We will make our first European trip in June. Provence for a week and then on to the area north of Toulouse (Cordes). Anyone familiar with the area? Tips, suggestions? Sights to see? Any other region (besides Provence) you would recommend? ANY help is appreciated.

Opinions on one more thing, please. From Paris to Nimes - better to go by train or fly - we would get a car there.

I don't know if it's possible to fly from Paris to N&icirc;mes directly, but you could easily take the TGV to Avignon and then drive to N&icirc;mes.<BR><BR>I've posted one of my favorite itineraries on this board several times - from Carcassonne to Caussade, through Revel and St-Ferr&eacute;ol and Graulhet and Gaillac and Castelnau- de-Montmiral. Absolutely fabulous route with tons to see and do along the way, particularly if the Cathars interest you. I think if you search on any of those town names you'll find my previous posts, or if you search on my screen name. Anyway, check a map and look up those places and plan a route all around the backroads to the east of Toulouse and north of Carcassonne. And don't miss the chance to visit Albi and its exceptional cathedral, Toulouse-Lautrec museum, and sunny pedestrian areas.

Just curious as to why you picked this region for your first trip to Europe. Don't misunderstand me -- we rented a house near Cordes for a week several years ago and loved the area, but it's certainly off the beaten tourist path and there are other regions of France, such as the Dordogne, which I think might be more interesting for a first trip.

We picked the area on a lark - our last name is Cordes. When I read about the town it sounded very interesting....<BR><BR>For this novice, how would you rank the areas aside from Provence

I loved Cordes! On the main street at the very top is a great restaurant where you eat under spreading chestnut trees.

P. S. ms beans, I have never been disappointed in any area of France. Each has its own special beauty.

Don't worry about it being an &quot;odd&quot; choice for a first trip to France - go for it! If more people headed to regions like this in France on first trips they would probably return a thousand times (France is the number one tourist destination in Europee, anyway, but it's great for people to get out into the real countryside and see what it's like, and it's fabulous!)

Hi<BR><BR>TGV Paris - Nimes is just under 3 hrs. There is an Avis desk at the station.<BR><BR>Air Littoral flies Paris (Orly)- Nimes in 1 hr (Currently around Euro 50 one way). There are car rental desks at the airport.<BR><BR>En route Provence to Midi Pyrenees you will follow the Via Domitia (Roman rd linking Rome to Spain) through Languedoc. There are many roman remains along this road.<BR><BR>Languedoc information here : http://tlp.netfirms.com<BR><BR>Peter<BR> <BR><BR>

Picking up a car in N&icirc;mes and then driving to the core of the Provence, east of the Rh&ocirc;ne? I assume that, since you intend to come from Paris to N&icirc;mes and then spend a week in the Provence. You might then want to consider driving a little further north on your way to Cordes and then west along the Gorges de l'Ard&egrave;che, wend your way over to the Gorges du Tarn to Millau, St. Affrique and on to Albi. You don't make time, but it is a lovely drive.

I certainly agree that more people should spend time visiting the French countryside -- la France profonde -- but I think the Dordogne still qualifies as such and offers more of interest to the first-time visitor than the area around Cordes. Cordes is indeed a beautiful town, but it is still a beautiful small town of fewer than 1,000 people, so Msbeans is probably going to want to venture out in different directions. I think that the Dordogne offers an amazing variety of things to see and do in a very concentrated area, and since Msbeans asked for other recommendations, mine was and remains the Dordogne. One other factor to consider, Msbeans, is whether you speak French, and if you don't, whether you can cope in places where you're less likely to encounter English-speakers.