My husband and I are planning a 3 week trip in late Oct-Nov. Initially, we plan to fly into Barcelona and stay for 3-4 days, train to Carcassonne for 2 days, train to Provence (looking at St Remy for a base-4ish days), some other town for 3-4 days (suggestions?), and head up to Annecy (by train?) where we have access to lodging. In Annecy, we plan to explore the area as well as surrounding areas and then fly out of Lyon or Geneva.
I have been to France a couple of times, but years ago. My husband and I traveled through Italy about 7 years ago (the only time he has been to Europe). We like to get off the beaten path and explore the culture, including a few tourist attractions/museums, etc. along the way. We try to avoid hopping from one place to the next so we can have a chance to enjoy the area. We would enjoy bike rides through the countryside, small local wineries, shops and food as well as exploring the history and sites.
Questions:
1. Will shops, markets, museums, etc. be open in late Oct-Nov?
2. Will we be able to rent bikes at this time?
3. Is Carcassonne worth the stop or is there another stop along the way? Is it similar to what we will be seeing in Provence?
4. Do we rent a car for the Provence area as well as the Annecy stay? I will probably be doing the driving and would prefer to avoid city driving.
5. From Annecy, is a Burgundy day trip realistic? How about Riquewihr/Colmar? Chamonix? Or would it be best to plan a couple of nights in one of those areas? Any other suggestions?
6. Is the route we are planning reasonable or should we consider reversing it or doing Annecy in middle of trip rather than end, other suggestions? Is this cramming too much in for the 3 week time period (there is so much we want to do!)?
7. What recommendations do you have for lodging, restaurants, etc. in these towns? I had a travel agent help with most of our Italy trip but I think I can do this without one.
Thank you in advance for any suggestions!