There is nobody telling you not to go to the Dordogne in July. Just don't stay IN Sarlat. You have dozens of good options, as I've already outlined in great detail.

>> Buses link Marseille's airport with the bus station in Aix (2/hour, 35 minutes) <<
Sorry if I was not clear. The bus ride is 35 minutes. The buses run every half hour.
You could take a cab.

A famous American philosopher, one Yogi Berra,summed it up: "No one goes there, it's too crowded."

<<I know but you also have said that you dont go near Sarlat in July ! Since you live in that region it makes me question about the enjoyment we can have if a local avoid it like the plague !>>

Because you're not a local and your perspective is entirely different. We have loads of options about when to go and what to do there at various times of year. You don't if you have a trip "schedule." Besides, all the great festivals and exhibitions and concerts and such happen in summer. We don't need to go to them. We often go to smaller, more local festivities that would probably not be terribly impressive to a traveler. Except for the félibrée, which we always go to, even knowing it will be a madhouse no matter which town it's held in. I can't imagine coming to the Dordogne and not visiting Sarlat for at least a day or two.

We're going to Sarlat today. It's cold and foggy and breezy and damp. There will be hardly any tourists there, and we'll easily find parking, even though it's a market day. But we have options that visitors don't. And we're going to the tax office, not going on a walking tour, so it will hardly be "enjoyable." I cannot imagine anyone visiting Sarlat with a modicum of careful planning not being completely entranced by the place.

I avoid Provence like the plague in high season, too. That doesn't mean you should lop off that part of your trip as well.

I prefer Provence in early July over in August. But if your itinerary only works for Provence in August then go in August.
A thread on that subject:
https://www.fodors.com/community/eur...ugust-1041906/

Marseille is the oldest of the great cities of France. The most renowned and populated city in France after Paris.
In recent years Marseille has undergone a renaissance, shaking off much of its old reputation for sleaze and danger to attract a wide range of visitors.
Recently I spent a day, mostly between the old port, La Canebiere, and the Notre -Dame-de-la-Garde. Looking past some gritty areas, occasional squalor, and graffiti I found a warm down-to-earth, cosmopolitan, artistic metropolis.
I have nothing against Marseille. I still would select Aix for an overnight stay near the Airport.
If you told me to overnight in Quebec City over Montreal on my drive USA to/from Rimouski I would not assume you have something against Montreal. So please do not assume I have something against Marseille.

Hi again!

How about:

Paris 5 nights
Honfleur 2 nights (visit Etretat)
Bayeux 2 nights
Somewhere around Dinard or Dinan ( with a stop at MSM in route)4-5 nights
One night between Diranr (or Dinan) and Sarlat
Sarlat (near) for 4 nights
Carcasonne ( near) one night
Provence near mont Ventoux 5-6 nights
Alps ( Annecy ?) 4 nights
Lyon 2 nights. Fly home form Lyon.

Total: 30-32 nights

Seems fine to me. For the one-nighter between Dinan & Sarlat - La Rochelle would be my recommendation.

Stu Dudley

Thanks Larochelle should do the trick..

Looks good. You got your mountains with Annecy (Better than Auvergne). Day trip to Chamonix.
Kids will like Carcassonne.
Option for last two nights and for flying home is Geneva ( instead of Lyon). Check flights.

I would not spend four nights in Annecy. I don't think it's even worth one night. But it is good for a day trip. If you are looking to see something in that region, visit the monastery of the grand chartreuse.

dugi_otok: Thanks, I know you were pushing for a start in Provence, still not decided on that one.

shelemm: Noted about Annecy. Do you (or anyone else) know a good base for that alp region ? A base that would allows us to go to Annecy and Chamonix ?

It's La Rochelle, not Larochelle, and I wouldn't spend the night in Annecy - just give it a visit. It's overrated IMO. Likewise Chamonix. I don't know why people are dissing the Auvergne, except for the rugged countryside - it's about as authentically old-school French as you can get. But this isn't a thread about wanting to find authentic places, so I'll desist.

Mont Ventoux is indeed in the middle of nowhere, desolate and in-your-face geologically imposing, and having been there I have no idea why anyone makes it a target.

StCirq: I really appreciate all your inputs but I think that you being a local change a bit the perspective. My wife is from a region called Saguenay Lac_st_jean. You ciould easily stay 10 days in that region and have many things to do but there's, no tourist who would come here and allows that much time for that region only.

For you Alps is overared but you say I could stay 2 weeks in Dordogne, we wont do that, and no tourist from outside France would do it .

I wouldn't advocate 2 weeks here, either.

I think Annecy is a very good base to explore the Alps. We've spent 2 weeks there & were busy every day. We also spend a week just outside of Chamonix - and were busy every day there also We've also spent 10 weeks in Bedoin - at the foot of My Ventoux. Obviously, we like this location. Great Monday morning market, and a good location to explore the Cote du Rhone, Vaison region, Gigondas, Carpentras, Pernes, the lavender fields around Sault, Orange, and Avignon. The Luberon isn't far away either.

Attached is my Alps itinerary - with info about Annecy, Chamonix, and the scenic area in between these two spots.

In my attached itinerary, there was something wrong with the link to the gite where we stayed near Chamonix. Here it is

https://www.gites-de-france.com/en/a...lanc-74g103018

Stu Dudley

Re Annecy: We spent one night, but not in Annecy. We stayed along the lake. Sunrise view from our room was spectacular (we were on the west bank).