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France Experts Help! Itenerary 3-4 weeks

Hello!
My husband and I have 3-4 weeks (flexible) to spend traveling this summer. We chose France and want to do a road trip. So far this is the plan- We are flying into Paris, train to Versailles, spending 2 nights there for Bastille Day celebrations. From there, we don’t k kw where to go....east or west. Hubs wants to do Champagne and Burgundy, drive to Bordeaux, fly to Lisbon and fly home. I want to do Normandy, Brittany, drive down the coast to Bordeaux, fly to Lisbon then home. What would you do,, France experts?

Posted by
11570 posts

Aren’t you spending some time in Paris? Perhaps you have been there before.
We have been to all the places you mention. Are you fans of champagne with a desire to visit the champagne houses? If not, I would do Option 2.

Posted by
2 posts

Oh yes sorry we have been to Paris and Loire Valley/Nice before so we want to skip those

Posted by
10632 posts

Burgundy to Bordeaux is quite a haul with a mountain range and a load of interesting sights/sites in between. If you are not going to stop, I'd just go to Normandy, Brittany, and make a couple of stops on the way to Bordeaux.

Posted by
3101 posts

Last summer, we spent 5 days in Bretagne, in the Finisterre Department. Our friends live near Quimper, which is quite close to the coast. So, we stayed in Hotel des Voyageurs in Pleneour-Langvin, which is 65 E/night for a pretty simple room. The food is great and inexpensive. There are many lovely seaside villages in the area - Concarneau is a walled town. Further in, there is Dinan (another walled town) and Rennes. We were so charmed by the bucolic charms of this area - many cows, sheep. The drink is hard cider. The main food specialite is the galette - a buckwheat crepe with either savory (cheese, seafood) or sweet fillings. A car is necessary to get around in this area.

Posted by
885 posts

Is Bordeaux a must? If not, you could do Champagne and Burgundy and end in Lyon, then fly to Lisbon. I think either option would work. How nutty are you about wine? If you're interested in vineyards, go with hubby's choice. I think Normandy, Brittany and down the coast would be a very nice trip, and could keep you busy for 3-4 weeks.

The middle of France is also very nice, and you will see many fewer visitors. I love Auvergne. If you have time to dawdle, your husband's itinerary would be nice, even he long trip from Burgundy to Bordeaux.

Posted by
28094 posts

I think the odds are extremely good that the Normandy/Brittany option will provide much more pleasant weather for a summer trip, assuming your prefer some clouds and possibly occasional rain to potentially-unrelenting heat.