Good morning

I am contemplating a trip to Paris in April. I might spend three nights elsewhere during this visit, and if so, I may try to find somewhere I haven't visited yet instead of revisiting the lovely places I've already seen.

Of the below, do you have any thoughts or preferences (or places nearby these larger towns, too)? The below are all new to me. Thanks!

Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Angouleme
La Rochelle
Poitiers
Limoges

Grand Est
Chaumont
Nancy
Strasbourg (visited the Xmas market but that was a short and very cold day trip)
Colmar

Auvergne Rhone Alpes
Chambery
Clermont Ferrand
Grenoble

Pays de la Loire
Nantes
Le Mans

La Rochelle for the town, its market, the nearby Île de Ré, and the Romanesque churches of the Charentes



Nancy for its Art nouveau


and the entire album

https://flic.kr/s/aHsmJrcPhp

Grand Est or the Ile de .. for me

I'd probably pick the Grand Est in that list. I've been to Poitiers and it was ok for a day or so, but not really that exciting. Haven't been to the others on that list (I really don't care at all about Limoges porcelain so that would have no interest to me at all, that town.

My nephew visited Le Mans for a day and enjoyed it. Now I might be interested in Nantes but would want more on that trip. Angers would be in the middle of those two and is worth a visit.

I guess if this is one place for 3 nights, it might be Strasbourg. I have been to Nancy and like it, 3 days is a lot but I did spend 2 days there. Up to you.

I'd choose La Rochelle from your list. A favourite place from a 5 week France trip. My only reservation would be the time spent getting there and back, to Paris? Did not like Nantes that much.

Alsace and the rest of Grand Est is the place for me.

La Rochelle for me, with a cycling trip on Ile de Ré.

Ile de Re' has fantastic chocolate and donkeys in trousers while Alsace has the best white wine in the world

decisions decisions

I would not group Clermont Ferrand with Chambery and Grenoble. I would instead include Vichy and Le Puy-en-Velay with Clermont Ferrand and add Puy de Dome as well. Maybe even get down to the Tarn River valley. This is a part of France not often visited that has some striking landscape and beautiful villages!

Good day all

Thank you!

I should have mentioned that I would pick one destination listed as a base and either soak it up or see if there is something nearby to spend part of one of my days there. Also three days is a guess, might be four. Going for only two days isn't worth it unless it's closer. For example Nancy I could feasibly see leaving one morning, arriving before lunch, two nights, then head back after lunch on the last day.

Since I posted this I have done a little poking around and La Rochelle looks really appealing! So appealing, in fact, I am wondering if I should make that a separate trip on its own and perhaps while there visit Limoges (actually Ouradour Sur Glane, my main reason for choosing Limoges) and Nantes as well as Ile de Re (probably stay on Ile de Re for part of it).

Thank you for the advice on Clermont Ferrand. Will keep that in mind.