kasper

I've been reading these threads and the travel books for many hours, but I really need some help. We're looking for 1 or 2 destinations after 5-6 days in Paris. We can stay in France for 10-14 days. We're interested in countryside, small towns, and architecture - not wineries. I'm taking a french class, but realistically I won't know much of the language. Also, we're traveling w/ our 18 month old. <BR> <BR>We'd like to travel mostly by train and then rent a car to see the countryside. <BR> <BR>Annecy really appealed to me, but I was wondering if there would be enough in the area to see and do. I thought that Arles might be a better choice since this is our first trip. If we go to Nice, we'd probably want to stay in Arles for a couple days to break up the trip. And then maybe fly out of Nice? Actually, getting to and from Nice seemed like a bit much with the baby. But it could be done.... <BR> <BR>Is it true taht the train to Nice is very scenic? How about the train to Annecy? <BR> <BR>I welcome any opinions or advice. The guide books and these threads make everything sound great! <BR> <BR>Thanks in advance.

xxx

What month? <BR> <BR>For some who post regular answers here, this might make a difference in advising you. <BR>

kasper

We're planning to go in September. <BR> <BR>

adina

I love Annecy-- the town itself and the countryside. You can drive around the lake, take endless walks and hikes. The old part of the town has canals and flowers and swans and a great market. We stayed at a great hotel a few miles away which would be wonderful with a toddler. The Hotel du Lac has beautiful grounds, lots of grass and is very family friendly. The couple who run the hotel are such nice people. Check out their website and webcamera at somethinglike hoteldulac.com but you should easily find it through any search engine. Depending on how long you are in the Annecy region you can take a day trip into the Alps. It is a great region. Have fun wherever you choose to go.

Ger

It's been years (at least 10) since my husband and I visted Annecy so it may have changed since then. <BR> <BR>I was there in he month of August. at that time it was full of Parisians - I think we may have been among the very few non-French people in the town (A French man recommended it to us). <BR> <BR>Annecy is absolutely beautiful. We did not have a lot of money so we stayed at a two star IBIS hotel in the centre of the town that was basic but very clean. <BR> <BR>The people were extraordinarily kind and charming. I had brushed up on my French and insisted on using it and they would giggle and talk to me in perfect english but appreciated the effort, however poor. <BR> <BR>The local food and wine was wonderful - to this day Raclette remains one of my favourite dishes. It is, I believe, the home of Poire William - delightful. <BR> <BR>We drove through Europe that year. Best advice we got was from a Frenchman - don't use the moterways, take the side roads. It was a wonderful experience discovering little towns along the way. The drive from Aeosta in Italy to Annecy was particulary spectacular. <BR> <BR>Annecy was one of the best travel experiences I have ever had. But it may have changed, because it was very long ago.

Melissa

Oooooh. Oh. LOVED Annecy. I went there a couple of years ago with my sister and I just loved it. I jogged around the lake in the morning, which was exceptionally nice. I didn't eat raclette, but we did try the fondue, which was rich and satisfying. mmm! fabulous with a dry white wine! We also loved walking around and exploring the town. <BR> <BR>I've never been to Loire or Arles, so I cannot compare. I have been to Nice, and I really didn't think much of it. Of course, I'm from Hawaii, so it wasn't like I was looking at anything new (except that the sunbathers were topless!).

David

we too are looking for places to visit; we checked the web site for hotel du lac and it certainly looked appealing. The site said the restaurant closes for the season in mid september and was wondering if any of you know what the weather in this area is going to be like the last two weeks of september? <BR>The town, from everyone's description certainly sounds nice. Is there a high speed train from paris to a nearby town/city that one can rent a car from? <BR>If we end up at Annecy, are there any other nearby villages that you would recommend? <BR>Thanks for the help

Lori

David, we're booked at the HOtel du Lac in May and it certainly does look lovely. We intend to spend a day driving around the lake and visiting the towns like Tailoires(sp)(thanks Rex), and Menthon, etc.

Rex

You're welcome, Lori. It's spelled Talloires. Go to l'Abbaye! <BR> <BR>Best wishes, <BR> <BR>Rex <BR>

Roy

It has been such a long time since I was in Annecy and these reports sound so inticing that I think I'll go again soon. But since you mentioned Nice, I've got to put in a good word for it. Of course, it is more urban certainly, but, with a car, you are close enough for day trips into the Alps, to the Riviera dei Fiori in Italy and, firstly to all those beautiful French spots on the coast and in the hills nearby. That's why so many of the Impressionists choose to retire there. We go often and though I've just looked at rooms there, next time I plan to stay at the Hotel Helvetia. But it is very central and parking may be a problem. Love Nice, Love France!!!

Danel

Hi <BR>Can anybody recommend a town to stay in. We have our own transport and want to stay in a budget B&B near the French Border. We would like to see as much of Alps as possible. <BR>

mike

as mentioned by previous posters, annecy is a definite must..has every bit of the charm (place & people) you come to expect from small towns except annecy is not that small at all...if you have a car rental, you can drive around the lake too and hotels aren't that expensive...i stopped by hotel-du-lac by chance and indeed the scenery is quite nice; i think there is also a well-known restaurant nearby too..in last june, annecy held a weeklong cartoon festival with live events at town center during the evenings and it was pretty fun..i think this is an annual event.. <BR> <BR>as for arles, it's pretty nice but i didn't like it as much as annecy (it all boils down to personal preference): van gogh garden, place du forum and coliseum are all promient sites you should see; also check movie Ronin, there are scenes from the latter two locations; the food market is pretty good..we had some of the best peaches there as well... <BR> <BR>for nice: good place to hit would be the old part of town and villefranche & eze for excellent coastline views

Sue

We went to Chamonix on a day trip from Annecy a long time ago. Touristy, but in the Alps. It seems to me we went on a little train.

steve

You can take the TGV train from Paris to Annecy. We did it last summer and it was great. You could probably rent a car when you get there. We did not rent a car but did rent a small motorboat for an afternoon which was fun. We stayed at the Hotel de Palais du L'Isle which is right in the heart of the old town and a short walk to the lake. It's in an old building but the rooms are very modern(almost to the point of being a bit austere). We had a great dinner at Auberge du Savoie. <BR>Annecy has its own website-I can't remember it but do a search and it should come up.

Heather

I have to second Steve's suggestion for Auberge du Savoie ... had my birthday dinner there last June and it was delicious. And, we stayed at the same hotel, which was modern and clean but a bit noisy at night (with lots of outdoor diners). <BR> <BR>Since everyone has extolled Annecy, I just wanted to mention a few things that we did that were great: stopped by food shops and put a picnic together and ate in the park by the lake; rented a paddleboat and tooled around in the lake for an hour or so (very relaxing); and took the boat tour of the lake (and tried very hard to understand some of the narration in French). <BR> <BR>Here are some sites: <BR>http://www.annecy-on-line.com/ <BR>http://www.sav.org/e/index.html <BR>http://members.aol.com/palisle/ <BR>http://websavoie.com/en/ <BR>http://ava.univ-savoie.fr/english/IN...CY/visite.html <BR> <BR>If you're doing an additional 10-14 days after Paris and would be interested in another destination, what have you considered? From Annecy, we drove on to a small B&B-type place between Gordes and Rousillon. It had a nice pool and was centrally located for exploring the surrounding villages. We liked the contrast in areas, food, culture, and landscape. After Provence, we drove on to Vence, then Villefranche-Sur-Mer. The variety of France is simply amazing. <BR> <BR>Here are some sites for the area: <BR>http://www.aixenprovencetourism.com/ <BR>http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homep...n/gdmainus.htm <BR>http://www.guideweb.com/provence/indexa.html <BR>http://www.provence.guideweb.com/indexa.html <BR>http://www.luberon-news.fr/j0.html <BR>http://www.laprovence.com/anglais/index.html <BR> <BR>Wherever you decide to go, have a wonderful vacation! <BR>