kpilling

My husband and I would like to spend two weeks in France. We would like to go 3 days to Paris, a few days in Beaune and several in Provence.

If we spend 3 nights in Paris and then train to Beaune (closest train station is?)rent a car and tour the Burgundy area spending 3 nights in Beaune then train to Avignon for 7 nights and base ourselves in St. Remy for Provence and fly home from Nice via London does this make sense or would a different layout be better? Is this too much in two weeks?

You help is appreciated as always.

Travelnut

you can train to Beaune on a very few direct trains from Paris, or more often through connection in Dijon. there is an Avis rental in Beaune that we used for our jaunts. (stayed at very nice Hotel de la Paix, just outside the old center but walkable)...
I guess you would drive on to Provence and Nice..?

jamikins

We did the exact same trip in 2006. We spent a couple nights in Paris, a few nights in Beaune and a week in Provence in St Remy. It was fantastic. We took the train to Dijon, then picked up our car and then after a few days drove to Provence. I think you would be best having a car in Burgundy to see everything around the area. It is a nice and easy drive via Lyon to St Remy.

Enjoy!

ira

Hi Kp,

Good plan.
Once in Burgundy, I would pick up a car and keep it until I was ready to go on to London.

We enjoyed our stay at http://www.hotel-grillon.fr/anglais/home.html in Beaune.
Many posters have recommended Coco's (one of our number) apartment in Dijon - http://myhomeindijon.com/

In Provence, we were very pleased with our stay at Cadran Solaire.
http://www.hotel-en-provence.com/uk/index.php

It is near Avignon, Arles and St, Remy.

Details at my trip reports:
Ira Visits Europe – May, 2007 (Salzburg, Fuessen, Bodensee, Burgundy, Alsace)
http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...2&tid=35014078

Ira Returns From 22 Loverly Days in Europe - Sep, 2009
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...-in-europe.cfm

Enjoy your visit.

kpilling

Would you all check out this plan and see what you think.

Arrive Paris for two nights
Arrive St. Remy for 5 nights
Would like to spend two nights in wine country of provence suggestions would be appreciated.
While in St. Remy we would like to see Arle, Le Baux, Aix en Provence.Luberon, Nimes,
Arrive Beaune for 4 nights
Back to Paris and on to London for final night

Underhill

You can save considerable time by taking the TGV to Dijon, spending half a day or so exploring that city, then picking up a car to continue on to Beaune.

From St-Rémy you can easily visit Arles, Les Baux, Nîmes, and the Lubéron villages--allow at least 3 days for that itinerary.

For wine country in coastal Provence, head over to Cassis and visit the vineyards around Bandol. The wineries there produce wonderful dry rosés (the summer drink of Provence) and good reds. You could also do a northern circle covering some of the wineries above Carpentras: Beaumes de Venise (a lovely sweet wine often drunk as an apéritif), Séguret, Gigondas, Vacqueras, and more.

kpilling

Underhill,

Thank you for the tips. Are the wineries in the north you mention within driving distance of St. Remy or where would you suggest we base for that area? Same question for Cassis, should we base somewhere other than St. Remy to see the Bandol area?

Thank you so much

kpilling

ttt

kpilling

This is the new itinerary:

Eurostar from London to Lille and spend the night in Avignon (hotel suggestions would be appreciated). Rent car and drive to St. Remy - staying in a house for 6 nights. Drive to Beaune and stay for 4 nights (suggestions again for hotel). Drive to Dijon, drop car, train to Paris and back to London to go home following day. This will be in mid October this year.

Merci

What do you all think?

kpilling

ttt

Underhill

Four nights in Beaune seems like a lot--are there sights in the area that you particularly want to see?

You could take the train from Avignon to Dijon rather than driving--that's a long trip.

Underhill

Driving from St-Rémy to Bendol (and Cassis) would be fine for a day trip-no need to move.

kpilling

How long would you suggest spending in Beaune. We are just interested in pretty countryside, wines and being in a place. Would be be smarter to spend more time in Provence? Also, you mention taking the train from Avignon to Dijon instead of driving. Would we be missing out on interesting scenery. We of course would have to drop the car and rent again in Beaune. Any suggestions would be helpful.

kpilling

If we take the train from Avignon to Dijon is it cheap or expensive to rent a car to drive to Beaune? Also, does anyone have current info on cell phone rentals? We have a cell phone we used in Scotland and then again last year in Ireland, would that phone work in France and how would I go about getting sim card and charger for France?
Should we buy phone cards to call the U.S. are calls in from the U.S. free?

Thank you

Michael

I would rent the car in Auxerre or Dijon simply because some of the most scenic parts of Burgundy are in the northern half.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mksfca/...7622755059630/

kpilling

Can anyone tell me if driving from St. Remy to Beaune is a scenic drive?

Michael

Use viaMichelin and specify the scenic road instead of the most direct--I assume that there is a difference.

jamikins

St Remy to Beaune is not scenic - it is on the autoroute, unless you take the rural routes which will add a bunch of time to your schedule.

I dont think 4 nights in Beaune is too much. We spent a day in Dijon, a day in Beaune, a day driving through the vineyards and wine tasting. Heaven.

Underhill

When are you going? The vendange is in progress in some areas, making visits to wineries difficult because they're so busy with the harvest.

kpilling

We are going mid Oct.