radman24

I'm planning a trip (honeymoon) to France next February which will last about 2 weeks. Unfortunately, our dates are fairly fixed due to work schedules.

We live in California and are fond of cheeses, wines, good food, and skiing. My plan as of now is to fly into Paris (arrive on January 31st), spend 4 or 5 nights in Paris, take the TGV to either Dijon or Lyon, move on to spend a week in the Alps skiing, then head back to Paris on Friday for a couple more nights before flying out Sunday.

I'm leaning toward 4 nights in Paris then 2 nights in either Dijon or Lyon. I'd love to do some wine tasting -- would either Dijon or Lyon be better for that? It doesn't need to be a tour if there isn't much to see in the winter. Perhaps we would do a full day tour then explore a bit ourselves the next day before heading up to the mountains.

On the other hand, if the consensus is to spend more time in Paris and a short trip to either wouldn't be worth it, we could just stay in Paris and overnight it on the train to the Alps.

For skiing, I've been looking into the 3 valleys. A chalet sounds like a fun idea but I'm not sure about spending a week with strangers. I believe that second week of February will be the first week of the school holidays and prices will be higher, and we may have to book an extra night to meet a hotel minimum. I'm leaning toward Courchevel or Meribel, but are there any other suggestions? We don't need a ton of nightlife, but some nice restaurants/bars and easy access to the slopes would be great.

Michael

Book the train directly from Paris to whichever ski resort you choose. If food is very important, then stop in Lyon, perhaps just overnight. An early train from Paris to Lyon will give you the opportunity to walk around the city and have a nice meal in the evening. From there go to your chosen ski resort, and from the resort directly back to Paris.

sanderskn

I think you should definitely stop in Lyon or Dijon. Lyon especially is known for its food.

Tulips

The French school holidays cover most of the month of February, you can check the dates online, but the time when Paris is off is usually busiest in the resorts.

Gretchen

I think your plan sounds fine and fun--enough time in each place to not be running around. I might suggest that you allow enough time to come back to Paris (for your departure) to have a final "fling" and memory--more than just an overnight before a flight.

Tulips

Have a look at Megeve as well. No in/out skiing from the village, but some very charming hotels. Try the Sibuet Hotels, there are several in Megeve, and these are lovely. There are several good restaurants in the village and on the slopes.
You don't mention a budget; for a honeymoon the Lodge Park would be fabulous. Or the Fermes de Marie, if you would like a spa and pool.

radman24

@Tulips, yes unfortunately I think we will be there for the first week of the holidays. At least from what I can tell it should be relatively less busy since it is the first week. My only other option to avoid the holidays would be to fly into Paris, spend just a night or two there before heading to the resort for a shorter stay (4 nights), then work backward through Lyon a couple nights, maybe Dijon for a night, then back to Paris for the remainder of our trip. My worry is that trying to ski when jet lagged (coming from Pacific time) will be less fun.

Thanks for the suggestion, will look into Megeve as well. The budget for the ski resort will probably be around US$500 a night, hopefully that would include half board.

@Gretchen My plan is to leave the ski resort on Friday, even if we have a room booked through Friday night to meet a 7 night minimum, to go back to Paris for one more full day and maybe a farewell dinner before catching a flight home Sunday.