KelseyT

We wil be visiting Burgundy in late March for 2 nights by train. Would it be better to stay in Beaune or Dijon at that time? We will not have a car.

MmePerdu

It depends entirely whether you like the ambiance of a city or a smaller town. I had a couple of weeks in Burgundy and, while I enjoyed Dijon, I preferred and spent quite a bit more time in Beaune. But smaller places are my general preference.

Whichever one you choose, don't be tempted to divide your 2 nights, despite being close together. They both deserve both nights and would suffer by just 1 night each.

michelhuebeli

You can pick either, they’re only 30 miles apart and trains link them all day long, taking less than 20 minutes! Stay where you find the best lodgings for your taste and budget, and hop on a train when you want to visit the other.

Both are cities, well Beaune is more like big town, with lots of points of interest, but overall the charm of the Burgundy region is just that - the region. Without a car it’s hard to get around and make the most of it.

What is it that you expect to see and do in Burgundy in March? Mother Nature is not doing you any favors at that time, the landscapes look bleak, the days are still short (daylight saving kicks in on March 26), and weather and temperatures could be inclement.

Can you return at a better time and spend this time in Paris, with all the musums and concerts and such, that are perfect for March weather?

annhig

another 2 night stay, Kelsey? Where will you be travelling from, and to? is this before or after the Loire?

KelseyT

Many thanks for your replies. A little more info about our trip: we are going to a wedding in Normandy first, have only a week to spend and don't care to stay in Paris this time. We thought Burgundy and the Loire Valley would be interesting and not too far from Normandy. We plan to go to Beaune for some wine tasting after Normandy then to Amboise. Any other suggestions would be appreciated!

grandmere

I think you will have to return to Paris to get to Loire or Burgundy from Normandy. Seems like you will be spending a lot of your week on a train. Realize this is unsolicited advice, but have you spent time in Avignon? It is a place to be w/o a car; it is linked to other towns in Provence by short train/bus rides, and its more southern location gives you a better chance of good weather. Just a thought!

tom_mn

You could also visit Bordeaux after the Loire.

joannyc

Hard to decide between Dijon and Beaune. One a charming city, the other a charming small town.

I stayed in both for multiple nights. Really enjoyed both but I love the smaller towns. Did lots of wine tastings in Beaune and I mean lots!!! It was also the beginning of the harvest time so I got to see a lot of the harvesting in both my walks in Beaune and drives through the Route de Gran Cru.

But there is a lot to see in both locations. Two nights is not nearly enough to cover both locations. You could stay in either and spend a day in each, I guess. Dijon has more tourist sites but Beaume is so charming. And, I like staying somewhere after the day trippers leave. Hard choice for you!

Here are the pics from my trip last year. Maybe something will jump out to you and help you decide. If you play it in slideshow mode, you will see more captions. The first pic of each location has it's name on it.

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...n-pictures.cfm

Good luck!

thursdaysd

I asked the same question a few years back. I wound up picking Dijon because there was more to do if it rained, which it did. I also found that my day trip to Beaune required rather less than a full day.

Other nearish places I enjoyed on that trip were Strasbourg and Nancy - do not miss Nancy if you have any interest in Art Nouveau.

WoinParis

If you stay in either, don't forget to say 'bonjour' and 'merci'.

We French (or frenchspeaking) consider it as the basis of any social contact.

If you can't utter one word of French, 'hello' and 'thanks' will do too. Also in writing.

Christina

I agree with MmePerdu's assessment. I stayed in Dijon and visited Beaune and would have been bored to death staying in Beaune several days. I also don't like the concentration on wine tourists.

StuDudley

Another big vote for Dijon. It's tied with Toulouse as our second favorite city in France - after Paris. We stayed in a gite near Beaune for 2 weeks about 10 years ago - and we also stayed in both Beaune & Dijon for 1 nighters on the way back to Paris from Provence. Lots more stuff to do & see in Dijon than in Beaune.

Stay in Coco's place for a real treat - she's a contributor here on Fodors:
http://www.myhomeindijon.com/

Stu Dudley

MmePerdu

One thing I've learned over the decades is that what may appear to be a place with little or no interest for a visitor can become much more interesting the longer one stays, the precise opposite of familiarity breeding contempt. I've found some of my most memorable weeks and months have been spent in places many may never have heard of, some near tourist destinations but off the main track. I find the longer I stay, the more I see, interesting people and places that don't stand out and are seen only after a time when quieter aspects come into focus.

I'd recommend going with one's instinctive preferences, like smaller over larger or vice versa, rather than take the word of those who may have very different preferences or ways of traveling and thinking. Travel is one of the most personal of activities and I think recommendations from strangers having to do with logistics are infinitely more useful than those of taste. We're all so very different.

annhig

A little more info about our trip: we are going to a wedding in Normandy first, have only a week to spend and don't care to stay in Paris this time. We thought Burgundy and the Loire Valley would be interesting and not too far from Normandy. We plan to go to Beaune for some wine tasting after Normandy then to Amboise.>>

Have you worked out the logistics of getting between these places, Kelsey?

Presumably you arrive in Paris and travel to ? in Normandy. after ? days there [is that part of your week?] you need to get to Dijon/Beaune and then up to Amboirse, finally travelling back to CDG for your ? early morning flight out [which will probably necessitate a night in Paris anyway].

Have you looked at the SNCF website to check the timetables and connections?

[actually the German railways website bahn.de is often better than other countries' websites, even for internal journeys]

Howevre bahn.de seemed to be down so using SNCF I came up with this:

https://uk.voyages-sncf.com/en/#/pro...onomy/direct:0

there is a train from Dijon to Amboise leaving at 8.59 arriving at 13.44 [change at Paris and Orleans] or the same train changing only in Paris arriving 14.42. Both options seem to me to involve quite along journey for a week long trip [if it really is a week given that you have enquired about 2 days in each place].

You can use the same website to research Amboise to CDG and ? in Normandy to Dijon.

Personally I would tend to agree with some others who suggest that a longer stay [which will still not be very long] in one or other place might prove more satisfactory given the ratio of travel to vacation time.

waterdog

We had the same choice to make and also without a car but for four or five days. We picked Beaune. We took the train to Dijon one day for a day trip and on two days we took tours, one a wine tour and the other was a tour into the neighboring countryside to see historic and cultural sights. The remaining time was spent wandering around Beaune, seeing its sights, enjoying some good restaurants, and of course, wine. If you are there on a Saturday morning there is an extensive market in the center of town that day.

KelseyT

Thanks so much for your replies. We decided to revise our plans and will spend 3 nights in Normandy then 3 nights in Amboise then 1 night in Paris.

KelseyT

Due to time constraints, we decided to forego Burgundy for another trip. Thanks for your advice!

annhig

Kelsey - congrats on making a very sensible decision.

I'm sure that you will enjoy your time in Amboise.