Burgundy

If you also like architecture, history, museums, gastronomy and terrific food markets, do not miss Dijon the capital. The town centre is very walkable.
You will need a car to visit the wine coast, otherwise Dijon has a good bus and train network (for ex it takes 20min by train to go to Beaune) Dijon is the perfect base for trips to North of Burgundy like Fontenay Abbey, Vezelay, Avallon, Chablis, Semur en Auxois, Flavigny sur Ozerain, and South to the "route des Grands Crus" right in the vineyards, Nuits st Georges, Citeaux abbey, Beaune, la Rochepot, Autun. Trips to Besancon (in Franche Comté next door region 100km East), and Dole (Jura region 50km south East)are very interesting as well. You won't even have enough time to see them all!
If you want more details about Dijon, feel free to pm me. :-) Happy travels and welcome to my beautiful region! coco

Hi Holly,
I'd consider expanding your area of travel to include the Alsace region (Colmar, Strasbourg and maybe even some of Switzerland or Gremany) in addition to Burgundy.

Or, if you haven't been to Lyon that's a fun city with excellent restaurants--it's not too far from Burgundy on the train.

There's more to Burgundy than wine, and if you loved the other places you'll probably love Burgundy too.

I'l leave it to others to weigh the arguments for Burgundy over, say, Perigord or Alsace or Languedoc or Champagne. I think what you like is ultimately a very personal decision.

Burgundy has some lovely small towns and lively larger ones, but is predominantly rural. It feels more distant from Paris than it is. I can tell you what I like but really there's no substitute for doing your own research with a few guidebooks.

By the way, on wine: Skip the tours, but you might consider dipping your toes into the wine scene, which is after all a part of the local culture and is also surprisingly accessible.

There are a few places right in Beaune that will let you taste a variety of wines, with explanatory commentary. If that seems interesting, you can stop at a few vineyards or caves during your trip for tastes. Don't pass on the white wines, which can be extraordinary.

If you've been to Provence, Normandy and Paris, I would consider Burgundy, Alsace and the Dordogne (with side excursions to the Tarn) as your next destinations. For all three you'd want a rental car, and with a rental car you won't need a "wine tour".

I'd definitely recommend Burgundy for its hillside scenery, vineyards and scenic canals. It's absolutely beautiful.

If you enjoy wine, though, it's a little more difficult to go tasting. You can find winemakers open for visits but they expect you to buy. Beaune has many wine bars where you can sample from around the region. I enjoy the Marche du Vin and if you show interest in buying a few bottles you'll get to sample a lot more than what they set out for the tour.

Hi Holly,
I loved the Burgundy area and if I could recommend a town, Beaune. It's small enough and big enough. If you arrive by train there is a Hertz in the train station. Hotel des Remparts is a great place to say. Sights to see, Chateau de la Rochepot wine caves in town. I took a wine tour in a mini bus right out of the TI in town and found it really interesting and not too touristy at all, very little pressure to buy. One point I always make about wine tasting in Europe is that this is not a trip to Napa. When you buy from a wine maker. Make it clear to the staff on hand that you intend to buy some wine and that you would like to taste what they have. Otherwise you will find them to be less friendly. A tasting Cave is quite a different thing. You pay a fee and you are served wine.

We love Paris and Normandy also and decided last summer to visit Burgundy. We absolutely loved it! We stayed in Beaune for 4 nights and we didn't feel it was enough time. We did the 2 RS driving tours and they were incredible. The towns on his driving tours are beyond description and the 2 chateaux he recommends were amazingly wonderful. We liked Burgundy better than the Dordogne. The town of Beaune is fantastic. Enjoy!