Dijon/Lyon/Strasbourg
 

hello fodorites. my father is taking us on a trip in the fall, and we will be going to the dijon/lyon/strasbourg area for 6 days before going to paris. if you were two choose 2 cities to spent 3 nights in, how would you divi up these choices? the goal is to be close to burgundy for the wine tasting, and strasbourg because my father says some of our family comes from there. suggestions on accommodations would help as well. thank you!

Lyon is huge - and getting in/out is difficult. It is just south of the Beaujolais wine growing region - but pretty far from Burgundy. Dijon is "ground center" in the Burgundy wine country & in/out is easier. A side trip to Beaune from Dijon would enhance your wine experience.

Therefore, Dijon & Strasbourg.

Stu Dudley

that's great thanks stu. any suggestions on hotel?

What's your budget????

Stu Dudley

Also - will you have a car???

Lyon is a large city and Dijon a small town. Both easily reached via train.. I would make your selection based on which you prefer, a larger city or a small town. Food is much better in Lyon and its a wonderful city. Dijon is small with not a lot to see, but nice enough. Beaune a short train ride is worth a visit.

my father is gifting us this vacation so would say reasonable/average budget. i think we will splurge once in paris at the hotel he likes. not sure about car. was thinking of hiring driver for wine and vineyards? unless it's suggested. we would take the train from zurich (our first stop) to dijon, then train to strasbourg, then train to paris. only thinking of 2-3 days in each before spending a week in paris, so a few days without a car is hopefully manageable.

Reasonable/average can mean anything for hotel pricing.

You need to give a specific amount in euros and also clarify how many people there are and how many rooms you will need. (Most hotel rooms in europe have one double or queen bed - family rooms - for more people are fairly rare and cost more. Sometimes it costs less to get two separate rooms and get another bath.)

I don't think I would call Dijon a small town, at a population of 240,000. It's our second favorite city in France (tied with Toulouse) after Paris. Beaune, with a population of 22,500, might be considered small. Dijon has one 2 star Michelin restaurant, and three 1 stars - fewer than Lyon but plenty of options for 3 dinners.

In Dijon, I would certainly stay at Coco's place.
http://www.myhomeindijon.com/

Many Fodors people have stayed at her place and received lots of advise & shuttling around.

Lyon is pretty far away from the Burgundy wineries/vineyards for either a "driver" or your own car. I would not want to drive in & out of Lyon very often (have done it once).

Gutenberg in Strasbourg is a good choice for a hotel. We've stayed there twice.

Stu Dudley

Coco's is great, but can it fit more than 2 people? Assumed there is a father and "us." In terms of size for Dijon I was thinking of the core sightseeing portion.

I really liked Dijon this past September. It was a casual place with a non-touristy feel but a pretty, very much still lived-in old town - - it seemed the kind of place many people expect Paris to be like (charm, neighborhoody, easygoing bistros) but Paris actually has far more tourism / bustle / worldly aspects.

Lyon is a classy city, but still more city than Dijon. Here's pictures from out Dijon/Beaune time this September (with tour of Drouhin winery in Beaune): https://www.flickr.com/photos/dougla...7648169488160/

And pix of 5 hours in Lyon before then:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/dougla...7647746984659/

thank you all!

Dijon isn't a small town, but is smaller than Lyon. I'd just choose whichever one works best, to be honest. I don't think of Lyon and winetasting at all.

I'd probably pick Dijon, it's closer and there is the wine issue.

In Strasbourg, I loved the HOtel de l'Europe and in Dijon, I stayed at the Quality Hotel du Nord. Now its rooms were modern, not charming, but that hotel had an excellent restaurant and the location couldn't be beat for walking around Dijon or to/from the train station (there is a bus from the train station that stops practically right in front, although you could walk it -- I wouldn't with luggage).

Coco's place looks great, but yes there will be 4 of us, and therefore it can't accomodate.
the quality hotel looks fine, and will be considered!

It's a decent choice (somehow it is franchised to the Choice Hotels in teh US, which is kind of weird as I haven't seen that before in France much, but it is an old hotel, but refurbished). There is a movie theater just across the street I enjoyed, but it only had French language films as I recall. And the hotel restaurant came in handy one night when it was raining a lot and I just didn't feel like going out anywhere. It was very good, actually.

ok, how about to do's in zurich/dijon and strasbourg?

topping?

Take the Owl Walk (get it at the TI) while in Dijon. Get the Michelin Green Guide for Burgundy and another for Alsace for other things to do & see in Dijon & Strasbourg.

Stu Dudley

thanks again stu!

We were in Dijon in October. Talking only about the City (and not the wine route), we visited the Ducal Palace and connected art museum, and the nearby archaeology museum, both of which were top notch, and the palace/art museum are free!