Driving trip

My husband and I are planning a driving trip in France for the fall, starting in Paris. We would like to drive through Burgundy, then east and north through Alsace-Lorraine, then back to Paris. Is this a practical trip for six or seven days, or are we trying to do too much? Any advice would be appreciated. Tennismom

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No, you won%26#39;t be too much in a hurry . You must remember that distances are not so big in France compared to the US and roads are excellent . Speed limit on highways is 130 km/hr, so you can drive back from Strasbourg to Paris on the highway in less than 5 hours . Be aware though that most highways have tolls, and those are usually quite expensive . When you are not in a hurry and the area is picturesque enough you%26#39;d better use nationales or departementales roads (speed limit 90 km/hr) .

Anyway, you%26#39;ll have enough time to visit the nicest parts in Burgundy and Alsace .

Anne

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www.viamichelin.com will help you plan your route, giving you distances, driving times %26amp; costs.

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You cn definitely get at least a %26quot;highlights%26quot; tour of both regions in a week. I would prefer to pick one or the other and probably one or at most two locations as a base and really explore that region in a bit more depth. Both areas have much to offer but my preference would be for Burgundy which has so much to offer — lovely villages, magnificent cathedrals and churches, historic châteaux, intereseting towns, splendid scenery (explore the Morvan as well as the vineyards), varied architecture of great interest, and of course some of the finest food and wine in the world.

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Thank you all for your input -- very helpful.

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We did something similar last year, but had a week in each region (both of which we%26#39;ve visited before). They make a nice contrast, but I%26#39;m inclined to agree with others that you%26#39;d enjoy it more if you explore just one region in more depth. Which one to go for depends on your personal %26#39;wish list%26#39; for holidays. I%26#39;d probably choose Alsace for scenery and absolutely beautiful villages (and the museums in Mulhouse), while Burgundy wins out on food and drink (especially wine) and museums in Dijon and Beaune. Hmm, probably Burgundy - I really don%26#39;t %26#39;do%26#39; choucroute garni!

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In our experience this sounds like a bit much. I%26#39;d recommend staying longer in Burgundy. But this is a big enough place. There%26#39;s plenty to see and do there - http://www.burgundyeye.com/travel-info/ - why not just do Paris and Burgundy!

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I think you will find you will spend 40% of your time driving, 3 entire days driving in your car when your time is added up. Personally, I don%26#39;t think it%26#39;s worth it for a 6 or 7 day trip.

You can squeeze in Paris to Burgundy and back, but remember, it%26#39;s a 3 to 4 hours drive from Paris to the heart of Burgundy. You can squeeze in Paris to Strasbourg and back, but it%26#39;s a 6 hour drive each way.

Burgundy is fantastic, but Alsace is vastly underrated and undervisited by Americans. My wife and I absolutely adore Alsace.

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