Jura or Burgundy in August

we were in Dijon and Beaune late August and I certainly would not call it hot. It was barely 70ish. it got hotter as we headed south.

your sons may probably enjoy wandering around Dijon, but not much for them other than wine in Beaune. Although the bike ride through the vineyards in Beaune might be something everyone would enjoy.

The medieval castle Château de Chillon is a 45m train ride rom Lausanne that sits on Lake Geneva offering spectacular views. There's also Gruyères that requires two train transfers but is another idyllic town.

It's confusing that you name France as a destination, but then list cities in Switzerland. Your OP suggests way too much traveling and changing residences-as if you'll never be in France again (?) It appears that you may love driving long distances when at home in the US, and don't care about "overhead" of changing locations as long as you are on the move.

I will say that when we did eastern France we did visit a cousin in Geneva. But it was a long (if interesting, not vastly scenic - how scenic is a tunnel?) drive. We loved Besancon, and Perouges is one of the best medieval towns we've ever visited. We enjoyed an overnight stay in a converted luxury cave-hotel room there. Note that I'm not the kind of person who says you must spend the night in a tourist destination to experience it without the other people clutching Rick's books!

We also followed the trail of (painter) Courbet. I agree that the Jura isn't fiercely hot, but August is August (we like rooms with air conditioning.) And you have to allow for the fact the August is vacation month for most of the people in northern Europe. Thinks are booked up and crowded. Note that there is plenty of good wine and three-star restaurants east of Lyon. For example, Restaurant Pic (female owned) and L'Auberge de L'Ill. Have you considered Alsace? Would you find the western end of Germany less of a journey than Switzerland?

I don't think the Jura will be bad in August. When people speak of traffic nighmares, it usually is the roads heading to the beach communities and the traffic along the coasts. Timing is key -- are we talking about the 1H of August? You may actually find the opposite problems -- closures in the smaller towns due to the French being on vacation. Another issue you need for driving is to make sure you pick up your car on the French side of the boarder, to avoid extra drop-off and vignette charges (I used to live in Lausanne, but its been a while). And, watch out for speed light cameras everywhere, the Swiss are even worse than the French.

I much prefer the north side of the lake, but have you considered renting a car from the French side of the Geneve airport (Cornavin train stop)? You can then drive to Macon or up north to the Jura.

I assume you are going to train to Geneve from Lyon.

The Jura is more rustic than much of Burgundy, though Burgundy has nice country and small village areas, too. This itinerary in France only visits towns by train, which is very limiting. The towns and activities will begin to resemble each other. My kids would have hated this.

If you rent a car, you’ll be able to get to canyons, caves, chateaux, small villages, and other interesting out of the way places. The advice to rent on the French side of the Geneva airport is excellent.

Thanks for all the great tips. I will pare down the number of towns and stick to Lyon, Geneva and Dijon.