My husband and I are beginning to plan a 7-night trip to France - the first visit for both of us.

We are thinking of going the 2nd week in May and would like to spend three nights in Paris and then rent a car and explore smaller towns for the next four days. I'd like to book one hotel in Paris and one in another location to use as a base.

We are more interested in experiencing the food, culture and scenery than in museums and cathedrals (although we will want to visit a few). I was thinking we could perhaps spend four nights in either Normandy or Provence after Paris but we are open for suggestions.

Does anyone have recommendations on itinerary? If we were to go to either of those areas, any thoughts on a base town? What would be the best airport to fly home from?

Neither of us are French speakers if that matters. I'm hopeless with languages, but I will try to learn a few phrases before I go.

Thanks for any advice.

Kennedy

Look into the Loire Valley - it's very interesting and just right for 4 nights. It's not too far from Paris (Provence is too far for only 4 nights).

En route visit Chartres - a must-see. Return to Paris (CDG) Airport.

I just came across this...

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=35182650

Hi K,

For a 1st time visit, I would stay in Paris for a week, and see France another time.

You could easily visit Paris and vicinity for a week and not go into a single museum or cathedral - although I wouldn't recommend it.

However, you could visit Alsace, Burgundy, or Provence.

Are you planning RT Paris or flying out of another city?

Hi Kennedy; I agree, Provence might be too far. In addition to the Loire, you could consider Burgundy. www.burgundy.eye.com/ Only a few hours drive from CDG. Plus your other thought of Normandy would be a good choice. So many sights to see in each one of these three areas, not to far from Paris. ENJOY Iris

I second Ira's thought of spending the entire week in Paris. While the countryside is beautiful and engaging, the time in Paris will be excpetionally rewarding.

I'm not opposed to one-week in Paris but my husband wants to venture out to smaller towns.

We have no flights booked as yet so we can be flexible with our travel.

I'll take a look at the Loire Valley trip report (Thank you TuckH).

Would we be crazy to take our chances and book a hotel for only three nights then decide what to do after we arrive?

Hi,

I can easily agree with what all have said...but, it depends on you and how you like to travel.

The TGV is only 2+ hours to Avignon and you could rent a car, go to St. Remy and all the areas that we all like in that area.

You can do the same going towards Alsace or the Loire.

If you stay in Paris, you can take day trips to Provins, Chantilly, Senlis, Giverny, Reims etc.

Many people like the Muguetor the Duquesne Hotel. If you ask, you can get a Eiffel Tower view, from either of them. Many, many fine restaurants in the area..all price ranges.

You could also rent an apt.

Think about it some more..

Enjoy,

Joan

I agree with staying in Paris. You could take a day trip to Versailles also.

We love The Loire, but I don't know if all those chateaus will be your thing. The scenery is beautiful though. If it is, take the train from Paris & pick up a car in The Loire. This is very easy to do.

Next idea: 3 nights in Paris. On the 4th day take the TGV to Avignon and pick up a car at the train station. Spend days 4,5, & 6 driving around to the small towns that are close to Avignon.

On the 7th day, train it back to Paris for your last night.

Driving around Avignon is very easy, and there are so many picturesque towns to see.

We also do not speak French other than a few phrases, and we have driven in The Loire and all over the south without any trouble.

Like Joan says - Provence (Avignon) is less than 3 hrs away by TGV (many departures per day). Then a 30 min drive to St Remy, which would be a good base. Or you could drive 40 mins & be in the Luberon - Peter Mayle country.

You could take the TGV from Avignon directly to CDG airport for your departure home, ot take it to Dijon, stay overnight there, and catch the early TGV to CDG. Your chances of good weather are better in Provence than anyplace close to Paris.

I love Chateaux, but the Loire is one of my least favorite countryside settings. I think Alsace, Brittany, Provence, Pays Basque, Ardeche, Languedoc, Auvergne, & Alps are much more scenic than the Loire.

Stu Dudley

We just spent 3 days in Paris and 4 days in Burgundy with my in laws in Sept. Dijon in is a quick trip on the train and we rented a car and stayed in Beaune.

You are spoilt for choice really...what are you interested in?

I don't agree with the advice you're getting to stay put in Paris--not for a first time visit. When we first went, we found the city overwhelming and even on a third visit or so when we went for 10 days or so, I kept wanting to get away from the continuous bustle.

I also don't see why no one has responded to your interest in Normandy. I think it's a perfect "respite" from Paris and would give you lots of opportunity to see small towns and seaside villages not far from Paris. You could stop in Rouen to see wonderful half-timbered houses and move on to stay in Honfleur with its fantastically beautiful boat basin filled with sailboats that captured the hearts of impressionist painters. From there you could move north up the coast for more small fishing villages and then south into the countryside with its cider and cheese trails. Happy to provide more suggestions if this catches your fancy.

I love the Loire but folks are right about potential chateau overload. Normandy would provide greater variety of sights. I think it's a perfect complement to your Paris plan and its very doable from there.

Hi K,

>I'm not opposed to one-week in Paris but my husband wants to venture out to smaller towns.<

Have you considered daytrips from Paris?

For example:
Auxerre is a very nice Burgundian town about 1:30 hr by train.

Strasbourg is only 2:20 hr away. Rent a car for the day and visit Alsace.

Nancy is a very nice town for a daytrip - 1:30

Chartres has the Cathedral.

Giverny has Monet's house.
http://giverny.org/monet/welcome.htm

Hi Kennedy; You have suggested you would like to do [fewer museums and cathedrals] and want scenery, culture/food. Go to Burgundy. So, four nights in Paris and a convienent location in Burgundy. You will NEED a car. You will find all the culture, food and scenery that you are looking for. Do the first four nights in Paris, then go to the airport, rent a car and you will find 'your hearts desire'. Happy Valintine's Day. Iris

seven nights is about 6 full days .

It takes a day ( for many people) to get over the jet-lag and found one's way around a big city like Paris.
I would take Ira's advice and plan on a couple day trips instead of more traveling, but it is up to you....

sorry - find one's ...

My opinion - stay in Paris and take a couple of day trips. Reims has been suggested. Perrault's chateau (I have forgotten the name). Giverney has been suggested.

hi Kennedy,

how happy are you with "winging it?"

are you people who relish the moment and take advantage of whatever comes your way, or do you spend your time regretting the things you didn't see?

personally, I like the idea of only booking 3 nights and then seeing what you want to do especially with just two of you in March. BUT - you have to accept that you may love your hotel but not be able to stay longer, it may rain and touring chateaux in the rain is not much fun, you may end up not doing as much as you could have done if you'd fully planned your trip.

for a first trip, I think that Ira is probably right - and staying in Paris for a week won't stop you exploring other places, but just as day-trips.

Or if you were in an apartment, there's nothing to stop you taking off for a night if you want to!

if you decided definitely on the paris/somewhere else split, I'd do 4 nights in Paris, which gives you 3 full days, then get the train to your 2nd place [Rouen, Chartres, Tours, for example] and pick up your car there.

In March, i would definitely stay in a town rather than in the country as there wil be things to do and see if it rains.

regards, ann

oops- why did I think March????

in May, the Loire would be my pick.

regards, ann

Thanks to everyone who has responded.

I'm going to go ahead and book the round trip flight in/out of Paris since it sounds like that won't put us at a disadvantage even if we want to venture as far as Provence.

I have already started looking at the Paris hotels mentioned. I do appreciate the advice to stay put in Pars, but whenever we've traveled, we have enjoyed the villages and countryside more than the larger towns. But I'm not ruling anything out just yet, and you've all given me and my husband a lot to think about and discuss.


Thanks!

K