Beyond Paris

[Holly Moore]

Looks like I'll be in France the first couple of weeks of February.  (10 days or so).  We're planning 3 days in Paris and then heading elsewhere.

We're looking for suggestions as to where else in France to head this time of year.   Food is of major import in the decision making process, but not just high cuisine - all levels...

(Edited by Holly Moore at 6:21 pm on Jan. 21, 2002)

[jhlurie]

Holly, you should take a side-trip to Belgium and see if you can locate the uber-papas fritas you've been searching for all your life. :)

[Holly Moore]

It was Belgium that started my quest for a comparable fry in the U.S.  You can find them at just about any Belgian frittaur (pardon the spelling), even in the smallest of towns.

[Bux]

It looks like France is a new month to me. ;)

I assume you'll be there in the beginning of February or March. Nasty months for weather, at least in the north, but no worse then Philadelphia. Belgium certain has it's attractions and it's no further away than much of France from Paris, but you know Belgium.

I could spend a week in Brittany eating crepes and oysters, although there are a couple of exceptional restaurants as well. I can't guaranty much in the way of weather, or should I say you're probably guaranteed to get a lot of weather in your face.

The warmest spots, if this is a consideration, are probably the Riviera and the Basque Coast and then the valley north of the Pyrenees running from Perpignan to Bordeaux or Bayonne. The Riviera is just so [raised eyebrows here], well you know, everyone goes there. I've found the Basque region quite interesting. The beaches and the resort towns in the mountains will be a bit dull, deserted and perhaps the more pleasant for that. Before I get too carried away, in which month are you going? How will you travel from Paris and will you have a car while you're elsewhere in France.

[JayPeeBee]

Several years ago we took an ten day trip through the Sologne region.  During game season.  We had some of the best meals (game) ever in France and loved the desolate, very untouristy towns and countryside.  Along the way we made a pilgrimage to the hotel where the tarte tatin was created and enjoyed a good lunch and surprisingly, the best tart tatin (other than mine) I've tasted.  This area is close enough to Sancerre and the Loire wine villages to include them.  There was wonderful antiquiing and just interesting driving.  It was one of the most memorable trips we've taken.

[Holly Moore]

Meant February.  Isn't France French for February?

It'll be Carman and I striking out from Paris.  We'll leave Friday morning and have to be back to catch a plane on noon the following Wednesday.  We will probably be renting a car and will want to spend the entire time in France.

Thanks for all the help.  Carman gets surly when she's not well fed.  

[Bux]

That gives you about five days. It depends if you want to add a train or plane trip to your drving or just drive out from Paris and then how far you like to drive. You could get to Nice and back in five days, but why would you? If you are driving and the weather is not a big concern, I'd go no further than Burgundy or the Loire. the Solonge is sort of between those two areas. It's all good eating as is most of France although it's not like the old days when it was hard to find a bad meal. It's still game and truffle season and most cheeses are good in the winter. We were in the northeast in November and we ate well enough when you consider this is an area of France least known for its gastronomy. Anything you really want to see in the way of sights?

[robert brown]

Holly, I'm almost tempted to recommend that you stay in or around Paris sleeping-wise and  take days trips; otherwise find a hotel or two not far from Paris. As a fan of windy and rainy weather, I could easily recommend Normandie; Honfleur, Deauville/Trouville, Fecamp/ Etretat as just right for 4-1/2 days. There is good sightseeing: Cathedral of Rouen, the incredible ruins of the Abbey of Jumieges, the WWII Normandy Beaches, and of course the Bayeaux tapestries. There are fun restaurants for seafood (the moules a la creme at Les Vapeurs in Trouville are among my most treasured gastronomic memories). Le Pays d'Auge has good places to eat and it should be great fun hunting down the great DOC cheeses of Normandie and the cider and Calvados. All this is not very far from Paris. It makes a lot more sense than going down to the Cote d'Azur or even than more than 4-5 hours from Paris. The weather will be depressing, but there aren't so many great days a year in Normadie anyway. You could cover this from two nice hotels, maybe even one and maybe steal an extra night if your plane leaves CDG not so early.

[Rachel Perlow]

This is near where Jason and I will be in July. Our base will be in Villennes-sur-Siene, north-west of Versailles. Any and all recommendations for day trips are welcome.

Rachel

[Bux]

Let me recommend Jack's site for Day Trips from Paris. There are too many banners on his site and they are paid ads. Do not view any of them as being recommeded. His personal recommendations, when they appear, are usually reliable.

Holly, Robert's recommendations are fine except that I'd get away from Paris for a few days and not do day trips. Driving in and out can be as boring and frusrating as in any metropolitan area. As Robert says, you don't have to go far. As good a case can be made for heading northwest to the coast as south to the Loire, Sologne or Burgundy.

[pcloguda]

 If you love to meander, why not a brief visit to Rheims/champagne country, stopping at Boyer's Les Crayeres...and then down to Burgundy where you will find fabulous dining.Not too far or strenuous. Unfortunately, the weather is not cheerful...and if it is a major factor,then perhaps south [Riviera or even Provence] should be your

direction.

[Holly Moore]

We've added a day, which means a total of 6 days outside of Paris.  

Tentative plans (Carman's plans - I'm just along to split expenses and help with the luggage) are Lyon for one or two nights, then rent a car, drive to Marseille for a night of boulibasse and then take a few meandering days to the airport on the back roads.

Suggestions of a village handy to the airport (50 km or so) for our last night - good food and lodging - also would be appreciated.

[Bux]

Holly, Is the airport for departure, Charles de Gaulle (Paris) or Lyon? I've stayed the night in Normandy before a flight from CDG, but it was a flight very late in the evening as I recall. More often, I've ended my trip in Paris, changed planes at CDG, or recently, taken a TGV directly to CDG. If there's a good connection you might consider staying in Lyon and taking the TGV from the station in town, directly to CDG. I like Lyon. Good food at all levels from Alsatian braserie to haute cuisine. I don't recall much in the way of street food, but I've never been above finding something that can be eaten out of hand in s nice food shop.

I assume Carman has read the bouillabaise thread here.