Need trip planning help…How to narrow down
Jul 29th, 2015, 02:40 PM
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 365
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Need trip planning help…How to narrow down
It's incredible, but my husband and I actually got reservations on BA using a companion ticket! We had hoped to fly into Amsterdam for a workshop with plans to train down to Paris for a few days and after that, spend almost 2 weeks in France flying out of Nice.
BA was kind enough to let us use our companion ticket, but we had to do it their way which was not to fly into Amsterdam. Now, we are flying into Paris (never a bad thing in my opinion) and will be there 3 nights. From there, we will take a train to Amsterdam for the workshop which lasts 5 days, but we are cutting out after 3 and leaving….the question is where in France?
We have 14 days with day 15, flying out of Nice that morning back to Austin. We've been to Burgundy which was wonderful, but now want to explore someplace different. We like history (or at least my husband really likes history), wine (especially me), good food, markets, beautiful scenery. We will have a car at some point.
Here are some of my thoughts: Fly from Amsterdam to Bordeaux for a couple of nights and do a wine tour. Then rent a car and either go to the Loire Valley or the Dordogne. After that, drive to Provence for a couple of days (we were there last year) before driving and leaving the car in Nice.
I've read numerous reports of trips to the Loire Valley and the Dordogne and everything sounds wonderful. The Dordogne seems a bit rustic to me, but the pictures of the river and caves is very intriguing. In the Loire, the gardens and Chateaus are full of history and look so inviting plus the ease of biking. So, what to do?
I haven't been to Nice in 25 years and wasn't that wowed at the time. My husband has never been to the coast, loves the water, so we will go. I have no idea how much time to spend there and maybe day trips to get away from the city or before we get to Nice and turn the car in. Any suggestions? Our dates are May 10-June 2, 2016. I want to nail down our itinerary so that the research can begin in ernest, which is part of the fun!
Thanks for suggestions and help.
BA was kind enough to let us use our companion ticket, but we had to do it their way which was not to fly into Amsterdam. Now, we are flying into Paris (never a bad thing in my opinion) and will be there 3 nights. From there, we will take a train to Amsterdam for the workshop which lasts 5 days, but we are cutting out after 3 and leaving….the question is where in France?
We have 14 days with day 15, flying out of Nice that morning back to Austin. We've been to Burgundy which was wonderful, but now want to explore someplace different. We like history (or at least my husband really likes history), wine (especially me), good food, markets, beautiful scenery. We will have a car at some point.
Here are some of my thoughts: Fly from Amsterdam to Bordeaux for a couple of nights and do a wine tour. Then rent a car and either go to the Loire Valley or the Dordogne. After that, drive to Provence for a couple of days (we were there last year) before driving and leaving the car in Nice.
I've read numerous reports of trips to the Loire Valley and the Dordogne and everything sounds wonderful. The Dordogne seems a bit rustic to me, but the pictures of the river and caves is very intriguing. In the Loire, the gardens and Chateaus are full of history and look so inviting plus the ease of biking. So, what to do?
I haven't been to Nice in 25 years and wasn't that wowed at the time. My husband has never been to the coast, loves the water, so we will go. I have no idea how much time to spend there and maybe day trips to get away from the city or before we get to Nice and turn the car in. Any suggestions? Our dates are May 10-June 2, 2016. I want to nail down our itinerary so that the research can begin in ernest, which is part of the fun!
Thanks for suggestions and help.
Jul 29th, 2015, 02:57 PM
#2
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 1,713
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Dordogne is great.
Bordeaux is a beautiful city.
Wine everywhere, chateauX (x not s) everywhere.
So no wrong choice there.
Another possibility : Alsace.
Wine, history, chateaux, good food, but quite different.
Or stay your 6 remaining days in Cote d'Azur : Nice, Antibes, visit the region (Eze, Vence etc).
Bordeaux is a beautiful city.
Wine everywhere, chateauX (x not s) everywhere.
So no wrong choice there.
Another possibility : Alsace.
Wine, history, chateaux, good food, but quite different.
Or stay your 6 remaining days in Cote d'Azur : Nice, Antibes, visit the region (Eze, Vence etc).
Jul 29th, 2015, 03:58 PM
#5
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 16,434
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Along with Provence, the Dordogne is our favorite region in France - but I've never viewed it as "rustic". I guess if old medieval stone houses built into the side of a cliff (Beynac/Roque Gageac) is "rustic" to you - then the Dordogne is rustic. Chateau Milandes is certainly not "rustic", IMO.
http://www.milandes.com/gb/
The chateaux in the Dordogne are a lot more "full of history" than those in the Loire.
In 1977 when I was planning our first trip to Europe, I went to the French National Tourist Office where we lived (San Francisco) and obtained info from them. I inquired about Bordeaux - and the agent suggest Burgundy instead. He said that the Bordeaux area wasn't that great. I later read it a tour book that the Medoc vineyards area was dusty & windy and the villages have not profited from the wine trade. I've visited the city of Bordeaux 3 times - and it is quite nice, but not one of my Top 10 large cities in France.
Consider:
- Fly from Amsterdam to Toulouse (tied with Dijon as our second favorite city in France). Stay 1 night.
- Rent a car, and visit Albi in the AM (one of our "top 5" medium sized city in France). Then drive to the St Cirq Lapopie, visit, and then get a tour "next door" at Pech Merle cave. This is the best cave you'll likely visit with both stalactites & mites and pre-historic drawings & foot/hand prints. Then on to Rocamadour and stay 2 nights at Domaine de la Rhu http://www.domainedelarhue.com/gb/region.htm
- Next morning,visit Rocamadour before the tourist mobs arrive, then Gouffre de Padirac, the charming villages of Carennac and Martel (there are many other charming villages in the area).
- Next morning head to the Dordogne and spend 3-4 nights there.
- Leave the Dordogne and head to Provence - stopping along the way in Carcassonne for a 2 1/2 hr visit.
- Spend 4-5 nights in Provence
- Drive to Nice, turn in the car, and spend your remaining days there.
My wife & I have have vacationed for 20 weeks in Provence, 20 weeks in the Cote d'Azur, 16 weeks in the Languedoc, and 10 weeks in the Dordogne. I've developed itineraries for Provence/Cote, Languedoc/Roussillon, and the Dordogne - that describe our favorite villages, cities, scenic drives, markets, restaurants, caves, etc. I've sent them to over 5,000 people on Fodors - about 4-8 every day. If you would like copies of any of these, e-mail me at [email protected] , indicate which ones you want (I have others also) and I'll attach them to the reply e-mail. You may have to wait a week for the Languedoc one because we just returned from a month there & I am updating it now. E-mail me somewhat soon - we leave for France again in early Sept.
Stu Dudley
http://www.milandes.com/gb/
The chateaux in the Dordogne are a lot more "full of history" than those in the Loire.
In 1977 when I was planning our first trip to Europe, I went to the French National Tourist Office where we lived (San Francisco) and obtained info from them. I inquired about Bordeaux - and the agent suggest Burgundy instead. He said that the Bordeaux area wasn't that great. I later read it a tour book that the Medoc vineyards area was dusty & windy and the villages have not profited from the wine trade. I've visited the city of Bordeaux 3 times - and it is quite nice, but not one of my Top 10 large cities in France.
Consider:
- Fly from Amsterdam to Toulouse (tied with Dijon as our second favorite city in France). Stay 1 night.
- Rent a car, and visit Albi in the AM (one of our "top 5" medium sized city in France). Then drive to the St Cirq Lapopie, visit, and then get a tour "next door" at Pech Merle cave. This is the best cave you'll likely visit with both stalactites & mites and pre-historic drawings & foot/hand prints. Then on to Rocamadour and stay 2 nights at Domaine de la Rhu http://www.domainedelarhue.com/gb/region.htm
- Next morning,visit Rocamadour before the tourist mobs arrive, then Gouffre de Padirac, the charming villages of Carennac and Martel (there are many other charming villages in the area).
- Next morning head to the Dordogne and spend 3-4 nights there.
- Leave the Dordogne and head to Provence - stopping along the way in Carcassonne for a 2 1/2 hr visit.
- Spend 4-5 nights in Provence
- Drive to Nice, turn in the car, and spend your remaining days there.
My wife & I have have vacationed for 20 weeks in Provence, 20 weeks in the Cote d'Azur, 16 weeks in the Languedoc, and 10 weeks in the Dordogne. I've developed itineraries for Provence/Cote, Languedoc/Roussillon, and the Dordogne - that describe our favorite villages, cities, scenic drives, markets, restaurants, caves, etc. I've sent them to over 5,000 people on Fodors - about 4-8 every day. If you would like copies of any of these, e-mail me at [email protected] , indicate which ones you want (I have others also) and I'll attach them to the reply e-mail. You may have to wait a week for the Languedoc one because we just returned from a month there & I am updating it now. E-mail me somewhat soon - we leave for France again in early Sept.
Stu Dudley
