Thanks for suggestions in the other thread. We are going to do 8 nights in Southern France. We can fly into and out of any of Nice, Lyon, or Toulouse. Tentatively I’m thinking fly into Nice, 2 nights near there, 4 nights in Avignon area (with some day trips to Southern Rhone), then 2 nights somewhere in the Pyrenees/Roussillon area (Carcassone? Something near there? Wouldn’t mind going to Roussilon wineries as well, maybe Gauby). Then fly out of Toulouse.
Having never been to this area, would appreciate any suggestions for towns to stay in, wineries to visit, or if we should alter this itinerary. Flying out of Lyon is also an option so we could make our way North through the Rhone valley instead. Alternatively could just fly in and out of Nice and stick to the Cote d’Azur and Avignon area.
When are you going? Is this a full winery trip or is this more of a leisurely thing? I ask because the area around Nice doesn’t have as many wineries as, say, the Rhone or the Languedoc. That said, the Cote d’Azur is breathtakingly beautiful and relaxing (depending on when you’re going, of course, July and August are crowded and annoying). Eze is a town you should NOT miss if you’re just being lazy.
If this is a winery trip, either the Rhone or the Languedoc would fit the bill, and if you land in Toulouse you’re also about 1.5 hours south of the Cahors region and a few hours from Irouleguy (approx. driving times). Driving south from Lyon through the Rhone is great, lots of small towns and wineries to stop at. Ending in Avignon and Chateauneuf is of course awesome. Leaving from Toulouse, you need to drive a bit to hit the area around Carcassonne (Limoux, Corbieres, Minervois, St Chinian, etc…). But once you’re in the Languedoc, nearly every house is a vineyard, and many are pretty good (though there are some awful ones of course, just like everywhere else).
Either way, there’s a LOT to do and see and eat and drink or just laze around, so let us know if this is a wine-centric trip or a relaxing getaway with the occasional winery visit.
Cheers!
We are going in March. More of a relaxing trip with a heavy dose of wine and food. We certainly want to visit some wineries, but definitely not 8 days of full out tasting. If we spent 4 half days visiting wineries that would be fine. Obviously given the season we won’t be sitting on the beach much. Want to visit some of the Roman (and other) ruins, nice small towns, etc. We are much less familiar with French wines than California, so not wedded to which areas we visit. Our only unfortunate constraint is that we don’t speak a lick of French (know any good ipad french apps?) so would need to find wineries where there is someone with a bit of English.
OK so I would recommend you stay inland, as the coast while very pretty can be a tad grey and sad in March. Lots of places are seasonal so will be closed at that time of year. So that leaves the Rhone or the Languedoc.
Since you also want ruins, you might want to look more into the Languedoc. Though it’s Medieval, you can’t beat Carcassonne, but that’s a day trip. Also, there are LOTS of old abandonned chateaux in the Pyrenees from back when the Cathars tried challenging the Church (that didn’t go over too well as you can imagine). In addition, prices are much lower than in Provence or the Cote d’Azur or the Rhone. A good midway point between the Rhone and the Languedoc is Avignon or Uzes, both of which are charming old towns with vibrant markets, great food and access to great wines. The Rhone is more wine-centric than a relaxing vacation might call for, especially if your SO quickly loses patience with winery visits. Oh, and don’t forget to drive over the bridge at Milau, which is a short detour by car from the area:
For English-speaking places, most of the mid-sized to large wineries have someone who speaks some English. Smaller vineyards, not so much. But a smile and a hearty “bonjour” along with genuine interest in their work goes a long way.
Largely agree with you Michel. Loved the Languedoc/Roussillon (not in the Summer!) and the weather should be decent in March. The people were very warm and accomodating, quite un-Parisian (stereotypically). Very good prices for excellent food and drink. Relatively few English speakers.
Outstanding Roman sites in Arles and Nimes. Carcasonne is quite nice/quaint. Stunning scenic gorges and Pyrenees mountain views near Limoux and Ax-les-Thermes. BBer Dan Kravitz knows this area (and the wines) like the back of his hand.
A very interesting small town close to Nice is Valbonne. The old town is tiny but quite different than most towns there because it is built in a grid. It’s a quick visit, good for a lunch or dinner.
If you stay near Nice, consider Le Cagnard in Haut-de-Cagnes which is a little hill a bit West of the airport. The hotel is near the top and is really charming. There are several good restaurants up there including one in the hotel.
For French, take a look at frenchpod101.com. I haven’t used this one very much but the Japanese version is fantastic. I think they have iPad apps available but what really worked for me was listening to the podcasts in my car. One thing I really liked about the Japanese one was that it wasn’t limited to formal and business language - they taught you how real people speak, and introduced many aspects of popular culture.
Agreed. I think the hotel is currently under renovation (new owners) and I don’t know if it will be open then, but it’s built into the old fortifications of Haut de Cagnes. We’ve ahd several very nice meals at their restaurant as well. It is also a trip finding the place. Park in the lot in the top of the hill - do NOT attempt to drive up to the hotel unless you car is very small and you don’t mind losing you side mirrors
Langedouc/Roussillon get my enthusiastic vote. A small central city/town to consider is Quillan. We stayed in this VBRO rental in December of 2009 for approximately a week and had a wonderful time – charming, clean, right in the village a few short steps to bakeries, butcher etc. Quillan, FR Vacation Rentals: house rentals & more | Vrbo
To the north a short drive (or train ride) away is Carcassonne, which I agree is a day visit. Closer to Quillan is a couple of smaller villages that are known for their hot springs that are fun to check out. To the east of Quillan is an amazing countryside to explore – phenomenal gorges and the Cathar ruins. Peyrpertuse and Queribus are the two castles that we stormed. Stunning places. We climbed up and into the ruins right before Christmas and we had both places to ourselves. Nothing like standing on top of the world in the midst of such incredible beauty high above the vineyards and pretending to “defend” your castle against the Crusaders.
Maury is located nearby to the castles and is a great place to center your wine tastings around. The wines of this region are awesome, as are the people, the views of the not-so-distant Pyrenees, and the history of the region. One of the very few places that we found open on December 23rd was a wine bar/tasting room/restaurant that I believe was called La Maison du Terroir. Although it was near closing time (8 pm) and the restaurant was not open bc of the Christmas holiday, one of the owners graciously poured the wines of the region to us bc it was my son’s birthday. If I remember correctly, the husband is a one-Michelin starred chef and the wife a pastry chef and they met at a pastry competition, or something like that. We ended up making lots of wine bottle purchases that night.
About a hour’s drive from Quillan is the Mediterranean. We did that trip one day and well, it was December, so at least the beach was deserted.
In short, the area is a charming and wonderful place to visit. I would go back in a heartbeat.
Thanks for all the suggestions. Looks like we are going to fly into Toulouse and out of Lyon. If anyone has any specific winery/restaurant/hotel recommendations, please pm. Lyon seems to be pretty well covered on various sights but not as much the Languedoc/Midi-Pyrenees. Would like to try and get to Domaine Gauby and Mas Amiel if they allow tastings. Also - how do you bring wine back? Just ignore the 3 bottles limit or is there a way to ship?
If you are looking for Roman ruins, then Nîmes is a very obvious destination, with the Maison Carré (which Thomas Jefferson used as the model for the Virginia capitol building in Richmond) and a great amphitheatre. The Pont du Garde is nearby. Arles has a lovely amphitheatre right in the middle of town, and there are remnants of old aqueducts here and there.
In March, the Midi is probably the most pleasant part of France weather-wise.
We really love Aigues-mortes, which was a port of departure for the first Crusade but now is landlocked by miles. Gorgeous city walls and architecture, and great tourist stuff if you can relax and enjoy. Some of the best confiture in France IMO.
One of my business associates made this mistake once, and in the morning we drove out of the hotel and promptly came upon the back of the local garbage truck (which is carefully sized to be able to navigate those streets, but just barely). It took almost half an hour to get down the hill. At one point we waited while the truck made about a 30-point turn to get around a corner.
In addition, we really enjoyed Albi - Toulouse Lautrec, a great cathedral with a real story, Papillon is a good restaurant, and Gaillac is an interesting undiscovered wine region.
March is a nice time to visit for walking and sightseeing, although it’s too cold to swim in the sea.
I’m sure you will find the region fascinating as well as beautiful. There are many wonderful wines and interesting producers to be discovered in the Languedoc-Roussillon. I’m not sure I would second the suggestions made above. Gauby can be interesting but phone to make a reservation. Mas Amiel is big and glossy, if you like that kind of thing.
There are a few village wine fairs happening at that time that you should try to hit. Calce and Montpeyroux most notably.
Regarding general tourism, Carcassonne is better from a distance. Toulouse itself is very interesting. In the Roussillon Collioure is the must-see but some of the monastries are well worth the drive. The castles Carrie mentioned are brilliant. Of the big towns, I prefer Perpignan, but Pezenas is worth a visit too.
My advice is not to try to do too much or cover too many miles. A lot of the attraction of the area is driving a deserted scenic road and stopping in a medeival village for a coffee.
If you have any specific questions, feel free to contact me.
if you come up to Lyon do not forget to stop in Chateauneuf, if you need any recommendations for tastings let me know (Mr Abood is probably the best source methinks). If you have time drive up the Mont Ventoux, the tallest mountain in the Provence although there could still be snow in March. While you are there check out Vaison la Romaine and the Roman ruins which are in great shape. On your drive to Chateauneuf stop in Gigondas, a nice little village to visit. Or, other really nice places in the Dentelles de Montmirail are Seguret or Sablet. From the Mont Ventoux through Vaison over Gigondas to Chateauneuf is about a 30 mile drive or a one day tour, depending on how much time you want to spend with wine (some people spend a week with that).
Cheers
Christian
P.S.: Added a a picture of Seguret, nestled in the Dentelles…
Last year in March I did a workshop “Plowing with horses” in Gigondas, man, that was hard work! As you can tellfrom the snake-like lines I
managed to do, the owner of the field asked me how much wine I had for Lunch…and then served me another few
glasses as he thought more wine makes for straighter lines…
Thanks to all for the great recs, we had an excellent trip. Beautiful countryside, nice small b&bs, friendly people, etc. Wine-wise we didn’t end up doing a ton of tastings but drank plenty of good wine and ate lots of hearty, tasty grub. Wine highlights - Clos Des Augustins Le Gamin from Pic St Loup, Domaine Pelle Les Cris (Loire pinot, randomly recommended at a restaurant), visits to Levet, Pegau, and Mas Amiel. Distinctly unimpressed by some of the smaller producers in CdP we tasted, but otherwise not many duds.
The amazing thing to me was the sheer amount of vines we saw. Nearly everywhere we drove throughout the region was blanketed with vines. We covered about 1100km - spent nights in/near Toulouse, Limoux, Maury, Montpellier, Uzes, and Ampuis. For the most part staying in a lot of locations worked very well - no two places were particularly far apart so we could spend a leisurely day going from point a to point b without having to double back. The weather did not cooperate fully so we spent a bit of extra time in Montpellier instead of exploring the Cote Vermeille and Rousilon a bit more, so missed out on Banyuls and some of the tastings we had lined up near Maury.
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