Hello all!
I am visiting Paris the first 10 days of June and would like to visit Lauterbrunnen as well as find several lavender fields to photograph. Can this be done all by train? Or should it be done via a car rental? I am keen to back roads, quaint towns and traveling off the beaten path (ideally). Thanks so much in advance for any tips, ideas or suggestions!
Best Wishes,
Heather
According to the website Rome2Rio, you can get to Lauterbrunnen from Paris in 6-1/2 hours on the train with changes in Basel and Interlaken. How long would you plan to stay in Lauterbrunnen? Sorry, I don't know where to find lavender fields, but it sounds lovely. I believe the best ones would be in Provence in southern France.
Thank you for the help! We would stay 2 nights in Lauterbrunnen. I found a beautiful hotel that literally hangs off the mountainside! Can't beat the view with the french doors opened onto the balcony .... Dreaming of hot fondue and ice cold beer at sunset.
I think the famous area for lavender fields is in Provence - generally around Aix-en-Provence I believe. Those fields are always in the countryside (obviously). So you would probably need to rent a car unless there is some sort of organized tour. I drove around some lavender fields a few years ago, and it seemed everyone had a car. And t o really get good pictures you need to be there near sunrise or sunset in my opinion
I would suggest you take a TGV from Paris to Avignon (2.5 hours I think). Stay there, and rent a car to visit the area (Nimes, Port du Gard, Arles, Les Baux, Roussilon, Aix, La Coste, etc.) It's a famous and wonderful area. You could even go to Nice, Cannes, Toulon, Menton, Antibes, and Monaco not much further.
I would say that Paris and Provence is a great vacation for 10 days.
But if you really want to hit Lauterbrunen too - which is also great - I think the fastest way to take a train from Avignon up to Dijon to Mulhouse then to Basel Switzerland, then 2 hours to Lauterbrunen.
There are essentially 3-4 paths from Provence to Lauterbrunen. I think the high speed trains in France and Switzerland make that route best. You can actually drive from Nice to Italy, then into Switzerland, or you can drive from Lyon to Annecy to Chamonix, then into Switzerland via Sion. However, any driving into Switzerland requires a Swiss auto license, and would be a slow drive.
The last option is Paris to Lauternbrunen in a long day, then go all the way back to Paris then down to Avignon and spend a few days, then back to Paris. I think this is pushing it a bit though.
5 Spots to Admire Lavender Fields, https://provence-alpes-cotedazur.com/en/provence/things-to-do/outdoor-activities/5-spots-to-admire-lavender-in-bloom/
From several base cities there are organized tours of the lavender fields and they usually stop at one or two of the villages and sometimes include a stop at a lavender museum or perfumery (such as Grasse) that uses the lavender. It's best with your own car if you want to decide which area to explore and which villages to visit but can be done without renting a car if you're willing to take a tour.
