We’re seeking suggestions for the final six days of our six-week trip to France which begins with a small taste of Spain. We start in mid-September with four days in Barcelona. Then we’ll take a train over the Pyrenees for an overnight in Toulouse where we’ll pick up a car. From there we drive to the Basque country where we’ll spend the next four days and nights. Then it’s off to Sarlat-le-Canéda for four weeks of slow travel in the Dordogne.
That leaves us with six days and five nights to fill in. We want the sixth night to be fairly near the airport we’ll depart from to get back to Heathrow for our return flight to Boston. The options are Toulouse, Montpellier, Marseille and Nice.
We flew in and out of Marseille in ’19 when we visited Provence. The draw for Nice is the Marc Chagall Museum which was closed the day we went in ’19. Plus, the flight options from Nice are the best of all the other cities. Toulouse and Montpellier are both new to us.
Our thoughts so far for the days and nights in question are:
1.) Do a loop starting and ending in Toulouse, hit Narbonne and the Med coast down to Perpignan, then head west through the Pyrenees foothills and back to Toulouse; or
2.) Start as above but head east from Narbonne through Montpellier, Aix-en-Provence and Nice.
We’ve picked up a lot of suggestions from other posts on this site, mostly on places to hit during our stay in Sarlat, and would value your ideas. Thanks very much.
Posted by
Kamarooka
420 posts
We travelled from Paris to Toulouse and continued onto Carcassonne. A few days in Carcassonne then onto Collioure for a few days. Nipped back to Perpignan then the short trip to Villefranche de Conflent for a few days.
From Villefranche de Conflent we took the very enjoyable Little Yellow Train (sitting in an open top carriage) through the Pyrenees to Latour de Carol then met up with the Barcelona to Toulouse train and back to Toulouse.
Carcassonne often gets bad reviews but we loved it. It is a beautiful town. Many have the ridiculous IMHO idea of only staying briefly and staying inside the Cite itself. We stayed in the town and visited the Cite 3 times, 5am, 6pm and for a picnic lunch then a self guided tour.
Collioure is a gem by the Med. Plenty of sightseeing options and a stunning location.
Villefranche de Conflent was my favourite. Small walled town. Tunnels and steps up to the fort up above. Spectacular location. Interesting caves.
The Little Yellow Train was a slow but delightful journey with fantastic scenery.
Posted by
Washington DC
28069 posts
Another vote for the Yellow Train. A round trip is possible in a single day.
There are no losers mentioned in your original post. I especially liked Toulouse for its pink-brick architecture, which gives it a different look from other major French cities. The city has quite a lot of worthwhile sights, and nearby Albi is an excellent day trip. The Toulouse Lautrec museum is excellent, in addition to the cathedral.
Nice is excellent for the art museums (there are at least six) as well as for the many side trips along the vast and into the hills. Did you leave some other things undone on your first visit in addition to the Chagall Museum, or would you be sort of scratching around for other things to do?
Posted by
L'Occitanie, France
10621 posts
I like Tintaldra's itinerary. In fact, I'm going to be doing exactly that route with a French group in the French Pyrenees in a few weeks, Yellow Train, Collioure, Villefranche de Confluent and all. If you want information on our itinerary, send me a pm.
As much as I love Aix, Nice, Montpellier, that's a long way to drive all the way to Nice, tangling with the traffic in all these cities. There's so much to do in the western area of Occitanie, and Toulouse has an important airport.
Posted by
Fort Myers, FL
1881 posts
Then it’s off to Sarlat-le-Canéda for four weeks of slow travel in the Dordogne.
I really liked the Dordogne and spent 10 days there, but not sure I could really spend 4 weeks. Have you sketched out any type of daily itinerary? You may end up with more extra days than 6. Some of the sights of the Dordogne are quick visits, maybe 90 minutes even at a slow pace. Maybe you have a lot of days without sightseeing built in.
We want the sixth night to be fairly near the airport we’ll depart from to get back to Heathrow for our return flight to Boston.
I assume you won't entertain northern France at the end of your trip to get you closer to London via Eurostar? A lot to see in northern France and will make your travel home much easier.
Posted by
OP
Maine
6 posts
Many thanks to you all for your contributions. You’ve given us lots to ponder.
Having been in northern France last fall, visiting Normandy, Champagne, Paris, the Alsace and Burgundy all in three weeks, we chose Sarlat as our hub for slow travel. Day trips to all the sights (and possibly an overnight here or there) mixed with time spent getting the feel of the town and the area and perhaps even making acquaintances. This will be a completely new approach to travel for us.
That said, maybe the final days and nights of our trip should follow the same pattern. Pick a place in an unexplored direction and spend our time enjoying the town and the environs.
Thanks again for your help.