Where to go in France :)

[Deleted]

I have decided that we need to do more tourism stuff in France. I mean, we won't be able to afford any big trips in the next year or so (my trip to the US this summer has eaten up our budget plus with the baby, we just won't have the time/money). SOOO I think I need to see more of France. What should I see? I have done extensive trips in Normandy, summer and winter in the Alps, and a bit in the Paris area. I also did a weekend in Bordeaux.

I really would love to do a tour in Champagne, but I think that would be more fun as a girls trip than a family trip as my H doesn't like champagne...

Any great ideas? Anyone want to plan an INs get-together in Champagne next year?

[origami]

I studied in the Loire Valley in college and loved it. It's a good place for a short trip with all the chateaux and good wine.

[pittpurple]

We loved Carcassonne! We spent maybe a week there? A couple days in the town itself and then rented a car and wandered around the area looking at castles. We keep talking about renting a houseboat and cruising up from Toulouse, we saw tons of people doing that and it looked like a lovely holiday.

[irish]

We had a great holiday in the area around Figeac. Rented a house and a car and had some fun. Not on the "normal" tourist route that you think of but some good tourist stuff (an underground boat trip through some caves!) and beautiful scenary.

If you are into history, the area around Strasbourg is fascinating, though a little sad. Lots of war memorials, including some for entire villages that were wiped from existence during the wars. Between Strasbourg and Luxembourg. (I did a day trip from Lux while living there so not very in depth)

ETA: both of these areas are good for wine too - Cahors and Alsace respectively.

[stever]

I love Lyon and there are several towns around there that are good for side trips. Brittany is also lovely. Quimper is really underrated IMO. 

[anna7602]

I love Marseille and St. Jean-de-Luz (near Biarritz, but I liked it a lot more than Biarritz). Both were child-friendly, but I can't speak to baby/toddler-friendly.

[anna7602]

The Christmas market in Colmar is nice for a December weekend trip.

[mrsukyankee]

Provence region is amazing. I would totally go back.

[Deleted]

Excellent ideas!! I plan on trying Strasbourg, but we were thinking of doing that around Christmas to check out the markets there. We have been wanting to do the christmas markets there for the past 2 years but haven't been able to make it out.

[anna7602]

Colmar is very close to Strasbourg, as you probably already know.

Here's an old blog post of mine extolling the virtues of Marseille. It's also easy to get to Aix-en-Provence and other more bucolic areas of Provence from there.

malangababy.blogspot.com/2012/05/mar-seille-can-you-see.html

[Deleted]

Apr 3, 2014 8:18:04 GMT -5 anna7602 said:

Colmar is very close to Strasbourg, as you probably already know.

Here's an old blog post of mine extolling the virtues of Marseille. It's also easy to get to Aix-en-Provence and other more bucolic areas of Provence from there.

malangababy.blogspot.com/2012/05/mar-seille-can-you-see.html

Thanks for the link! I have not been to the south of france at all, so I really need to make my way down there!

For Colmar, we actually had wanted to do both Colmar and Strasbourg christmas markets and make a long weekend of it, but haven't been able to make it work. I think I'll need to make an effort this year because I LOVE christmas markets

[lolo]

Apr 3, 2014 8:12:31 GMT -5 @myblue said:

Excellent ideas!! I plan on trying Strasbourg, but we were thinking of doing that around Christmas to check out the markets there. We have been wanting to do the christmas markets there for the past 2 years but haven't been able to make it out.

I really enjoyed Strasbourg. There's a great pastry shop there too. I'll dig out the name when not on the mobile.

[loira]

Apr 3, 2014 8:12:31 GMT -5 @myblue said:

Excellent ideas!! I plan on trying Strasbourg, but we were thinking of doing that around Christmas to check out the markets there. We have been wanting to do the christmas markets there for the past 2 years but haven't been able to make it out.

I lived in Strasbourg for a year and was about to suggest it/Alsace! Definitely check out the Christmas market. The city itself is big enough that there's stuff to do, but small enough for just a weekend getaway. Colmar is also nice, as is Obernai in the fall.

I also loved my trip to Avignon and Arles - anywhere in Provence is lovely in the warmer months.

[klingklang77]

I really like Strasbourg and I LOVE Beaune! So pretty!

[jennybee1018]

Apr 3, 2014 8:12:31 GMT -5 @myblue said:

Excellent ideas!! I plan on trying Strasbourg, but we were thinking of doing that around Christmas to check out the markets there. We have been wanting to do the christmas markets there for the past 2 years but haven't been able to make it out.

We did a Christmas Market river cruise on the Rhine and Strasbourg was on the of the stops! It's a great city! We really enjoyed just walking around, checking out the cathedral and the markets were great. The bars were also great ;-)

Sadly, Strasbourg was my first France experience, so no recs for anywhere else.

[jennybee1018]

Apr 4, 2014 12:48:21 GMT -5 lolo said:

Apr 3, 2014 8:12:31 GMT -5 @myblue said:

Excellent ideas!! I plan on trying Strasbourg, but we were thinking of doing that around Christmas to check out the markets there. We have been wanting to do the christmas markets there for the past 2 years but haven't been able to make it out.

I really enjoyed Strasbourg. There's a great pastry shop there too. I'll dig out the name when not on the mobile.

Are you thinking of Christian? It's the pastry shop our cruise director recommended ;-)

www.christian.fr/

[Deleted]

Apr 7, 2014 0:54:02 GMT -5 jennybee1018 said:

Apr 3, 2014 8:12:31 GMT -5 @myblue said:

Excellent ideas!! I plan on trying Strasbourg, but we were thinking of doing that around Christmas to check out the markets there. We have been wanting to do the christmas markets there for the past 2 years but haven't been able to make it out.

We did a Christmas Market river cruise on the Rhine and Strasbourg was on the of the stops! It's a great city! We really enjoyed just walking around, checking out the cathedral and the markets were great. The bars were also great ;-)

Sadly, Strasbourg was my first France experience, so no recs for anywhere else.

There is a Christmas market river cruise?? Were the other stops really good too? How long is the cruise for?

[jennybee1018]

Apr 7, 2014 2:23:09 GMT -5 @myblue said:

Apr 7, 2014 0:54:02 GMT -5 jennybee1018 said:

We did a Christmas Market river cruise on the Rhine and Strasbourg was on the of the stops! It's a great city! We really enjoyed just walking around, checking out the cathedral and the markets were great. The bars were also great ;-)

Sadly, Strasbourg was my first France experience, so no recs for anywhere else.

There is a Christmas market river cruise?? Were the other stops really good too? How long is the cruise for?

Yes :-) There are a lot of them! :-) We did Vienna to Nuremburg 3 years ago on the Danube, and this year was Cologne to Basel on the Rhine :-) The stops were Cologne, Kobleanz, Rudesheim, Mainz, Heidelberg, Strasbourg, and Basel (and we did an excursion to Lucerne) :-)

They are amazing! The cruise is 8 days, and you're in a new city just about every day :-) The cruise ship is fantastic, and the food and service is amazing. They always have maps so you can explore the port city, and a tour in the morning if you're interested.

Here's the Rhine itinerary: uniworld.com/boutique-river-cruises/europe/rhine-holiday-markets/2014

Here are all the Xmas market cruises available on Uniworld - which is who we've traveled with and loved!

uniworld.com/find-a-cruise?Regions=1&Months=12&Years=

[lolo]

Okay, this is the list of recommendations my friend, who grew up in Strasbourg, recommends:
www.musees-strasbourg.org

Musée historique de Strasbourg
Musée Alsacien
Musée d’Art moderne et contemporain (with cafe + great view)
Musée Tomi Ungerer (rather new, never been, but personally really
appreciate ungerer's work)


bistrotetchocolat.net/ (near the cathedral, go for their daily
lunch specials)

www.mireille-oster.com/ (great little boutique in La Petite France)

maison-naegel.com/ (where people go for a real kugelhopf!!)

www.lepicerie-strasbourg.com/ (where the cool kids dine)

lartichaut.fr/ (where the cool kids hang out - great concerts!!)

[lolo]

Apr 7, 2014 0:55:21 GMT -5 jennybee1018 said:

Apr 4, 2014 12:48:21 GMT -5 lolo said:

I really enjoyed Strasbourg. There's a great pastry shop there too. I'll dig out the name when not on the mobile.

Are you thinking of Christian? It's the pastry shop our cruise director recommended ;-)

www.christian.fr/

I wasn't, but that looks delicious! This is the one my friend recommended: www.maison-naegel.com/.

Had a raspberry rose macaroon, which was lined with fresh raspberries on the filling and topped with rose hips. Beautiful stuff.