While places like Paris and London are staples on everyone's travel bucket list, these "three C's" destinations are worth a trip when visiting France and England.
- Colmar; this storybook quaint town in the Alsace area offers the best of French and German influences, with quiet canals and half timbered houses. Conveniently located along the Alsatian wine route, it’s only 40 miles from Strasbourg and due west of the Vosges Mountains. Many of the streets are “pedestrian-only”, which makes it the perfect town to visit by train.
- Chester: This historic charming gem in Cheshire is arguably the richest city in Britain for archaeological and architectural treasures. The walls that encircle this medieval city constitute the most complete city walls in Britain. In fact one can use the footpaths that run along the top of the walls. As an old Roman settlement, their Grosvenor Museum includes an impressive collection of Roman tombstones. For animal lovers, Chester ranks as the UK’s number 1 zoo. Another unusual landmark of this town is “The Rows”; basically buildings with shops on the lower level of the streets, and are entered by taking stairs. Plenty of cozy pubs abound which makes it a nice stopover if heading to Manchester or Liverpool.
- Carcassonne: A UNESCO World heritage site, this is a fortified French town in the Languedoc-Roussillon region. Only 5-10 minutes from the rail station, the fortress has 53 towers and even a drawbridge. The actual town (La Ville Basse) sits at the shadow of La Cite (citadel). The historic Canal du Midi runs through it and well worth a half day trip. It does have some quaint shops and restaurants; however I would stay in the citadel. And yes, there are plenty of souvenir shops in the walled city, but what do you expect from an attraction that draws 3 million visitors a year? 2 excellent hotels within the walls are the Hotel de la Cite and the Hotel le Donjon, both conveniently in the center of the medieval citadel. And when the visitors depart at the end of the day, the quiet cobblestone streets are yours to explore. If you have a car, the town of Limoux is a short drive, and famous for its sparkling wine. The local vintners swear it rivals champagne.
