My wife and I will be traveling to France in September for fourteen days and are considering the following itinerary for our by-car travels. We are the type that would prefer to spend more time in each place, rather than jumping around too much, so we chose four destinations, flying in to Paris, flying out of Nice. Wondering if it is too ambitious: Day 1, 2, 3 - Paris, Day 4 - drive to Versailles, then stay in Beaune, Day 5 & 6 - Beaune, Day 7, 8, 9 - Annecy, Day 10, 11, 12, 13 - Villafranche-Sur-Mer (and explore the Riviera), Day 14 - depart from Nice.
Posted by
Olympia, WA, USA
6713 posts
Generally looks realistic to me, though I don't know the south. Autoroutes make long-distance drives easy (though expensive). Day 4 might be a problem if you want to spend much time in Versailles (and the lines can eat up a chunk of your day). Pick up the car there. And I wouldn't be satisfied with the number of days you have in Paris, unless you've been there before.
Posted by
Pensacola
9110 posts
Looks good.
Either get the car at the end of day three and drive out to Versailles early or get it the minute you arrive at Versailles to use as a junk storage bin. The former would save a bit of time - - either way, it's going to be a bear of a day.
Personal preference would be the Rhone delta over Annecy and anything over coastal Provence along the Riviera.
Posted by
Boston
4132 posts
The Paris-Versailles-Beaune day does not look so good to me, though it is feasible.
Instead maybe visit Versailles as a day trip from Paris and take the train to Burgundy, picking up a car in either Dijon or Beaune.
You'll save time because the TGV is so fast, and you've still got plenty of days on the road.
Posted by
OP
2 posts
Thank you everyone for the advice. I am going to nix the Paris-Versailles-Beaune day and make Day 4 a Versailles day trip, stay in Paris that night, and head to Beaune the next day, as suggested.
Posted by
Rick Steves' Europe
16895 posts
Sounds like you're on the right track. Bon voyage!
Posted by
Long Beach, California, USA
3398 posts
If you do choose to drive to Versailles, you can park right on the grounds...there is an entrance on the north side that avoids the big expensive lot in the front of the chateau. There are car parks right next to the Grand Canal, the Trianons, the Petite Hameau, and several other spots. It's pretty neat to drive around on the cobbled roads and out through some of the more remote parts of the palace park. Or you can park right outside the north entrance in the small lot there and walk in from that side. It's a bit of a hike to the main chateau from there but you can catch the tram and ride.