Amelia

My husband and I are leaving soon to Toulouse, France. We will be staying there two days and then spend 2-3 days traveling to Paris. We can't figure out which areas to see in such a limited time. We have never been before and any other info regarding dress, dining, language (neither of us speak French) etc. would be helpful. We are both in late 20's and enjoy wine, some hiking, great food, beautiful sights, some museums, and water. Any help would be great. Thanks!

kam

We loved Toulouse!! It's a long way from Toulouse to Paris. We flew--took about 1 hour+. The area around Toulouse is very nice--see Albi and Carcassonne. Basilica in Albi is awesome--do some reading about the poor Cathars and the Pope. Gruesome but interesting story. Toulouse-Lautrec museum in the house of the archbishop there. "New wine area" close to Toulouse. Wines of the area are Corbieres, Minervois, and Cotes du Roussillon as well as Armagnac brandy.From Toulouse you can also visit Cordes Sur Ciel, a little hill town full of artisans. Although I speak a bit of French, the people in this area have a very heavy "Languedoc" accent and I couldn't understand them at all. There are enough English speakers to get by. There will be more English speakers as you travel through Dordogne and lots in the Loire and Paris.Cassoulet is "the dish" of the area around Toulouse--try to sample it at least once. For 2-3 days to Paris, I would drive from Toulouse to either Sarlat or Beynac in the Dordogne for the first night (both lovely towns) and then up to Ambiose in the Loire Valley (also wine country) for two nights, spending the days visiting wineries and chateaux. Caveat: not too many or they'll all blur together. Top ones are Chenonceau, Chambord and Cheverny. Maybe add one of the smaller ones as well. Amboise Chateau used to have a sound and light show at night that was nice. That's enough for a start. Wines are Sancerre and Pouilly-fume and Vouvray for white and Bourgeuil for red. On the way to Paris, pass through Orleans and then up to Fontainbleau on the way. If you decide to fly, you could take the 2-3 days and spend them driving from Paris through Champagne to Rheims and then down to Strasbourg and Colmar in Alsace. Another fantastic wine area! Great food in all areas of this trip. Have a fantastic time.

StCirq

Just head straight north on the A20 - then N20 through Cahors (stay and eat at the Hotel Terminus), then veer off west into the Perigord Noir for a day and end up maybe around Brantome (Moulin de l'Abbaye is lovely hotel and restaurant), try to get to Oradour-sur-Glane just south of Limoges, and then make a beeline to Paris.

Luis

Amelia: <BR> <BR>Toulouse is a lovely city and in 2 days you should be able to some or most of the worthwhile sites. From Toulouse, I would head North to Cahors, about 50 miles north of Toulouse. After sightseeing in Cahors, I would recommend for dinner, if not spending the night at CLAUDE MARCO, which is in the hamlet of Lamagdaleine, about 6 miles North of Cahors along the D653 road. It is one of the finest restaurants/inns in the region. From Cahors, you might want to head toward Bordeaux via the Dordogne valley, stopping along the way in Sarlat, Domme, or Bergerac. From there if time permits, head for Angers, in the western Loire valley. It is a lively city with a 12th century chateau which has lovely views of the Maine River, a tributary of the Loire River. From Angers, head east long the Loire river to Amboise, Chambord, etc. <BR> <BR>Regards.. <BR> <BR>Luis

Amelia

Thank you all so much for your help. I am really looking forward to this trip - especially with all the great advice you gave.