Looking for a town where we could be based while visiting vineyards, viewing scenery, having good food and coffee and be as far from tour buses as possible. I would like to begin traveling again after taking a year off from travel due to overabundance of tour groups and rude picture-hogging people. Main desire is to rent a car and just take in the beauty and stay away from tourists activities. Can this still be possible. Spent the year before in Croatia and in October even the small towns were inundated with tourists. I realize I myself is one but I never tour in groups and try to learn as much about the place I'm visiting. I try to be courteous and kind....Is there still hope? I would have about two weeks for this trip.
Posted by
Folsom, California
540 posts
I assume you are interested in Rhône?
I would suggest Lyon and take day trips for a bit then maybe head to Avignon
Beaune is gorgeous too, to explore Burgundy region.
Posted by
Guernsey
734 posts
If you want to avoid the crowds my tip would be to look at the places in a guide book as places to avoid, then use maps and google earth to look at the area not listed. There are loads of small wine growing areas and pretty villages not on the main tourist route and part of the fun is finding them! Also in your case i would avoid Plu Belle villages as even though they are very beautiful they will be very busy.
Happy hunting
Posted by
Boston
4132 posts
The most distinguished wine region on the south is Bordeaux. Except for wine, I think the wine area is is rather dull compared to others where the wine is perhaps less excellent.
Otherwise there is good wine, even great wine, in every region except Normandy and Brittany. So the Rhone valley suggestion is good; the Dordogne and Perigord might also be worth your attention.
The suggestion of Burgundy does not respond to your request for sites in the south. However, it is a premier wine region and very rural; you would have no problems avoiding crowds. But I think you will be okay in most places in October, on that score.
Posted by
Michigan
375 posts
Glad to hear that you are going in October. The weather might be a bit iffier but you'll have less travelers/tourists to worry about.
I'd also recommend staying a week on one place and the second week in another. It gives you a chance to relax into your home away from home, find a good restaurant and go there a couple of times, shop at the market and make your own meal and sit on the patio/deck and enjoy it.
There's always that fine line between a town too quiet/small to offer any thing to do and then one that is too "popular." While we are doing another house swap this year, we had been thinking about staying in Uzes and then day tripping and hiking in the area. You might check that out. There's bus and train options to different towns/site.
The first house swap we did in 2017 was in a very small town outside of Anger.s We enjoy fewer tourists (and actually none in our town), but we were located conveniently to the many daily markets in the small towns around Angers and then plenty of day trips to Loire valley wineries and chateaux.
Good luck! Relax in to it!
Posted by
Portland, Maine
2916 posts
I've been to all of the wine regions mentioned, and I would definitely rule out Bordeaux. The southern Rhone is great for visiting wineries, and has some lovely towns to visit and/or stay in. Two that come to mind are Nyons and Vaison la Romaine. In the Languedoc there's Pezenas and St. Chinian. Then in the far southwest there's Saint-Jean-Pied-du-Port, although I was pretty disappointed with the Irouleguy wines. I visited several wineries (there are only about 9) and tried wines from most of the rest, and was disappointed. Not iwth all wines, but with most. Not too far away is the Jurancon/Madiran wine region, and the quality of wines is very high. However, I don't know where I'd recommend as a place to stay. Pau is very nice, but fairly large. We spent a week in a tiny hamlet not far from Pau, near Gan. It was a good place to stay, but there's very little there.