mermaid_

Mimi, that was beautifully put. How true, how true.

Michel_Paris

My favorite was my first ever driving trip in France. Arrived in Paris, stayed a couple of days, then rented a car from place on Rue Rivoli. This was the first part of the adventure, I figured I'm staying in central paris, why not rent from there. The adrenalin rush of driving around place de la concorde where streams of traffic merge and exit..wow...then headed for Loire, made one wrong turm and decided, since I was near Fointainebleau, why not visit...only one there, got a tourr including rooms not open to public, very net. Then did an east to west tour of Loire, using Michelin Green Guide, small villages, some with only one "site" to see, castles, fields of sunflowers, stopping wherever I ended up that night, great meals at family run hotels, going to "Sons et LUmieres" at chateaux nearly every night, getting lost on little country roads and ending up seeing sites that I would not have known about...then, looping back to Paris via Chartres and Giverny..and a couple of nice days in Paris...country and city...great meals...castles...it was the best.

Michael09

If you visit France, you have to visit the medieval city of Carcassonne. It is really beautiful. You can combine it with a visit to Toulouse and the Ariège department. It is one of the most unspoiled departments of France. Visit the chateau of Foix, visit the caves, visit the wines of Limoux, the medieval town of Mirepoix and if you like go on to Andorra and Barcelona.

For more information about Mirepoix, have a look at their website www.ot-mirepoix.fr. If you are looking for a hotel nearby Carcassonne, lookup the Relais Royal hotel in Mirepoix. We stayed there a month ago and I have never found this service before in France.

lp_nyc

I'm going to weigh in with a vote for Provence! Simply gorgeous everywhere you turn and the people of Provence make it even more enjoyable.

We just returned from our HM there (May 9-17, first and last nights in Paris) and we stayed at Domain Le Vallon near Aubignon (about 20 minutes north of Avignon when you know what you're doing) and it was a great and magical place to be based. We never wanted to leave. And it was the best thing about our trip.

Their website is:
www.vallon-provence.com

If you have questions about our specific experience there, you can email me directly at [email protected].

Magical moments- Seguret, St. Remy, Uzes dinner at Mezuret outside as the evening set in, watching children chase each other around the fountain, Place des Herbs, dinner at Chez Bru in Eygalieres (so expensive, but worth it for that once in a life time experience), the gastronomique table at Le Vallon, sipping fantastic wines and nibbling on amazing cheeses and watching the world go by in outdoor cafes in every city we visited.

isabel

Another vote for Provence. My favorite village is technically in the Cote d'Azure though - it's Vence (not St Paul de Vence, which is beautiful and should be visited, but Vence is more "real", far less touristy). I also love the villages of Burgundy, especially Semur. Another village close to it is Flavigny, which is where the film "Chocolate" was made. I had wanted to go there when I saw the movie and when I finially did I loved it.

With three weeks I'd probably not be afraid to cover several regions, especially since you say you want to "tour" the countryside. If you aren't relying on public transportation, or going into too many large cities, you can have an enjoyable and even relaxing vacation and still move around every couple of nights. There is a lot to be said for the 'stay in one place for a week or two' style of vacation, but it is only one option and there is nothing wrong with "sampeling" a lot of villages in several areas. Roads in France are excellent for the most part and it's easy to get around. There are a number of books on the "Villages of France", you could skim through those for some ideas.

GerFitz

Lotsa people like France for sure. My vote would be Provence also. Moustier St Marie, Lourmarin, Bonnieux etc and this general area is outstanding. Even in summer Provence is not too crowded. If you are going to the glamour of the Cote D'Azur best stay away mid July to late Aug. Outside of that the area is stupendous with so many options - Antibes, Nice, Monaco and so many beautiful places inland also.