Where to go: Italy or France?

Just got back from Alsace. 2x time in 2 years. I've been to Italy 7x. I can tell you that Alsace is wonderful. The tiny towns with the half timbered homes, the wine, the food and the history are all worth the trip. Provence is on my wishlist for a bike trip in the near future. I was on a hiking trip, so the territory I covered was only about 80 miles in 9 days. Started in Thann and hiked to Kayerserberg. From there did a trip in a circle to some beautiful small towns. Italy is fantastic, but is also undergoing some big changes in government and economy....I'd be worried about the inflation and attitude of the citizens there. Been to Tuscany, Umbria, Marmemma, the CT, the Amalfi coast, and Piedmonte regions as well as Western Sicily. All wonderful and beautiful. My vote is for France. Just make sure you study the language and be able to ask some basic questions, order from a menu and get directions. the French in this region are very friendly with a Bonjour and Merci, but not all speak English. German is helpful..... Enjoy!

Well I would prefer biking in less mountainous areas,, I am a wimp,, so thinking that would tip me towards sw france,, but on other hand you have not mentioned time of year you are planning trip,, so weather would also factor in for me. July and August can be too hot for alot of outdoorsy stuff ( for me anyways ) in sw France ,but northern italy may have slightly more moderate weather..

Jan, You didn't say how long your trip will be, but my preference would be to spend some time in each country. Although I always enjoy France and the other countries I visit, I always make a point of getting back to Italy every year. Happy travels!

We plan on traveling in May ( probably mid ) for about two weeks. Both of us can get by in French, and my wife understands enough Italian to help out there. I'm not really concerned about the political situation in Italy ( at least not for now ). We really only want to do one country ( exception below ), and like to stay in as few areas as possible 9 usually three to five nights in any one place ). We'll probably end up renting a car for only three or four days, and the rest will be public transportation ( I hate to drive in this country, and really dislike it when I'm traveling ). I think that it'd be great to see the Dolomites and the Trentino/Alto Adige area, as well as Fruili and the Italian lakes further to the west. Piemonte would also be nice. If We could somehow work in four days in Istria, that would probably tip the decision towards Italy, but the only way that that seems feasible is to fly there on one of the discount airlines once we're over there, which doesn't enamor either of us.

Forgot the pros about France: We both love the country, too. Neither of us has ever been to Alasce, and would both love to go there ( I can understand a wee bit of German, too ). We're both very comfortable in France, and love the culture ( as we do Italy, as well ). While my wife has been to Nice, she never spent much time in Provence, and I've never been there. We've both been to the Dordogne area ( two years ago ) and loved it, and would like to se the Lot river area and explore a little further south, as well. The trip to France would end up back in the Loire valley, where we would bike some more and check out other places that we didn't when we were there the previous trip ( we both love the area ). The trip would probably end in Paris for just two nights, and then home. So, it'd most likely be:
France: Alasce; Provence; SW (TBD); and the Loire Valley. Final day or two in Paris. Italy: Northern Lake region; Alto Adige/Trentino; Verona; Piemonte; a night or two in Milano. We'd most likely have to fly into Milan, but it would be easier if we could just start from the east and work our way west. However, if we could do that, then we'd probably cut out the Piemonte and fit in Istria at the beginning. Yes,lots of things to think about, and you can see the conundrum. Thanks for the opinions thus far. Jan

Love both... flip a coin.
(not being sarcastic.... really equal in my mind)

I'm here again. If you have 10 days, maybe try do both countries. I'd recommend biking in Italy and hiking in Alsace. Our trips to Italy were all bike trips. (except the CT, we hiked there) We always bring our own bike (a tandem), do a bike trip, then pack it in it's cases and tour around for another 3-4 days. Usually the bike trips offered by tour companies are 7 days, but we've extended most to 10 days on the bike, then the extra days to just explore another area. (we love active vacations, out in the country most of the day, then a small town for the night) If you do a bike trip, you should rent a bike, so you don't have the hassle of transporting it if you don't want. We've taken our bike on buses and trains with no problem, but still, it's more to lug around. If you can do self guided trips...you can save a ton of money. We LOVE self guided. it's OUR vacation, not a group of people together...we like to enjoy quiet times away from drama and issues! Both France and Italy are wonderful. If you have the time, do both...or plan a great trip to one or the other this year, and then do the other country next year, or in 2 years.

Ellen, My wife and I rarely take a bike tour, and if we do, it's usually just a day thing. We probably spend about a third of the time on bikes, the rest just hiking or walking around towns and cities ( and enjoying the food and wine ). We also usually stay in apartments, and just rent bikes for however many days that we plan on riding and keep them there. It's always worked out fine for us. That being said, we've never biked in Italy, only hiked ( in the CT and a bit in Umbria ). Speaking for myself, I just seem to soak up the Italian way of living over there and just want to hang out in town ( or the city ). The decision will probably come down to which places we want to visit more, and not necessarily what type of activities that we want to engage in. I really love them both. Maybe we SHOULD just flip a coin...