# Where to go in France?



## UFC (5 Jul 2010)

Hello all

I hope someone can advise me on this.

I will be going to France on holiday in about 3 weeks. I will be there for 9 nights.

I need some help deciding where to go in France; I'm hoping some of you can give me some advice?

Couple of things:

All my traveling will be by train.
I would like to maybe visit two places rather than being in the same place for 9 nights.
I would like to avoid large cities, or at least, avoid places with a fast pace of life.
Idealy I would like to go somewhere medieval or which has a sense of old-ness.
I am open to both touristy or non-touristy things...
Any advice appreciated!

Thanks


----------



## BOXtheFOX (5 Jul 2010)

Quimper is nice for a few nights.         http://www.francethisway.com/places/quimper.php                                                    Bus and train station are beside each other. We got train from Brest. Brest is a dump, avoid. We stayed at Mercure Hotel opposite bus/train station in Quimper, see review Tripadvisor. When there visit Concarneau by getting local bus from Quimper. [broken link removed]
If you fancy a night by the seaside you can get infrequent bus from Quimper to Benodet. Beautiful beach and lovely place to stroll. [broken link removed]


http://www.mercure.com/gb/hotel-1421-mercure-quimper-centre/index.shtml


----------



## babaduck (6 Jul 2010)

So, how are you getting to France - boat or plane?  That will kind of determine where you will end up.

If you fly into Paris, you can get the train to Nantes and onwards to La Baule which is a really French beach resort.  Quimper is a beautiful town much further north and there's also Vannes and Lorient  to consider

If you arrive into Roscoff or Cherbourg, all rails lead to Paris...


----------



## Grizzly (6 Jul 2010)

I would probably head down to Nice.  Spend a couple of days getting there and a couple of days getting back. In between rent an apartment from www.holiday-rentals.co.uk 
You can run along the coast on local buses or train very cheaply and visit places like Cannes, Antibes, Eze, St Paul de Vence, Monaco etc.
[broken link removed]

http://www.provenceweb.fr/e/alpmarit/eze/eze.htm


----------



## IsleOfMan (7 Jul 2010)

The whole area around Avignon and Aix en Provence is lovely with a day spent in Marseille.  http://www.provenceweb.fr/e/vaucluse/avignon/avignon.htm

http://en.aixenprovencetourism.com/


----------



## PMU (7 Jul 2010)

If you fly into Paris you could travel by TGV to Lyon, one of my favourite cities. Then you could go, also by TGV, (as parklane post #5 suggests) to Aix or to Arles (one of my favourites)  or Marseilles or Nice.


----------



## SlurrySlump (8 Jul 2010)

An other interesting option is Carcassonne. The main town and Cite are about a 10 minute walk from each other. The train station is in the main town overlooking the Canal du Midi. You can get boat trips here also.  From the train station you can get to Narbonne and then up to Beziers, Montpellier, Nimes and then down to Marseille.

Or head from Narbonne down toward the Spanish border.

http://www.carcassonne.org/carcasso...troVisitesDecouvertes?opendocument&EN&Visiter& &16&Visites et découverte


----------



## Firefly (8 Jul 2010)

Grizzly said:


> I would probably head down to Nice. Spend a couple of days getting there and a couple of days getting back. In between rent an apartment from www.holiday-rentals.co.uk
> You can run along the coast on local buses or train very cheaply and visit places like Cannes, Antibes, Eze, St Paul de Vence, Monaco etc.
> [broken link removed]
> 
> http://www.provenceweb.fr/e/alpmarit/eze/eze.htm


 
+1. A great, rambling holiday.

For history though the Loire region has a lot of old French castles.


----------



## SlurrySlump (8 Jul 2010)

Firefly said:


> For history though the Loire region has a lot of old French castles.


 
Yes a stop on the way down in Tours would be a nights break.  

Visit a couple of the Chateaux in the are either using the local train or bus.

http://france-for-visitors.com/loire/tours/chateau-tours.html


[broken link removed]


----------



## SlugBreath (10 Jul 2010)

Interesting site for different places and things to do.


----------



## BOXtheFOX (18 Oct 2010)

Anyone ever used these?

[broken link removed]


----------



## hfp (19 Oct 2010)

SlurrySlump said:


> An other interesting option is Carcassonne.


 
+1 

part of robin hood prince of theives was filmed around there if that sort of thing interests you...


----------



## Mongola (6 Nov 2010)

Have you also considered Corsica? It would be a boat trip from the mainland but well worth the journey!
Other plqces: Ile d Oleron which is the largest French island after Corsica.
La Rochelle as well? Belle Ile en mer? 
Brittany is a beautiful part of France but in some parts you could believe that you are still in Ireland!
Bon Voyage!


----------

