I’ve been thinking about the Beaune and Arbois itinerary that I posted – since it’s definitely the next trip I want to take. I probably think about it too much. I want to take that trip with Ryan, since he’s my favorite travel partner and he’s fast becoming quite well-traveled! We’re not even halfway through 2018 and he’s already been to Mexico, Israel, Ireland and Portugal! So, it got me thinking – if we do this trip, how could we go to France without him seeing Paris? Amongst us travelphiles, wouldn’t that be violating some kind of travel rule? To deny a first-time France –goer the opportunity to see Paris?! So I realized there needs to be a happy medium to this trip – and voila! Find it below. A mixture of the best of Paris (you’ll see a lot of the same items from my original Paris itinerary) and a shortened exploration of the Beaune and Arbois areas.
A quick note on timing – my thinking is that this would be a great trip to do over Labor Day in September, which is why I have this trip starting on Friday. Many offices get out early on Friday in advance of a Monday holiday anyway AND you don’t have to use a vacation day for Monday!
DAY 1 / Arrive Paris
- Afternoon: Get settled and have a picnic
- Arrive Paris, get settled at Le Meridien Etoile (It’s a Starwoods property so I can use my Starwoods points – I’ve stayed there before and it’s a beautiful hotel!)
- Take a walk, pick up some cheese and bread and make our way over to the Champ de Mars in front of the Eiffel Tower to have a picnic
- Evening: Marais Neighborhood
- Explore the Marais neighborhood, pick somewhere to have dinner and perhaps a glass of wine.
DAY 2 / Day in Paris
- Morning: Patisserie
- Wander into a patisserie and grab a pastry and coffee. Even better – visit Angelina Café next to the hotel for their famous hot chocolate and pastries.
- Mid Morning:Fat Tire Bike Tour
- 10:30am – Take a bike tour of the city. I’ve done their Day Bike tour multiple times and loved it.
- Afternoon: Explore Montmartre and the Sacre Coeur
- Evening: Dinner at Relais de L’Entrecote
DAY 3 / Arbois
- Morning: Train to Dijon
- 1.5 Hour Train Ride: Paris Gare de Lyon TGV Direct Train to Dijon Ville
- There is an average of 21 trains a day between Paris and Dijon, leaving approximately every 40 minutes.
- Rent Car in Dijon, Drive 1 hour from Dijon to Arbois
- After arriving and settling in the AirBnB, visit the Tourist Office for information on what vineyards are open for visits and how to best find Le Chemin des Vignes
- Afternoon: Explore Arbois and Pupillin
- Pupillin– 3 km from town of Arbois, Pupillin and its outskirts are an historic wine-growing village area with restored houses decorated with floral decorations.
- Domaine de la Tournelle
- Lunch and afternoon glass of wine at Le Bistrot de la Tournelle – enjoy their beautiful back patio along the water.
- Walk Le Chemin des Vignes in Arbois
- Beautiful scenic walk – seems to have poor signage. Get information from the tourist office.
- Evening: Dinner Options
- Pupillin : Auberge Du Grapiot
- Arbois: La Finette Taverne d’Arbois
- Resembles a rustic hunting chalet and serves traditional hearty regional fare.
DAY 4 / Wine Tasting in Arbois & Poligny
- Morning: Breakfast in Arbois
- Late Morning/Afternoon: Wine Tasting and Local Favorites
- Use info from the Tourist Center and visit the vineyards!
- Make sure to try Vin Jaun and Comte cheese – both unique to the region
- Some wine-tasting options are:
- Domaine Daniel Dugois in nearby Montigny les Arsures
- Domaine Benoit Badoz
- Domaine de la Pinte
DAY 5 / Bike Rides, Picnics and Wine-Tasting in Beaune
- Morning: Drive 1 Hour to Beaune
- Mid Morning: Wander around Beaune and Visit the Beaune Market
- Wednesday and Saturday are their market days
- Pick up picnic fixins
- Afternoon: Vineyard and Village Bicycle Ride
- From Beaune, ride up the D18 and in about 10 minutes you’ll be riding by vineyards. It’s nice flat terrain. As you pass wine tasting rooms, stop and duck in for a taste. As you ride through Pernand-Vergelesses, make a right in the center of town and up the hill for a beautiful view and picnic spot. Visit Savigny les Beaune and Chorey les Beaune, etc.
- If there’s time, visit some vineyards along the Route Tourisitique des Grand Crus de Bourgogne.
- Evening: Dinner in Beaune and Drive back to Arbois
DAY 6 / Must see all the picturesque villages! Explore Countryside around Arbois
- Morning: Visit Baume-les-Messieurs
- About 35 minutes from Arbois – Called the one must-see village in all of the Jura
- Visit nearby Grottes de Baume-les-Messieurs – interesting caves
- Visit nearby Fromagerie Poulet H. and try some cheese!
- Afternoon: Visit Chateau-Chalon
- About 18 minutes from Baume Les Messieurs is the beautiful medieval village of Chateau Chalon located on a rocky cliff high above local vineyards. Great place for lunch time stop – wine shops – restaurants – vineyard walks – great views.
- Domaine Salvadori –If you call before, Monsieur Salvadori can arrange a tasting of his wines accompanied by delicious home-baked patisseries.
- Pop across the road to the cellar of Jean-Claude Credoz and sample the wine of a more modern wine-maker, who focuses on producing organic wines
- Evening: Dinner in Arbois
DAY 7 / Fly Home from Lyon
- (2 hour drive from Arbois)
Take the weekend to relax, do laundry, and get over jet lag before going back to work.
bikesandbordeaux.com 