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Honeymoon in France

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Currently planning our honeymoon, I have traveled a good bit around Europe with family, my fiancé has never been. We were torn between Italy, Spain and France or some combination of the above, but have decided to focus on one country, landed on 2 weeks in France. I have a few questions as I nail down the itinerary.

  1. Ideally we are thinking a few days in Paris, take the train out towards the Loire Valley, rent a car and bum around for a few days there, then take the train down to the south for some time on the coast. Or do all of this in reverse and end in Paris. I like the idea of some time on a beach unwinding before we get into the meat of our trip. Is this an unrealistic itenerary? We do not want to be rushed but also would like to experience a variety of areas. Also open to suggestions of villages to stay in that are midsized to small, in the Loire valley as well as on the southern coast that are a bit more budget friendly.

  2. I am leaning towards booking a B&B when outside of Paris, any recommendations for reputable sites? I am wary of AirB&B, VRBO.

  3. We are an LGBT+ couple, wondering if anyone has insight into any safety concerns or general feeling of locals outside of Paris towards queer folk? I know most of western Europe is miles ahead of most of the US in this department, but coming from the American deep south I get a bit paranoid about attitudes and safety in different regions.

Any advice or insight is appreciated.

Edit: We are planning on traveling end of May- Early June

Posted by
2507 posts

then take the train down to the south for some time on the coast

Which part of the south of France?
The Mediterranean coast stretches for several hundred kilometers from the Italian border to the Spanish border, plus the west coast on the Atlantic Ocean

I am leaning towards booking a B&B when outside of Paris, any
recommendations for reputable sites? I am wary of AirB&B, VRBO.

See the "Gîtes de France", which is well known in France, it is an organization that has existed since the 60s (well before the internet and Airbnb).
These are accommodations managed by individuals that can range from a simple room to a castle with a swimming pool. There are about 70,000 in France, they are mainly found outside of large cities, in rural areas.
All accommodations are regularly inspected by the organization and they must meet specific comfort and quality criteria to obtain the label. Like hotel stars, they are classified from 1 to 5 ears of corn.

https://www.gites-de-france.com/en

wondering if anyone has insight into any safety concerns or general
feeling of locals outside of Paris towards queer folk?

With the exception of the usual few morons you might meet anywhere in the world, people in France don't care about your sexual orientation whether it's in the cities or the countryside.

You should specify when you plan to come to France, answers and advice may vary depending on the climate.

Posted by
1524 posts

Carroll00,
Not knowing what time of year you are travelling, here are my 2 centimes. Paris is the most romantic city in the world. Give it a week (7 nights=6 full days). It is your honeymoon, after all! The Loire Valley needs two nights (1 1/2 days max) IMO. Provence is classic France as seen in movies. I would take a train on day 8 to the Loire Valley and rent a car for two days to visit two or three chateaux. Then take a train on day 10 to Provence (e.g. St. Remy de Provence, Arles, Bandol...too many charming locations to mention). I would rent a car for this portion also. Or you could choose Nice for the southern France leg. Nice, with lots of nearby locations easily accessible by bus or train from your base in Nice (5 nights=4 full days). That accounts for 14 nights and you are now at day 15.
If you could find open jaw tickets (into Paris, out of Nice) you wouldn't need an extra travel day (day 15 to go back to Paris for night 15) before your flight out on day 16.

As far as tolerance goes, I find the French to be much less concerned with one's sexual preferences than uptight Americans. Just show your appreciation for their food, culture and patrimony (so easy to do!), and you will have no problems.

Amusez-vous bien!

Posted by
1524 posts

Carroll 00,
I highly recommend Gites de France also for accomodations!

Posted by
2 posts

Thank you for all of the insight! We will be traveling there end of May-Early June. And really looking forward for any recommendations regarding the coast! Not looking for anything glitzy just good food, culture, maybe a bit quieter area and some time in the sun. Thank you!

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