Please sign in to post.

2 Week Honeymoon Help

Hi,

We are planning our first trip to France as our honeymoon leaving mid September. Our goals are to do some order of:

-Swimming and relaxing in the south of france... would love town suggestions. Our goal here is to be "true honeymooners" and unwind a bit in this stop; would love to do a private boat tour, etc. I envision splurging a bit more on a nice hotel here vs anywhere else. Definitely want to see the specialty art museums here as well.

-Hiking in the French Alps (we are very avid hikers, live in the pacific northwest) -- We are also open to suggestions if there are better towns!

-A decent chunk of time (thinking 5 days) in Paris to see art, eat, drink wine, sight-see, enjoy city life, potentially a cooking class, or a bike tour?

In a perfect world, potentially we could also visit some wineries in what I think of as the countryside...

Originally we were going to both fly into and out of Paris. But I think it makes more sense to do Nice >> Chamonix>> Paris.
Would you suggest renting a car for those drives or doing a train?
If we drive; are there any must hit towns on the way that we should plan to do a night in? We originally had Beaune on our must hit list.

Please don't hold back with advice, we're really open to suggestions! Thank you all!

Posted by
2229 posts

OregonA,
Congratulations on your upcoming nuptials! Now, to your questions.....
Two weeks..are they bookended by two weekends, giving you 16 days total? I ask because if you count the day you arrive in France as day 1, you will probably have jet lag so won't feel like sightseeing. But it's all good, as this is your honeymoon to kick back. Yes, fly into Nice. Check into your lodging and spend 4 nights there (three full days to unwind, lie on the beach and see some of Nice and nearby towns. Easily accessible by train and bus from Nice on day trips. (That's days 2-4). Day 5 travel to Chamonix or wherever in the Alps you choose. Count day 5 as a travel day (checking out of lodgings, train to Alps location, check into new lodgings and orient yourself in that location and have a nice dinner. Spend 3 nights to get 2 full days there. (That's days 6-7) Day 8 travel to Beaune in the Burgundy region (wineries and Hospice de Beaune) and have evening there. Stay 2 nights (1 full day). You can do some wine tasting and see the not-to-be-missed Hospice in a full day. Day 10 train to Paris. Arrive midday or midafternoon. Stay there until return home on day 14 (or 16 if two bookending weekends) So, in Paris finish day 10 (a stroll a special dinner, if time a one hour ride on a Vedette to see the lit up Eiffel Tower in the evening, and have day 11-14 or 11-16 to see the sights that are most important to you. (That's 3 or 5 full days there).
On this trip I would recommend taking trains and buses. It will be simpler and, IMO a better use of your time.
Specifics to see, lodgings and restaurants I am leaving for others to suggest. I hope I have been of some help. The itinerary is yours to arrange. You may want more or less time in a place. These are just my suggestions for a structure. Be sure you allow for sufficient travel time between locations. Check out your travel options for moving around and factor in local transportation when in those locations. Make sure you have some down time as well (strolling, a cafe for people-watching, doing nothing, enjoying a meal, admiring a building or park, staring at a piece of art in a museum.....oh so much!)
Have a grand time!

Posted by
2958 posts

Congratulations.

Flying into NCE and out of CDG is a very good idea. Provence weather cools in September and being there early in the month offers the best chance at warmer weather.

I would drive from Nice via Chamonix to Paris. Rent a car when you leave Nice. This gives you more options and a great deal more flexibility. Check with autoeurope.com and find a company that does not charge a one way fee for rentals within France.

However, the very first thing I would do is reserve an hotel in Paris. September is peak hotel month in Paris, prices are at their highest and availability is always tight. The best hotels will already have strong bookings.

Posted by
3416 posts

Check airfare flying into Paris and out of Nice too.
Have you looked for beach front hotels / Airbnb lodging in Nice, Villefranche-sur-Mer and Antibes? However, it will be too cold to get in the water in late Sep. I can’t help with the boat tour but if I were going to take one in FR it would be to the Calanques (Mediterranean fjords).
Traveling by train from Nice to Chamonix takes twelve hours and requires two connections. You could rent a car for the day and drive from the riviera to Chamonix taking seven hours. Another option is to fly from Nice to Geneva then hop on a bus to Chamonix. No matter what you choose you lose a day traveling from the riviera to Chamonix and will not be a fun day.
If you decide to remove Chamonix you can take an overnight train between Nice and Paris and rent a sleeper car. You can easily find lots to do in the riviera and Paris that will fill your time in FR. Besides, Paris deserves six nights.

Posted by
227 posts

If flying into Nice in an option with your airline then go for it. I love that Delta flies directly from Atlanta to Nice. It's a nice airport right on the Riviera (beautiful views!) compared to CDG which is like most big metropolitan airports situated far from downtown in a "lesser nice" area. Nice is a good jumping off point for your fun in the sun vacation although I'm not sure how much swimming you'll do in mid-September. (I've been there in September but I'm not really into beach time I didn't notice if it was swimming weather.)

By all means take the train as you work your way to Paris if you really want to embrace the culture. You can travel as the locals do and mingle with them. Relax and watch the scenery pass, take a nap, read a book - it is a pleasant trip. However, since it's your honeymoon, if you really want to be off by yourselves as much as possible you may prefer to drive.

BTW, I spent the first four months of my marriage in France so I honeymooned there as well! (Except we did it in the dead of winter in Paris, so definitely no long lazy days on the beach.).