Going to Burgundy with Monsieur de Floride

Going to Burgundy with Monsieur de Floride

October 2007 for the Burgundy Wine Company Newsletter

Over the next few episodes we will provide suggestions on transportation, hotels, and restaurants, interrupted by a report from November’s Hospices de Beaune Auction.

Paris airport Charles deGaulle is the most obvious entry point choice for Americans. Beaune lies 340 km southeast, all by interstate. Lyon airport is only 175 km south of Beaune, and Geneva airport is 235 km east The Lyon airport is quite compact and if you can get a direct flight there you will save time and hassle – the traffic around Paris can be awful. Geneva is actually quite convenient and offers a nice scenic ride to Burgundy.

The major car rental companies are well represented and conveniently located a short walk from baggage claim – no buses are needed. Manual shift is de rigeur, but they do offer automatic transmissions for about double the price. Be sure to analyze in advance of your trip the insurance coverages that may or may not be provided by your own carrier, your credit card, or your rental car company. Carefully study the size of the cars being offered as European needs are considerably smaller than ours. You will have a tradeoff of fitting yourself and your luggage comfortably in a bigger car, but you may find that such big cars don’t fit on the small European cobblestone streets. GPS units are becoming more common and worth the expense - be sure have the car rental company employee set your unit to English.

The French interstates are very well maintained but quite often charge a toll. From Paris to Beaune expect to pay about 20 Euros in tolls. Many of the rental cars are Diesel (yellow sticker on the fuel port). The good news is that European cars get much better mileage than ours do, but be prepared to pay as much as seventy or eighty Euros for a tank of gas – don’t do the calculation – it is too depressing! Gas stations are fussy about the credit cards they accept – so have several – and be aware that some self serve stations only accept the European cards that have imbedded computer chips. Directional signage is fabulous, so even if you make a wrong turn there will be alternate routes offered on the next set of signs. Most street signs are easy enough to figure out, but it would be helpful to study the street sign descriptions on your maps.

If you prefer to take the train, there is a TGV (fast train) station inside the airport. If your timing is really good, you could be in Dijon within two hours of landing. If you land at the wrong time, it gets a bit complicated as to whether you connect through Paris (changing stations) or through Dijon (on to Beaune) or through Lyon (taking the local back to Beaune). The national transportation web site (SNCF) offers routing in English and better fares than the US based site. Once you get to Dijon or Beaune there are car rental agencies close by, but they keep inconvenient hours and are often closed for lunch and Sundays, and do not often carry bigger cars or automatics.

If you have a little time, a very civilized way to get settled is to check in to an airport hotel after your morning arrival, freshen up, and take the thirty minute RER local train into Paris for the day for less than ten Euros round trip. There are a dozen hotels near the train stations at the airport. Grab an early dinner, RER back to your airport hotel, get a good night’s rest, and travel in the morning when all of your transportation options are available.

David DeBenedictis

«Monsieur de Floride»