune: I just stayed there last week-end and discovered a new hotel (an old farm, just refurbished, brand new, quiet and not expensive!). The name is Hotel Le Clos in Montagny les Beaune (4 km from Beaune). This place is definitely a pleasant one.

cask23

My wife and I are doing a shorter version of your trip next week. We will be in Paris for 5 nights, driving to Beaune for 2 nights (also Burgundy wine fans!!), then to Troyes for a night, finally back to Paris and home. We are staying at the Tulip Inn Athanor Centre in Beaune, I believe it is in the heart of Beaune and a lot cheaper than some of the other hotels. I think are rate for two nights is 74 euros/night. We booked at travelnow.com. If you like I will let you know how the hotel is and if travelnow is a reputable site.

Joelle

The Burgundy wine cellars visits during the week-end were rather nice... but a bit exhausting...

hanl

Joelle is probably right that trying to do Annecy and Lyon in 2 days is too much, but if you really want to visit both places then bear in mind that Annecy can be easily visited as a day trip from Lyon (or vice versa). It takes around one and a half hours by car, mainly motorway.

Annecy is a pretty place, and a nice getaway, but it gets very busy as it's a major tourist town. There's honestly not *that* much to do there apart from wander around, eat and drink and admire the scenery (although what's wrong with that!?!).
You could easily drive there in the morning from Lyon (or take the train), wander around the market stalls and check out the castle, have lunch, take a boat trip on the lake and be back in Lyon before nightfall.

But as jmw suggests, you may regret not having longer to spend in Lyon as it's a fantastic city - much more relaxed than Paris, lots of pedestrian-friendly streets, great shopping, excellent restaurants, with a rich architectural and archeological heritage...

wren

Thanks to all...we already have a room reserved at Domaine de Loisy in Nuits-St.-Georges. I am thinking maybe a day trip to Annecy from Lyon, if at all, is what we will do. But after some of your advice, I am wondering if we should just concentrate on the Lyon area. Anyone have suggestions on must-do's in Lyon? I know the food is supposed to be "to die for".

kt_tak

I know the area well as I covered it for Let's Go in 1999. My suggestion would be to skip the Loire part.
Instead take a train from Paris to Dijon, spend a night there and pick up the car. Then take 3 days leisurely getting down to Lyon. Then you'll have time for a night in Annecy, and you can do Lyon in the style it deserves.