Posted by
JoDV
15 yrs ago
I'm going on my honeymoon in July for 3 weeks to France - Champagne, Nice/Provence, and Bordeaux.
If anyone has any suggestions about great places to stay, things to see, or general travel advice, I'd really appreciate it! :)
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Lucky you !
Would suggest you buy a Michelin Guide which will give you a broad view of the routes to travel, and of course restaurants, to try on your way, you don't have to go 3*** some of the 1* & 2** are just as fabulous, and if you want to try the 3*** go have lunch, as the usually have a pris fixe, which is excellent value. Also, the Relais & Chateau guide is full of very nice places to stay, especially in the Champagne region/ Bordeaux. Nice is very expensive to stay in. You can take a trip down to Cannes, ( film festival town) and stroll along the Grande Promenade. Or head up to Grasse ( home of perfume ) One of the best known areas to visit in Provence, is Saint Paul de Vence, historical town, closed to traffic and world famous for its art think Cezanne,16th century medieval village...lunch at Le Saint Paul, cobbled streets, perched high up in the hills. Avignon, is also worth seeing... So many places, so little time.. Get an Insights Guide and plan your trip... Remember its July peak travel time for Europe, so be good to book some hotels in advance.
enjoy ! Bonne Chance..
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Congraz and all the best.
u should think about the places in the south and south-west of france. always my personal favourite. Montpellier, Bezier and Carcassone were always my favourite places. Also an area called Camargue. not much happeningthere but a beautiful countryside. famous for the horses.
Definately depends upon if u wanna party or enjoy a nice country.
U gotta be aware of the fact that outside the big cities u barely find someone speaking english.
and as sandie already said...bonne chance et bon voyage!
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PARIS, PARIS, PARIS!!! c'est la ville toujours merite visiter...moi, j'y irais aussi...
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You make me so nostalgic... j'ai passe dix longues annees a Lyon, but that is not on your itinerary...
Let me give you this francophile suggestion: You need NOT plan anything... just let yourself go with the flow, and you will surely be swept up and taken to a fantastic destination! The places you mentioned are pretty far apart and well-chosen. I notice that you have selected two regions noted for their vinicultural products. Rest assured you can find plenty of wineries that run their own guesthouses in the Champagne and Bordeaux regions. You will find what the French fondly call 'La Douce France' in rural splendour, with magnificent chateaux and cathedrals, lively markets.
Maybe a Hugh Johnson Pocket Wine Guide can help you on!
Just one red flag: July is the first month of France's school holiday (just as it is here), so in the Provence region accommodation prices will hit the roof or beyond!
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penne
15 yrs ago
Was there last Oct for one month with hubby and toddler. We thought we would go with the flow, big mistake, we wasted our time trying to find accomodations. Also we were set on staying in small chateau around the wine regions but all were fully booked especially the highly recommeded ones and so we wasted time on internet searching and going to check out the places when we could have been enjoying and discovering. Nice hotels are not cheap. We even had crappy rooms offered to us at ridiculous prices. We tried to see too much so we did a lot of driving which was another big mistake. Luckily we had friends who booked us to great restaurants in advance! My advice, get a good guide book, don't try to cram in too much and book your hotel in advance (worse comes to worse you can cancel the hotel). Have a good one!
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Bonjour there !
July = The best time for weather, the worse price range. Book your hotels IN ADVANCE, Rent a car with GPS, dont waste your time, prepare your trip before.
Provence, beautiful area, packed in the summer. Nice is amazing, but it's not a very safe city at night time. Cannes = MUST SEE !
In the south West, Bordeaux is nice, but in the south west, I think Dordogne (Perigord) is much nicer, ok different landscape, but Dordogne is full of History, souls, smells, beauty , and there are plenty of spectacular Chateaux. The foie gras and confit de canard are among their speciality.
It's been invaded of English for the past decades, some villages there are 100% english.
Bon voyage,
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JoDV
15 yrs ago
Thank you for all your replies. We had an amazing time in France.
We got the train straight from Paris to Bordeaux, spent 4 nights there then travelled to Carcassonne, Montpellier, Nimes, Avignon, French Alpes, Lyon, country Burgundy (near Dijon) and Reims (champagne).
The car hire with GPS was an excellent suggestion as was the Michelin guide. We drove 3,000kms and only got lost once or twice. We ate in a Michelin restaurant every 2-3 days. Lunch is always best value.
We also only booked half our accommodation which worked out perfectly, so we had some flexibility in our schedule. It's a good idea to bring your computer as everything place has free WIFI now so we could easily search for an available hotel or chateaux on the day when we were travelling there.
Fantastic time and great memories! Thanks again.
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HI all, I am travelling to France for a vacation with my toddler, I am trying to confirm if I need to buy a voltage converter for appliances? thanks
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