France at the end of September

I've been to France three times in that timeframe. Its a nice time to be there. It's harvest time. I'm assuming you're into wine? If so, given the time of year, I'd stick to the wine theme and go to Burgundy. If you don't want to go that far, maybe Loire for chateaus and wineries. Its really kind of fun to see all the grapes and folks harvesting the grapes by hand. You might find 4 nights in Bordeaux to be quite a bit unless you are also including Dordogne.

You can take a train from Paris to Bordeaux. It is a 2 hour trip. You can also take trains to Provence. More than likely through Marseilles.

What plans do you have for your time in Bordeaux ?

I would have a car - the lovely drives are exquisite.

You could head to the Dordogne region sooner and base in the Siorac region - we loved L'Ombriere ! The couple was lovely, the breakfasts and pillows divine ! And you are minutes from La Roque and Beynac, as well as Sarlat and the Lascaux caves.
This is our favorite region of France !

Then drive through Belcastel into Uzes and in to Nimes/Arles/Avignon.

We stay at Les Carmes - Paschal has a lovely villa which is minutes from Avignon and L'isle sur la Sorgue. From here you can drive through the lovely villages of Menerbes, Bonnieux, Gordes, and Rousillon.

Then drive down through Cassis and into Nice/Eze if you want to go that far east.

Look at Le Plus Beaux Villages de France to see the villages that are exquisite !

You could base in the Siroac region of the Dordogne and in Nimes/Avignon for another base.
One can spend a week in each of these bases and not do everything !

Hi sloanmoore,

There is an international airport in Bordeaux. Fly into it to get to Bordeaux.

You are poised to visit the Dordogne and areas to the south, some of the loveliest parts of France. I think it is even more special than Provence. For transportation, though, don't bother to go without a car.

On the other hand, it's about 5-1/2 hours to Provence from Bordeaux by train, but there are some lovely stops along the way of you choose to drive and break your trip. However you go, a car is very helpful once you are there.

Thanks to you all for your insightful comments. The reason for 4 nights in Bordeaux is we are meeting up with friends to attend a cooking school at Two Bordelais.
Yes, we are very much into wine! I’ve been hearing much about Dordogne.
I’m ready to nail this down!😀

Yes if I were in Bordeaux at the end of September, i would also continue on to the Dordogne/Périgord/Lot. It's so beautiful down there.

hey sloan
another option is the french basque region. my best friend is from, saint jean pied de port. there is bayonne famous for jabon (ham seasoned with peppers from esplette), chocolate, the les halles market place, basque liquers
biarritz on the coast well known for surfing and swimming, fresh seafood.
saint jean de luz, a fishing port plus small village that tourists love to stroll around. (saint-jean-de-luz.com), maison adam a bakery, maribelsguide.com, itxassou, famous for their black cherries.
euskoguide.com, drive out to countrysides, it can get crowded during summer months but stroll thru the villages, they have basque wines, brandies and liquers, sweets.
pierreoteiza.com breeder and producer of goodies, take a ride thru the valley or see shop in saint-jean-pied-de port.
someplace different that you don't hear much about but may be worth visiting. happy travels
aloha

Great tips, Princess!! Too many great places and not enough time!😞

With your time frame I'd rent a car in Bordeaux when your cooking school is done, then head up the Dordogne and south from there. Lots of villages, caves, castles -- check out a guidebook and the "Explore Europe" link on this website. You could return the car and fly out of Bordeaux, or Toulouse.

Provence would also be wonderful but maybe for another trip when you can give it more time.

Dick, that is a very helpful tip for me re: Explore Europe on this site. Never knew about it. Thanks!

I think Dordogne and Lot Valleys then down to Carcassonne and the Languedoc area ties in nicely with Bordeaux.

I did the reverse last June. Flew from Paris to Toulouse, rented a car, spent a three to four days each in Languedoc, Lot and Dordogne Valleys, then the Atlantic coast south of Arcachon, St. Emillion and finally Bordeaux. From there took a train back to Paris and flew home from there.