My husband and I are planning a business + vacation trip. We will fly to Paris and out from Geneva. We have 7 days before heading to Annecy for business (4 days). We will have 4 extra days afterward . We would appreciate suggestions on itinerary.
Posted by
Rick Steves' Europe
16893 posts
I could easily spend a week in Paris, especially if you haven't been before. Lyon is another worthwhile city, but I would not cut time from Paris, if this is your first visit.
For a taste of Burgundy, Beaune and Dijon take 2-3 hours by train from Paris. You can catch the highlights of Beaune (old town and Hotel Dieu/hospital museum) and Dijon (old town and free Beaux Arts Museum) with less than a full day for each. If you're in Burgundy with a car, then you would want more time to poke around smaller towns, wineries, and consider the chateau-in-progress at [Guedelon](ww.guedelon.fr).
After Annecy, you can stay at Chamonix/Mont Blanc, then circle through Switzerland, around Lake Geneva, via Montreux and Lausanne, to get back to Geneva. Rick allots zero time to visiting the big city of Geneva, even though it's probably a nice place to live.