We just received a save-the-date for a friend's wedding in Bordeaux at the end of August. The wedding website states that we need to book tickets and accommodations fast. Although we were not going to take a European vacation this year due to the continuing declining dollar, if we're going to spend over a grand to get there, we might as well stay for a bit. We want to book our tickets ASAP, but need to decide where our final destination will be so that we can book the appropriate open jaw.

Any recommendations for a 7-10 day itinerary that makes sense starting in Bordeaux? We don't want to go to Paris; we worry Nice will be boring for that long; neither of us speak Spanish and aren't overly excited by Spain (though can be convinced otherwise). We're considering Morocco, but don't know if it makes sense in terms of cost to get there, things to do, etc. Don't want anything too expensive. Also looking for tips on flights to any recommended destination, lodging, etc. One of us is SPG Gold and United 2P.

Great thread for our friends in the FT France Forum.
Please follow there.
Thanks...
Obscure2
TravelBuzz Moderator

Maybe make a long driving trip, starting in Bordeaux and drive to Lyon and up to the Beaune/Dijon area before heading back. I'd stop in Limoges either on the way out or back. There is quite a bit to do on that route, and you'd be getting a quick tour of some of the major wine making areas in France, not to mention the regional cheeses you'll be able to try.

Or, you could get a flight into Germany, although I expect that might be pricey from BOD.

Give us an idea of what you're interested in. History? Mountains? Drinking wine? Sitting in cafes? Do you want to do a road trip (one-way hire is expensive, one-way hire to another country and you'll need to sell a kidney) or zip about Europe on low-cost airlines?

If you're into walking, a trip to the Pyrenees is a must. You could also do some wine tasting around Bordeaux. I've never been too impressed with the C�te d'Azur - full of posers in my experience, but YMMV.

Don't write off Spain. Bilbao, Madrid & Barcelona are fantastic cities, if you're into city-breaks. You've also got Europe's ever-expanding Eastern borders to explore - nowhere's more that a couple of hours flight away (though there's not a huge choice of direct flights).

Be aware that most of France is on holiday for most of August. This means that (a) nothing's open, and (b) everyone's at the beach and (c) they're all trying to get there down the same roads as you (along with the British, Dutch and Germans driving down to the south coast).

Argh, forgot about Holiday -- is France on holiday still true in early September? I don't think we'll be on the road until after September 2 (wedding is multi-day).

I would say that we are casual tourists: we're not history buffs, don't enjoy the average tour, are wine lovers but not wine connoisseurs. On the other hand, anything related to these that is done spectacularly would appeal to us. One thing we really enjoy is food. We favor local casual dining over Michelin ratings.

Perhaps some more specific background is in order: Our initial thoughts involved a bike tour of the Loire Valley's wine country, but we found $3k for a week to be pricey enough to think twice about. Our next idea was to travel to Morocco, spending five days in Marrakech and a couple days in Casablanca. We've received some advice that this isn't enough time to explore Morocco, and have lingering concerns about safety there.

I would be absolutely remiss if I didn't close by thanking you for your help. The Pyrenees suggestion is a great one, and we'll be considering it. Any more advice?

$3k for a week does sound a lot. I'm not much of a cyclist, but I would be inclined to hire bikes independently and then make your own itinerary. I'm sure there will be a cycling forum somewhere where you can get suggestions. In fact some friends of mine went to a wedding (also in Bordeaux) last summer and spent the following week on a tandem exploring the region. Sounded quite fun! There are luggage forwarding companies if you're looking to do a one-way trip.

I wouldn't worry too much about safety in Morocco. Yes, there's petty crime, but the most troublesome thing is likely to be the hassle from everybody who wants to be your 'guide'. As long as you have your wits about you, it's nothing to be concerned about.

Enough time? Well, however long you spend it's not enough time... But there are plenty of people who go there for a long weekend, so you'll probably see more than many. There's some useful info on getting around in Morocco here:

http://www.seat61.com/Morocco.htm

Pyrenees, as I said, are great, But if you're going to Morocco you may get tempted by the Atlas Mountains... Great food there too. But then there's also great food wherever you look in France. Too many choices - you're making me jealous now!

School starts on September 2, so after that you should be fine (at least, as far as the French are concerned--I don't know what the schedules are like for tourists from other countries).

have you toured the french countryside yet? if not, get a michelin green guide and rent a car. travel from one 3* site to another. stay in B&B's.

my wife and i have not yet finished doing the countryside. we have done about 24 weeks of it. still have about 10 weeks of travel to get to all the rest.

countryside is great, not so crowded, very much less expensive, very nice people(don't know about new bush era).

We just returned from our wedding and trip to France and could not have had a better time! Thank you all for your recommendations last spring -- I have never done a driving trip abroad, so would not have considered the pyrenees or French countryside without your suggestions. We ended up doing a few days in the Pyrenees, staying in the mountain range. I found it difficult to figure out in advance how everything is related to each other, so we had to do a lot of driving, but the area was breathtaking. I definitely want to go back - we did not have time to do this one hike or the tall train. Then we spent two nights at La Benjamine btwn Pau and the Pyrenees, which was wonderful. Then we went up to the wedding in St. Emilion which was a 3 day affair with planned events. Spectular. Then the Dordogne, Bordeaux, and a couple days in the haut-medoc. The Dordogne was just fabulous and great value, even with the weak dollar. We ate 3-course meals with foie gras at least once a day, sometimes twice. Definitely going back sometime if/when (knock on wood) the dollar appreciates and can get a good airfare. Thanks FT!