And here I am. I haven't biked anywhere in Burgundy (I bike in Paris and the nearby countryside) but there are many bike trails that I am aware of in that area. This website should get you familiar with them and there is indeed a bike trail that runs south from Beaune into the vineyards that I know is lovely and an easy ride.


burgundy-by-bike.com/la-carte-du-tour-de-bou…

I belong to a forum where one of our members did that bike trail and wrote a report about it (actually a report about 2 days in Beaune including a bike ride) that is full of pictures and descriptions so you can have a look:

anyportinastorm.proboards.com/index.cgi…

The part about the bike trail through the vineyards starts in post #10 and there is also mention of where to rent your bikes in Beaune. Have a look at the Beaune tourist office website and you'll find out more:

http://beaune-burgundy.com/

There is loads and loads of useful info on that website about everything you could want to see and do in that area.

Now, let me make a few comments on your trip. On your first day you drive from Paris to Troyes, to Dijon and then to Autun and that's at least 5 hours of driving non-stop without including your visits in Troyes and Dijon. Nothing wrong with that if that's what you like but I've been told driving in Dijon can be a real pain right now because they are installing a new tramway and there is road work everywhere so I'd allow some extra driving time there.

You mentioned how you are interested in seeing beautiful countryside and to that end I'll offer you an alternative on your first day. I love exploring the country backroads and finding charming small villages and beautiful landscapes to visit and I've written a report about doing that in Burgundy that is full of photos and descriptions and this might be an alternative on your first day if you really want to see some beautiful countryside. Here is the link to my report:

http://tinyurl.com/6dkeozh

Keep in mind there are dozens of other options I could suggest if this type of driving interests you but most of the places I visited in this report aren't too far from the main highway between Paris and Beaune/Dijon. So it's convenient in that you see some pretty countryside and charming villages without straying too far from the highway. I could suggest other alternatives but I don't want to confuse you with too many decisions. Just wanted to give you something to think about.

One other thing. To do this type of driving you're going to need a good map and I would suggest the Michelin map of the scale 1:200,000.

The Michelin maps have icons for all kinds of historically/touristically interesting things such as châteaux, ruins, churches, abbeys, scenic view points, caves, Roman sites, megaliths, designated scenic roads and many other things. Usually when I'm exploring various regions in France I just look at the map and I am able to plan interesting and scenic drives just reading the map. For instance, I usually look for a designated scenic road, which are highlighted in green, and I especially look for towns with the historic church and/or château icon. I also try to make sure the route goes through as many small villages as possible. Usually putting all these things together I find interesting and scenic drives without even knowing where I am going and with no assistance from a guide book. Often these places are never mentioned in guidebooks and remain completely unknown to many tourists.



You can buy the Michelin maps from their website and here is a link to the page that shows all of the maps of France: http://tinyurl.com/4bt96ev

The Burgundy Map (Bourgogne) is #519.

You could also buy the maps here but then you can't do research beforehand. The maps can be bought here in many places such as bookstores, news stands, magazine stores, larger supermarkets, department stores, hypermarkets and in the full service rest areas on the autoroutes, just to name a few.

Speaking of Michelin, you can go to the website viamichelin.com and get info on drive times and distances, toll and fuel costs and suggested routes (i.e. scenic routes). The drive times given do not consider stops (fuel, food, bathrooms) nor do they consider bad weather and traffic.

Here is some other general advice for you. You should google some of the town/tourist office websites for any towns you may want to visit. You will find loads of info on these websites including hotel/accommodation and restaurant info as well as what to see and do in the area. Occasionally the websites have English versions. In doing a google search enter the name of your town followed by the words "site officiel" or "office de tourisme" and this will bring the town to the top of your search. Another thing I like to do to see if a town may be worth visiting is enter the town name in a google search followed by the word "photos". Sometimes I visit a town if I find it looks charming/interesting in photos.

Hope this helps and good luck. :)