sap

I would appreciate any input and advice from the French travel experts regarding my bloated "heart of France" plans for a 3-to-4 week trip in June 2011. (Yes, I do plan ahead -- it will take me that long!) I already have the week in Paris with a side-trip to Versailles nicely mapped out; but it's the following 2-3 weeks in the country that have me pulling out my hair. It would take over a month to cover my list and Cela n'est pas possible.

We will betraveling with our youngest son (13) Our interests are in the following order:

1. History;
2. Natural scenic beauty;
3. Photography (my husband's greatest travel joy);
4. Wine (with a leaning toward full-bodied reds, but dry whites also; value is key);
5. Villages (avoiding those that have degenerated into tourist traps, if possible);
6. Chateaux;
7. Romantic ruins (atmospheric, picturesque crumbling abbeys and Roman remains);
8. Gardens;
9. Art and Literature (pre-Modern);
10. Farmers' Markets; and
11. Bargain-hunting for antique paperweights, prints and antiquarian books (in English)

After reading dozens of travel guides and doing research online, I have gathered too many "jewels" and need you to tear some of them out of my hands with an eye toward re-organizing my "collection." I have not yet broken up anything into days, nights or even bases, but merely have a list of places I'd like to see that desparately (painfully) needs trimming.

Leaving Paris, I had planned to rent a car in Saint-Germain-en-Laye or thereabouts and then tour the "Impressionist trail" towns of Le Port-Marly (Monte Cristo Castle), Ile des Impressionistes, Louveciennes, Marly Le Roi; then move on to La Roche Guyon, Giverney and Les Andelys on the way to Rouen. I could easily part with the Impressionist towns, though, if need be.

Moving on to Basse-Normandy, I am mostly interested in Honfleur, Beuvron-en-Auge, Castillon-en-Auge with its Le Jardins de Castillon-Plantbessin (supposed to be the French version of Hidcote, which we adore), Caen, Bayeux and the D-Day sites, then Mont-St-Michel. Is it sacreligious for American history buffs to miss those beaches? What about the cider route?

Coming straight down from Mont-St-Michel and sadly bypassing St-Malo, Dinan and the rest of Brittany for a future trip, I had thought about stopping at Le Chatellier for its Parc Floral de Haute-Retagne before visiting Fougeres and Vitre on the way to the Loire.

Ah-h-h, the Loire - the wine, the chateaux, the history and towns like Chinon, Saumur, Montsoreau, Candes-Saint-Martin, Lemere and Amboise. Isn't this a history and garden lover's dream? Shouldn't this take at least 4-6 days? How does one pare it down and choose this castle over that?

Moving on to Burgundy, I am very interested in the northern villages around Auxerre, such as Vezelay, Avalon, Montreal, Chablis, Noyers, Ancy-le-France, Montbard, Semur-en-Auxois and Chateauneuf-en-Auxois, then winding down to the lovely city of Dijon. The wine in Burgundy seems too expensive, but are there bargains to be found? Beaune seems like the ideal, pretty base, plus the Marche -aux-Vins tasting cellars might be a great way to sample all the local vintages in one place. Around Beaune, how can one miss La Rochepot, Couches, Sully and Chalon-sur-Saone before heading down into the Rhone with Perouges and then Lyon. (I have decided to skip Autun as too far away and Cluny as too far gone.)

Provence. . . Provence!! Here is where I really feel the pull - and yet I am most worried that this area is filled with tourist crowds (even in June) and that it has been over-hyped like a blockbuster movie that disappoints. Mediterranean food is a favorite, as are Mediterranean herbs & flowers (my entire CA front yard is filled with them). I am looking at Vaison-la-Romaine, Orange, Venasque, Avignon (a base?), Fontaine-de-Vauclus, Gordes, Rousillon, Lacoste, Bonnieux and Menerbes.

Moving west into the Bouches-du-Rhone and the western edge of Provence (my husband wants to expressly avoid Marseilles and the Cote d'Azur), there is Eygalieres, Saint-Remy (yes!), Les Baux-des-Provence and Arles, though I've heard the latter is a bit frayed around the edges. What about a walk on the boardwalks of the Camargue?

Before curving down around the Languedoc, one must see the Pont-du-Gard and Uzes, right? If Nimes is a misser, Montpellier surely is not. Than you reach the highly-touted Saint-Guilhem-le-Desert before going over to Pezenas and dipping down to Marseillan to get a peek at the Etang de Thau. What about Beziers before heading up toward Aigne and the recommended Minerve and its sister Minervois villages on the way to Carcassonne? Oh, Carcassonne! (Is this, or Mont-St-Michel for that matter, really a must-see?)

Leaving Carcassonne and saving the wild southern side of A61 for another trip, one could head up through the Cabardes of the Montagne-Noir in the Orbiel Valley (Lastours, Roquefere, Mas Cabardes) through Castes to Albi and Cordes-sur-Ciel.

By now, of course, I would long since have run out of time, but the Dordogne and the Quercy/Lot villages exert a very strong pull! Should I abandon other regions for these instead? I am excited about Najac, Figeac, Autoire, Prodhomat (Chateau de Castelnau-Breneoux), Carennac, Curemonte and Collonges-la-Rouge. Is Rocamadour over-hyped and over-crowded? Our favorite part of England is the Cotswolds. Is this the area of France where we are most likely to find the French version of that?

Sarlat of course, of course! Tell me this is still true and that its "discovery" has not dulled its charm. Around it are Saint-Amand-de-Coly, the gardens at Salignac-Eyvigues, Montignac, Thonac, Saint-Leon-sur-Vezere, La Roque-Saint-Christophe, Font-de-Gaume, the Le Jardin le Cadiot garden at Carlux (?). Is the fake Lascaux II worth the tickets & crowds? Then Montfort, Domme, La Roque-Gageac, Castlenaud-la-Chapelle, Beynac-et-Cazenac and Belves all make me go weak in the knees if what I've heard is to be believed. But are they too "hot" these days? Too popular and overrun? Also, how long does it really take to see this region? The villages appear to be so close together, but I have heard people talk of five days to a week to spend among them. Is it possible to cut that to two or three?

Finally, I planned to circle back down through Cahors, pop over to Cabrerets and Saint-Cirq-Lapople before heading down through Bruniquel, Montauban and finishing with Toulouse. I need to end in a larger city like Toulouse that has direct or connecting flights back to San Francisco.

So there it is: this rough block of stone from which I need to carve our first trip (my husband's second, but he was a hitchhiking kid in the 60s, so that doesn't count). I have already mentally lined up France's "wings" for second and third trips. (Champagne through Alsace-Lorraine, the French Alps and into Eastern Provence for one trip; and Brittany, the Atlantic Coast, Bordeaux, Gascony and the Basque region for yet another.) Obviously, I will have enough material chipped away from this "heart" to mold yet a fourth trip.

Sleeves rolled up? Chisels ready? Thank you!

Michael

The Parc Floral de Haute Bretagne has some nice corners, but it is less impressive than other gardens. Do not plan an itinerary around it.

You left out Angers in your Loire itinerary. It is worth a stop if only for the Apocalypse tapestries that rival the unicorn tapestries in the Paris museum (I've forgotten its name--nominal aphasia). You might want to look at my trip report from last year. Just click on my name to find it.

StuDudley

Wow - paring your plans down to something that is do-able & enjoyable will be quite a challange.

Based on your preferences, I think the two areas that you should not miss are Provence & the Dordogne - with a few stops in between. For 2 weeks (plus 1 in Paris), I would just stick to these 2 areas & a few days in the Languedoc in betrween.

Now - if you want three weeks, there are some thoughts.

I would visit either the Loire or Burgundy - but not both. Each area is rich in chateaux & beautiful gardens. I am not a fan of the countryside in the Loire. I prefer Dijon, Auxerre, and beaune ofeer any cities in the Loire. I think the countryside is prettier in Burgundy.

You are bypassing my third favorite region in France - Brittany. However, you can't see everything. You need to decide if the Normandy D-day beaches are something you just can't miss.

Here are two options for 3 weeks in the French countryside:

Paris
Normandy portion for 3 nights
Loire for 3 nights
Dordogne for 5-6 nights
Languedoc for 2 nights (perhaps Gorges du Tarn)
Provence for 5-6 nights - hopefully catch Lavender season
TGV to Dijon from Avignon & stay for 1 night
TGV to CDG for flight 9after 12 noon) home

or

Paris
TGV to Dijon & Burgundy for 5 nights
Provence for 7 nights
Languedoc for 2 nights
Dordogne for 6 nights
Toulouse for 1 night
Fly home

Stu Dudley

Michel_Paris

Loire has a lot to offer. Chenonceaux, Chinon and Amboise come to mind as a start. Usse, Villandry nice visits. There are also some caves. Chinon has some good red wines, Couly Duthiel being one. Angers, nice old fort.

Lexma90

You've obviously already done a lot of research - good for you!

I wasn't thrilled with Burgundy, but plenty of people are, and if you're a wine-lover, then it's definitely worth the time. We only spent a few days there, so my opinion isn't very knowledgeable, but as you research, keep open the thought that this area may be less interesting to a kid (though at 13, he'll probably be invited to taste the wine).

I feel the same way as Stu, though, about the Loire. Geographically, it's one of the less-beautiful parts of France that we've been to (we've visited many, but not all, regions). The chateaux are fun to visit, of course. We have found, however, that we - including our DS, who was 10yo when we visited the Loire and 12yo when we visited the Dordogne - prefer the older, more ruinous (but not totally ruined) castles found in the Dordogne. The Dordogne is also one of the more beautiful parts of France, and has great food. That's in addition to the medieval and prehistoric history of the area.

In two visits to the Dordogne, we skipped Lascaux II both times, but did visit Font du Gaume and several other caves both times. I would put Font du Gaume on my top-10 list of mad-made things I've ever seen (along with the mosaics of Ravenna, Italy). I would definitely spend more like 4-5 nights in the Dordogne. In terms of the area being too hot or touristy, while the area's certainly been discovered by the British, I don't think you'll find it horridly touristy.

We stayed right in Sarlat, so that we could walk around at night (FYI, we visited late May). It was a safe enough area that DS could wander around the main place while we sat around in a cafe with a glass of wine, or he could chill in our B&B (which was right on the main place) while we people-watched at the cafe. We were there for the smaller, Wednesday market, and had a great time sampling and buying food for a picnic lunch. True to form, we bought enough food to last us through lunch on the train to Paris the following day.

I would also include Provence, which I particularly like for the Roman ruins and the food. We enjoyed our two nights in the Languedoc, and I would love to return there someday - some very good castles in that region too, though I didn't think much of Carcassonne. But if you need to cut more out, Languedoc would be something to cut - you can't do everything!

StuDudley

I agree90 with lexma about aspects of Burgundy. We loved Auxerre, Dijon, Beaune and the Chateaux & gardens. However, the small/cute villages in Burgundy are not as abundant or as interesting as those in Provence or the Dordogne. The countryside was OK - but again - not as interesting and varied as the countryside in Provence, Languedoc, and the Dordogne. I think there is a lot more stuff to do & see in Provence, Languedoc, and the Dordogne than Burgundy - although you certainly won't have trouble filling 3-4 days there. We've spent 4 weeks in Burgundy & Beaujolais, 16 weeks in Provence, 8 in the Languedoc, and 10 in the Dordogne. Plus about 4 weeks in the Loire & 1 week in Normandy and about 40 weeks elsewhere in France.

Another thing to consider that perhaps only you can answer - when will you hit your chateaux limit?? You are visiting Versailles - which could be the limit for many people (not us). If you visit 5-6 chateaux in 3 days in the Loire or in Burgundy, is that too many without other things to do & see in the area. Many chateaux in Burgundy and some in the Loire close for lunch, so you have to time your visits around the closings - especially if there is a guided tour. We spent 1 week in the Loire around Saumur last June, and every chateaux that we visited (around 7) had a guided tour. Chambord & Chenonceaux did not have guided tours.

My suggestions about how to cut & slice your itinerary assumes that you do not want to visit and area for only 1 or 2 days.

Stu Dudley

sap

You guys are awesome. Thanks so much for the quick and thorough responses!

Stu, I'm taking your Door Number Two with a start in Dijon (skipping the northern villages around Auxerre?) and working from there to Beaune through to Provence, Languedoc and the Dordogne. When you say the chateaux in Burgundy, do you mean Tanlay, Ancy-le-France and Rochepot, or did you have others in mind? I didn't realize there were that many chateaux in Burgundy & will have to research this a bit further. Recommendations welcome! (I'll then combine Normandy with Brittany on a later trip someday.)

If you have time, could you please flesh out a few more details on your thoughts relative to those days as outlined in Option 2? From what limited exploring I've done on the forum recently, you and several others are clearly encyclopedias of information & experience better than any guidebook.

sap

I could also time the June trip slightly later in the month to catch the lavender in Provence, if need be, though I was originally thinking travel during the earliest part of the the month would mean fewer crowds. (Seems funny to me that it blooms so "late" as my French lavender at home is starting to bloom now in March. I thought California and the Mediterranean were basically on the same season "schedule." Maybe France's warm months are behind those in Spain & Italy?)

Michael

The Provence has more frost than coastal California, hence the difference in schedule.

StuDudley

A few years ago, I posted a suggested itinerary for someone wanting to visit Burgundy & Provence. I tweeked it a little to fit your timing. I did not know what day you were expecting to leave Paris for Burgundy - so I just chose Saturday as a starting day.

Here it is:

Standard warning. Shops in Dijon, Auxerre, Avignon, Arles, Aix, etc are closed on Sunday (except food stores in the am), and many close on Monday morning too. We never plan to visit a city on Sunday. Touristy towns like St Remy, Beaune, & Gordes, will have stores open.

The stars (**) next to a site below is the Michelin Green Guide rating. I’ll add a + or – if I think it is better or worse than the Michelin rating.

I use this site for all my train travel planning. It is much more user friendly than the SNCF site.
http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en

As I have mentioned several times on Fodors, when we were in Burgundy for two weeks staying near Beaune, we spent too much time in the car on freeways, so I’ll suggest that you stay 2 nights in upper Burgundy near Auxerre, then 3 nights in southern Burgundy near Dijon or Beaune.

If you choose to skip the Auxerre area, then perhaps only spend 3 or 4 nights in this region and more time in either Provence or the Dordogne. Be prepared, however, to do a little more driving in Burgundy

Saturday
Take the train from Paris to Auxerre .

Visit Auxerre**+ . Go to the tourist office close to the Tour de Horlogue, and pick up an English walking itinerary. The walking route is painted on the sidewalk/street – except where the streets have been recently paved over. We really enjoyed Auxerre. Spend at least a half-day there.

Pick up a car.

Visit Vezelay** and it’s Basilique***-. The town is a little touristy, but interesting. Then visit Ch Bazoches* - Vauban’s chateau. You can see Vezelay from Bazoches.

Stay in Vezelay 2 nights

Sunday
Sunday is a good day to visit Chateaux & Abbeys, and enjoy the countryside. Here is a site for the Chateaux in Burgundy.
http://www.routedesducs.com/
If you save your ticket for the last chateau you visited, you’ll get a discount on the next chateau. Today perhaps visit Tanlay** in the morning, and Ancy le Franc** in the afternoon. You may be able to slip in Fontenay Abbey***- too.

Monday –
Visit Semur en Auxois*. This perched village is very picturesque from the outside, but less interesting on the inside, IMO. If you look at the picture of Semur in your Michelin Green Guide, the location of this scene is where the “view” icon is located on lower half of the map in the GG. You’ll take lots of photos at this spot. Also note the large crack in the tower as you approach Semur on the Rue de Paris.

Visit the cute village of Noyers, and another Chateau or two. We didn’t like Ch Bussy Rabutin. Also, Flavigny sur Ozerain, where the film “Chocolate” was filmed, was perhaps the most disappointing village in France that we have ever visited.

Head to southern Burgundy. I would stay in either Dijon or Beaune. If Coco (another Fodorite) has rooms available, I would stay in Dijon at her B&B. I believe it has cooking facilities, so you could go to market & cook at home if want to do that.
http://www.myhomeindijon.com/
Dijon, however, will be a little harder to drive into & out-of than Beaune.

Visit whichever town you choose to stay in. In Dijon***, make sure you take the Owl walk. Dijon is my favorite city in France, after Paris. Our best dinner in the last 5 years was at Stephane Derbord in Dijon.

Tuesday
If you feel like seeing a cathedral , visit Autun**-. I did not think the lower village was interesting at all, but the Cathedral** and the small area around the cathedral were both worth visiting.

Visit Chateau Sully.

Visit Ch Rochepot* (not in the link above), and then drive around the pretty vineyard area. From Rochepot, nead north on the D17 through Oiches (or something like that – it’s at a fold in my map), and then just west of St Roman and on to Pommard. Then swing south & drive through Mersault, Puligny Montrachet, Chasagne Montrachet, & Santenay.

Wednesday
Visit the Cote de Beaune from Beaune to Dijon. See the Green Guide. Visit Clos de Vaugeot, Givrey Chambertin, etc. These wine village are not nearly as cute & interesting as the villages in Alsace or even villages you’ll visit next on the Cote du Rhone. They are very "functional".

Visit either Dijon*** or Beaune*** – whichever city you did not visit on Monday. Beaune will take about a half-day to visit, & Dijon ¾ or all day.

Thursday
Leave Burgundy & head for Provence

However, first visit the Chateau & Gardens at Chateau Cormatin** (not to be confused with Ch Commarin). This was perhaps our favorite Chateau.
http://www.burgundytoday.com/histori...x/cormatin.htm
To get there, leave Dijon/Beaune south on the A6. At exit # 27 near Tournas, take the scenic D14 west to Cormatin. Tournas would be a good place for lunch – but perhaps not on a Sunday. Restaurants will be open, but not the shops in the village..

Head south on the A6.

From about Macon south all the way to Provence, the A6 is not really scenic. There’s lots of ugly commerce, nuclear power plants, etc. There are a few interesting stops – but not as interesting as places you’ve just left in Burgundy, or places you’ll visit next in Provence.

Option - If you want to stay someplace overnight between Burgundy & Provence, I would stay at Perouges** – just northeast of Lyon. This is a perfectly preserved medieval village. They filmed Three Musketeers movies there. It is touristy, but surprisingly not tacky at all – no postcard stands, toothbrushes with child’s names on them, etc. It’s small, however, & won’t take long to visit. Stay at Ostellerie du Vieux Perouges. Also visit Cremieu* just south of Perouges if you have the time.

On to Provence.

Like Burgundy, Provence is a little spread out, and if you’re going to be there for more than about 6 days, I usually recommend staying in 2 different locations. Normally I suggest splitting the time in a village like St Remy, and in the scenic countryside like the Luberon. In your case, I would try to reduce the driving down from Burgundy a bit, and suggest two options:
1. Stay in the area around Uzes in northwest Provence, and then stay in southeast Provence in the Luberon near Gordes.
2. Stay in the Dentelles/Cote du Rhone region around Seguret, and in southern Provence in St Remy.

I would stay in Provence for at least 6 nights. It think there is more to do here than in Burgundy.

We always stay in Gites while in Provence, but a good B&B in the Luberon that I’ve visited twice, is Kevin’s place (another Fodorite)
http://www.masperreal.com/index.html

Here is a site that I use quite often to get Provence info
http://www.beyond.fr/

I have a 27 page itinerary about Provence. I won’t repeat it here – obviously Fodor’s people would not want me to post something that large. I’ll refer to generalities here. You can get a free copy if you e-mail me at [email protected] & I’ll attach a copy to the reply e-mail.

Instead of a day-to-day schedule, I’ll indicate things to do that can be done in 1 day & won’t involve a lot of driving. I’ll also indicate the best day of the week to do this, and what day not to do it.

All of these are described more thoroughly in my Itinerary

1. Avignon & Villeneuve les Avignon. Don’t do this on a Sunday or Monday. These can be visited from any of the 4 base locations I suggested.

2. Monday only . Market day in Bedoin – in the am. Do this if you base near Seguret in the Dentelles, or from the Luberon with an early start. After the market, drive up to Mt Ventoux if it is sunny on top (you’ll see it from Bedoin), and don’t go up if it is cloudy on top. Take scenic drive “Route one – east of Vaison” in my Itinerary, stopping in Brantes.

3. Luberon – pretty countryside & perched villages. May need 1 ½ days if you are not staying in the Luberon, or you don’t visit Gordes & Roussillon after the l’Isle sur la Sorgue market.

4. Gorges de l’Ardeche and Aven d’Orgnac stalactite & mite cave. Do this any day (Sunday),

5. Vaison, Cote du Rhone wine villages, and the Dentelles. Not on Sunday or Monday

6. Chateauneuf du Pape winetasting & tour at Beaucastel. Theater at Orange. Not weekend.

7. Sunday antiques/food/crafts market in l’Isle sur la Sorgue. Gordes & Roussillon after.

8. Lavender Route, and 2 picturesque villages classified as “the Most Beautiful Villages of France”. This is why we return to France

9. Aix en Provence and Lourmarin. Market day in Aix is Tues, Thurs, Sat. Don’t visit on Sun or Mon. This can be visited from the Luberon or St Remy region.

10. Southern Luberon – Cucuron, Pertuis, etc. You can also visit Lourmarin on this day.

11. St Remy, Glanum, Les Baux, and a drive in the Alpillies - visiting Eygalieres. Don’t do this on a Monday when many shops are closed in St Remy. If you are not staying in St Remy, you may have to spread this out over 1 ½ days.

12. Uzes, Pont du Gard, & Castillon du Gard. Market day is Saturday in Uzes. Don’t visit on Sunday or Monday.

13. Arles & Terascon Chateau. Not Sun or Mon

14. Nimes & combine with something else – not Sun or Mon

This is more days than you have available – and I’ve left many things out.


Languedoc

I have another itinerary for the Languedoc/Roussillon area - 35 pages. Email me & I'll send a copy

I also have a 20+ page itinerary for the Dordogne - e-mail me for that too.

Stu Dudley

StuDudley

Actually, Provence is farther north than Milwaukee, WI

My lavender in San Mateo is not blooming yet.

We have been in Provence as late in the year as July 18 and it was not as crowded as I expected. This year we'll be there from June 19 through July 3. The trick to avoiding big crowds is to visit sites when day-trippers are not there (makes sence). Therefore, do not visit Gordes, Roussillon, Les Baux, St Remy, or Bonnieux between the hours of 10:30am & about 5:00 PM.

Stu Dudley

Michael

<i>My lavender in San Mateo is not blooming yet.</i>

My Spanish lavender in SF is blooming, but my California hybrid is not.

sap

Thank you very much, Stu! You are amazing. I will play around with this and get back to you with any questions. I'm actually planning to leave Paris on a Tuesday - sorry that I didn't think to mention that earlier.

Thank you, too, Michael for all your comments. Of course I should have remembered that Provence's climate is affected by those Alps.

P.S.: I'm in San Jose near Los Gatos (zone 9), so it's probably just a tad warmer for the earlier blooms, but today feels more like winter!

StuDudley

Doesn't Spanish Lavender bloom all year??? We had some in the Noe Valley too.

Stu

Michael

yes it does.

ceesvanhalderen

Hi, there. I read all your answers with interest, especially those involving tips on Burgundy. I live in the South of Burgundy since 2005, and "work" in the tourist trade. We run 2 gites and a small campsite (6 places, no campervans or caravans). We are both fanatic when it comes to touristy outings. A few hints/tips: Cormatin has indeed a beautiful château, which is privately owned but open to the public. Someone mentioned Tournas, this should be Tournus. Wonderful little town with beautiful romanesque abbey church. Go on a Saturday = marketday. Most things are dead quiet on Sundays, and closed on Mondays (incl. museums). Cluny I would consider to be a must, if only to see what is not there. Use your imagination. In the abbey museum a wonderful 3D picture is on show; even when missing imagination it is possible to see the grandeur of the place as it was here. White wine (Chardonnay is a village here) is excellent and not very expensive. The reds are (in my view) not to be recommanded; go to the Côte-d'Or for the reds. Some other castles or remains thereoff: Pierreclos, Berzé-le-Châtel, Couches. Landscape, soft rolling hills, woods, meadows. Good markets in Cluny. Cattle, also pets in Louhans (Monday), proper cattle in St-Christophe-le-Brionnais (Wednesday after lunch). Have a look at my Blog about life here, http://taize-cormatin.blogspot.com/ use the filter "Tourism in Burgundy". Enjoy your trip. Feel free to email me for more info.

sap

Thank you, Cees, for the good info. I plan to follow up with your recommendations, plus I enjoyed reading your blog and Sue's, also. What a lovely life you have created for yourself as expats in a beautiful country.

annhig

hi sap,

something you may not have considered is travelling without making advance reservations. with only 3 of you, in June, you shouldn't have too much trouble finding accommodation, and France is particularly good for this as most tourist bureaux have offer a booking service whereby they keep a list of vacancies, and will phone a hotel or B&B that you like the look of, so you don't waste your time trapsing round.

i wouldn't suggest this in Paris or if you wanted to rent a gite [holdiay cottage] which is something you might like to consider for part of your trip, say in the Dordogne or in Provence.

Happy planning!

ceesvanhalderen

Hi, Sap. Thanks for the compliment on the blogs! Just to add 2 more things to the list : romanesque churches are in abbundance here, and some are really stunning. Think of Tournus, Chapaize, Cluny itself, and the Brionnais has an excellent romanesque churches trail. Highlight is the Chapelle des Moines in Berzé-la-Ville, with wonderful in-tact frescos. I had not realised that my e-mail address was not displayed; that has been corrected now as well.
On our own website http://www.latuileriechazelle.com/
you will find some more tourist information as well as photo pages; one picture tells more than a 1000 words!
Again, enjoy; planning is often as much fun as the real thing!

blh

Sounds like your trip is shaping up nicely! As you will get plenty of help with Provence and the Dordogne (two of my favorite areas in France), I will add a few comments to the Burgundy part of your itinerary. Stu suggested stopping in Vezelay, and I would second that as we love Vezelay and the area around Vezelay. We have been there three different trips, and always love stopping there. It has changed over the years as more tourists have found it, but we still find it charming.

The Abbey de Fontenay is also very worthwhile. The grounds are very beautiful, and the buildings in great condition. There are many small villages in Burgundy that we enjoyed - even the Chocolate village of Flavigny sur Ozerain was fun for us as we arrived just in time to have Sunday lunch in the village center with all the residents! They had a cafeteria style lunch set up in one of the buildings - so we just got in line, bought our food, and ate with the towns people! It was a lot of fun - and you never know what you will find when you arrive. Sometimes the villages are all closed up - and you find nothing. Other times you get lucky and arrive in the middle of a festival or some other interesting activity.

Another favorite village is Brancion close to Tournus and Macon. The first time we stopped at this tiny little place, we were the only ones there. It appeared to be deserted - the ruins were in terrible condition. We didn't see a soul. But we kept looking and found an old hotel that was serving lunch. It was lunchtime, so we went inside and had a delightful lunch - before we finished another couple came in for lunch. The year was 1999. We were back in the area in 2004, and we were shocked at how much had been done in five years! There were quite a few people there this time, so we didn't have the village to ourselves! There was a harpist playing in the chapel - which we found delightful! Once again we had lunch in the old hotel.

I would recommend a book - Discovering the Villages of France by Michael Busselle. We have used this book on every trip - and it has never let us down. Good luck with your plans - and have a wonderful trip!