wife and I are planning a week or so in Paris and similar amount of time touring the countryside...first two weeks of July. Many posts here have been very helpful...but I still have some questions and am seeking input...please.
I%26#39;m arrive at CDG and planning to spend the first part of trip in Paris. Seems best way to do it...rather than do the countryside tour first...based on the posts advising against driving after flying (smart advice).
I%26#39;m planning to rent a car in Paris as we start the second part of the trip, dropping it at CDG on departure day.
I%26#39;ve looked at various regions/areas...and many look very interesting. I probably couldn%26#39;t go wrong with any of them. But, I%26#39;m leaning toward Burgundy...we%26#39;re interested in historic sights, nice countryside, smaller villages/cities, good food, proximity to Paris and, oh yes, the wine (although that%26#39;s not the main reason, unlike many of the other posters).
Here are my questions:
--I%26#39;m thinking it best to set up a base in one location and doing short trips from there. I%26#39;m looking at the Auxerre - Beaune area primarily. Would either be a good location for a base? Auxerre looks very interesting, but is it too far north? Is Beaune a better choice...or is it too crowded/over-run with tourists (like me...in early July) as suggested in many posts? Is it worth doing each for a couple of days? Are there better options in the area?
--Are Troyes and/or Provins worth fitting into the trip (I understand they%26#39;re not really in Burgundy, but in the area), or are they really over-run with folks like me and I%26#39;m better staying away at that time of the year?
--Can I make it from Sens or Provins to CDG in about 1 1/2 hours early on a weekday morning to make my flight, or will traffic on the outskirts of Paris be a real problem?
I%26#39;m asking a lot of questions...and appreciate whatever insights you can offer. Thank you in advance.
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I%26#39;ll start with your last question. I would, for my piece of mind, want to stay quite close to CDG if I had a morning flight out. Why worry about tight connections when you could relax the last night of your trip?
As for Burgundy, I can%26#39;t say which place would work best as a base; I can only say what worked for us. Though Beaune sounded pleasant and very convenient, I thought it might be overrun with folks who were there solely or primarily for the wine, which we were%26#39;nt, and I thought the prices of accomodations reflected that. I like wine and enjoyed it in Bourgogne, but I was more interested in history, food, and scenic countryside.
So we stayed 2 nights in an idyllic small medieval village, Brancion, which was a pedestrian only area. From there we explored the other nearby villages (Chapaix - spelling?), and made a day trip to Tazie and Cluny. Just driving through the countryside was wonderful.
Then we drove through the Moravan hills, spend an afternoon in Autun to see the Roman ruins and superb Romanesque church, on our way to Semur en Auxios. We used that walled city as 2-night base in the north for day trips to Vezelay (well, well worth a visit) one day, and Abbaye de Fontannay and some nearby chateaus the next.
There was still so much more we wanted to see, but Burgundy seems best suited for not rushing too much. All that said, I figure it%26#39;s best to first determine what you really want to see, then decide where you want to stay.
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thank you for your insights and help.
another question for you or others: I%26#39;m thinking of spending our last day and night at Versailles...then driving to CDG the next morning for our return flight. i%26#39;m estimating about 1 hour or so driving time around 7AM...Versailles-CDG...does that sound about right?
Thank you
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If you have a full week then you have time to do Beaune and Auxerre. I would go to Beaune first (4 days) and break the journey back in Auxerre (2 days). Beaune area has plenty to see historically as well as from a wine interest. Personally as the other poster said I would stay in a small village and tour from there.
Consider a B %26amp; B as they are great fun and good value.
Logis de France hotels also usually offer very good food. They can often be weighted in favour of food rather than accomodation so read between the lines and check the ratings if you want more luxury.
http://www.logis-de-france.fr/uk/index.htm
Check out:
www.sawdays.co.uk
Very reliable site for accomodation.
The Burgundy tourism site is a very good one for finding historical stes or wine visits.
http://www.burgundy-tourism.com/
Auxerre is an interesting town and we really like it and have stayed there many times.
Some really good restaurants - Maximes - Salamander - Jardin Gourmand.
You have plenty of scope for some touring there - Chablis is close by and Vezelay for more history.
Troyes etc are worth visiting but as the other poster said Burgundy is for Slow travel - don%26#39;t pack too much in.
Can%26#39;t help with airport travel - we come by car or Eurostar.
Neal
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Hi -
Just returned and stayed in a small B%26amp;B just outside Beaune in the small village of St. Romain. It was a perfect location. I would take Neal%26#39;s suggestion and consider a B%26amp;B. Not only are they usually a good value (with breakfast included), but we met other travellers with which we shared stories and got some good tips and info from......good restaurants, wineries, etc.. In addition to the above sites, check out http://www.likhom.com/anglais/ which has a great selection of B%26amp;B%26#39;s.
You state several times about not wanting to go to places with many tourists, yet you are going in prime tourist season! We were there in mid-September and there were still many tourists, I can%26#39;t imagine what it%26#39;s like in the summer months! I think the bigger cities will be more crowded, and parking will be at a premium.....we always had to drive around hunting for a space. Regardless, you will have a great time. You are wise to start planning now......research all your options now and when the time comes, book early!
Enjoy your trip! Cheers!
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thank you, nealrover and flourgal...very much appreciate the insights and helpful links. and, good advice re: B%26amp;Bs...will look into that more.
nealrover, in your opinion, it seems Beaune is worth more time than Auxerre...or is there just more to see in that area?
flourgal, I hear you about timing...it;s not my preference, but what we%26#39;re stuck with. I tried to make it as earl in summer as possible...having been to Europe before in late July-early August...and will NEVER do that again. besides, we were able to find two FF award seats Cal-CDG for that time so that helped as well.
thanks, again.
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If you end your trip in Dijon, you can take the early train direct to CDG--arrival at 8:20 am weekdays, a little later Sat and Sun. The Roya Hotel is 50m from the station.
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Both really - it is worth more time %26amp; there is more to see.
Beaune has the more attractive %26amp; interesting countryside as well as wine %26amp; historical interest at every turn. Beaune is a very pleasant town to stroll and visit the historical features within it as well as the wine based interest that is everywhere of course. Good restaurants here as well.The villages are more attractive than in Northern Burgundy.Although it is not that far in distance the climate is usually a little kinder as well(not usually as wet in our experience - although perhaps we have been unlucky! - September/October usually for us).
You also have the option from Beaune to visit Beaujolais region (about 50mins on the autoroute) if you run out of things to see around Beaune - which you won%26#39;t!
As has been mentioned by Flourgal it will be pretty busy but if you stay outside of Beaune you will find plenty of peace and space even in July - then just travel in to Beaune - look for a parking space around the walls and walk in.
Auxerre will provide you with the good food aspect of your trip and it is an interesting historic town with plenty of character. We like the town but we mainly use it as a base to buy wine from Chablis %26amp; Saint Bris and also to go across to Sancerre as well which is not far. Villages here are a little quieter and the countryside between does not have quite as much charm as the back roads of Southern Burgundy. For your reasons for visiting I would only give it 2 days out of your week and use it as an interesting stopover back to Paris. I don%26#39;t think you will be dissapointed though with Auxerre for the interests you have mentioned.
If you are unsure about Auxerre then maybe consider Reims area for a couple of days - again plenty of history and lovely countryside and champagne villages.
Whatever you decide you will have a great time in France.
Have a good trip and if I can help any more I will do.
Neal
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thank you very much...very helpful. do you happen to have any suggestions on B%26amp;Bs around Beaune? We would really like to be fairly close to town so we can walk into it at night...rather than having to drive all the time. But, we%26#39;ll take a good place over convenience if it makes any difference. Also, did you happen to make it to Autun...and, if so, is it worth working into our trip? It seems very interesting...
Thank you very much.
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You wont be able to stay in a suitable place outside and be able to walk in. If one of your main requirements is convienience for restaurants in Beaune then you will have to stay within the walls.
These 2 are off the sawdays site I mentioned and are within the town walls:
http://www.routedebouze.com/location.html
http://lesplanchottes.free.fr/index.htm
Also have a look at the site Flourgal mentioned in his posting as it is a good one.
We have not stayed in Beaune itself as we do prefer being in a village location.
This B %26amp; B I can highly recommend but you will have to travel in to either Nuits St Georges (good restaurant there)or Beaune to eat. Lovely owners and they have a wine cave %26amp; domain locally:
perso.orange.fr/gite.nuits-saint-georges/
We usually stay at this one which although not a B%26amp;B it is a good compromise as the accomodation is in a superb restored house that is completely separate from the restaurant across the road.
Run by a very welcoming couple that offer genuine French hospitality with exceptional cooking. Your bedroom is just a short stagger across the road and the chefs wife usually shows you the way after your meal! It is slightly more south than you are looking but it does open up an easy visit to Cluny (as you mentioned Autan)for historic interest and nearer to Beaujolais if you want a day there.
Highy recommended. Ask for garden view room if you stay here.
http://www.auberge-cheval-blanc.net/
I have not set foot in Autan but just passed through but it is somewhere we will get to eventually as it does seem an interesting town
Hope this helps you decide
Neal
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Nealrover,
apologies for the delayed reply. your help is very much appreciated.
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