Hi there! We’ve booked a trip to France for the end of August. We’re flying into CDG and immediately headed to Dijon for a night of rest and to pick up our rental car. Our next stop will be Lyon for two nights. We’ll then be in Roussillon for two nights. Next is Bandol for five nights. Finally, we’ll be in Paris for five nights.
If anyone has any advice or suggestions for things to do along this itinerary, that would be amazing. Also, we haven’t booked a place to stay in Lyon yet, so any tips in that regard would be much appreciated.
The marble in the gardens of Versailles seem to be that of the refuse when building the palace. Free souvenirs and tons of it. Friends and family dug getting s piece of the palace as a gift. Also if going to Louve, book a spot for the first thing in the morning. That way youll have plenty of room and beat the crowd for a solid hour. Start at the Mona Lisa, and when there turn around and marvel at one of the most impressive pieces on display “The Wedding Feast At Cana”. Also that hallway where the entrance to the Mona Losa room is has several major hitters to scope out, so get that hall done before the droves of people get in. Also, I’d plan to be there all day as there is just so much to take in.
Excited for you. I was only there for 3 1/2 days and missed out on a lot.
You may prefer urban holidays in which case the itinerary will work well, however I’d personally recommend using some of the Paris days for some time in Normandy, hire a little gîte and enjoy some relaxation with a few good bottles of cider, a trip or two to the local boulangerie and a day spent hopping between antique shops.
Paris has lots of great culture but i find cities quite stressful personally.
Hello, If you come to Bandol you can visit the calanques near Cassis and Marseille. I was born and I live in Marseille and you can visit to, it’s the oldest town in France and very particular and beautiful city.
South can be very warming summer, if that’s what you’re looking for, going to the south is a good idea
In Lyon, check if there is an open-air market, products there are coming form differents mountains around Lyon and the quality of them is incredible. Lots of cool restaurants as well. Avoid the ones in the 1st arrondissement, they are the touristic ones, less interesting.
Grenoble offers a breathtaking view on the Alps, if you can make a halt there you shouldn’t regret. There, you can eat some local raclette to get a taste of one of the most famous French cheese.
It really depends what you are into.
If you like painting, you should really go see The Last Judgement by Vanderweyden in beaune between Dijon and Lyon, it’s astonishing… Beaune is quite nice as well.
Modern rchitecture fan? Le corbusiers Villa Savoye in the outskirts of Paris is highly recommended! As is his apartment in Paris.
Spectacular nature? Cosy villages along the way?
So much to see and do, tell us what you’re into!
Roussillon is an awesome choice. Make sure to visit Collioure, and all the coast. Even you can enjoy tapas by crossing the boarder tobgo to spain.
Drop me a message while in paris.
Atelier des lumieres is way overrated. Use of that time to go and see the Louvre or some other places ( try le Musee des Arts Forains) or just time to hover in the streets of Paris.
In Paris, take the time to walk around rather than always taking Metro / RER / bus. Île de la Cité, Seine banks, Quartier Latin: there are countless areas to lose yourself into, pick and choose according to taste. You’ll avoid crowds and get a taste of the real city behind the touristic hotspots.
Absolutely yes to both of these - wandering the streets of Paris is what Baudelaire would do, after all, and given that the city is so relatively small compared to many, it’s easy to get around and you’re rarely far from a Métro station.
Public transport has become both much improved and a little more complicated since the Olympics. Tickets are now split between tram/bus and Métro/RER (regional trains) and one will not let you travel on the other - multi-day passes are available though which might be your best bet.
The Musée des Arts Forains might not be open all the time though and the fairground rides and games will most likely not be running in August. The area around Bercy Pavillions is quite interesting though much more modern than the rest of the city, but likely to be thronged with thousands of people if there’s an event on at the arena.
The flea market in St-Ouen is huge and worth just trawling through for the atmosphere, even if you never buy anything, but is only open on certain days. The bar / venue where Django Reinhardt hung out and played is there too if you like jazz menouche.
A nice way to get to Montmartre is to travel to the Mairie de 18eme metro and walk up the steps from there, but any route is well worth the trek; however, it will most likely be very crowded in August, so allow extra time just for getting around.
The catacombs are well worth it, but again allow plenty of time for walking down very long and (to some) claustrophobic tunnels. As I recall, you can only book timed tickets the week before you plan to visit so plan ahead.
I recommend not keeping the car for your final five days in Paris; unless you plan on going somewhere far away outside the city, you won’t need it and parking is not easy, while navigating around the city proper is entertaining to say the least.
If you want specific restaurant recommendations I have some too.
Lyon
Not a city I know well but always like going there. The old city and the basilica on the cliffs above it are particularly worth a wander.
The Sonic venue is on a boat and is well worth dropping in if there’s a gig on and the gentrifying neighbours haven’t finally managed to get it closed down. The quays along both rivers are very picturesque too.
South of France
Do you mean the village in the Vaucluse or the region in Occitanie in the south-east of France? If it’s the former then I have lots of recommendations.
The south too of course, especially for the latter; but switch to rosé as red in August is a) not the done thing, unless you can find it chilled, which is a thing) b) far better in the heat, which while not as hot as July will still be in the thirties at least. Or drink what you like - it’s all good, and don’t neglect the local beers if you find them (Pelforth in Paris and Bière des Cigales is particularly refreshing if you’re in the Vaucluse) and try a Picon bière to make any draught variety even better. In the south, a Hugo Spritz makes a good alternative to the universally available Aperol variety too. You should try pastis at least once if you haven’t already for the full Provençale drinking experience, which can include absinthe before noon and do take a Marc de Provence or Farigoule f you can find them as a digestif to settle all those large dinners.
France in general for visitors
Restaurants and bars: tipping is neither expected (especially not in bars) nor required and service is included in your bill; however, no-one will refuse as most staff will be being paid the minimum wage!
Language: in Paris and other tourist hot-spots a lot (though not all by any means) of people in restaurants etc will be able to deal with you in English, but it’s always really appreciated if you can speak French too, even if it’s just to say bonjour, merci etc.
Money: you can get a Wise card before you travel and load it up with Euros in advance and pay with that - their exchange rate is based on the mid-market rate and their fees are likely to be much more reasonable than your bank / card provider’s.
Driving: there’s a lot of rude and self-important drivers here, especially in the south, who will honk at you as soon as blink, ride up too close if they think you’re not going fast enough over the speed limit and weave dangerously in and out of other traffic. They will most likely know from your number plate that you are a tourist too. Mostly ignore them.
Great itinerary! You’ll eat very well in Dijon and Lyon. It will be more expensive and less substantial in the South, but the region is magnificent.
Not far from Roussillon, there are Les Rencontres d’Arles, an incredible annual photography festival with exhibitions throughout the city. It’s truly a must for photography enthusiasts.
