May can’t come soon enough. Hubs and I just booked our flight to France and I’m so excited, I just can’t hide it! (Saved by the Bell anyone???) Although we’ve been to Paris before, it was only for a long weekend and we were new college grads with little funds so this time we are doing it right! There’s going to be shopping, lots of walking and exploring off the beaten path neighborhoods, and of course TONS of eating. From wine and cheese picnics in the park to Michelin starred restaurants, from fresh out of the oven croissants to ham sandwiches, from macarons to rotisserie chicken, we want to try it all! We’ll have 10 days there but we want to explore other parts of France too so here’s where the real work begins. The more I research, the more places I want to see, but we only have about 5 days to explore since we want to spend about 4-5 days enjoying Paris. I’m totally going to sound like an ignorant American but boy did I not realize how many unique cities there are in France. Here are a few places I’m considering.
I’ve seen numerous photos of Mont Saint Michel and would love to actually see this beautiful island in person. It’s a well preserved medieval town and I can imagine wandering the winding alleyways. It’s about a 4.5 hour drive from Paris though, and although beautiful, I don’t think we would spend more than a day there. An alternative would be to spend a night or two in Rennes, Brittany and try their famous crepes, seafood, and galettes, and then head to Mont Saint Michel for a day trip.
Loire Valley is on my bucket list of places to visit in the near future, full of enchanting chateaus and gardens. I’d love to bike through the region, taking in the beautiful vistas. We’d tour numerous chateaus, go wine-tasting, and try the delicious cuisine. It’s only about an hour away from Paris by train so it’s easy to get to and we would ideally stay for 2 nights so we don’t rush our time there.
Beaune is the wine capital of Burgundy, need I say more? This city is one of the key wine centers in France and as such has multiple caves offering FREE wine tastings! It’s also known as a gastronome’s paradise and has a major food market on Saturdays. The city is approximately 2.5 hours southeast of Paris so it’s not too far out for a 2 day trip.
Um, how cute is the architecture?? Colmar is located in Alsace, France and is right on the border of Germany and Switzerland and as such is influenced by those countries. It’s a beautifully well-preserved city and has unique food that sounds more German than French, like bretzels with melted cheese, sauerkraut with fish, and quiches!
Reims is the main city of the Champagne region! It’s only 45 minutes from Paris by train so this would make a great day trip. While there we would visit the impressive Cathedral where almost all the French kings have been crowned for 1,000 years. And of course we can’t leave without touring the most famous champagne producers like Veuve Cliquot and Taittinger.
Giverny, the home of Monet’s garden’s where he was inspired to paint his series of waterlilies and other dreamy landscapes. Although there’s not much there other than Monet’s home and gardens, it’s only 45 minutes from Paris, totally worth it to see his paintings come to life.
Have you been to any of these places? Are any of these must see’s?
A Sprinkle of Adventure 
wow, I am jealous of your trip already, can’t wait to see/hear about it post-May!