Extended Days From Paris

If you end up wanting to go back to the Normandy region and that is your second-to-last cruise stop, then see about getting off the ship at that port. That’s what we did, and it just took some advance paperwork before the cruise. We stayed for a few extra days and then made our way to Paris via train and did additional day trips from there.

Paris could easily take up 7 days with no day trips.

I’d just do one day trip or overnight, like to Reims/Champagne, see the beautiful town and amazing Cathedral, and tour 2-3 champagne houses.

Half day trip to Versailles could also be something.

Lux is cool. It reminds me of a cleaner, richer, soulless Paris. I had a good 24 hours there. Really pretty.

I wouldn’t do it as a day trip over other places.

Thanks for the input. We've been roughing out a potential itinerary and would appreciate some additional input on it.

We will be on the Viking Normandy Tour for one week. We'll take one week after the cruise. The below itinerary is what we're thinking about doing after the trip. Not sure if we'd fly in earlier and do some of this on the front end.


Leave for Paris
Walk around Paris
Board Cruise

Disembark River Cruise

Train to Bayeaux  (3 Hours)
Tour Bayeaux

Full Day Tour of Normandy
Bus Tour to Mont-Saint-Michel

1/2 Day Trip to Hanfleur

Train back to Paris (3 Hours)

Chateau Tour in Loire Valley from Paris All Day

Go to Versailles

Fly Home

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driving from Paris to Bayeaux

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Yes, a car would give much more flexibility. Have you rented there? Guess the concern is trying to navigate through a large city like that, and maybe the costs. Not sure where we'd rent one?

Thanks. Not sure where we'd look for a car yet, but good input.

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Yes, a car would give much more flexibility. Have you rented there? Guess the concern is trying to navigate through a large city like that, and maybe the costs. Not sure where we'd rent one?

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From Paris, no I haven't. I've driven in France before and its not a problem though.

If you have 2 people, even with gas prices then a small to medium rental car really isn't that expensive. Train tickets aren't as cheap as many make them out to be, I've been looking at train tickets to towns for my family of 5 and many of the trips to like Rheims are $50/ ticket each direction. So a rental car for 5 will be much cheaper.

Anyway, back on track. There's tons of rental car locations in cities. Often times what I do is leave early by myself and allow my wife and kids to finish packing, go get the car, and come back and pick them up. Then drive out of town. Its much easier then lugging gear around town to the rental car place.

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Airport.

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Definitely don't rent from the airport if you are in the city. There's probably 100 rental car locations around the city, maybe many more than that.

We are staying in the city a couple blocks from Notre Dame in November and there's a rental car place less than a couple blocks away. There's a garage across from our apt that's like 30euro a day we are probably going to use. We are going to see a chateau, go to Rheims, etc. We are a family of 5 so even with the garage price and what not, its going to make way more financial sense to drive around. Plus we have kids so it'll be a lot easier for me to pick them up from outside the apt and go then take multiple trains.

My main point was paris is like 3 hours by train from Normandy and like 3 hours by train to Loire valley. I bet its an awesome drive from Normandy to Loire valley also. There may be other options? I'm not sure? It looks like the train system goes through Paris for the most part, but I may be missing something.

Yeah I know. I'll have 3 kids though. I just looked again, and the cheapest ticket was $31 each way or $58 round trip. It looks like plugging in my kids its about $301 round trip for train tickets. I much prefer a rental car all things the same to have more freedom and my kids can nap or have a home base with the car.