Hello! My fiancee and I are planning a honeymoon in October in Paris and Provence. We would have 6 days in Paris (and surrounding areas), and 4.5 days in the Cote d'Azur. It would be the first time for us both in France.

What we'd like help with is our itinerary, as well as suggestions on which towns/areas to visit. Since this is our honeymoon, and because we'd be headed to NY after being in France, we'd like a romantic, relaxing holiday: sightseeing, museum and architecture appreciatiion, wine tasting, strolling, as well as people watching, eating and beach bumming (on the Riviera, if weather permits).

As such, are there any towns you can recommend for day trips, outside of Paris, aside from Versaille? We're looking for small towns in picturesque settings, and might want to stay in a villa for 1-2 nights. (Due to budgetary reasons we'll only be able to stay in Paris for 3-4 days)

Regarding Provence, originally we were going to take the TGV to Nice, then visit some towns there, including Antibes, Eze, St. Paul de Vence, and Monaco. However, after reading this forum, I've added the Cinque Terre, Aix en Provence, L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, Cannes, and Avignon to my wish list. I've realized there's a lot more to Provence than the Cote d'Azure, and now, I'm overwhelmed and can't decide!

Should we take a TGV down to Avignon, rent a car, explore the markets at L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, then head to Aix en Provence for one night, moving eastwards to Nice and area towns, onto Monaco and Italy?

Or should I just take the train directly to Nice, explore the nearby towns and head east to Monaco and possibly Italy, using remaining time (if any) to head to Aix en Provence?

Also, should I rent a car? My fiancee's not a fan of buses, nor have we ever taken a road trip together, however my biggest concern is traffic and parking. Would they pose a major problem in mid-October?

I'd very much appreciate your help on this, thanks much!!

That will be lovely.

For Paris, I recommend getting the Michelin Green Guide which has good walks for exploring the different neighbourhoods. Then just stroll & enjoy.

Personally I'd find plenty to do in Paris for 6 days, without bothering with trips outside the city - especially since you want a fairly relaxing holiday. I would go for 6 nights in Paris in a slightly cheaper hotel rather than 3-4 nights there & 2-3 nights outside.

I also recommend you book your Paris hotel *as soon as possible*, if you haven't already done it (and assuming you mean this October). October is quite a popular month & you might find the nicer places get booked up.

I don't think you'd be able to book a villa for 1-2 nights - they are usually rented out by the week.

Your first possible itinerary for Provence (paragraph starting "Should we take a TGV down to Avignon&quot sounds lovely but with only 4.5 days, I'd suggest you need to cut it down by half and forget Italy - I'd spend l0 days on that itinerary.

When we've driven in France it's always been very easy except at the end of each day when we are trying to find our hotel - town centre driving is the same anywhere. Just make sure you book hotels with parking & find out exactly where the hotels are.

Best wishes for your wedding !

Oh dear, a conundrum: romantic, relaxing holiday versus seeing all the stuff you hope to see in Provence in 4.5 days.

You will have to reduce your destinations unless you want to spend all the time in cars, buses or trains. If the cote d Azur is your priority, you will probably have to forget Cinque Terre, Avignon and the Luberon (Isle sur la Sorgue).

I agree that with 4.5 days you'll have to cut your wishlist radically. And many of your choices, like Avignon, Aix, Cannes, are cities and not really conducive to relaxing strolling...

You won't even have the full 4.5 days on the Côte d'Azur if you take the TGV- it takes over six hours to get there from Paris as it's not a high speed train after Aix and Marseille. You might want to check out some of the low cost flights from Paris to Nice instead.


Patricia

Due to budgetary reasons....Paris....? I find Paris to be an inexpensive place to stay. Check out www.venere.com for lots of hotels. It would be more relaxing to stay in Paris longer then simply go stay in a small town in Provence like St. Remy or Gordes for the rest of the time.

Or do it the other way around so you are jetlagged in the small town and less so in Paris.

My husband and I HM'd last year (10 days) in Paris and Provence. We loved it so much, we are going back in 4 days for another stay. This time we are going for 2 weeks and splitting our time between Provence and the Dordogne.

If you want to read my trip report, go to-

Trip Report: HM In Paris and Provence- long

Hi Freck,

>Due to budgetary reasons we'll only be able to stay in Paris for 3-4 days.

My suggestion would be to step down one level in hotel cost and stay 5 days in Paris.

Re the rest of your stay in the hinterlands: you have too much on your plate.

From where will you be flying home?

Hi...Good for you - first time in France doing Paris, and more, for your honeymoon. I would offer a new suggestion with the idea of slowing down and enjoying your travel more. Do spend 6 days in Paris and, as has been noted, book your hotel asap. Omit Versailles. For your remaining 4.5 days, consider some combination of Bruges, Brussels and/or Ghent. These are a short train ride from Paris and from each other. You will not need a car at all. It may be possible to fly to Paris and return from Brussels or Amsterdam.
One short note about being mindful of the budget. Search hard for a good deal on your airfare. There are often bargains to be found and this will open up more money for your actual time in Europe. Best wishes.

Thanks so much for all of your replies! Need to do more research to consider the options proposed, starting with the hotels of course! Originally thought we should stay in an apt but will check the cost of small hotels as well.

PBProvence, you are right, the TGV has a train leaving Paris about 9, getting into Nice at 3.15pm. Might consider leaving one day earlier instead.

Also, if we do just stay in the Cote d'Azur area, should we rent a car or rely on public transport? I know there have been previous posts on the topic which I've read, but also want to consider our limited time, and the fact that it's our honeymoon - would renting a car be that much more convenient than public transport in October?

BTW, we are on a budget because we're living in SE Asia, without the expat packages! Therefore, esp. with the exchange rates, costs are quite high for us. It's ok though, will do the research, quality time and value is most important! =)

I think you are trying to do much and that renting a car might be more stressful than you realize -- unless both of you love to drive and are incredibly cheerful when whoever is driving gets lost (or whoever is watching the map and giving directions screws up).

I also worry that October is not RELIABLY a prime season for the Cote d'Azur. You could luck out with balmy, pretty weather. But if you get grey skies and rain, it is dreary.

Please consider a fully relaxed stay in Paris, and then very picturesque or even extroardinary chateau setting in the wine country closer to Paris just to give yourselves a chance to relax and to treat yourselves.

In any event, I would give some consideration to seeing parts of France other than the southern beaches. I think the suggestion to go to Belgium is also one you should explore. The food and sights are lovely in Brugge and Antwerp.