Rhadames

I will be in Paris this year from May 23 through June 7th and I would like to spend the first 3-4 days visiting the Wine country. Any suggestions regarding transportation, hotels, sights and routes? Thanks.

JulieVikmanis

There are many different wine countries in France. Which are you considering? I'm pretty sure there was a recent post very similar to this just recently. Do an advanced search and look for Bourdeaux, Burgundy, Alsace and Champagne.

StCirq

Which wine country? There are literally dozens.

3sica

I was thinking of doing a day trip to Reims, to visit at least one of the champagne caves, and I wonder if there will be time to hop on the train and continue down to Epernay for Moet. Anyone knows if this is possible?
If i am already doing the Champagne route, is it excessive to do another day trip to Bordeaux or Burgundy?
To be honest, me and my husband are not really big wine drinkers, but we wouldn't mind knowing more...hopefully the guides will not get exasperated at our poor or nonexistent knowledge of wine!

JulieVikmanis

3sica, It's only about a 30 min train ride from Reims to Epernay, so it's definitely doable. Trains aren't too frequent, so you'd need to be pretty definite about your schedule. Go on the Raileurope sit and check using a date in April that's the same day of the week that you expect to go to sort of map out your train schedules. Not excessive to also go to either Bordeaux or Burgundy but both are longer trips. Actually Bordeaux is so much longer that it really doesn't make much sense as a day trip IMO. Assuming you mean day trips from Paris.

annhig

hi rhadames,

what do you like to drink? white, red, dry, medium? that would be a good place to start.

champagne is easy of course - and reims with it's lovely cathedral is worth a trip for that alone. but if you hate heavy reds, there's no point in going to Bordeaux, for which you really need 2-3 days.

if you like dry/medium whites, then head for the Loire - a few light reds in this area but mainly the sort of white wine people like to drink. you could do a day trip, an overnight would be better.

alsace is also a possibility, but again not as a day trip.

and forget burgundy - unless you are millionaires, you won't be able to afford to drink it, especially the red, when you get home, so there's no point in developing a taste for it now!

regards, ann

Michael

Given the 3 or 4 days, Alsace and its <i>route du vin</i> is definitely a possibility, and in my opinion, its wine villages are more picturesque than those of almost any other wine area.

3sica

thanks julie
i think i will not be that ambitious...
with a day trip to versailles, and a day trip to Reims, i think the rest of my days is best spent within Paris...
Everything should be pretty walkable when I get to Reims right? May i know which station should i be expecting to take the train out to Reims?

JulieVikmanis

If you go on the Rail Europe site, it will tell you which Paris station the train leaves from. Bonne Chance.

Rhadames

Ann;

I really like all type of wines. I am more concern about having a stress free itinerary, enjoy the sights and views.

I thought we could take the train to Bordeux, and then work our way back to Paris driving.

We would spend the first night in Bordeux, and then is up to recomendations.

annhig

hi rhadames,

truly, the Bordeaux area is not t hemost picturesque in france - as Michael says, Alsace is very pretty.

however, were you to start at Bordeaux itself and work your way back, you could drive east to Sarlat [recent thread about this] and see some of the dordogne, followed by limoges [though nothing very exciting than before you get back to Paris] OR
head north via cognac [worth a stop to visit the chais] through the Vendee and back to paris along the loire OR
strike a route between the two via angouleme and poitiers, up to Tour and see the eastern loire before returning to Paris.

not route is ideal - some boring bits on each.

how long have you got?

regards, ann

Michael

I still would consider going to Strasbourg, rent a car, do the <i>route du vin</i> in Alsace and from there wend your way back to Paris via the Champagne, thus trying out two wine areas. With a stop in the Champagne (lunch and one wine maker?), count on two days from the Alsace to Paris.

StCirq

Don't go to Bordeaux and drive back. I'm a big fan of Bordeaux, but it's not a destination I'd recommend unless you've been all over the rest of France or you're a major oenophile, which you say you're not. There are FAR better road trips to other parts of France for anyone interested in tasting wines.

I would choose Strasbourg or Burgundy.

ira

Very good advice from StCirq.