We are planning a last-minute 15-day trip to France next month. We have booked our flight and apartment rental for the final five days in Paris. That leaves nine days open to planning. We expect to have a rental car after arrival to CDG (which we will return after returning to Paris). I thought picking two or three regions to setup base for three or four days each would be a comfortable way to see enough, but not too much. I'm interested in seeing the Mediterranean coast, the Alps, and perhaps a romantic interior region with vineyards/castles/unique landscapes. Can anyone recommend a two- or three-region itinerary that hits the areas I mentioned and perhaps another "must see" accessible by rental car. Ex:, would four three days in Normandy, two in the Alps, and four in Provence be too spread out driving-wise? As for lodging I like the idea of renting a local place or BnB to get as native an experience as possible. Any recommendations for short-stay base camps with the suggestions regions would also be appreciated!
Posted by
victoria, Canada
11507 posts
Eric, yes, that would be too much.
Normandy, west coast, Alps, east coast, Provence southern regions.. so basically driving the entire country and ending up back north( Paris). France is not that small! You could drive to all those places but then your entire holiday will basically be driving from place to place without a real chance to enjoy anywhere.
Posted by
343 posts
That's a pretty big distance in 10 days. We did something similar but had 6 extra days on the driving portion and had the final 5 days in Paris. So, let's see...from Paris you could go south to Provence, see the Mediterranean coast, drive over to Annecy/Chamonix for a few days, and stop in the Burgandy region on your way back to Paris. BUT...the trip to and from Paris will be long. You could actually just take the TGV to the coast and rent your car there, and then maybe return it in Paris and only make that hike back to Paris by car once. I think it's going to be hard to fit in Normandy with all of that. We enjoyed Normandy, but loved-loved-LOVED Provence and Annecy.
Posted by
Boston
4132 posts
Yes, Normandy does not fit with the other priorities in that time frame. I also wonder, with 9 days, if you would not be happier visiting 2 regions. But it would be perfectly feasible for you to take the TGV to Provence, drive to the Alps, drive to the Jura and/or Burgundy, and take the TGV to Paris. Or reverse the order. If it matters, there is a direct train from Dijon to Charles deGaulle (no transfers) that will get you to the airport at 9:02. There is a direct train from Avignon that arrives at 10:32. The reason to take these trains rather than driving is that you are short on time and the TGVs are so much faster.
Posted by
Olympia, WA, USA
6713 posts
I think Adam's plan, or something like it, might work best if you really want to cover that much ground. But of course the TGV might cost you more, on this short notice, than the car rental. France is the size of Texas (but a lot more interesting), and you'll spend a lot of time on the autoroutes if you try to cover three regions including the Mediterranean coast. If the south is your priority, I'd skip Normandy this time. If it were my trip, I'd focus on two regions outside of Paris, like Normandy and Burgundy, or Loire plus either, and save the south for another trip. This is an example of why many people recommend "open jaw" flying, e.g. to Nice and from Paris or vice versa, to avoid backtracking. Anyway have a wonderful trip, you can't go wrong in la belle France!
Posted by
Seattle, WA, USA
784 posts
You could do Normandy, a little of Brittany, and the Loire Valley in 9 days. Or, Burgundy, Champagne, and Alsace. Or, the south - Provence and Languedoc, but take the train south and rent a car from there and train back to Paris.
Posted by
San Francisco/Marin County
9436 posts
If it were my trip, I would do either Normandy and the Loire.. or, the Loire and Burgundy.