inor

My husband and I will be in the Provence area for 5 nights. We are thinking of spending 2 nights in Avignon, 2 nights in Aix and 1 night in Lyon. <BR> <BR>Or do you think we should skip Lyon and spend an extra day in one of the other two cities. (We will have a car, and plan to visit other areas in Provence, and Nimes, from these points). <BR> <BR>Thanks for your help

Rex

Not enough info - - where are you before, and where ya going after? <BR>

inor

We are flying in and out of Paris. We will spend 3 nights there and then take the TGV train to Provence. After we will come back from Lyon or Provence on the TGV and spend one night in Paris.

Rex

Then it's a toss-up, and depends on your interests. You'll find plenty to do south of Orange (which in turn is just north of Avignon). For example, if you're a wine lover, the Cotes du Rhone (northern portion) extends up as far as Vienne. Search Rhone here on this forum for some more recent info. <BR> <BR>Best wishes, <BR> <BR>Rex <BR>

aaa

Lyon is absolutely FABULOUS--their Les Halles Market is unsurpassable--YOu can also make lunch or dinner reservation at Paul Bocuse's restaurant just outside of the city---incredible food. <BR>Also make sure y ou see the old city of Lyon-it has some incredible murals that are so realistic -you won't believe it.. ALso if you're interested in French antiques-there is a whole antique area. It is a wonderful city--we only spent 1 day there as we were on a river cruise. If we get a chance to get back, I'd give it at least 2 days to explore and nibble.

Joel

Inor, with some regret I have to say that considering the many other options you might opt for, Lyon should be bypassed. <BR>My perspective is this. My wife and I lived about 100 miles away for a few years. Lyon was the closest decent city for shopping, which is to say that it is a modern city, a business capitol for its region, but lacking in the types of things we typically associate with a French tourist mecca. For us it was boring, but a good place to buy Reeboks. At the time, it also had the only McDonalds around, which was useful since every 5-6 months we would develop a craving for a burger. <BR>The exception to this lacklustre picture is the Gallo-Roman ruins in the SW part of town. If you're into Roman ruins (we were) you might enjoy some aspects of this former HQ for Julius Caesar, but if you've done some of the more spectacular Roman ruins in Provence, then this is not nearly as good. Pont du Gar, by itself, far exceeds anything in Lyon, imo. <BR>The French, or many of them, tend to see Lyon as France's "second city". We liked it, hence I feel bad suggesting you ought to punt, but there is so much more to see elsewhere. <BR>Should you go, I recommend you stay in the Place Bellcour part of town. It has some nice streets, shops, and restaurants to visit. <BR>With respect to dining, I continue to hear bad things about Paul Bocuse, in particular that he has become so much the homme d'affaires that he's seldom around to taste the soup much less prepare it. There is another Michelin 3 star nearby, however, and that is Troisgros in Roanne. Fantastic! Book well ahead. <BR>

Rex

Topped - - for "inor" <BR> <BR>You have to use the "get the next 50 messages", inor - - when you don't see your question on the "first page" (of 50 message "threads"). <BR>