Stay in Chablis or Auxerre?
 

We wil be spending a few days in this area before going on to Dijon for a barge cruise.

Any recommendations on where to stay? We will be traveling with another couple and we are interested in wines of the area as well as local history, good food and love walking.

Thanks for any suggestions...

"Tag" your post as "France" & it will get more exposure. We've never visited Chablis - but we love Auxerre. It you visit, pick up a walking itinerary at the TI and follow the line painted on the sidewalk.

Stu Dudley

Been to both a bunch of times, Auxerre (ose-air) has more places to stay and is used to more overnight tourists.

Wine, well Chablis has it over Auxerre don't forget all the little ACs like Irancy and St Bris. Also the fine monestry to the north of Chablis (Pontigny)

Some of this might help
http://www.mybikeguide.co.uk/Yonne_Guide.php

You haven't said whether you will be traveling by car or public transport and that makes a huge difference in terms of the recommendations you will receive.

Anyway, here are a couple of threads you can look at to get an idea of things to do in the vicinity of Auxerre. If you'll have a car then be sure to buy Michelin maps #318, #319 and #320:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic....html#63098431

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic....html#63116077

Thinking of taking the train from Paris and getting a car in Auxerre so that we can tour the area for a few days before going on to Dijon.
I have had some very nice wines from the St Bris area and would love to see the vineyards there. Speaking of wine, is it best to get a guide or can one visit the winery's easily?

Can you speak any french? In Chablis that will not be a problem but maybe in the smaller places.

The style of visit for a tasting (degustation) is a bit different to maybe CA. There is normally no charge but it is good manners to buy something (glasses if the wine is no good). I normally find something for a picnic.

"Seeing the vinyards", well that costs nothing but you are unlikely to find anyone to show you around (no money in seeing plants). Though check at Auxerre TI as they may have started the German thing of spending an hour with a wine maker, unlikely, but you never know.

My recollection is that Chablis (the town itself) is not much bigger than a crossroads.
Auxerre is bigger. When there, ask a local which boulangerie has the best gougere. Whichever we went to, it was unequalled, before or since. Very memorable experience.

Chablis is a tiny village. There is not much to see and to do.

Auxerre is a very charming historical town, beautifully situated along the river, with two magnificent churches (one has a Carolingian crypt), a picturesque old town and a good choice of hotels and restaurants. For dinner, I especially recommend Le Jardin Gourmand with a quality of food that is short of a Michelin star (but less expensive).

For visiting vineyards and wineries you have to drive through the countryside anyway. So, it does not really matter where you sleep. Avoid the large factory-like wineries in Chablis and visit rather small family-owned wineries. Many of them will give you a cellar tour and let you taste the wine. As said, buy something.

It depends on whether you want a small city or a small village experience. And a car would be necessary if you stay in Chablis. You can't go wrong, a lovely area.

Another fan of Auxerre

Thank you all...Chablis sound worth a visit and Auxerre would be a better base. We do have a decent linguistic among the four of us and will have a car.

No need for a car, you can hire bikes in central Auxerre and ride over the hills.