Nov 1-10 - Liore or Burgandy or ?

Are these repeat visits to Barcelona and Paris? If not, I wouldn't be looking any farther than those cities.

Two nights somewhere gives you one full day for sightseeing plus a few extra hours. That might work for Beaune (you'll need a car for a day or two to get out to those little villages) but is seriously inadequate for Barcelona, Paris and Alsace. Well, you could see a few little Alsatian villages in that time (car needed again), but I don't see time for Colmar and Strasbourg.

If you do have 3-4 days, you may enjoy Beaune. It is a charming town and you will have plenty of opportunity to learn about French wine. You can also visit Dijon for the day if you choose. November is a very busy time in Beaune with the international wine auction, I think later in November.

Thanks for the quick replies :) We have been to Paris before and loved it. Last trip was to Rome/Florence/Athens and lots of sightseeing.

I would love to see more of France, but this trip is not sightseeing so much as a chance for us to celebrate our 25th anniversary. Sleepy towns, lingering over a cafe or glass of wine... A tour here and there, but mostly a time to slow down and reconnect. I don't want to need a vacation after my trip ;)

I am concerned that the towns will be too empty, or the weather too cold to walk anywhere.

Cheers!

I love the Loire Valley and could easily spend 3 days there. One day for driving the western area such as Chinon and Samour with a winery visit and a chateau. Another day doing the eastern area and visiting Blois and other chateaus. 3rd day would be depending on the season and weather. But you definitely need a car

Beaune sounds like what you described, vineyards, quaint towns.

3 years ago my husband and I spent 7 days between Tours and Beaune which are quite different. We like the sweetness of the Loire Valley, the charming
towns and beautiful chateaux. Beaune we found just plain “sad”. We’ve travelled many times to France and we’re disappointed in Burgundy in general.

I agree that Loire is quite beautiful.

I did not find Beaune sad at all, though. It is a farm village surrounded by vineyards. It is a town small enough to walk around in, and large enough to wander in and see sights. Several great restaurants, a very nice vibe. It might depend on time of year.

We found it interesting because it didn't seem to be a place with lots of foreign visitors. From the languages we heard, it seemed like a place that the French like to visit also.

Burgundy is lovely, has a terrific friendly wine scene, and works well with your itinerary. it is also the off season in November and you may find limited opportunities to visit wineries in the countryside. There's not a ton of daylight that time of year, and the vines re all stripped bare.

4 nights in Beaune is a lotta nights unless you have a car and are using the town as a base for day trips. In that case, it's charming.

Burgundy is the only part of France where i have been wehre I regularly interacted with people who really had no English. This was not a porblem, but it sounds as though it is a concern of yours.

As an alternative, consider Lyon. It's not at all small town of course but it has great food and wine, is right on the TGV line, and would be a really good choice if the weather is bad.

Your dates are the week before the Hospice of Beaune Wine Auction. This is an important event with participants from around the world, so the town will be getting ready and possibly hopping. I agree that the town of Beaune doesn’t look too charming because many of the buildings still have the exterior stucco applied in the 20th century. It’s when the stucco is removed and the stone is exposed that places look more charming. But that’s all exterior.
One final point is that life exists beyond Beaune. The region is two hours by car end to end, starting in Sens, Auxerre, Chablis, Vezelay, and on south to Autun and the rustic Morvan, etc. etc.. But it will get dark early and you do need a car.

I wouldn't suggest Burgundy in November. Town amenities will be mostly closed for the season and the weather will be cold.

Loire is a better pick, Provence even better for November.

Edit: Since we're expressing opinions on Beaune. It was my least favorite town in Burgundy. Many towns are very medieval and stone, surrounded by forests with a small river flowing through, absolutely idyllic. Each town seems to be more charming than the last. Beaune is 17-1800's style buildings and stucco (newer than my taste). Not awful but not really charming either. It's well maintained right around the tourist sights but becomes quite run down just a few blocks away (still inside the ring road). I prefer Dijon's center to Beaune. Rick used to recommend Dijon and switched to Beaune, presumably because Dijon is a bigger city. If you choose Beaune, make sure you get reservations for dinner. My experience was anything with decent food required reservations. If you can walk in without reservations, it's because you don't want to eat there. Easiest is to have your lodging call and book a table for you at a decent restaurant.

To be honest, my opinion of Beaune is colored by the hotel I booked there. It was close to the center but the room had no decoration and, worse, no hot water. I asked the owner about it and he shrugged (I thought I was in Italy). Of all my travels, it's one of the biggest disappointments (and one reason I avoid booking.com now).

Thanks so much for all your comments! It has given me pause on Beaune.
We are taking the train from Bacelona, then picking up a car in France. After watching some more videos, we have decided that this trip is all about food and wine :) I will look into the Loire area in more detail.

November might not be the perfect time to visit, but its the time we have :)