Please help...June tour just cancelled!

Hi!

I just received a frantic phone call from my sister-in-law....her trip to Bordeaux to stay in a chateaux was just cancelled by the company they were signed up with. She and my brother-in-law have plans for 3 nights in Paris, then they have 4-5 nights free (that were supposed to be at the chateaux)...they leave 27 June. Do any of you France experts have any ideas or suggestions either for the Bordeaux area or anything else? They have flights in and out of Paris with, I believe, 9 nights in France. Perhaps longer in Paris? still go to Bordeaux? They like food, wine, walking and culture, but not too much museum time.

Any suggestions/advice/hotels/etc... welcome!!

Thanks!

|||

A nice trip west along the Loire might be a good choice. Maybe hire a car in Paris and follow the river towards the Atlantic. There are many many chateaux and the area also offers a wide variety of wines and good food. Its not the dearest part of the world either. Pace of life is relaxed and driving is relatively easy. Alternatively you could head east towards Strasbourg and take in the lovely Alsasce/Vosges area. Great vineyards again and some beautiful chocolate box villages like Kaisersberg to see. Architecture here is more germanic, some nice fairytale like castles for instance.

Normandy also is nice, especially the Calvados area. Nice rural settings, better for cider than wine, but food is good. Great seaside towns and some historical sights like Bayeaux.

Hope this gives you some food for thought.

|||

Thanks....some great ideas already. Keep %26#39;em coming.

:-)

|||

The Loire chateaux could be great. A pleasnt central base would be the quiet village of Blere where they could stay at L%26#39;Hotel du Cheval Blanc which has a very good (and good value...) one rosette Michelin restaurant. I like staying in one place in the Loire and taking trips fom there along the back roads to see the chateaux - and the lovely villages. Search the forum for more info about the hotel and the Loire in general.

www.hotlelchevalblancblere.com

But if they were really going to Bordeaux to tour the wine chateaux, they might be disappointed in the Loire. Perhaps Burgundy? A base in Beaune, perhaps at the Hotel du Cep, might be just the ticket. And Burgundy would likely be less crowded than the Loire too.

There was a recent thread on Burgundy (%26quot;Two nights in Burgundy%26quot; if I recall correctly) with more hotel and restaurant suggestions.

I think I%26#39;d go for Burgundy. Or just more time in Paris, since there is no such thing as too much...

|||

Great. Thanks. What about any places to consider if they decide they are attached to Bordeaux? It was organized for them, but they could set up stuff on their own last minute if anyone has any suggestions.

|||

I love drinking Bordeaux wines every bit as much as burgundies, but in all honesty I think the Burgundy region is much more interesting to visit. As a result I really don%26#39;t know the Bordeaux area well at all.

Here, however, are a couple of sites that might be helpful if your SIL is really keen on visiting Bordeaux:

http://www.relaischateaux.com/cordeillan

http://www.bxwinex.com/

I am not endorsing either of these places at all, since I have no personal experience of them. Hope they help though...

|||

Thanks for your input! I will pass it on. I have read your postings before and always find them informative and helpful.

Happy travels!

|||

Thanks for the kind words!

Let us know what they finally decide on, OK?

|||

Hi,

Sorry to hear that this trip was cancelled. They are missing out on something special because the Bordeaux region is well worth a visit. Of course I am biased because we live here at a chateau at just 5 km from Bordeaux. We have a B%26amp;B so people can stay here. If your SIL still needs accommodation she can check out our website at www.CLBX.com. We also propose wine tours and tastings. Some wineries allow drop in visits but the more interesting ones require bookings by a wine professional. The M��doc with its road of the chateaux is spectacular. Medieval Saint Emilion, an UNESCO heritage site is breathtaking. The ocean beaches and the Basin of Archachon are only 40 minutes away. The city of Bordeaux is an undiscovered gem. So there is a lot to see and to do. We love it here and love to share our chateau and our experience in the Bordeaux wines with others. Bordeaux is only 3 hours from Paris by the ultra fast train, the TGV.

I hope this information is helpful. If you need other suggestions please don%26#39;t hesitate to ask.