Please suggest 5 small towns connected by train scattered around France for an enjoyable two week vacation. We love small charming villages to big cities, places like Strasbourg (been there).
As I get responses and think further through this question, I realize that my wife and I like small cities and large towns. I would like any response to the following: AIX – EN – PROVENCE, BRODEAUX, LYON, NANTES, REINS, GIVERNY, COLMAR, ALSACE, BORDEAUX, ANNECY, ANTIBES, CANNES, BRITTANY, CARCASSONNE, ARLES, MARSEILLE, TOULOUSE,.
Posted by
Franklin, TN, USA
924 posts
Go to THE MOST BEAUTIFUL VILLAGES OF FRANCE website and pick 5 in the region you will be in…..these villages are amazing and so worth your visit if this is what you love.
Posted by
Washington DC
28697 posts
When I see questions like this, I always wonder what size place the poster is thinking of. What kind of population range are you seeking? The really small places probably won't have train service. The somewhat larger places that do have rail service won't be stops on a TGV line, so relocating from one of those places to another will take a lot more time than you might expect.
Posted by
Normandie
347 posts
Consider visiting Bourgogne. Lots of history. Quite a bit of variety. These five towns of varying sizes are all served by train. No particular order -- plan as you wish, but each has something interesting to offer.
Paray-le-Monial
Moulins
Autun
Beaune
Bourges
Posted by
Normandie
347 posts
I should add that Bourges is in Centre Val de Loire.
Posted by
Chicago
8763 posts
If you rent a car you can visit the charming villages of which there are many. With a train you are limited to larger towns.
Posted by
L'Occitanie, France
10803 posts
Bob has given an excellent suggestion. If you want to scatter around France, you'll be spending a lot of time in trains and passing back through Paris since a lot of the systems are hubs and spokes from Paris.
Posted by
225 posts
I would second the recommendation that you not try to visit villages real far apart in France. Although the French train system is good, you will not be on high speed trains and you will spend a lot of time getting from one place to another. Pick one area (such as Burgundy) and save other areas for later trips. Again, as mentioned before, very small villages, such as those in the Most Beautiful Villages in France, will probably not have train service. If you want to visit these, you will have to rent a car. We did that and drove to some beautiful little villages on the way from Lyon to bordeaux. Peter