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Driving from Bruges to Chamonix

I am planing to drive in Apri from Bruge to Dijon (expend 2 nigths) and expend three nights in Chamonix.

Between Bruge and Dijon where can I expend 2 more nights?. Go to Luxemburg or stay in Troyes.

I am open to other ideas. I would like to visit villages and little towns.

Posted by
3551 posts

There are many beautiful villages to see outside of Beaune. It is a route des vins easily driven and scenic.
Also Colmar and surrounding is picturesque. The medieval village being reconstructted by orig methods is Guedelon outside of Paris about 1.5 hrs SE. U have many options also Annecy very close to Chamonix. Lucky u.

Posted by
15784 posts

What about Reims/Epernay for 1 or 2 nights? It's just about the half-way point if you don't go through Paris. Park the car and do some champagne tours, see the cathedral and the basilica, there's a good WWII museum (Musee de la Redition). There are lovely small towns and villages in Burgundy on the way to Dijon . . . I have not heard that Troyes or Luxembourg is especially noteworthy compared to them. I enjoyed Noyers, Fontenay Abbey, Vézelay, and Auxerre.

Dijon to Chamonix is a long drive. I stayed a night in Cluny. The Abbey is well worth visiting.

Every town and nearly every village in Burgundy and Beaujolais has a TI with lots of information, including walking tours, wine routes, chateaux routes and more. Alsace too, but I haven't taken it into consideration because you don't have much time and it would be a detour.

Posted by
4684 posts

If you're hiring a car, some companies charge very high fees to drop one off in a different country, so check this in advance. If it's too expensive, you might want to take the train from Bruges to Lille in France, and then hire a car there.

Posted by
7937 posts

Philip's advice is exactly what we did back in 2008. Well, we were coming from Brussels, but we took the train to Lille, picked up our car at the Europcar desk at the station, and drove further into France.

If driving thru Belgium is a definite part of your plans, you might consider dropping off your Belgian rental car in Roubaix, then making your way across the border to Lille, and picking up a new French rental car there.

Posted by
9 posts

Thank You all of you!!
you have been very helpful because I thought Luxemburg will be fine , but I am going to go to Rims(one or 2 nights) and change Dijon to Beaune, nearly to Chamonix Than Dijon and try to go to the villages around . In reference with the car we are going to get it in Spain and go around France y return to Spain for 30 days., But I asked about this part because I was not sure. I had been in Alsalce Beautiful!!!
Any other's towns I should not miss
Shoud I stay one night in Rims and 3 in Beaune?
In the return to Spain I will go thru Provence Region and Roussillon .

Posted by
15784 posts

Shoud I stay one night in Rims and 3 in Beaune?

According to viamichelin.com it's a 4-hour drive from Bruge,Belgium to Reims and another 4 hours to Beaune. That's on major roads. If you want to stop along the way at a village or sight, the driving time will be longer. You could probably manage to do 1 or 2 champagne tours and tastings in the afternoon of your arrival in Reims, if you leave Bruge early and don't stop, and fit in a couple of the other sights there. Then leave in the morning (maybe a little more sightseeing before you go). Or get an early start and have time to stop for a village or two, arriving in Beaune late in the day.

Since you have a car, why not stay in a village B&B in Burgundy. That will save you both money and time driving in/out of Beaune. Avallon, Vezelay . . . . just a couple of ideas. After your 2-3 nights there, you could spend 1/2 day in Beaune, then drive to Cluny (or Annecy) for a night, then on to Chamonix.

Edit: Spending a second night in Reims gives you the time for more champagne tours and tastings, including a visit to Epernay. Mostly it depends on whether you want to give up a day of Burgundian villages for a day of bubbly.

Posted by
9 posts

Dear Chani
Following your advice and looking the map, I am going to stay 1 night in Reims, 1 in Avallon and 2 in Annecy (because is a beautiful town)
That way from bruges to Reims I can stop in Lille
From Reims to Avallon see villages including Vezelay and from Avallon to Annecy , stop in Dijon and spend some time in Beaune

Thank You for your help!!!