Dijon or Beaune as a base?

[flennie]

I am planning a week in Burgundy for early October. I will be traveling with my girlfriend who will arrive from Japan (we will first meet in Paris). I thought I had decided on Beaune as a base until I read that it could be overrun by tourists, with English spoken everywhere. Is Dijon less touristy than Beaune? I would rather hear French than English.

I'm thinking of renting a car for 2-3 days to visit Saumur-en-Auxois and smaller villages (to be named). We will most likely get a vacation rental apartment. I would like to stay in an area with easy parking and not congested. I have navigated in France but never driven there myself, so somewhat apprehensive about driving.

What are the pros and cons of making Beaune or Dijon the base? Thanks!

 

[aap519]

We were in Dijon in the fall of 2015, while PaulaVA from SlowTalk was in Beaune on a wine tour. We later met up with Paula and Tom in Sainte-Agnès, France. I am not sure if Paula is a member here yet, but I will PM her email to you so she can tell you about Beaune. I do remember there was bus service between Dijon and Beaune, since you mentioned driving.

Since Dijon is a bigger village, yes there were tourist. It wasn't overwhelming like you see in Paris, Lyon, Nice...etc.. There's a lot to see in Dijon. It's the former capital of the Dukes of Burgundy, and they have a marked walking trail called the Owl's Trail to follow to show you all the sites. My wife and I really enjoyed Dijon and wouldn't hesitate to go there again.

I hope that helps

 

[Kathy]

I had the impression of Dijon as a small city (population about 150,000 and with a big university) vs. Beaune, a town (population 22,000). Beaune is the center of the wine industry in Burgundy. We stayed in the countryside (near Pouilly-en-Auxois) and visited both Beaune and Dijon as day trips. We preferred our day trip to Beaune but were glad we visited Dijon. I think it depends on what you're looking for.

We still remember our lunch at this place: http://www.fermederolle.fr/ It was in the countryside up above the Route des Grand Crus.

 

[Ian Sutton]

We just did lunch in Beaune, which was very pleasant, but definitely a destination for people wanting a historic small town, plus as a base for the almost cult-like interest in Burgundian wines. For me as a non-French speaker (I studied at school but wasn't very good) it was good that I could speak English. We didn't visit Dijon.

On the way back from Italy we stayed overnight in St Gengoux le National, and this might appeal more, being a decent sized village with enough village facilities to survive on, some history and some good walking (and cycling) nearby. Of modest tourist impact (but quite charming in it's way), you should be able to speak French freely without someone automatically speaking English back.

We stayed in a place run by an English (Yorkshire) couple who are keen cyclists now they can't do fell-running. We had a look at their apartment and it looked good - ideal for two, but could work for a small family. It's called Etape Robinson.

The French used to have an awful reputation for driving amongst Brits, but on balance I'd say that's unfair. Nothing to choose between them IMO... however the French roads, especially the toll roads are better maintained, and with much less traffic than their English counterparts. The toll charges are modest, so I'd recommend taking the toll roads, though the folks at Etape Robinson are happy to advise which normal roads are just as good, as would most other locals I expect.

regards
Ian

 

[Fletch]

We stayed in Beaune for a week in 2009 and really enjoyed it.
Our apartment was right in the walled area so very easy to walk to the market, restaurants and wine cellars as well as major sites.

We had a car and a parking permit came with the apartment. We could always get a park in the street although we were also given a permit for a parking garage which we didn't need to use.
The owners also have other cottages in different small towns, 10 minutes from Beaune that also look good.
http://www.graperentals.com/properties/vv.html
I did a review on slowtrav.
http://www.slowtrav.com/france/vr/review.asp?n=4055

Here is the blog from that week. Our backpack had been stolen in Barcelona and our computer was in it so the blog was written when we returned home so not very detailed.
http://thefletchers.com.au/The_Fletchers/France_2009/Entries/2010/8/10_Beaune,_Burgundy.html

 

[Pauline]

We spent a week in a village near Beaune a few years ago. I liked both Beaune and Dijon and would stay in either one. Beaune would be easier to get in and out for day trips.

 

[flennie]

Thanks everyone for the information and the recommendations for other locations, places to eat, blogs, etc. They will be really useful for my planning. Sounds like Beaune may be more convenient with a car.

 

[Chris]

I was with Pauline on that trip, and I agree. Between Dijon and Beaune, getting in and out of Beaune would be much more convenient with the car. But if your target is Saumur-en-Auxois, why not look for a place to stay there? I haven't been there (yet, although it's on my list of places I want to visit), but Google shows the drive from Beaune as 50 minutes, and from Dijon as a little more than an hour.

Especially if you're away from the cities, I find driving in France to be easier than here at home in California!

 

[Pauline]

... I'm thinking of renting a car for 2-3 days to visit Saumur-en-Auxois and smaller villages (to be named).

I think it is Semur-en-Auxois (or so Google Maps says). I've wanted to stay there too but have only seen it from the road driving by. I remember a vacation rental in that town, right on the river. I almost rented it once. One of the towns near there is a major pilgrimage center. I read about it in David Downie's book From Paris to the Pyrenees and wished I'd visited.

 

[Chris]

So it is! Saumur is a town in the Loire Valley.

 

[flennie]

Yes, Semur-en-Auxois. I did think of staying there, in a former convent now owned by a woman who offers French lessons to foreigners. But with a car, I can get there easily, although it takes almost an hour. And I also didn't want to move from one place to another in a week's stay in Burgundy. If Semur is worth staying longer than 2 nights and could serve as a base, I would consider it.

 

[Chris]

I doubt that you'll encounter mobs of tourists in either location in October, so maybe Beaune is a better choice. It is more central than Semur-en-Auxois. When I was in Burgundy with Pauline, Steve, and Shannon, we stayed in a small village just south of Beaune, but we were out driving here and there every single day. The wine road through Burgundy is beautiful. If your timing is right for fall color, it will be breathtaking. If I were you, I'd look into renting the car for your entire time. If you need an automatic transmission, be sure to arrange that in advance. Many of the smaller towns will only have standard transmissions available.

 

[flennie]

I made some progress in my planning: a reservation was made for an apartment within walking distance to l'Hospices de Beaune and an automatic car was reserved for 3 days. I plan to take the train to visit Dijon. Another day is planned for biking, provided the weather is good.

It may be irrational since I drive in LA everyday, but I am a little anxious about driving around Bourgogne. As crazy as the traffic is here, at least I'm familiar with LA drivers. I have no idea what French drivers are like. I'm hoping that I will encounter very few of them! A rond-point seems intimidating unless I'm the only one in it. I rode with my sister who drove in southwestern France many years ago and she'll never drive in Europe again because of the experience. Having had a manual shift did not help either as she stalled it several times in heavily travelled rond-points and honked by annoyed French drivers. I made sure to get an automatic this time.

Will a GPS be useful or will getting a general idea before heading out be sufficient (by following signs)? Looking at Google map for Semurs-en-Auxois, it looks like I just follow A6. I assume this is a toll road so I should have coins? How do you know where one can park in a town/village? If you have any useful tips for driving around, please share.

 

[Pauline]

We always rent an automatic because we are not used to a manual.

Driving in France is less stressful than driving in Italy. The roads are not as busy. The area around Beaune was easy driving. For the autoroute you sometimes have to pay. Make sure to go to the line that takes cash. The signs are clear. You can put coins and bills into the machine. I think I have some photos of toll booths. I look for them and post them.

Roundabouts are tricky but you will get used to them. Cars in the roundabout have priority. Cars coming from your left, the drivers side, have priority. Wait for a break in traffic and take your turn. If you can't figure out your exit, go around again. If someone beeps because you are being slow, don't worry about it.

We always bring our Garmin GPS. Sometimes it makes me mad because it takes us down really small roads, but many times it has saved us. Bring paper maps too (Michelin) to use at the same time. Remember that you navigate by town names, so know the towns on the route you are taking.

You do have to remember that some drivers assume the person coming from the right always has priority. I don't think this is the law now, but it used to be.

 

[Pauline]

I remember my first time driving in LA. I was totally freaked, but I got used to it and was very pleased with myself for coping!!

 

[aap519]

Basically what Pauline said. They only place it got a little hectic for me was in Nice driving on the promenade around central Nice or Massena due to all the people crossing the road. In Nice I always parked in a garage. Other places I just parked where everyone else was parking.

(Tip) I have a roundabout near me here in Chicago. I just stay in the outside lane so I can easily turn on any street.

The only other thing I can think of is the basic insurance I bought had a $1000 euro deductible, so I upgraded the insurance to zero deductible.

I used my phone for a GPS.

You shouldn't have any problem if you drive in LA.

 

[flennie]

Are Michelin paper maps necessary? I read that advice somewhere too but wonder if it still applies if one has access to Google map. I have T-Mobile which I can use to access data although it will be too slow for navigation. I akso use CityMaps2Go offline map so I expect at least to be able to locate myself and find out nearby places.

My French teacher says if I drive on 10 lane freeways here, it should be easy in France.

 

[flennie]

Augie, I did not get anything extra for auto insurance from Europcar. I will use my Chase Preferred cc so will be declining the Collision Damage waiver. Should I consider more than that?

Also was there a convenient place to put your phone in your rental car? Did you get a French SIM for your phone? I may consider this option instead of renting a GPS or bringing my old Garmin.

 

[aap519]

I still buy Michelin paper maps through Amazon since I like to study the area, but they aren't really necessary if you have Google maps.

 

[aap519]

Augie, I did not get anything extra for auto insurance from Europcar. I will use my Chase Preferred cc so will be declining the Collision Damage waiver. Should I consider more than that?

Also was there a convenient place to put your phone in your rental car? Did you get a French SIM for your phone? I may consider this option instead of renting a GPS or bringing my old Garmin.

I am not sure on the insurance question with your Chase Preferred card. I just got the extra insurance because parking can be really tight in France and I've seen people bump the car in front and in back when pulling out of a parking space and I figured it wouldn't take many bumps to due $1000 worth of damage.

I had my Nokia phone back then and used a French SIM card. As I recall the GPS didn't use much data at all, but I had downloaded the maps before we left. My wife held the phone most of the time since she likes to watch it as we drive. I could put it up by the speedometer, but it would slide off on turns.