What part of France is next?????

Over the past couple of trips we have spent the following days in each of the locations

3 days in Normandy Juno Beach Caen Bayeaux area

3 days in Loire-- Chenonceau, Amboise, Villandry Tours

3 days in South St Paul de Vence Menton Antibes

Drive though Italy to Chambery

3 days in Beaune--good wine

WE have loved each of these regions for different reasons

We are going back this summer, after spending a week in France we have 6 nights on the road with car. What would be the next possible area to visit.

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Hi Peterm0302,

How about considering Western Provence? Personally, I would suggest that you establish a single base and use it to explore the entire region. Why? Because it%26#39;s gorgeous, it%26#39;s historical(loads of Roman ruins and significant Medieval sites as well) and the food is to die for!!!

AlpillesGal

PS - The Southern part of the Cotes-du-Rhone region produces some really fine wines, incluidng Vacqueyras, Gigondas and Cahteauneuf-du-Papes.

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There are many interesting places. A good guide book will give you lots of ideas.

If you go to my web site - www.nickbooth.id.au - you will find reports with pictures of two tours around France. This just might be helpful.

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It depends a bit on where you will be before your 6 days on the road, and where you are going to afterwards.

One option would be Alsace and the Juras. Strasbourg, Colmar, into the Black Forest, the Bugatti museum at Mulhouse, the Peugeot Museum at Montbeliard, dinner at Jean-Paul Jeunet in Arbois.

Another option is the Dordogne. Les Eyzies de Tayac, Sarlat (stay at La Villa Des Consuls), Beynac, Domme, Rocamadour, Le Gouffre de Padirac.

Yet another is the south and south west of France. Collioure, side trip into Spain to Cadaques, Carcassonne, Albi, Cahors.

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Western Provence is one area on the list, not sure if it is too similar to where we were before. What would you consider to be a central base.

We have other areas in mind but want to hear from others first

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We are leaving for the six nights after some time in Paris, we need to be back in Paris for the flight home after this road trip

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Hi again -

Western Provence isn%26#39;t like any of the areas that you have already visited. While there are several places that you could use as a base, personally, I would recommend either St. Remy, or the area nearby known as les Alpilles. Both are perfectly situated for exploring the entire region from the North all the way up to Vaison-la-Roamine and Nyons all the way down to the shores of the Mediterranean including the Camargue, Marseilles and Cassis.

AlpillesGal

PS - If you can arrange your stay outside of Paris to be 7 nights rather than 6, and your starting night can be a Saturday, you should consider renting a house/gite as it is a really comfortable way of travelling. You will not only avoid the sterile hotel experience but you can also save considerably by doing breakfast %26quot;at home%26quot; and a light evening repast there as well - we always do our main meal mid-day whenever we are in Provence

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Hi Peterm

Even if you have only 6 days outside of Paris, don%26#39;t discount renting a holiday home. The minimum rental period may be 7 days but so long as you pay for Saturday - Saturday, you can leave early or arrive late, so long as the renter understands.

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Wigwam has a good point, however, the vast majority of places are rented from Saturday to Saturday, so you%26#39;ll be OK if you want to check in a day late , or leave a day early. However, since you are plannning to travel in high season, I would think that there%26#39;s not a really good chance that you will be able to arrange for a 6 night stay that starts on day that would not allow the renter to have the locsation available for new occupancy on a Saturday.

AlpillesGal

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Good points so far.

We have been talking and thinking about a couple of choices:

1. All the time in the Dordogne area. Not sure where to focus, but the area looks beautiful

2. Road trip from Paris through NE France Vimy Ridge (shouldn%26#39;t every pride Canadian see it). Then on through Belgium and into Holland.

Any suggestions?

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We stayed a week in Sarlat le Canada in the Dordogne which is a lovely medieval town with a great market, rather in the heart of foie gras country so a lot of duck. Fabulous vegetables and fruit, cheeses, sausages. There is a central heart to the town that is mainly traffic free, with a more modern town surrounding it. A lovely place to wander on its own, but also to visit other places such as Lascaux II, the fortified house of La Maison Forte de Reginac with cave parts dating from the stone ages, the Chateau of Hautefort with fabulous gardens, Rocamadour,and we also paid a visit to a lovely restaurant at Les Arques called La Recreation, which was written about so lovingly in the book %26quot;From here you can%26#39;t see Paris%26quot; by Michael Sanders.A wonderful lunch indeed.More than enough for a week.

We have also stayed a week at Uzes on the western edge of Provence and again at L%26#39;Isle sur la Sorgue and loved them both, sometimes revisiting favourite places, sometimes finding new ones. Probably my favourite area of France.