I am planning a 21 day France - Italy trip this summer (mid June to mid July) to visit friends and attend the Taize pilgrimage in Burgandy. The Italy leg of the trip is all figured out, and I'll have about 2 days free at the beginning of my trip before the program in Taize starts. This will be my 2nd time in France (first time traveling alone) and I've only been to Paris as a child, so any suggestions on possible day trips outside of Paris or small towns in Burgandy en route to Taize would be greatly appreciated. I will have 4 solid days in Paris with my friend at the end of my trip; hence, not too worried about missing out on the city's main attractions. Here are the dates I will be in France: June 21 - July 1, then flying out again on July 11th. Here were some ideas I had: - Stay in Paris for the first 3 nights and see the sights, with possible day trip to Giverny or Versailles - Stay in Paris for 1 night, stay in Beaunne or another Burgandy town on the way to Taize Thoughts on... - Day trip to Auvers-sur-Oise (where van Gogh died and other artists like Pissaro and Cezanne worked) - 2 day/night trip to Annecy then back track to Taize via Lyon (benefit of being near the lake and mountains) - 2 day/night trip to Lyon (?) don't know too much about Lyon, but heard marvellous things about it Suggestions and comments are welcomed and appreciated. I am a seasoned traveler and have traveled all over Europe and other parts of the world, but have yet to explore France. Merci Beaucoup! Looking forward to hearing from you all...
Posted by
California USA
3950 posts
We've been to Taize before and some of our favorite pilgrimage sites nearby were Vezelay, Autun, and Cluny. The churches in the first two are a stunning legacy of medieval stone mason's art. The latter is a significant and impressive ruin from the monastic system in the middle ages. Beaunne is also an interesting town to visit in Burgundy. The 3 small cities, and Taize, are best reached by car.
Posted by
OP
Washington, DC, United States
4 posts
Thanks for your help! I ended up choosing Beaune for 2 nights before the start of Taize, just in time for their Saturday morning market. :-) I booked a room at the Hotel de France for easy access to the train station and plan on visiting vineyards, biking and taking it easy. This will be a nice way to get over jet lag at the beginning of my trip.