Beaune, France

Yes.

Absolutely, it would make an excellent base. We loved Beaune and the area. We were there for 4 nights and wished we could have stayed longer. Rick's 2 driving tours were amazing.

I don't know if you're going to Beaune for the wine since it is the capital of wine in Burgundy but I think if wine is not your main goal, Dijon (capital of Burgundy) has a lot to offer itself and has a better location to visit the area all around. From Auxerre Vezelay, Fontenay abbey, Chablis in the North, Semur en Auxois, Flavigny sur Ozerain (where the Chocolate movie was shot)Alesia (Gaulish ruins)and then to the South with Beaune and the wine coast, Citeaux abbey, Chateauneuf as well which is 35km North West of Beaune (medieval castle on top of a hill and one of the "plus beaux villages de France") La Rochepot. If you have a car 7 days won't be enough!
There was a thread about Beaune or Dijon on another forum (fodors) I can send you if you wish. Welcome to Burgundy!

I would stay in Beaune. We loved it there. We stayed at Les Jardins de Lois. I was a little more expensive, but we felt it was worth it. The people there will make your trip. They are about the friendliest bunch of owner - operators I have ever been around. It is a winery right at the gates of the town center. I tried their wine and liked it so well I took 12 bottles of it home. We will go back there. Thanks - Bill

I have to agree with Coco on this one. I've made Beaune and Dijon a home base with a car and Dijon was far and away a better place to come back to after a day of exploring. Dijon is larger and has way more going on. Dijon is itself a great destination. Beaune is nice and Lord Rick who you will obey likes it, but Dijon is a more excellent place. Needless to say the wine/winery touring around Dijon is world class. This includes Beaune. The historic towns and cities nearby are must-see's, as Coco mentioned above. I would also recommend visiting nearby Parc Morvan. Similar to our own national recreation areas, Morvan offers hiking and lakeside picknicking in protected forested areas, as well as historic charming towns way off the beaten path. You won't find crowds of tourists waving their blue covered books in les Tombes, but you will be glad you made the effort.

I don't know Josh yet but I already love him! Thank you! I'm so happy to read nice things at last about Dijon on this forum where it is soooo underrated. All my guests fell in love with my town. Has Rick written something about Dijon yet? I would be delighted to show him the historic centre and then everyone here would love it too! But you can always come and see by yourselves that Dijon is a true jewel! Voilà! :-))

Wow - thanks to all for your thoughtful and timely responses....appears we have a few choices to make, however please continue to watch as we will likely have a few more questions to pose to those 'in the know' as travel time approachs; again thanks to all!

It does appear (through sites such as VRBO etc.) that Dijon 'proper' has a few more options for weekly rentals as opposed to rentals that more or less are 'just outside' the town of Beaune (a car commute into the town) William, Susan - it appears you may have stayed in a B/B, hotel vs a rental home? we are looking more for a home where we can enjoy and cook local produce, meats etc and if you have any leads, please advise. Coco and Josh - any suggestions on homes, areas in Dijon to consider/avoid?

Greg,
By all means look into My Home In Dijon (www.myhomeindijon.com). The flat is centrally located and very well equipped. The owner, Coco, is a gem and the city itself is a joy.
There are several flats for rent in Beaune proper. You can find them on VRBO. I prefer Dijon as it is a more cosmopolitan city...a mini Paris. Happy traveling.

We drove north starting from Villefranche-sur-Mer in 1998. We stopped in Beaune for a day. To me, Beaune is nice area for a day or two visit. Fast forward, I found myhomeindijon from a travel forum when I planned my trip several years later. I stayed at Coco's flat before going to the language school in Provence. Two years ago, I took my husband to Dijon to meet the famous lady. Dijon is a good size city with train station that has a direct TGV from Paris. You can do several day trips from there. You don't need a car.

Could someone please tell me what VRBO is? Thanks very much.

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