We're 77 and looking at going back to France in September. Been to Paris 4 times -two yrs ago we rented a house in Montmartre for 3 wks - love it! Still not sure we can go to France and not Paris, but if we do, where? We've been to Reins, Burgundy, Provence, Arle, Bordeaux. Want to go and stay for a week w/ no car. Anyone have opinions about Lyon?
Posted by
206 posts
We weren't fans of Lyon but without a car you could easily get around the city.
I love the South of France and the Normandy area for a longer stay although I think both you would really want a car.
Posted by
Colorado Mountains, USA
8573 posts
You didn’t mention Lyon, France’s second-biggest city, and it’s well worth a visit. No car needed.
Brittany is different from other parts of France, and we really enjoyed it, although we did have a rental car. I believe you could see lots of Brittany by train and/or bus.
Last, if you don’t go to Nice (and Villefranche, Monaco, Antibes) this year, you’ll be one year older when you do. Easy without a car!
Posted by
Bainbridge Island, WA
380 posts
I second the comment about going to Nice - lots to see there, and it's easy to get to other nearby towns via public transportation. Plus it's a beautiful area!
Posted by
Idaho, USA
9256 posts
Hi, I really enjoyed my trips to France & need to go back to that country. Here’s a trip report where I went to three sections of France, plus Paris. The caveat is that this was in 2019, so check Booking.com reviews of any lodging to see if reviews are still very positive.
Oh, & you asked about Lyon. This one covers our time in Annecy & Lyon. Yes, we did enjoy Lyon! The traboules were fun to explore (besides the one where we stayed), and the museums mentioned were excellent!
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/3-weeks-in-italy-france-french-locations
All of this travel was by train.
Posted by
Chicagoland
1615 posts
I spent a week in Alsace without a car in October 2022. I stayed in Colmar and used buses, trains and, one day, a small group tour. Very easy to visit the wine villages during the days. There are WWII sites and a castle in the area. You could also travel by train easily to Strasbourg, Basel and Germany.
You could even base in one of the wine villages and use local buses, e bikes and taxis to get around.
Posted by
Denver, CO USA
668 posts
Look at the rail map and then pick smaller cities.
We stayed 3 nights in Auxerre in the Spring of 2023. There were only 2 non-French people in town as far as we could determine. Very few English speakers in businesses.
That said, we are huge fans of Lyon.
St Etienne is a short train ride from Lyon.