Looking for a picturesque city

Dijon, Beaune, Honfleur, Bayeux, Auxerre

Bordeaux and Lyon are quite large and worth multi-day stays (especially Lyon). In Alsace you have the larger Strasbourg (2 hours) and the smaller Colmar (2-1/2 to 3-1/4 hours).

Although I enjoyed my time in Normandy last summer, I'm not sure a small Norman town like Bayeux or Honfleur is where I'd want to be in November unless my main purpose was to take a tour of D-Day sites, in which case Bayeux is an excellent choice.

I also liked Avignon, but I'm not sure about the mistral potential in November, and there's so much to see in Provence, it deserves to be its own trip.

Given that it's November, I would say to head south. The three cities you've listed are far from Paris, but with high-speed rail they might not really take any longer than a nearer destination. However, it's only about an hour to Orleans, or if you wanted to be right in the midst of Loire beauty then choose Amboise. If you stayed overnight at either of these, you'd have two days to take tours of Loire Valley chateaux.

Orléans is anything but picturesque

Mont St Michel why not as a day trip from Bayeux which is also picturesque.

Depends on how late in November. Normandy might be iffy for coastal visits. Provins, near Paris although touristy might have fewer souls there in November. Le Mans has a well developed old city. I haven't stayed there but have had pleasant visits there as I have to Provins.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_Mans#Main_sights
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_Mans#Main_sights

Thank you all for your help! So between Normandy, Loire Valley or the South (Lyon or Avignon) which would you recommend for late November (Nov. 14-23?) We're looking at leaving Paris Nov. 17th or 18th and return Nov. 20. I know they're all completely different and quite unique, but we want to make sure we're seeing what is best to be seen in late November. We can always return for another trip!

Would you recommend Orleans as a day trip from Paris? Or Dijon?

I wouldn't choose Normandy unless your only interest in WW II sites. Otherwise, it's a bunch of cute smallish places (or Rouen, which has a large historic district that takes a lot of time to see) where you'll want to be outdoors wandering around. The weather might not be so conducive for that. If you're interested in both WW II sites and the wandering-around bit, you'll be far too short on time. In this situation, with the time you have available, I think Lyon would be better.

I liked Avignon, but a fair number of others here will say "meh", and the risk of the mistral...

I heartily dislike most palaces, so I've avoided the Loire Valley.

Great suggestion! I was also just recommended Annecy...thoughts on that over Lyon?

I love Annecy, and have made several visits there, including a week's stay in an apartment. But November probably wouldn't be the best time. Larger cities are good at that time of year, because there are a lot more museums and other indoor activities. Lyon is great, but you'll want more than 1 day.

If you intend to be in Alsace-Lorraine, especially, Alsace, I heartily recommend Obernai, which is an easy ride from Strasbourg.

Avignon is nice, super historical, I don't care for Lyon, would also suggest Rouen, Fontainebleau, and Dijon.

Annecy is gorgeous and sits right on an equally beautiful lake. I'm not sure what it has in the way of indoor attractions, though. It was miserably hot in the summer (not at significant altitude, that's for sure), but I don't know what it would be like in November. It was also mind-blowingly touristy on a weekday in June--enough that it affected my enjoyment of the place. But different people have different tolerances for that, and I can't imagine that it would be as crowded in November.

We visited Annecy a few years back and really liked it. I'm not sure if it would be running in the cold of winter, but we took a boat trip around the lake. It was all in French, of course.

I doubt that the hang gliders will be jumping off the cliff. And being an old couple, we learned nothing of the night life. You'll have to research that.

At our age, the University of Free Time is more our style. I thought that if I were younger and single, I might be more interested in the Ipac Bachelor Factory, but it turns out that it's a regular university. The point being that there might be some events connected to these schools that could be "back door" experiences for you.

I couldnt resist Googling some images of the place in winter. It will be cold in November according to these averages.

If you've never seen an alpine lake such as Lake Tahoe or Crater Lake, then I suppose Annecy might be fascinating.

I visited a few times when I lived in Lyon and never quite caught the bug. It's fine -- nothing magical. I definitely would avoid it in summer unless you like idling in traffic looking for a parking spot. But in November? Well, if you're prepared for the mountains being shrouded in clouds and the lake looking gray from the reflected clouds rather than the blue of summer, then go for it.

My advice?

Lyon. No question.

Lots to do and see no matter what the weather. Feel free to send me a note if you want specific suggestions. I lived there for three years before moving north to Bourgogne.

Unfortunately you are not likely to get far into the countryside by rail. For that you'd need a car. None of the suggestions so far fit that bill, though they might be memorable.

You might consider renting a car for your excursion, in which case you might think of Burgundy. That time of year, though, the countryside might not be hospitable.

If you are willing to let that go,then I think Lyon has it hands down. It's a fabulous place with plenty to do even in the dark afternoon or bad weather. It's only 2 hours from Paris by rail. And if you schedule an afternoon flight home, you can spend your last night in Lyon and take a train directly to deGaulle. This will save you a day of doubling back to Paris.

I would recommend Lyon,plenty to do and the food scene is great.Like others have said it is only two hours from Paris via TGV Train.
Mike

Rouen is magical and not far from Paris. It can be done in a day (not extremely well, but it can be done). It is an amazing city with fabulous museums and restaurants. I could stay for months, I love it so much, The Joan of Arc museum alone is worth the trip.

But for an extended trip, why not take the TGV to the city of Tours and go see the Loire Valley Chateaux. You can visit some of them via the public transportation or minivan tour. Tours itself is a lovely city and the old city in the center, Place Plumereau, is such a treat!

I would only echo the comment about Orleans; from what I saw of Tours, it is anything but picturesque. The surrounding towns & villages, however, are lovely.

Then clearly you didn't see Place Plumereau or Rue Colbert or anywhere near the Saint-Gatien catherdreal.

My vote goes to Troyes. The cathedral of Rouen is more impressive, but Troyes is more intact, there are almost no modern buildings in the historic centre, while the scars of the last war remain visible in Rouen. Visit the last a few years back, the first las week, weather still well over 20 °C, clear bleu sky and the atmosphere there very pleasant. Both are well-known for their half-timbered houses and well to compare. I agree with 75020 about the old city of Le Mans, really stunning and Obernai in Alsace is lovely too.

True about Troyes, and it is very near to Brienne-au-Chateau, if you're interested in Napoleon.

If I can throw an oddball hat into the ring, I might suggest Besançon. A few years ago we wanted to do the same thing, i.e., find a French city that was picturesque and off the beaten path. My wife literally shut her eyes and poked a map to choose the town. We found it was a city almost to Switzerland that had a lot of history, a marvelous castle on a hill that commanded passage of the river, local food specialties, a museum, and friendly people. By TGV it is only a two hour five minute journey, and we found it simply delightful.

If you buy your tickets wisely, the train fare can be as low as 20 Euros. https://www.thetrainline.com/en/train-times/paris-to-besancon-franche-comte-tgv

It's in November, so assume not great weather. If you want a better chance for decent weather, you will want to go south - the further the better. A flight is worth considering if the train takes more than four hours.

Normandie and Brittany will likely be wet and cold. I think Burgundy is beautiful but visited in May and it was still too cold, Alsace and Champagne will likely be the same.

I don't love Provence as much, it's arid rather than verdant, but that may be your best weather. You might consider some of the areas that Van Gogh frequented in the area. Maybe Chateuxneuf du Pape for a small town or Arles for a larger town? I wasn't thrilled with St. Remy or Avignon.

Riviera won't be beach weather but might be fairly nice. Antibes was my favorite place there, marina, art gallery, white sand beaches, medieval town center and ramparts in a walkable package. I think you would love it. Best to fly to Nice, then take a short train or taxi ride to Antibes.

I really like the Languedoc area in the Pyrenees, like Burgundy in the south, but it may also be too wet to enjoy in November.