For someone who has been to Paris and Nice and now wants to explore more of France, where in France would you recommend for a 3-4 day stay next Sept?

I am getting some great advice on a thread I started with a similar topic (click on my name to locate it). We are pretty set on Normandy, but Burgundy is our other top choice.

First choice: Provence, Provence, Provence.

Second choice: Dordogne

Third Choice: Everywhere else in France

First choice: Dordogne, Dordogne, Dordogne

Second choice: Dordogne, Dordogne, Dordogne

But seriously, Provence or Burgundy or Basque country would all be beautiful that time of year. Come to think of it, most all of France will be.

It definitely depends on your interests. History, wine, food, museums, chateaux, cathedrals, scenic vistas, gardens? You are going at a perfect time and there is so much variety. A French friend once said she feels like her country is made up of many different countries, all of them beautiful.

In late September, the Languedoc-Rousillion area is very nice. Anywhere along the Canal du Midi is a good place to stay, we stay in Caunes and the walk along the canal to Carcassone is beautiful.

What about the Loire Valley?

Burgundy would be lovely in September,but so would Normandy. Much depends on what interests you.

Regarding my interests...cute towns, castles, beautiful scenery, some wine, nice hotels...

Burgundy, by all means! Charming small towns, châteaux (not real castles, more like the English stately homes), vineyards to visit, wonderful food, excellent hotels, and beautiful scenery. Add to that magnificent churches (Vézelay and Autun), one prime ancient abbey (Fontenay), and even Roman ruins and you'll have a lot to enjoy.

In view of your interests, I would go for the Dordogne or Alsace.

When I can't make up my mind about where to visit, I check out the library first. I look for big coffee table books, the kind that say "Most Beautiful Villages of XXX" and I settle down with a glass of wine and let myself be dazzled by beautiful scenery and interesting places. That usually points me in the right direction.

That said, however, we thought the Gard with the charming towns of Uzes and Lussan and those spectacular mountains was just the thing. And Provence, too!

Aix en Provence & Eze. Or you could take a train to Giverny, stay overnight at one of their great B & B's and enjoy some leisurely walks and meals. You can see Monet's house & gardens just before they close for the season. Enjoy.

no choice is bad -but- if it's only once, PROVENCE!!!!

As Underhill said, Burgundy would really fit the bill for what you want.
I spent 10 days there last October, and loved everything about it. I loved all the areas of France that I have been to - Provence, Alsace, Loire Valley so far, but really connected to Burgundy for some reason. Driving around the countryside there was really something special - so peaceful and uncongested. I was there in mid to late October, so maybe that's why there wasn't much traffic.

LES CHARMES de CARLUCET
Bravo to ?Les Charmes de Carlucet? http://www.carlucet.com near Sarlat in the beautiful Dordogne region of south-western France. This bed & breakfast is really worth staying at and makes a great base for exploring the many wonderful sights nearby. Helen and Eric are most welcoming and they have transformed a lovely old house into a real home from home, with a splendid outdoor swimming pool. We stayed in the Lavande room, an unusually large bedroom for a B&B, with a nice big bed and a well-appointed bathroom. We hear an ambassador from Paris stayed in it recently! Helen is English and lived near Windsor in the UK and Eric (who speaks perfect English) is French and Swiss, so communication is easy in this idyllic part of France. 2 highlights: 1/Helen organised a visit for us to the Font de Gaume cave, the last in Europe where you can see the original prehistorical cave drawings and 2/ Eric?s cellar! He has wines dating from 1893 and we purchased a tasty and reasonably priced 1975 Claret! A great find? Oh yes, another big plus, the breakfast was excellent. Roger HARRISON England
Roger Harrison
Stratford-upon-Avon, UK - Tue 11/09/2004

My husband and I just returned from 3 days in Burgandy Oct. 21 through 23. My husband drove, first time driving in France and it was just great. We stopped in a lot of the small towns. The weather was beautiful. I would definately vote for Burgandy, although the only slight disappointment was Beaune, which I thought was too touristy.