Fall colors in France/Austria?

[simon_hughes1]

I'll be in France (Burgundy, Provance areas) and then Austria

(Salzburg through to Vienna) from Sept 19th through Oct 11th and I'm

wondering whether I'll see any good color, or will that be too early?

 

Also, any other "must see" sights on these routes would be welcome.

[kaiblanke]

No, the time will be about right, depending on where you are exactly and how high you are - the lower parts of the provence may still have summer while in the mountains in Austria the snow already starts to fall.

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About Colors: Especially the wineyards will provide you with nice colors. Try to look around in Burgundy, the Provence (and not only the coast there, but also the mountains 20-40 km away from the shore), the Cote d'Azur and the mountains in between. If you have the time, do not take the Route Nationale through the RHone Valley, but rather try to drive 100 km more in the west through the French Alps - much more scenic albeit a lot slower.

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In Austria the Wachau is definitely a must - but also the mountains (try the Koenigssee/Watzmann region just across the german border for one of those touristic views early in the morning) and the Salzkammergut with the Wolfgangssee, Attersee and others. You have chosen some of the most scenic areas of Europe with lots of nice places. Naming them would probably lead too far here, a good travel guide would lead you there (no lonely planet, rather try a DuMont or such - they include also good pictures and cultural background).

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Hope this helps for the first days - enjoy the wine, the food, the people, the scenery and the culture !

[david_henderson]

There's a surprising amount of colour in northern Provence- the

vineyards can go red and the fruit orchards too are often very

colourful. But you're going to be a long way too early for the best

colour i'm afraid- my trips there have been at the end of October

or even early November. The areas I've found interesting are

round Mont Ventoux; around the wine villages of Gigondas and

Vacqueyras for vines/fruit trees. In the hills above Buis les

Baronies; the upper Ouveze valley.

 

You may have better luck in Burgundy but if you're round there in

late sept/early October I think you'll be too early there too. Still it's

not as if these areas are unattarctive without autumn colour, is

it?