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Recommendations for 3 bonus days in France - Would love some ideas!

Hi! With the possibility of an airline disruption, we took advantage of the airline's goodwill rebooking policy and extended our France trip by 3 days. Now the question is what to do with the extra time!

Here's the itinerary we have to work with:

  • Sept 18-20 Lyon
  • Sept 20-27 near Tournus
  • Sept 27-29 Strasbourg
  • Sept 29-Oct 2 Paris

We now arrive at CDG Sept 15 mid-morning, so need to fill 3 nights before heading to Lyon. We don't plan on having a car until Sept 20 when we leave Lyon, so getting to Lyon is a consideration. I had prebooked rail tickets from CDG to Lyon for Sept 18 (super cheap on SNF) so will likely have to lose those? not sure how the rail system handles that.

We were thinking of spending the time in Dijon but I'm not sure on getting there.

Would love to hear any recommendations on where to spend the time and how to get there. Looking for a relaxing time to deal with jet lag, enjoy good food and experience a bit of history.

Any tips/recos/advice appreciated! Thank you :)
J.

Posted by
1360 posts

OntarioJen,
Have you spent much time in Paris before? You only have 3 nights in Paris before your departure. That is about 2 1/2 days. Why not take those extra days at the beginning in Paris? After arrival at CDG, you have 3 nights (2 1/2 days) to spend. I would stay in Paris since there are dozens and dozens of things to see and do. Plus, arrival day may be somewhat absorbed by jet lag. And Paris is PARIS!
Bonne chance!

Posted by
449 posts

I agree you should add the days to Paris. With additional time, you can make the day trip to Giverny, which was very beautiful in late September.

Posted by
9 posts

Thank you! This hadn't even occurred to me. We were so focused on taking off but this does make sense. I haven't been to Paris since a teen so only remember the main attractions like Versailles.

If we did this would it make sense to keep the train departing from CDG or would it be better to depart from another station?

I have no concept of distance or convenience for the various stations in and around Paris!

Posted by
1360 posts

No need to go from the CDG train station to Lyon. The Gare de Lyon in Paris will have TGV trains to Lyon.

Posted by
1360 posts

OntarioJen,
I don't even consider Versailles as part of Paris. To me it is a day trip outside of Paris. You can stay in the city and fill every minute of many, many days seeing and doing wonderful things! Check the RS books or any other travel guide on Paris. Or check the forum for oh, so many experiences to have in the city!

Posted by
30 posts

If you like Burgundy wine, you could certainly go to Beaune. It's accessible by train from Paris. If you don't have a car, it's easy to get to wineries via bike (better option) or book day tours.

Other option, I'd recommend is to go to Bordeaux. However, you would have to fly Bordeaux to Lyon.

Hope this helps!

Posted by
2 posts

Bordeaux is a great option, take one day in the city and one day in the vineyards-maybe Saint Emilion. It’s got so much to offer.

Posted by
10638 posts

Bordeaux to Lyon is a PIA. Bunch of mountains in the middle. Enjoy Paris.

Posted by
944 posts

Download the SNCF app to manage, cancel, etc. your train tickets!

Posted by
6713 posts

I agree with the others about giving that extra time to Paris, even though it means splitting your Paris time into two parts. You might consider staying in different parts of the city at the beginning and end, to simplify sightseeing and get a feel for two neighborhoods.

Use the SNCF app to see what fare difference you might have rebooking from Gare de Lyon instead of from CDG. Using Gare de Lyon would save you a trip out to the airport on the 18th, maybe worth a fare difference.

I haven't been to Bordeaux, but, with due respect to that city, it's way out of your way for so little time. Any of us could name multiple destinations for an extra three days in France, but geography and the transportation network matter.

Posted by
9 posts

Thanks all! We decided to book the bonus time in Paris, though a different part of the city. The front end will be in the 6th arr. then we'll explore Montmartre at the end of our trip.

I switched the train tickets on SNCF at 40€ for two. Worth it for the convenience of not having to go back to CDG.

We're looking forward to our trip! Now I can scroll through all the great restaurant and attraction ideas on the forum. :)

Posted by
14997 posts

I would suggest spending the extra days in Paris. I did this time after cutting out other parts of the planned trip.