Planning a Month in France
 

The spouse is retiring soon, so we're planning a month in France, mid-April to mid-May (I am still working, and will work remotely, part-time). I welcome suggestions to help develop our initial plan. It began with two weeks in Paris and two weeks somewhere else, but every time I turn around, he has another idea of another place to add!

We've visited France a number of times; our favorite areas are Paris, the Dordogne and Provence. We like art (museums), great local food, old castles and just walking around. Spouse wants to be able to sit at cafes and people-watch, and go to places with "enough to do." A gite in the countryside is not his thing. Also, neither of us like shopping or sitting on beaches. We plan to rent a car once outside big cities.

We're now planning on 10 or so days in Paris at the end of the trip. And time in San Sebastian (yes I know it's in Spain) and the French Pays Basque, which I have visited on a trip with my parents. For that, we would probably base in Bayonne (I would have chosen to return to Ainhoa, but no cafe people-watching there; he thinks Sare is too small as well).

For the rest of our month, we are looking at destinations in the South, due to the weather in April/May. We were thinking of basing in Narbonne (or maybe Montpellier or Perpignan). Then we started researching Lyon, and that looks great for our interests. And then we looked at Toulouse, also great! (Note for this trip we've tossed out the Lot and Languedoc Cathar Country, we've visited each several times, and the Cote d'Azure, which is not a good fit with the Basque Country.)

I've already searched on Fodors posts, and I see a lot of love for Lyon and Toulouse, and I think Narbonne too. All suggestions and advice would be appreciated; especially tell me why you loved (or didn't) a particular location. We had to cancel our May 2020 trip to central Italy, and have been mostly sitting in our house since March 2020, so I'm enjoying starting the trip-planning process again.

Narbonne is OK - but I would rate it far below Lyon & Toulouse. Don't follow the "let's go here, let's go there" ideas. That only leads to a hectic vacation, IMO. You only have 2 weeks to go "elsewhere" outside of Paris, so I would focus on some area that you can get to easily.

You mentioned the Pays Basque region and DID NOT mention Brittany or Normandy. So I'll conclude that you want to stay south west. You've spent time in the southeast so that's out also..

A good plan might be to take the 2 hr TGV to Bordeaux (many departures daily), and then spend the entire 2 weeks in the Pays Basque & Pyrenees - with trip into Spain. I'll attach my Pays Basque itinerary.. Then return back to Paris from Bordeaux, or you could drive to Toulouse and return from there (4 1/2 hr TGV trip). If you would like to see a little stuff south of Toulouse around Perpignan - it is at the end of my Languedoc itinerary which I'll attach.

Here is my wife's Shutterfly book from our 5 week trip in the Pays Basque and through the Pyrenees.

https://stududley.shutterfly.com/31
Click "full screen". Because of some Shutterfly enhancements, some captions are truncated or missing.

See attachments

Stu Dudley

Before I started to post on Fodors, we did a multi-based trip from Barcelona to Montpellier to Nice to Paris..all by train. We loved the pedestrian center, the "Egg," in Montpellier, shopping on a Saturday with tout le monde. I need to double check, but think we did a day trip to Arles. The TGV goes there from Paris now.

We based in Lyon and called it "A Clean Paris" with even better food. 👩‍🍳 We really enjoyed Aix. I'll post the TR links for these two and our hotel info separately.

Thanks much for your suggestions.

StuDudley, I already have your trip reports. Yes, we elected to stay southwest due to likely Spring weather and that we like that part of France. We've spent some time in Brittany and Normandy, and plan to return to Brittany, in particular, during a warmer time of year. I would probably enjoy two weeks in the French and Spanish Basque Country, but this trip is spouse's choice. And we've already decreased our time in Paris a bit (unless he changes his mind again) to about 10 days, so we have a bit more time elsewhere.

TDudette, I'll watch for your trip reports, particularly about Montpellier. We've visited Arles several times and enjoyed it.

It's the spouse who keeps adding destinations, though I agree that Lyon and Toulouse are good options. I'm the type who can find "things to do" regardless of the location. It's how we got to visit the mirliton festival in New Orleans years ago, among many other places!

You say you have favorite areas, but have you ever visited Alsace or the northern coast? I confess that the south does not attract me and on top of that the weather is not always great in the south at that time of year, contrary to popular belief.

Meanwhile, I very much like Montpellier, but I don't think there is anything truly outstanding about it.

Yes, we visited Arles from Montpellier and Avignon by train. We could have spent more time in Arles but Avignon was fine for sights--others can say what it's like for a base.

Here's Lyon:
https://www.fodors.com/community/eur...d-lyon-832984/

And here's Aix:
https://www.fodors.com/community/eur...ndwich-446896/

You'll need to scroll down past the respective Mention and Paris sections first.

Re Montpellier, we stayed in the New Hotel du Midi ( https://www.grandhoteldumidimontpellier.com/en/ ). It is right at the edge of the pedestrian Egg (I forgot to mention the opera). Public parking was actually below the city IIRC. Do check online to see what Montpellier has to offer for what you want.

We did a week in Lyon about 7-8 years ago in the winter and loved it. I have a TR from that trip. https://www.fodors.com/community/eur...m-lyon-965239/
From LYon we took the train and spent a few days in Dijon, also a nice town. https://www.fodors.com/community/eur...-dijon-966021/
On another trip we stayed in Toulouse. We had done day trips there and decided we might enjoy a few days there and we did.
Happy planning!

Narbonne down to Girona is a delightful zone and i'd prefer it over Lyon and certainly Toulouse which I have been underwhelmed by.

Alsace is one of my favorite zones as I'd combine it with the Pfalz.

Don't let borders set the limits of your holidays

[QUOTE=

Don't let borders set the limits of your holidays[/QUOTE]
Normally I agree with that. But these days with covid one country could be easier with which to deal given restrictions and requirements.
have fun!

I did like Narbonne but was just there on a day trip. Just seemed a pleasant town with a few sites of interest. I can't speak to longer stays. I stayed in Perpignan several days and wasn't crazy about it. I just didn't like it that well but I suppose part of that is colored by the fact that one main museum was closed (I forget why). There just wasn't much to do there and I think there was something else I didn't like about it but I forget. Kind of people hanging out in the center or the park near my hotel, ambience, something.

You do know the major of Perpignan (louis Aliot) is the VP of the far right National Party led by Marine le Pen, don't you? He used to live with her, actually, but I don't think they were married. It's a very conservative area and he's a jerk. He has tried to defy national orders re COVID and Perpignan is the largest city under control by that party. There was an article on that in the NYT last March if you want to look for it.

IN any case, I wouldn't think Perpignan a very good location as a base to explore much of France.

We spent 2 weeks in a gite just outside of Perpignan about 14 years ago. It was one of our most active trips - with an overnight in Barcelona (by train) and day-trips trips to Gerona, Spanish Costa Brava, Ceret, and into the French Pyrenees. Obviously we visited Perpignan several times (museum was open). About 4 years ago we visited a Fodors friend in Perpignon (since passed away), and on that same day we visited Perpignan again and Narbonne. We enjoyed both cities - but Perpignan slghtly more. Narbonne has a great castle and a fabulous les Halles type market (where we purchased food for dinner). Detailed info in my itinerary in post #2 Languedoc attachment.

Stu Dudley

For your time in the Pays Basque I would choose Bayonne. We spend part of our annual month in summer in the Basque Country on the French side, after the first half on the Spanish side, and we usually base in Bayonne, which would offer you more "sitting at a café and people watching" and more things to do. The river Nive on both sides is lined with outdoor cafés, and It's just a very authentic, utterly Basque city that we've grown to love. And it has fabulous food. The Musée Basque there is an excellent ethnographic museum dedicated to Basque culture.
The interior villages, as postcard-picture perfect as they are and we love them all--Sare, Espelette, Ainhoa, Ascain, St-Pée-sur-Nivelle--would be very quiet at that time of year, more limiting I think.
Toulouse would be closer to Bayonne, a drive of a bit more than 3 hours.

Thanks for the additional comments!

I think the way our itinerary will work out is to fly into Paris (direct flight from our home city), train to Lyon if we choose to go there, rent a car and drive to Toulouse if we choose to go there, then base in probably Narbonne. From there, drive to Bayonne/San Sebastian. And then end our month back with 10 days or so in Paris. Note to self: Looks like too many places, we need to work on that!

Yes, we've read about the mayor of Perpignan and to be honest it's put us off considering Perpignan as a base for that part of France.

Maribel, thanks for your input about Bayonne. Your prior comments are part of the reason that we put Bayonne on our list of possible (likely) bases for the Pays Basque. When I visited the area with my parents, we stayed in Ainhoa, but they were interested in different things than my husband and I are. Do you have any recommendations for places to stay in Bayonne? Because we'll be there about five nights and I will be working some of the time, we would consider a short-term rentals, but would like it to be IN the city, so we can walk to dinner and cafes.

Lexma90,
In Bayonne we usually stay for 5 nights in a superior room at the 4-star Hotel des Basses Pyrénées in the center of historic Grand Bayonne, just a short walk from both the market, the Rue d'Espagne and cathedral.
We haven't yet found a short term rental in the city that looks appealing to both of us, but we're still searching. We don't need 2 bedrooms, and the ones we have seen require a Saturday to Saturday stay.

But....!! your question caused me to check Vrbo just now, and I do see this one--however, it's in the Saint-Esprit quarter, across the river (but perfectly walk-able and there's also a free ferry that crosses the Adour river) and a 2-bedroom, Sat-Sat rental.
We had avoided Saint-Esprit because of the ongoing construction around the train station during the city's "beautification process" and building the tram line, but I assume that construction has been completed by now. Reviews indicate that the street is quiet, and what caught my attention in 40 reviews is that it is very handy for public transportation with a bus stop right there.

https://www.vrbo.com/1435041a?adults...unitId=1606354

We stay in Bayonne car free and manage really easily to get to the BAB airport, to Biarritz, St-Jean-de-Luz, Guéthary, Bidart, Anglet, St-Jean-Pied-de-Port and San Sebastián by public transportation. The Chronoplus bus service is excellent, as is their web site.
https://www.chronoplus.eu

https://www.visitbayonne.com/en/gett...chronoplus.php

Bayonne is divided into 3 sections: Grand Bayonne, Petit Bayonne and Saint-Esprit.

Nice accommodations are in shorter supply in Bayonne than in its "elegant" neighbor Biarritz, due to Bayonne's lack of beaches and resort-like atmosphere.

Lexma90,
The "house patio on a roof" rental, upon further research, is not a Sat-Sat rental. It has a minimum 5-night stay. The building does have an elevator. I've emailed the host regarding a/c, which we definitely need in June-July-August, but you wouldn't need in spring.

I would pick Lyon, based on your interests. There are enough museums and terrific food to keep you busy. You can also day trip to any number of smaller places like Vienne or Perouges. Narbonne is nice for a short stay, but doesn't align as well as to your interests as it is a bit small (although places like Carcassone are nearby, given your interests in castles). A no to Perpignan but Montpellier is quite nice... a very lively feel in the center because it is a university town.