chchtrain

How is reims like? For 4 nights outside of Paris, is Loire valley or reims a better choice? If not, where else? Provence would be too far.

StCirq

There is no real "better" option. They are different regions with different charms. Reims is a very nice city, with that cathedral immortalized by Monet and lots of champagne activity.

And with the TGV, Provence is now less than a 3-hour ride from Paris.

chchtrain

If we just want to relax and stay in quaint villages with good food, would you say provence would suit us better? We also like wine tasting and visiting vineyards. Which town in Provence do you suggest we base ourselves in?
Thanks so much

StCirq

There is virtually no area of France that is lacking in quaint villages and good food. If those are your only criteria, you'd be happy in the Loire, Champagne, or Provence, and plenty of other places too. I suggest you go to the library or bookstore and start browsing through some guidebooks to get a more precise handle on which area would suit you best. France has amazing variety.

mamc

What time of the year are you going? If spring or fall, I would recommend Provence. If summer, you might find a more temperate climate in the Loire or Champagne. (But not if the weather is like last summer). Of the three, I prefer Provence for its beauty, its ambiance and its food.

Underhill

Have you considered Burgundy? There are many charming villages, not to mention excellent food and quite a few wine villages/vineyards. There are also magnificent cathedrals and several fine châteaux to be seen, and the weather is usually temperate. We love the green of the hills and the beautiful forests too.

DianeP

I would chose the Burgundy Region over Rheims. Last year we visited both and thought the town of Beaune in Burgundy was much more charming than Rheims. Beaune is smaller and more quaint. Very good restaurants and wonderful scenery. You can drive there from Paris in about 3 hours. Four nights in Burgundy is just about perfect!!

baldrick

You could also favor the Normandy coast, Deauville, Mont St-Michel,...

KH

Hi chchtrain,

While Reims is quaint and neat to see, I spent one day there and that was plenty (same with Epernay). If I were you I would take some of the other posters' suggestions of taking the TGV to Provence or checking out Burgundy or Loire Valley area. I love Provence, such a change of scenery, people, food from Paris. The 3 hour TGV trip will be so worth it- and you'll get some great scenery on the way as well!

Hope this helps,
Kelly

chchtrain

Thanks for all your kind assistance in planning my trip. TGV ride is 2 hours to Loire valley and 3 hours to provence. Which is a better choice if we want just a relaxing holiday?

ChatNoir

Provence.

Michael

StCirq--Isn't it the Rouen cathedral that Monet immortalized?

Underhill

chchtrain,

What sort of relaxing do you want to do?

StCirq

Michael, you are absolutely right. Monet's famous series is of the cathedral at Rouen. Reims is the cathedral where all the French kings were coronated.

dugi_otok

Loire valley or Provence are much better choices than Reims.
For Provence I would propose Avignon as a home base if you do not want to rent a car.If you rent a car you can stay at a Luberon village. Roussillon is a good one. Avignon is accessible by TGV. From there you can see Arles ( Sat mkt day) by train, bus to Pont du Gard and St. Remy,bus tour the Luberon villages, and take a train to the Sunday market at Isle sur la Sorgue.

For a more relaxing time which would not require any self planning on your part would be a stay in the Loire valley at Le Vieux Manoir in Amboise. I, along with Fodor, Karen Brown, and Rick Steves highly recommend staying there. See their web site....www.le-vieux-manoir.com. Fodors-"Don't you dare visit the Loire Valley and not stay there." It has a lovely garden and the breakfasts are to die for.

While more of a small town than a quaint village, Amboise is a good base for visiting the Loire valley with or without a car. Gloria,American owner of Le Vieux Manoir,will plan your days,advise you, based on your inputs, and make all reservations for you. She will supply info,maps,etc. so you will have a relaxing vacation. There are many nearby wineries for wine tasting and Gloria will plan that for you. There are numerous good restaurants in Amboise including 2 Michelin 1 stars. There are tours to nearby chateaus, and public bus to the best-Chenonceau. In Amboise there is a chateau and Le Clos Luce, home of Leonardo da Vinci and a cave winery.Starting in June there is one of the best, but too long, Sound-and-Light shows at the Chateau. Chateau

Hope this helps
Gary

Christina

I found Reims to be quite interesting, and it does have some charms, but it's a city, not a village. YOu can't compare cities to small villages realistically. It has several good museums which a lot of people don't know about because they only think about the cathedral and the champagne, but you could easily spend 2-3 days there with things to do. It's not a small town, however, and I wouldn't call it remotely quaint, myself. I imagine the population is about 100K, if you search. So, if you want small villages, that would not do.

I thought Monet did do some paintings of Reims cathedral, also, even though not as many or as famous ones as his eries of the Rouen cathedral, but perhaps I'm remembering wrong. In any case, the cathedral is a UNESCO heritage site and well worth seeing, and has beautiful windows by Chagall. The former abbey of St Remi and something else are also UNESCO heritage sites in Reims. I enjoyed the Recapitulation museum very much, they had an excellent film archive.