Your favorite region of France and why

Arguments could be made for many; it is a beautiful country with many beautiful regions, but our favorite is the Dordogne, based in a small village with a car -- the markets are great, we love the produce, cheeses and wines of the area. The Dordogne itself is dotted with lovely chateaux and villages -- a day long canoe trip can take you past much of it. There are a number of neolithic sites and caves -- the Font du Gaume being the most interesting. We spent a week in Limeuil and on another occasion stayed a week in Cadouin. both were nice bases for the area, but lacked many amenities -- fine with a car to go to markets in nearby towns. We have also stayed in Domme and Montignac for briefer stays. It is a great area.

Here is a brief look at the St. Cyprien market and a castle ruin and a night market (those are in July and August: https://janettravels.wordpress.com/2017/07/25/perfect-place-for-murder-commarque-chateau/

I second the Dordogne for all the reasons mentioned above.

Our base last year was Saint-Cyprien which has a nice selection of restaurants, a small convenience market, boulangerie/patisserie, charcuterie, one gas station and a weekly open air market ( plus occasional brocante ). I believe it has under 2,000 residents.

There are many cute small villages nearby to explore that may or may not be on everyone’s list.

We also enjoyed visiting Limeuil and Cadouin catching Cadouin on the flower market day.

Sounds interesting.. Do you think October would be a good time to visit?

I third the Dordogne. We were there in June 2019 so I can't comment on October weather, but I hope it's good as well be there the 2nd week of October. I've been looking at historical weather for the region and it's like to be reasonably warm. Perhaps a jacket at night.

kira1,
I have three favorites, the Dordogne region, Provence and Bretagne. Re the above-mentioned Dordogne, there is such a variety of things to do, you can't not like it. However, in October you probably can't canoe or kayak, and yes, wineries aren't a big thing there, compared to Bordeaux, etc. However, the caves and castles should be open, and the prehistory museum. Towns still have their markets (people who live there, shop there). And the beauty of the landscape can't be overstated. (October is the very beginning of truffle season too.) Definitely 4 or 5 full days there.

Provence (and the Luberon). There will be harvesting and wine experiences in the fall. The villages are so lovely. The larger towns (Orange, Nimes, Arles, even Avignon) have Roman ruins, charming city centers, and great food. St Remy de Provence is a place of contentment for me. Les Beaux, Vaison la Romaine, St. Baume, Cap Courrone, Bandol, Aubagne, Le Pegue.....all of these places are etched in my heart because of the memories they bring. And, of course, the spring and summer time aromas from the lavender fields and the orchards.

Bretagne is a place I love because it has such a strong personality. It faces the mighty Atlantic and stands fast against all the weather thrown at it. With its own Celtic language and history you almost feel like you are on another continent. I love the dolmens, the coastline, the parishes, the costumes, the pottery, and the camembert and the cider. (They don't just belong to Normandy, you know!)

I would go to any of these places in October, or any month at all. None would be dreary for me. October is a harvest month, in general, so each area would have its own autumn feasts, I think.

Paris is, of course, a place unto itself. So I will stop here.Whenever or wherever you go, sop up what each place has to offer!
Bon voyage!

October in the Dordogne can be beautiful - we were there in 2013 later in the month and visited st. Cirq- la Popie in the rain on the 31st. It was cold and wet but we were dressed appropriately and wearing leather gloves so we were not uncomfortable.

In 2009 we visited the region the first two weeks of October and it was tee shirt weather. October is also the time of year when the leaves turn creating beautiful photos.

October is generally a wonderful month for touring in France. Alas averages no longer help though -- we spend last October in Paris and it rained every dang day -- just poured on many of them. We have spend 8 or 9 Octobers in Paris and this has never happened before, it was always glorious. Climate change is making it hard to plan. But October should be a good time for this region.

I have been to all the regions mentioned in October and they were all great. I would go back to any of them.

Our favorite region in France is the French Riviera or Cote d'Azur in southern France by Nice. The Mediterranean Sea and the mountains in the background are beautiful. There is great transportation by regional train or bus to lovely coastal towns like Villefranche sur Mer, St. Jean Cap Ferrat, Antibes, Eze, and Monaco. We have been to this area twice and would love to return.

We were living in east-central France, renting a house in a nice, small town, and decided to buy a place. After weighing our climate preferences, we decided to focus on Bretagne and Normandie. Bretagne was nice, but it seemed to be populated by fairly small, somewhat economically depressed towns in the interior and somewhat larger and expensive places closer to the coast.

Normandie, on the other hand, had a better balance (in our opinion) between cost and proximity to the coast. So, we bought a place in the Cotentin Peninsula not far from the coast. That would be just west of Calvados II who posted a response above. It can be sublime in the autumn. It can also rain and blow like crazy. Your turn at the dice.

I like the Dordogne and have vacationed in southern France with friends from the U.S. It's OK down there. I wouldn't want to live there though.

I prefer the north.

I love the entirety of France, but Bordeaux and environs are my favorite. Wine culture is obviously a large factor, but the city itself is wonderful and the surrounding areas have so much to offer in scenery, history and culture.

As for Brittany, we are very glad to have visited Nantes, but don't feel a need to visit again. Orleans, however, is a city I'd like to return to. Very relaxing and beautiful city, and the Loire River there is as clear as crystal and a terrific place to spend any evening in summer.