October trip with Mom - looking for region suggestions

I believe a number of the popular Luberon destinations are quite hilly, though I cannot give you experience-based specifics. The area around the Palais des Papes in Avignon has something of an incline. Otherwise, I think that city would be OK, as would Aix-en-Provence and Arles. I don't remember terrain issues in St. Remy or L'Isle sur la Sorgue.

I think Colmar would be OK--at least, I don't remember significant inclines.

I have no experience traveling in France during October. I can tell you that there's been only intermittent sun since I arrived in Normandy 13 days ago--a good thing for a mid-summer trip, but perhaps not so ideal for October. How well does your mother tolerate being chilly and wet?

I recommend Normandy, Burgundy or Alsace. In Alsace stay in Strasbourg and then in a wine village such as Riquewehr. We didn't care for Colmar.
In Normandy Honfleur and Bayeux are nice places to stay. In Burgundy, look at Dijon and Beaune.These three regions are easy to get to from Paris.

I'd take the train to Lyon or Dijon, for very good food and history.
You should reserve a rental car when you get out of Paris, if you have further travel in mind.

We loved the Loire and 3 days would be perfect. We stayed in Amboise which is a perfect place to walk a little, shop a little, and eat a little. With a car, it was easy to get to Chambord, and Chenonceau. Many other chateau would be possible as well (oh yes, the chateau in Amboise itself was beautiful).

I too recommend the Loire. Easy to get too, lovely scenery, beautiful castles, fantastic wine, and good food.

October can be a very nice time to visit, although the later you get in the month, the more likely to be cold and rainy. But my parents made an October visit four years ago and we enjoyed it very much (besides Paris, we went to the Dordogne).

p.s. to make things easier, you might take the TGV to Tours (St Pierre des Corps station) and rent the car there. That gets you OUT of the hassle of driving in/out of Paris!

Totally agree with Kim. Take the train to Tours, pick up the rental car, and spend the 3 days in the Loire.

I would choose the Loire if she would like to see the chateaux, or Normandy if she is interested in WWII history. I visited both in early October 2014 and the weather was perfect.

If you choose the Loire you can take the train and pick up your car there. Driving is very easy. We stayed in Amboise for 4 nights, giving us 3 full days to see the sites. I found that 2 chateau per day was enough. Amboise was a good base and provided plenty of choices for eating.

If you choose Normandy, I recommend basing in Bayeux. There are wonderful organized tours of the D-Day sights. If you wanted to do an organized tour, you could avoid renting a car altogether.

I am 82 and not overly active; my wife is a bit younger and more active. We manage quite well in most places in France in September-October. Last year's trip included Strasbourg and the northern wine villages of Alsace in October, and it was a wonderful experience, especially because it introduced us to the wine of the area. We did have rain in Strasbourg.

I'm thinking Loire too, but the real decision is what you would most like to see. Loire has the Chateaux. Alsace has the small towns, wine route and a mixture of French and German culture. Normandy has both medieval history (Rouen center, Bayeux Tapestry, MSM) and D-Day history. I wouldn't try for more than one, but you can see any one of them in three days.