Two weeks in France in late April 2017 - where to go

If you've not been to Paris I certainly wouldn't plan 2 day trips when staying only 4 nights, even one is stretching it if you only have 3 full days to see Paris - if you've been there before then sure you could do Versailles and one other day trip. As for the Loire I would say at least 2 full days there to see 3 castles (chateaux). I think cramming 3 into one day can be a bit much and an easy way to get 'chateaud out'. There are lots of nice small villages to visit even if not seeing the chateau - I say that because I stayed in Azay-le-Rideau and loved it but never actually visited the chateau there.

A car would be ideal for visiting the Loire Valley and Provence. I've not been to Aix but I loved Annecy, it's one of the most beautiful towns I stayed in and I would go back in a minute. Avignon deserves a day and it's a good place to drop your rental car and continue on to Barcelona by train. You won't need a car for Barcelona unless you expect to do some exploring to other places outside the city not reachable by train or bus. Are you ending your trip in Barcelona or returning to France?

I agree with you. Only one day trip from Paris, Id rather spend more time in the city. And 2 nights in the Loire. Yes, we are departing Europe from Barcelona. Are there any other cities or towns to see between Loire and Provence?

Barcelona is worth far more than two nights, but of course there's lots to see in France on the way.

Versailles is pretty much a full day; take the train from Paris & back. If you have many other things you really want to see & do in Paris and you only have 3 days (4 nights), consider omitting Versailles as it is rather exhausting dealing with the crowds. However, Versailles will not be as much of a madhouse in April as in June - Sept.

To enjoy the Loire Valley chateaux you'll be best off with a rental car, which you could pick up at Orly airport or at the train station in Tours or Orleans. We picked ours up at Gare Montparnasse, but I wouldn't do that again because the drive to get out of Paris and onto the Autoroute was slow and stressful.

Azay-le-Rideau, south of Tours, is a jewel of a medieval town, has its own chateau, and is near the Fortress of Chinon (Chinon being another splendid medieval town) as well as Chateau Villandry. It's about an hour's drive from Chenonceau, queen of the Loire chateaux. We stayed 3 nights in Azay; can recommend Hotel Biencourt with its incredibly helpful, hospitable owners.

Navigation tip: If you're driving from Paris, stay on the highway through Tours as it is mostly unscenic and you can get stuck (as we did) on a slow, congested surface road.

Between the Loire and Barcelona is a long haul with several options. The most direct route would take you through Bordeaux and Toulouse and out to the Mediterranean coast after Carcassonne.

I haven't been to the Loire valley, but I found a goodly number of chateaux (along with medieval abbeys, cathedrals and charming villages) on my wanderings through Burgundy and Alsace. At the TI's there were brochures for "chateau routes" along with those for "wine routes." I think you'll find them throughout France. Perhaps the ones along the Loire are more impressive . . . or maybe we've just heard more about them because they are closer to Paris.

Use viamichelin.com to estimate driving times and costs (including tolls which can add up quickly).

What I might do in your situation is to stay in Paris for the 3 days and then take a morning train to Versailles and spend the better part of the day seeing the chateau, gardens, and out lying buildings/sites, then spend the night in Versailles. In the morning pick up a rental car and continue on to where you want to base in Loire Valley. I loved staying in Azay-le-Rideau, but Chinon and Amboise are also great places to base with a car to see the chateaux in the area. If you don't spend the whole day at Versailles you could get the car in the later afternoon and then drive to your base in the Loire - Amboise is about a 3 hr drive, Chinon, Azay, Chenonceau are about 4 hrs or so. Drive times depend on rest stops and traffic of course.

Be sure to note that Annecy and the towns in Provence are southeast of Paris, while the Loire Valley is southwest, so at some point you will have to drive across the country if you want to go to Annecy on the eastern edge of France. Logistically it would be easier to just do Paris, Loire, Provence and then on to Barcelona, skipping Annecy as it's a bit out of the way.

The only trouble with the idea of picking up a rental car in Versailles is if you need an automatic transmission. We tried very hard to book a rental with automatic transmission from either Versailles or Chartres last year, and repeatedly found nothing available. Perhaps you'll have better luck than we did, or maybe you're OK with a stick shift.

Good point epltd, both Versailles and Chartres are small potatoes when it comes to car rentals so having to have an automatic might not work there. I rented my car in Chartres but I was okay with the stick so no problem.

Tours would probably work better if you need an automatic.