lawgirl29

I am at the beginning stages of planning a trip to France for the first week in September (7-8 days) and am looking for some advice. My husband and I are coming from New York City. We'd love to do some wine tasting and biking in Burgundy, head to Provence and Nice. We'd rather stay in just 2 places and take day trips from there, rather than packing our bags each night. We are active but want some R&R time too.

We love to hike, walk, bike (my husband is a cyclist but I am just recreational) and are really into food/ wine. My ideal trip would include tasting amazing wines, biking through lavender fields (staying somewhere where my husband could go for a long, challenging ride one day), stopping at antique markets and picking up food for a picnic, doing some hiking/ walking with views of the coast and relaxing on the beach for a bit.

Is this a realistic trip for what we are looking for? Any suggestions on how we should divide our time? I would love advice from some experienced French travelers so we can make this trip a reality. Thank you in advance for your help - it's greatly appreciated!

iris1745

Hi; Would you consider splitting your time between Paris and Burgundy? Otherwise it will be very busy trip and you are looking for some R&R. Air France has a good rate today for early September, non-stop JFK to CDG. Also look at this site for information on Burgundy. www.burgundyeye.com/ Dick

lawgirl29

We want to save Paris for another trip and would rather just do southern France if Burgundy makes the trip too hectic. We are coming from NYC and would rather countryside, beaches, mountain views over cityscapes for this particular trip.

Any other suggestions for a wine aspect of our trip if Burgundy is out?

Thanks for the link to the site!

iris1745

Hi; Delta flys non-stop to Nice. There is so much to do in that area. Hire a car. Driving was easy in Nice and the countryside. Plus the beaches for R&R. See www.guideriviera.com/ Dick

ira

Hi LG,

You have one too many destinations for your short visit.

If this is your first trip to France, I suggest that you spend the whole time in Paris.

You can visit France later.

StCirq

If you want to visit Burgundy, Provence, and Nice (which is IN Provence, but that's another discussion), how can you stay in only two places? At any rate, 7-8 days goes by in a flash, and I recommend you pick two places: Burgundy and Provence or the Bouches du Rhône (or Lubéron) and the Côte d'Azure. Realize that every time you move location, you lose at least half a day, so there goes a quarter of your trip.

BarbSG

Head to Nice. If your husband is a cyclist, he'll love biking the corniches. Challenging. You'll love Cap Ferrat, Monaco and of course Nice. Shopping, restaurants are superb. Head to Ventimiglia Italy on the train (Friday). It's so easy. Bargains galore. Fantastic view along the way. (20 minutes) Cafe de Paris (in front of the casino) for cocktails. You'll feel like it's all surreal!