lovebread

hi,

planning on spending 7 days in france. I love nature, water, and food. love walking, biking, and don't mind driving or taking a train. any recommendations on cities or villages to visit.

thanks,

ali

Nina66

Hi lovebread - on your other post you say that you will be ending your trip in Paris, so I assume that you are looking for places to visit enroute, either by train or car.

France has many different areas, each with different sights and activities. Right now your question is way too general for anyone to give you suggestions.

When will you be there? During your seven days in France, don't you plan on spending much time in Paris? Or maybe just a day or two - which would be a shame.

First of all, go to a book store or your library and see what is between your starting point and Paris. Read about these areas, and when you find things that interest you, come back and ask more specific questions.

Be sure to include your budget if you will be asking about hotels and restauants.

Please do some homework and then come back, we'd love to help you plan your trip.

Nina

lovebread

hi,

i appreciate the response nina, but i do have access to books and the net. i understand your intent.

I just value more people's experiences regarding certain places than what a book or expedia.com might highlight as a fun hotspot to visit. It's the equivalant of asking a person from a town you are visiting "what's a great place to have a romantic dinner?"

Recieving advise from a living human being adds a little more value to any place i visit than just following what page 64 in some book stated to visit. Don't get me wrong, i'm still doing my homework with books and google, but am finding this site to be full of fun and helpful people like you.

My plans are open for paris, disregard $$, just tell me the name of a place big or small that any of you have found FUN or interesting. i'll use that info as i plan out my trip.

thanks

ali

5alive

Nina's right, you do need a little more info for us to work with. Imagine if you posted this message on the USA board.

What time of year is crucial to know. Also, does the 7 days include your travel days into and out of France? Will you be traveling by train or renting a car?

blackduff

Okay, for starters, you could rent a bike and ride along the Canal du Midi. This would be from Toulouse down to the Mediteranne. You can spend nights in castles or hotels. You'll see lots of beautiful views and you can even visit Carcasonne.

Would this take your fancy?

Blackduff

Kate_W

Lonely Planet has an excellent book, Walking in France, which would provide you with some good ideas about the regions you might like to visit and some day-long or slightly longer walks you could do. Fodorites' advice might also depend on where you're coming from, and whether that "7 days" includes arrival and departure days (and will you be coming from overseas, and therefore jetlagged) and whether it includes your time in Paris, or is a supplement to your time in Paris.

ira

Hi L,

I assume that this is your first visit.

With only 7 days, I suggest that you spend them in Paris.

You can visit France on another trip.

sheila

Or..... go to Brittany; go right out west and you'll love it. Anywhere'll do

RonZ

Fly into CDG, rent a car and drive to the Chateau de Fere in Fere en Tardenois and spend the night.

Then head for the town of St Florentin and the hotel Grand Chaumiere. Follow the back roads, pass through Troyes.

Next morning head for Beaune on a route that includes Auxerre, Chablis and Semur -en-Axois among others, back roads again.

Spend two nights in in Beaune, catch the early train to Paris.

Both the hotels I suggested have excellent restaurants, one with a very well deserved Michelin Star.

lovebread

thanks so much for the help,

oh yah, if someone were to ask me where to go in the USA...

i would recommend starting in san francisco, driving down Highway 1 past santa-cruz, passing by pacific grove, carmel valley, then continuing down highway 1 through big-sur... then continuing the drive all they way down past santa-barbra - home of oprah, then malibu, santa-monica, venice, all the way to san diego.... that would by my USA recommendation for a driving trip.

see, not hard.

love, ali