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Need to explore a new region of France

I love France! However, while I have been to Paris many times, and last summer spent about a week on the Côte d'Azur and a few days exploring Avignon, Nimes, and Arles, my experience of the rest of France is limited to non-existent. I want to take a 10-14 day trip with my 13 year old in early June. We love fine dining, history (we did a ton of Ancient Rome stuff last summer), art museums, and the like. I love wine, but obviously can't be super wine-focused with my 13 year old. I'm not sure where to go next? My thing is that I prefer not to drive, or if it absolutely necessary, it must be somewhere that is easy to drive in and where I can park in a garage more than an inch and a half away from surrounding cars. It was a bit logistically challenging but last summer we did the South to Provence to Paris by TGV and within areas, buses/trains/taxis and where necessary, like the day we wanted to see all of Nimes, plus Uzes and the Pont du Gard, we hired a tour guide with a car.

We don't want to go somewhere that the main focus is the outdoors/hiking. I love pretty scenery, etc., but not as an end in and of itself. We don't do trips that are primarily hiking/beach.

Normandy/Loire Valley/Lyon ... I don't know, I would so appreciate some ideas. I feel like I have left this too long already. Also open to doing one of these areas and then TGV back to Provence, because we really only scratched the surface. There are actually places we missed in the South and I really want to go back, but I know that is pretty far away from some of these other places.

Posted by
6790 posts

The good news is that you have plenty to choose from. The bad news is that...IMHO, if you completely avoid driving a car, you really limit your options significantly. IME, driving in France is quite easy - as long as you stay out of big cities, and avoid driving straight into the old city centers in smaller towns. That's not hard to pull off. Take the train OUT of Paris and pick up your car somewhere else that's more forgiving for drivers; return the car elsewhere before heading back to Paris.

That said...in early June...Normandy/Brittany would be a lovely, easy and wonderful region to explore. There are plenty of other good choices, too, but I don't think you can go wrong with Normandy and/or Brittany. Hope that helps.

Posted by
196 posts

going several weeks before the olympics ... I'm finding ok flights. I may just book two weeks in and out of CDG and figure out the rest later. It'll maybe be late June into early July, but it looks like the crowds aren't too bad where I'm headed? Thinking about Normandy to Burgundy to Loire, if possible fitting in Lyon and resigning myself to doing some driving. Probably won't have any time in Paris except to come in and out, which is against my personal beliefs :), but have to do what we have to do. I always say I want a day to just hang out in Paris, but then I always find something I really want to do that I haven't done. Last time due to a SNAFU, I missed Opera Garnier and have somehow never been there. I also would love to do a tour of the Louvre and be very targeted about it, instead of wandering around in search of the Mona Lisa. But maybe that's for another trip.

Posted by
3101 posts

WWII? Normandy? Bretagne (Brittany) and the west is very nice. Small fishing villages. Not much art. Also Carcasonne in the South.

Posted by
32 posts

I would add the Dordogne / Perigord region. Great wine, fabulous food and lots of history.

Posted by
2449 posts

June 6th is 80th anniversary of D-Day and our host in Bayeau told us she is already having problems getting parking passes for her guests. Just so you know that area will be crowded.

Posted by
11569 posts

Also the Pays Basque with its lovely cities and charming small town. And Alsace! Strasbourg and the quaint wine villages.

Posted by
7146 posts

We enjoyed both Normandy and the Loire Valley years ago. Most recently we visited the Alsace area and thoroughly enjoyed it. It would be difficult to make a bad choice.

Posted by
687 posts

We have travelled without a car to Lyon, Loire Valley, Dijon/Beaune, Normandy, and Strasbourg/Colmar. We have managed with trains, local buses and day tours (1 group and 2 private). I would recommend any of those areas.

Posted by
7803 posts

I agree with Claire. You don’t need to have a car if you would rather not be driving. After all, it’s a vacation. : )

Here’s my most recent France trip report:
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/our-combined-solo-couple-vacation-in-france-2019

And this one I’ve bookmarked may be helpful, also:
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/france/how-would-you-spend-a-day-trip-from-paris-by-train

We also loved our time in Lyon.

Posted by
14726 posts

"June 6th is 80th anniversary of D-Day and our host in Bayeux told us she is already having problems getting parking passes for her guests. Just so you know that area will be crowded."

I agree with Gail on this. The last guy from my Dad's WWII fighter squadron (who will be 102 next month) is hoping to make it to Normandie next June. This anniversary is a huge deal as there are few left who landed or flew support. I love Normandie but I am not sure I'd go next June.

Posted by
196 posts

Thanks everyone - it’ll definitely be later in June, so between the anniversary and the Olympics.