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Seeking ideas for France, that exclude Paris and Normandy

Posted by (Indiana) on

Due to unforeseen circumstances, our September vacation had to be canceled. A trip to France for the end of October/early November, is now being considered. I am seeking some ideas/suggestions, since the time I normally spend researching and planning is now limited.

• Flight would be in and out of Paris, with approximately 10 nights on the ground. We have been to Paris and Normandy several times, so we are looking for other areas.

• Ideally, we would like to travel by train, with no more than a 3-hour train ride between locations. But, if necessary, could rent a car once we are outside of Paris. I am thinking some type of circuitous route starting and ending in Paris.

• Normally we like to spend about 4 nights in a location, however for this trip we are open to 2-3 nights per location. Our preference is for small, locally owned and operated hotels, or bed and breakfast type establishments.

• We are active seniors who love to walk; we enjoy wine, local cuisine, and some historical sites. Visiting museums on this trip is very low on our priorities.

• Friends have suggested Strasbourg, Colmar, Loire Valley…but at this point we are very open to any and all locations.
Specific information on sights to see; accommodations; methods of travel etc. are greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance to our fellow travelers!

Posted by
6713 posts

I spent nearly three weeks in the Riviera and mostly Provence last October, with a few nights in Lyon, and enjoyed the trip a lot. It's likely to be warmer down there in the fall. I'm a sucker for Roman sites, but if you're not you can still enjoy good food and wine; places associated with artists like Van Gogh, Cezanne, Matisse, and Picasso; and some spectacular scenery. I was particularly taken with Nimes, Arles, and Aix-en-Provence. I also enjoyed Nice and Lyon. All these places have museums but none are mandatory. ;-)

For Provence a car would be very useful, but you could get there easily by TGV from Paris. If you're committed to CDG, you could connect there to Nice, Marseilles, or Lyon, avoiding Paris itself entirely.

Your question, though, is very open-ended. You might want to look through some guidebooks and the "Explore Europe" link on this website to focus your thoughts. This forum works better with specific questions than general trip planning.

Posted by
1414 posts

Reims, Metz, Nancy, Dijon, Troyes.

Champagne, cathedrals, battlefields (multiple wars going back 300-400 years), Roman ruins, castles and chateau, interesting little towns on winding back roads, hiking trails, etc. You can easily spend a couple weeks on that route.

I'm not sure what you plan to do with the time, other than avoiding museums, but you should expect 7-8 days of rain (minimum) that time of year.

Posted by
917 posts

I appreciate the feedback, especially the detailed report from you, Jean. Thank you for the details!

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