Canada_V

We're just starting the planning for a trip to France next June (2007). I know... I know... my family is mocking me affectionately for preparing so early! My philosophy though is the more research and preparation done now, the ironically less structured I'll need to be at the time, because I'll have enough knowledge to be spontaneous!

We are a family of 4 with two boys who will be 7 and 10 at the time. Where I've listed more then one activity, it probably means choice of... In particular, in Paris, the thought is for a 4 day museum/monument pass, so the specific museums don't have to be on those days...
Any thoughts? Thanks!!!

Thursday Flight from Toronto

6 nights in Paris - 4 day museum and monument pass
Fri: Arrive and settle
Sat: Bus or Boat Tour / Eiffel Tower
Sun: Versailles / Roller skating
Mon: Louvre / Catacombs
Tues: Orsay / Sewers
Wed: Pompineau / Arc De Triomphe

9 nights travelling - mostly staying in chain hotels
Thu: leave Paris at noon (Paris to Arras - 2 hrs)
Fri: Vimy (Arras to Caen - 3.5 hrs)
Sat: D-Day (Caen to Le Mans/Orleans - 2.5 hrs)
Sun: Chateaux (Orleans to Chartres - 1.25 hrs)
Mon: Chartres tour / Vineyard (Chartres to Amboise - 2 hrs)
Tues: Active day (Fantasy Forest or Bike?) (Amboise to Saumur - 1.5 hrs)
Wed: Troglodyte sites (zoo/castle) (Saumur to Poitiers - 1.5 hrs)
Thurs: Castle B&B (Poitiers to Sarlat - 3.5 hrs)
Fri: Canoe Trip
Sat: Oradour-sur-Glane / Caves (Sarlat to Aude Rental - 3 hrs)

7 nights in village rental in Aude area
Sun: R & R
Mon: Carcassonne 1 hr each way
Tues: Aqualand 1 hr each way
Wed: Pont du Gard 2 hrs each way
Thurs: Med Beach 1 hr each way
Fri: R & R

2 nights in hotels
Sat: Travel (Aude Rental to Hossegar - 3.75 hrs)
Sun: Beach Day (Hossegar to Bordeaux - 1.45 hrs)
Mon: Flight Home from Bordeaux

RonZ

Tuesday is a bad day for the D'Orsay, because the Louvre is closed.

In this 9 days of traveling it seems there are an awful amount of stops. Also, these time estimates don't include finding your way through towns, checking in and out of hotels, packing and unpacking, etc. Plus you have children to get organized. The more stops, the less quality time.

klondike

Is Poitiers because of a special B & B, or is there something in particular you want to see in Poitiers? Of all the towns mentioned, that is the one I would replace with another option, personally.

Sounds fun. You sound a lot like us...research while we wait for the next vacation and then go as the spirit moves us!

h0b0

Your time in Paris sounds fabulous. Head up to Monmarte if you can as well.

As to the 9 days traveling... Not to burst your bubble, but you've plenty of time to reconsider. We're just back from a 3 week trip that took us from Paris to Provence and then into Spain. We had our three children with us (ages 10, 10 and 12).

I *thought* getting out of the big cities and cruising around the countryside in a car would be welcomed. I was surprised when the kids balked at getting in the car again. (and we're real "outdoorsy" people)

I have to say - our best times were when we stayed several days at a time in one place.

The cars are SMALL and driving in a foreign country is stressful - but the roads in France are terrific. That said, it surprised me to hear the kids upset about "another car ride!"

They just don't enjoy "the scenery" like we do...

my .02 cents

h0b0

for the record -- I would seriously consider staying in Montpellier as part of a trip to France in the Future. (good base for access to many interesting places)

Canada_V

Thanks for the input!
The days in the Loire where I have a different location for 4 different nights in the Loire - maybe I'm better off picking a place to stop and using it as a base. We're ok with longish car rides (we live "in the country" where we drive 1/2 - 1 hour to do most things and my in-laws are an 8 hour drive away which we do a couple of times a year) but that said, that's a good perspective on driving every day - that maybe it's worse to drive a few hours every day then a lot of hours one day.
I've read some things on bike routes in the Loire that you can take in a couple of chateaux (I'm not sure how chateaux will go over with my boys! One ok, but after that, I don't think I'll know til they see one!).
As for Poitiers - there was a particular castle type B&B, but it was also on the agenda for a possible stop at Futurescope instead.
What are opinions on stopping in one place in the Loire as a base, then making a "run" for the Dordogne and staying there for a 3 days before heading south?
Thanks!

Canada_V

Another thought for hobo...
On driving - my husband and I have made 3 trips (pre-kids) to various parts of the UK, and I *loved* driving - even with the manual and the wrong side of the road. We have no anxiety about the driving part...
That said, I have to remember to keep my perspective (which is one reason for posting this and doing my early 'over' research) I also remember as a kid that my family were great drivers, and as a kid in the back seat... I would have happily cut that down! (Driving to Florida is a common thing from our area - my friends would muscle down in one long 20 hour trip... we would take a week and see the sites... I would have rather the 20 hours!) Hmmm - I'm giving myself my own advice!
The locations we are "working around" are my husband in particular wants to include Vimy and the D-Day beaches, and we would like the last week to be in the south. We can fly out of any of Bordeaux, Toulouse, Lyon, Nice, I think Marsailles (anywhere British Airways flys). I'd like to spend a day at the Atlantic beaches, but that is 'negotiable'. Any other thoughts?

thansk again!

Canada_V

Another question hobo (sorry I can't get my thoughts together!) What route did you take from Paris to Provence?

ira

Hi C,

>my family is mocking me affectionately for preparing so early! ...<

I usually start my planning a year in advance.

>What are opinions on stopping in one place in the Loire as a base, then making a "run" for the Dordogne and staying there for a 3 days before heading south?<

A much better idea.

I also suggest staying a few days in one place vs continuous driving.

aggieactuary

When I do the figures the 4 day Paris museum/monument pass doesn't seem worth it. I think it will be cheaper for you to buy individual passes to wherever you go.

You'd have to go to at least a handful of museums and monuments every day just to break even.

Canada_V

Re: the Museum pass. I was reading another thread on the "is the museum pass worth it" and I think I am sold on the 4 day pass for some of the non-strictly-$ reasons more then the strictly savings. Aside from lineup time savings, there are a couple of reasons I'm leaning towards a 4 day are 1) lineup times 2) one fixed cost means no daily "should we buy this now" decisions. For me, removing the stress of those small decisions is worth something (even if it turns out we could have spent fewer Euros). To me, the fixed cost gives me permission not to like a place ;-) If something turns out not to be what I expected, or too busy at that moment, I won't have to stick it out because I paid my money - considering the pass from the capital rather then the expense budget ;-) 3) taking a chance on visiting places we wouldn't have 'paid for' on their own 4)Option to revisit places, or break up a visit over several days. The museums listed were highlights, but there are other places that seemed interesting as well.

h0b0

Sorry I can't answer many of your questions, Canada V, but I have a couple of comments: We have done tons of car travel with our kids (we live in California) and it just occured to me that one huge factor for us is that we have three kids. The small cars in Europe (and rapidly growing kids) made it more uncomfortable for us than it might be for you with two. (just something I thought of) They're used to a car with a thrid row of seats so they can spread out.

My husband and I were just talking about the trip last night and we were both very surprised at how much our "outdoorsy" kids loved the big cities! He and I love coutntryside drives but they just loved the buzz of Paris, Montpellier, Barcelona, Sevilla. I thought it was going to be a relief to get out of the cities but it turned out to be the opposite - cities offered relief!

Re: travel from Paris to Provence... we took the hi-speed TGV (great fun!) to Avignon where we rented our car.

For the record, we had the Paris museum pass - I'm not sure it saved any money, but I liked having it and knowing we could get in any "fast" lines. I was a bit disappointed that they didn't honor it in some places - like the Natural History Museum (which was quite expensive, as I recall).

We ended up going into many fewer museums than I'd planned and ended up "wandering" in search of ice cream more than anything.