Need help for France itinerary
 

Hi, in July I will be spending 5 days in Aix en provence, 3 days in Lyon and 6 days in Paris.
And this is my 1st time in France so need travel gurus to plan itinerary; >. Pls give me a list of Must See or Must Visit. Merci!

Hi MinMin,

I can only mention Paris. The list is much too long.

Have you looked at the Fodors miniguide under Paris? That is a good start.

Have you done a text search "Paris must sees"?

If you will be there on Sunday, you might find that having Brunch at the Andre'-Jacquemar Museum, followed by a walk through the Parc Monceau, is a good way to spend Sunday morning.

You may not like this answer, but it is sincere and what I think the best advice -- get a guidebook. Any guidebook, even the worst, will list the must-sees of cities with fairly good consensus. Some guidebooks give ideas of itineraries for those with 3 days, 5 days, a week, etc (Frommers does this fairly well, perhaps Fodors also). They are always pretty good from what I've seen. The Michelin green guides are also excellent in that regard as they give "stars" to attractions that rate them by their opinion as to must-see-ability and I also think they do a good job on their ratings. For Paris, they also give walks in various neighborhoods, as do some other guidebooks.

For such a broad question a little self help would be a good place to start. For example, do a Google search with the subject line: "Paris must sees" and you will be kept busy for hours. Doesn't get any easier than that.
Have a great trip.

Larry J

Here is more info about notparis.

Lyon: you can easely spend your 3 days in the city.

There are nice shopping areas.
You can visit roman ruins in Lyon.

The old city (medieval time) is very gorgeous. some building have an italian renaissance flair. In medieval time/renaissance, Lyon was a big commercial town with many fairs.
there is a music festival during the summer : les nuits de fourvieres (http://www.nuits-de-fourviere.org/)

Lyon was an important Silk town, I heard that the fabric museum was nice.

But when I go to lyon I just shop and walk around...

ho, how could I forgot : you have to eat there too ! It's one of the best cities in France for restaurants, many of the famous chef are from there.

Will do Aix in an other post


Celine

and now : aix en provence.

Very elegant city. You have to eat some Calisson, the local candy (almost a small pastry)

Will you have a car ?

from Aix you should go to Avignon.

If you have a car you can drive around to the villages like Gordes, Aubagne...



Celine

MinMin,
I live in Aix so let me know if you have any specific questions; maybe I can help.

Hi, babette! Thanks for offering your help. Let think over it and see if I hv any questions to ask u. Thanks alots : >

Hi, Celine. Thanks for your pointers. Will sure try Calisson and let u know when I m back. Cheers.

Get yourself a copy of The Paris Mapguide by Michael Middleditch. Handy little booklet with lists of all kinds of attractions plus easy to read maps.

RE: Babette

I've seen so many posts that say stay in Avignon and not Aix if you have a choice. What's your view on the situation (pros and cons? Should you split the time between the two; especially if you planned to use the bus or train to explore the region? I know this is a somewhat broad question, but thought your feedback might shed some light on the issue.

MinMin,
It all depends on what you're looking for, of course. Aix is a bigger town, so you will have more transportation options. Avignon is great too but I wouldn't want to spend 5 days there. On my first trip to France, I stayed in both but enjoyed Aix much more. However, it's really a matter of personal preference. Some people prefer Avignon I think (though I'm not sure why!) For the last couple of years, the main boulevard in Aix was under construction and I think that had much to do with some of the negative impressions. It's finished now and is very nice (Cours Mirabeau) with the plane trees and fountains. There are many more shopping and dining options in Aix as well. And, depending on where you want to go on day-trips, you may find it more convenient. I think splitting your time is a hassle. I hate to unpack and repack! What hotels are you considering?

I will be staying in Hotel Artea for 5 nights. My plan is to cover Aix, Avignon, Arles, Orange, St Remy and Marseille. I don't know if I m being too ambitious abt my planning. Babette, can u provide some pointers like what type of transport - bus or train to travel to all these places from Aix. Bear in mind that I don't drive a car.

MinMin,
Yes, that sounds very ambitious for a five night stay! What do you like to do?
a. see the sights?
b. shop?
c. eat and drink?
d. all of the above?
In other words, why have you selected each of these towns?

Perhaps you're one of those tazmanian devil-style travelers who has the energy to zip around all day but I like to relax more so I wouldn't attempt to see so much.

As far as transportation goes, I know that the bus system is very good and should work well for your outings. I had some friends living here without a car last year and they took the bus everywhere without difficulty.