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Started By
Message
Planning a France trip...
Posted on 6/12/23 at 8:30 am
Posted on 6/12/23 at 8:30 am
I am in the early planning phase for a family France trip. Would love to go w my parents, sister/BIL, and my family of 4 (with older children).
Planning Paris would be straightforward, but would love ideas that are off of most lists...or what to avoid.
I want to get out of Paris and see the countryside and coasts (including Normandy), any suggestions from the board on what should be included or excluded? Interested in Lyons for the food reputation.
TIA
Planning Paris would be straightforward, but would love ideas that are off of most lists...or what to avoid.
I want to get out of Paris and see the countryside and coasts (including Normandy), any suggestions from the board on what should be included or excluded? Interested in Lyons for the food reputation.
TIA
10
Posted on 6/12/23 at 8:51 am to geauxdroddz
Rennes and Saint Malo was great
Nice/Monaco is a fun time as well
Nice/Monaco is a fun time as well
Posted on 6/12/23 at 9:10 am to geauxdroddz
With a group that big, train tickets could start to add up. I'd usually take the train in France over a rental car, but 2 rental cars you may still come out ahead vs. train tickets for 8+
Posted on 6/12/23 at 10:17 am to H2O Tiger
I’d drive. Driving in France is super easy. Bayeux is a popular spot here and I would recommend driving there and spending a few days.
Posted on 6/12/23 at 10:39 am to kciDAtaE
Yep.
That is what we did.
That is what we did.
Posted on 6/12/23 at 10:47 am to geauxdroddz
We did a Viking River Cruise last November starting in Paris.
Later rented a car and drove back to Normandy. Touring Normandy after our Seine River cruise for a week was magical. One of the best trips we ever took.
We based in Bayeux. Stayed in the Le Grand Hôtel du Luxembourg. Nice accommodations. Reasonably priced. Centrally located. Great town with lots of restaurants, shopping, wine stores etc. Very nice cathedral.
Day trips to Pointe du Hoc, the museums at Sainte-Mère-Eglise and Caen. The bunkers at Longues-sur-Mer were truly amazing to see.
German Batteries
5 Must See Sites In Normandy
Normandy Bunkers
Drove 2 1/2 hours to Mont Saint Michel, a true bucket list location. On the way back, went to the gorgeous seaside town of Honfleur.
A week minimum is truly needed to see this amazing part of France in my book.
Selected Photos: France November 2022.
Later rented a car and drove back to Normandy. Touring Normandy after our Seine River cruise for a week was magical. One of the best trips we ever took.
We based in Bayeux. Stayed in the Le Grand Hôtel du Luxembourg. Nice accommodations. Reasonably priced. Centrally located. Great town with lots of restaurants, shopping, wine stores etc. Very nice cathedral.
Day trips to Pointe du Hoc, the museums at Sainte-Mère-Eglise and Caen. The bunkers at Longues-sur-Mer were truly amazing to see.
German Batteries
5 Must See Sites In Normandy
Normandy Bunkers
Drove 2 1/2 hours to Mont Saint Michel, a true bucket list location. On the way back, went to the gorgeous seaside town of Honfleur.
A week minimum is truly needed to see this amazing part of France in my book.
Selected Photos: France November 2022.
Posted on 6/12/23 at 11:22 am to geauxdroddz
Provence, specifically the region around the Luberon. This is probably one of my most memorable vacations in France as life slowed down here. Beautiful hilltop villages dotted throughout the region, which date back to the Roman times. Weather is spectacular. Landscape is beautiful surrounded by vineyards, orchards, and lavender fields in between the historic hilltop villages that dot the area. The villages are spectacular - from Bonnieux, Menerbes, and Gordes. Also the daily/weekly markets in L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue and Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, where you can shop for local produce or antiques, which Provence is specifically known for.
Head to the Grand Canyon of France for a day - Verdon Gorge, or the Pont du Gard to soak in the river. Head up to Châteauneuf-du-Pape or Gigondas to enjoy another wine region just a short drive away. The coast is a couple hours away as well - Saint-Tropez, Cassis and the Calanques are stunning.
We visited in September and booked a villa in Bonnieux with 5 people having a great time. Our place was just as old as the village with wide scaping views of the valley. We flew into Marseille and rented a car (which is a must to get around). You mentioned visiting Lyon, which is about 3 hour drive away. We drove, but a train from Avignon is an option to get around as well. Highly recommend on all accounts.
Head to the Grand Canyon of France for a day - Verdon Gorge, or the Pont du Gard to soak in the river. Head up to Châteauneuf-du-Pape or Gigondas to enjoy another wine region just a short drive away. The coast is a couple hours away as well - Saint-Tropez, Cassis and the Calanques are stunning.
We visited in September and booked a villa in Bonnieux with 5 people having a great time. Our place was just as old as the village with wide scaping views of the valley. We flew into Marseille and rented a car (which is a must to get around). You mentioned visiting Lyon, which is about 3 hour drive away. We drove, but a train from Avignon is an option to get around as well. Highly recommend on all accounts.
Posted on 6/12/23 at 12:05 pm to fatcatswag22
I'll second Provence. Did that summer of 2019. Flew in Paris and took the train to Avignon and got a car from there.
10 of us stayed in an amazing house in St Remy, which thank God had AC, because it was over 100 4 of the days we were there, with the hottest being 112. It's typically not that hot even in summer, but it was a hell of a heat wave that week.
We ventured out in the mornings and then made it back by mid afternoon to swim in the pool. We made it to Les Baux, Pont du Gard, Nimes, L'Isle-sur-la-sorgue, Gordes, Aix and few more I can't remember off the top of my head.
So many great vineyards within a short drive with great wine for ~$10/bottle. We went through a boatload of bottles of rose by the pool.
There are a lot of places in this world I want to see, but I would 100% go back there.
10 of us stayed in an amazing house in St Remy, which thank God had AC, because it was over 100 4 of the days we were there, with the hottest being 112. It's typically not that hot even in summer, but it was a hell of a heat wave that week.
We ventured out in the mornings and then made it back by mid afternoon to swim in the pool. We made it to Les Baux, Pont du Gard, Nimes, L'Isle-sur-la-sorgue, Gordes, Aix and few more I can't remember off the top of my head.
So many great vineyards within a short drive with great wine for ~$10/bottle. We went through a boatload of bottles of rose by the pool.
There are a lot of places in this world I want to see, but I would 100% go back there.
This post was edited on 6/12/23 at 12:15 pm
Posted on 6/12/23 at 1:54 pm to geauxdroddz
Don't rent from the rental agencies at Charles De Gaulle airport if you can avoid it. Take a train from Paris and rent at your next destination. They love to upcharge les Americains at CDG.
Posted on 6/12/23 at 4:17 pm to geauxdroddz
Definitely check out Mont St.Michel
Posted on 6/12/23 at 4:25 pm to fatcatswag22
quote:
Provence, specifically the region around the Luberon. This is probably one of my most memorable vacations in France as life slowed down here. Beautiful hilltop villages dotted throughout the region, which date back to the Roman times.
I worked in Provence for 3 years. I never got tired of the sights and lifestyle. Provence is an ideal spot to set up in a central location and take day trips by car to the sights - there are so many worth visiting.
That said, I also enjoyed my few days in Normandy and would like to return.
Carcassone is really nice, as is enjoying foie gras in the Dordogne. I think every region is worth a visit.
Posted on 6/12/23 at 6:03 pm to CharlieTiger
CharlieTiger and fatcatswag
How many nights total was your trip and did you have any other stays other than Provence
How many nights total was your trip and did you have any other stays other than Provence
Posted on 6/13/23 at 8:17 am to geauxdroddz
Provence seems to be a well liked region and I can add my name to that list with Charlie, swag22, and ChEgrad too. I worked out or Arles and it was an ideal location for a base.
I have worked in a number of the various regions and each has its strengths, but Provence stands above them. I admit to never getting to Normandy area and am planning that trip for next year.
One caution about the Provence region is to avoid the last 2 weeks of July and all of August. Too many tourists! Most working Europeans are required to take 2 or more weeks of vacation during this time. And many head to this area, making traveling difficult. A 2 hour drive from Arles to Limoges soared to a 6 hour drive - in early August.
I have worked in a number of the various regions and each has its strengths, but Provence stands above them. I admit to never getting to Normandy area and am planning that trip for next year.
One caution about the Provence region is to avoid the last 2 weeks of July and all of August. Too many tourists! Most working Europeans are required to take 2 or more weeks of vacation during this time. And many head to this area, making traveling difficult. A 2 hour drive from Arles to Limoges soared to a 6 hour drive - in early August.
Posted on 6/13/23 at 11:18 am to geauxdroddz
Really enjoyed Daniel et Denise for lunch and Brasserie le Sud (Paul Bocuse restaurant) for dinner in Lyon. There are a number of excellent dining spots, I’m sure others can chime in with good options as well. Lyon also had some really cool old churches that we toured, but we were only there two days.
If you are interested in Bordeaux, I would definitely check out Saint Émilion. We booked a day excursion there on Trip Advisor and it was awesome. They took us to three or four wineries and all around the old city where we could go off and have lunch on our own. If you are into history, it was really neat to see the huge monolithic church there and learn about the history of it, dating back to Roman Empire. We also found the people in the Bordeaux region to be the friendliest ones we encountered. Next trip to France, definitely spending more time in that area.
If you are interested in Bordeaux, I would definitely check out Saint Émilion. We booked a day excursion there on Trip Advisor and it was awesome. They took us to three or four wineries and all around the old city where we could go off and have lunch on our own. If you are into history, it was really neat to see the huge monolithic church there and learn about the history of it, dating back to Roman Empire. We also found the people in the Bordeaux region to be the friendliest ones we encountered. Next trip to France, definitely spending more time in that area.
Posted on 6/13/23 at 2:39 pm to PassGassed
quote:
How many nights total was your trip and did you have any other stays other than Provence
We stayed with my wife's family in St Remy for 8 days and then just my wife and our 2 kids went to Paris for 4 days after that.
Posted on 6/14/23 at 5:16 pm to PassGassed
quote:6 nights in Provence. We did two nights at a hotel in Avignon, 4 nights at a villa in Bonnieux, then drove to Lyon for one night where we caught a flight to Greece for a week. Ida threw a giant wrench into our Provence plans, which was to do 6-7 nights at the villa. All in all, a very special and fortunate trip.
How many nights total was your trip and did you have any other stays other than Provence
Posted on 6/15/23 at 8:56 am to geauxdroddz
If you want to see the countryside in France, the Loire Valley is not far from Paris - ~3 hr. drive. The Loire Valley has been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. LINK
Posted on 6/15/23 at 4:55 pm to geauxdroddz
Here is a link to my French Countryside blog from 2017. My wife and I flew in and out of Paris and drove (in a rental car) over 1,800 miles in 16 days. We tried to hit 4 (Loire, Bordeaux, Provence and Burgundy) of the major wine regions and mostly concentrated on food and wine. Both the wine and food were amazing.
The French Countryside 2017
It was a great trip. I second the recommendations on the Provence Region (Avignon), but also loved Amboise (Loire Valley), Bordeaux, Lyon (unreal food) and Beaune. Let me know if you have any questions.
The French Countryside 2017
It was a great trip. I second the recommendations on the Provence Region (Avignon), but also loved Amboise (Loire Valley), Bordeaux, Lyon (unreal food) and Beaune. Let me know if you have any questions.
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