Please sign in to post.

Provence or the Cotswolds?

Hi there! This is my first post on the Rick Steves forum, so I look forward to getting answers from you all. My mother and I are heading to England and France this June, and are having a hard time deciding on an itinerary. We will be there for 12 nights, and were originally thinking of splitting the nights between London and Paris, with 6 each. Now, however, we are thinking of adding a place in the middle - either the Cotwolds or Provence. We don't want to feel like we're rushing around, so I'm afraid that the time spent getting down to Provence won't make it worth it. I have always wanted to go there, though. What about the Cotwolds then? Any thoughts?

Our Cotwolds itinerary would look like this:
London - 4 nights
Cotswolds - 2 nights
Paris - 6 nights (too many?)

Our Provence itinerary would look like this:
London - 5 nights
Provence - 3 nights
Paris - 4 nights

Thanks in advance for any help. We both like museums, gardens, food, architecture, and just experiencing the culture of a place.

Posted by
1005 posts

Get a cheap flight from London to Marseilles and then rent a car for Provence. It is spectacular and you won't regret it. You'd need a car for the Cotswolds and it's much easier to drive on the right side of the road in France.

Posted by
689 posts

If you decide on Provence, I recommend the TGV from Avignon to Paris. It worked well for us, and we took a cab from the train station to our hotel in Paris without too much expense. If you decide on Provence, make sure you to visit a town during its Market Day. The market days are different in each place, so check into it before going. The market in Bedoin was absolutely one of the best things I experienced in 3 weeks in France.

Posted by
7161 posts

I was going to suggest the same as T. Fly from London to Marseille and either rent a car or, if that's not something you want to do, catch a train to Arles or Avignon and explore Provence from there, then TGV to Paris.

Actually, for myself, I would do as the other poster suggested and stick to London and Paris for 6 days each and do a day trip or 2 if you want to get out of the city.

Posted by
509 posts

We've done -- and greatly enjoyed -- both the Cotswolds and Provence. Hard to make a recommendation on the basis of charm since each is terrific in its own way. Given your planned durations, however, I think you will get a greater feel for the Cotswolds in a few days than you would Provence. Also, as you observed, the Cotswolds' proximity to London as compared with Paris/Provence should reduce your transit time. We can second the comments about London and Paris each deserving 6 days. Nancy's suggestion of a day trip out of London seems wise. If you can stomach a big bus tour, or afford a private tour, that might work for you. A quick Google-search just now produced a bunch of options. Bon Voyage.

Posted by
7 posts

Thank you all for your opinions! We've decided to do as many of you recommended: London for 6 nights and Paris for 6 nights with about two day trips each. That keeps it much simpler and will allow us to get a feel for each city, but also give us time to get out into the countryside. We're very excited!

Some day trip ideas for London: Bath, Oxford and the Cotswolds (we'd take the train to moreton-in-marsh... Good idea?), Windsor or Hampton Court

Some day trip ideas for Paris: the Loire (we'd rent a car in Tours), Versailles, and maybe Strasbourg (or Lyon?)

What are your opinions on these day trip ideas? Like I said, we would probably do two each for London and Paris. Thanks for any help!

Posted by
171 posts

I would take a day trip out of London to the Cotswolds. You will see the highlights and can do a more thorough job on another trip. Save Provence for that other trip.

Posted by
509 posts

".....train to moreton-in-marsh...good idea?" YES.

We did exactly that, expecting to then taxi to our hotel in Stow-on-the-Wold. However there were no taxis at the station. When I reached one by phone (with help from a friendly local who took pity on us), the driver told us to wait a few minutes and instead take the bus that would be arriving momentarily. We did (in hindsight, the bus schedule is probably in sync with the rail schedule), and were pleasantly surprised at the ease with which we could get around on the regional bus service. Reliable schedules were posted all over. We also took the bus one day to Bourton-on-the-Water, and enjoyed the short walk to/from Lower Slaughter. If you figure out which villages you want to see (I'd add Chipping Campden to the short list), you can probably get schedule info on-line in advance and plot a nice day. There's a downloadable booklet (Explore the Cotswolds by Public Transport Guide) here: http://www.escapetothecotswolds.org.uk/visitor-info/gettinghere/ I expect you'll also find a ton of useful Cotswold information using the Search button on the RS England Forum. Finally, if you get to Bourton/Water, be sure to visit the "Model Village" [http://themodelvillage.com/]; sounds silly, but we found it fascinating, and a great spot for goofy photos.

I think you'll be pleased with your revised plan.

Posted by
7 posts

Rca, thank you for all the good information, so helpful! We're so glad that it is possible to see the Cotswolds without a car, and we'll definitely do some research on the bus system and which towns we specifically want to go to.

Posted by
171 posts

My favorite Cotswold towns: Bourton-on-the-Water, Chipping Campden and Snowshill.

Posted by
386 posts

For your daytrips out of Paris, I'd suggest Giverny one day (the gardens will be lovely in June) and can be done all in in about 5 hours. And if you want a 2nd one, Rouen. It's a lovely small city/large town, and takes 90 minutes to get to.
It takes 3 hours one way to get to Strausbourg so not really good for a day trip.
Honestly, Paris is just so full of fabulous stuff, things to see, do, and eat, that you might want to consider just staying there the whole time. Regardless, you'll have an amazing trip!