France: Something Different from Paris
 

My wife and I will be spending twelve days in France in February (Already subtracted out 2 days for flying in and out of CDG). We plan to spend a week in Paris but are thinking about something different for the other 5 days. I think something less "city-like" would be good but I don't know if that means Brittany, The Loire, Nice, Provence, etc. I've tried searching the forum but most posts I've read have focused on how to pack as much into two weeks as possible and that's not exactly what I'm looking for.

We only want to go to one different place if we leave Paris since we aren't the type to go see sights back-to-back-to-back. We tend to find one attraction a day to visit and then just wander from there to our desired food destinations or go shopping. We really do prefer to just enjoy the feel of living in a different place which is why I'm curious as to whether 5 days (taking into account travel) is manageable for seeing another part of France. One thing we've discussed in the past is how fun it would be to visit a small village in France with our family one day and just get familiar with the markets and eat at little mom and pop places. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated!

February is a challenge, but it sort of evens the playing field. Although some people will always say "Go to Provence for warmer weather" it just isn't true -- sometimes in February it is snowing in the south of France and relatively mild in the north.

Will you be driving? That makes a big difference in the possibilities.

One other location would be a nice trip within the time you have. I would avoid "small villages" as they have little to offer tourists (think of small towns near where you live). You can visit markets and mom and pop restaurants in Paris so you don't have to leave the city to experience a "small town" feel.

You can also take day trips to small towns near Paris and not pack up and move to a new location.

Decide on your interests and how much you can tolerate cold, damp weather as you'll be outside a lot in small towns, walking around. Nice is another large city, which you said you wanted to avoid, but there are small towns nearby you can visit.

Mont-St-Michel and the D Day beaches offer lots of historic sightseeing. You can take a train out of Paris and then pick up a rental car. Drop the car in Rouen on the way back to Paris and spend some time visiting there.

For my money, in February, I would head south, rent a car, and explore the small towns north of Nice.

I doubt a small village in rural France in February would live up to your expectations. Many are virtually closed up in the heart of winter. I think you might be better off visiting a medium-size city with decent transportation you could use to get out to the countryside for a day or two. La Rochelle comes to mind, as do Troyes and Aix-en-Provence and a host of others.

I agree we need to know whether you plan to travel by train or car.

Another option would be Strasbourg or maybe the Alps region if you are into wintry weather?

Depends on train or car...maybe Dijon and Beaune in Burgundy? The vineyards wont be in 'bloom' but there are lots of interesting places to visit but best in a car.

You could do a tour of Normandy for a few days. Even do it at the beginning of your trip by renting a car at CDG and heading toward Bayeux. The coast might be tres chilly, but it certainly has its charms.
Rouen would be worth a stop also. There is a string of abbeys out from Rouen, and the city itself has a nice museum and of course, the cathedral.
YOu could do the Loire valley--train to Tours and rent a car for a few days.

I went to Lyon one november for -5 days, no car. I found it to be about right amount of time. Took one day trip by train along Alps to Chambery.

Lyon has some good museums, many good restos, nice roman ruins, scenic vistas, UNESCO listed Old Town..

it is a big city, but I avoided most of the newer stuff

Thanks so much for all the great ideas. I would prefer to avoid renting a car if possible.

Hi miltronix,

How nice to have a poster who isn't trying to cram a quart into a pint pot.

i would pick somewhere where is plenty to see if the weather is bad, but scope for outings if it's good.

eg Rouen, Tours, Poitiers, Lyon, Strasbourg, all fulfil those criteria, and are easily accessible from Paris.

have a great time!

Small towns and villages and not renting a car don't seem to work very well together. Many small towns won't have public transportation options (especially in February) to get you into the towns, so a bigger town would likely be better. Bayeux would likely be of the right size, or the south as described by others above.

Miltronix,
I too am happy to hear you are wanting to take the slow road... a much better idea.

I spent time in Strasbourg last summer and really enjoyed the "feel" of the place, a good size, lots to see and do and oh so pretty. From there you can drive to many of the smaller wine towns and of course it is not far from Switzerland for a trip to ooh and ahh at the mountains. You could take the train from Paris and then rent a car for the day trips from Strasbourg.

I also like Beaune, Dijon and Lyon and all the lovely villages in between.

So many choices.... I would think Brittany would be a bit bleak at that time of year, don't second that idea.

We spent three months driving through Europe in winter years ago and can certainly vouch for the fact that so many places are closed and deserted. Pick medium size towns and then enjoy the drives through the countryside and the villags.

That is my 2 cents worth anyway!!
Schnauzer

But schnauzer, the OP says he prefers not to drive.

I really don't see 5 days in Strasbourg alone, much as one of my very best friends is from there and guided me all over Strasbourg.

It may be good as a jumping off point to visit the wine country, but then you will need a car...

Without a car, you might want to see where you can go on the TGV trains. For example, Paris to Geneva is only 3 hours - have you thought about visiting Switzerland instead? Or Paris to Avignon is even less than 3 hours...or...

Here's a TGV map to help in your planning:
http://parisbytrain.com/tag/tgv-map/

Good luck with your planning!

Nice Carnival is from February 17 to March 4th in 2012 so if your trip falls during that period it could be alot of fun. Nice is a great area to explore in 5 days and you don't need a car. You can take day trips to Monaco, Eze, St Paul De Vence if you wish by either the bus or train. The bus only costs 1 euro is very easy. You can take a quick 1 1/2 hour flight or the train to Nice from Paris.

The TGV map has been updated and now reflects the new Rhin-Rhone line. Click on the individual networks listed on the right side for more detail on the routes.
http://www.tgv-europe.com/en/train-e...ody_ournetwork

Of course, all this choice may not help you decide where to go!

oops, didn't see the "avoid" in renting a car!!!

Then the tgv "tour" it will have to be.....

schnauzer

Yup...I vote for La Rochelle!

If you went to a lovely town like Metz (about which I have made two reports) which is just 1h30 from Paris by TGV, this would allow you to explore both Luxembourg City and Nancy which are on the same Metrolor TER commuter train line. They are each only about a half hour away in different directions.

The Metz Pompidou Center has become one of the premier regional museums in France in less than two years of opening.

I think you should consider Nice, the city itself is walkable with a good bus system. Even better, bus and rail link the towns along the coast (Monte Carlo, Antibes, Cannes, Marseilles, Vallauris, etc.) and it's very easy and cheap to get up to the hill towns such as St Paul de Vence and Grasse by bus.

Kerouac is right, don't choose this destination because the weather will be much warmer than the north but it might be, it's a crap shoot in Feb. The markets will be open and there are good restaurants in all price ranges. The excellent small museums (Matisse, Chagall) are perfect for your one project a day philosophy, I'm a one or two sight a day person myself, love to sit with a coffee or a glass of wine and watch the world go by.

You really can't go wrong with most of the suggestions but in Feb and not wishing to rent a car, I would choose a base like Nice with opportunities for day trips.

Yeah with no car I would opt for Nice or Lyon-especially if you are foodies. Toulouse might also be a good choice-young student vibe and they have a good transport system.

If you want the south of France and aren't going to rent a car then your best options are Avignon or Nice. Both are the transport hubs of their regions and will offer you the best opportunity for public transport and private tours.

Miltronix,

“I would prefer to avoid renting a car if possible.”

Lucky you to have 10 full days in Paris or beyond! I would suggest your reading PARIS TO THE PAST: Traveling Through French History by Train by Ina Caro.

The book makes suggestions for historic/cultural destinations from Paris by public transportation – most under 1 ½ hours. Also contains excellent recommendations for luncheon spots on many excursions. She emphasizes that traveling by train to these scenic destinations puts you in the middle of the action (in most cases) without the hassle of parking.


Just noticed Kerouac's suggestion for LaRochelle. Caro strongly suggests visiting this city - the only "must see" destination in PARIS TO THE PAST that can not be seen on a day trip. It sound facinating.

Let us know how it goes...

Avignon, Nice, and La Rochelle are the finalists. What is it about La Rochelle that has so many people recommending it?

We're definitely foodies (I actually started researching restaurants before thinking about the overall itinerary) and we're both also photographers (we own a photography business). One of my favorite memories from Barcelona was walking through the Barri Gotic on our way to lunch and photographing people doing their everyday thing. I enjoyed that much more than the Sagrada Familia. In fact, I liked the meal we had at a mom and pop restaurant after visiting the Sagrada Familia more than seeing the sight because we just let the owners have free reign on what was served. Seeing various older gentlemen come in and take their favorite seats (owner purposely sat other customers away from those tables) and receiving their food without ordering was one of the fun memories we had...

Well, if you're that foodie-ish, then maybe Lyon. It's considered the food capital of France. If you're up for winter scenery/weather, you could take an excursion to Grenoble. Or even Geneva if you can stand that big a city.

Nice is gorgeous. Nice scenery, great food and wonderful little boutique shops. Happy travels.

<<What is it about La Rochelle that has so many people recommending it?>>

It's absolutely gorgeous, has spectacular seafood restaurants, and hardly any English-speaking expats (probably not relevant for you, but highly relevant for me). And the lovely Ile de Ré is just over the bridge.

For foodies, Lyon would be a great choice, but could be cold in Feb. La Rochelle will be more temperate almost guaranteed. The top restuarant there is probably Coutanceau

http://www.coutanceaularochelle.com/

If the price scares you they also have 3 more reasonably priced ones run by the same familyto choose from in La Rochelle:

http://www.gregorycoutanceau.com/contenu/,accueil,1?#

And again, if you consider Toulouse, it is the region for cassoulet :)