After Paris, what would be a good stop on the way to Barcelona??
May 3rd, 2004, 02:26 AM
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After Paris, what would be a good stop on the way to Barcelona??
We have 2 days extra to stop anywhere in France en route to Barcelona. We will be coming from a 4 day stay in Paris. Any suggestions?
May 3rd, 2004, 03:53 AM
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One answer would be to stop... and start... at Paris Orly airport, where easyjet.com can fly you for fares as low as 34.99 euro (plus 16 euro in taxes) per person. You can't begin to drive it for that little, with over 50 euro in tolls and perhaps 80-ish in gasoline (per viamichelin.com)
By train, you could end up paying twice the (lowest) easyjet fare at about $145 USD, per railsaver.com
So, I would fly, and use the two days day-tripping up in the foothills of the Pyrenees - - Montserrat or Seu d'Urgell, for example.
But train stops could include Avignon or Montpellier (while on the TGV; well, actually the transfer is actually AT Montpellier), or Sete or Collioure, after.
I must be missing something about the suggestion from mgmargate, proposing that you head in the opposite direction to get to Spain from Paris.
Best wishes,
Rex
By train, you could end up paying twice the (lowest) easyjet fare at about $145 USD, per railsaver.com
So, I would fly, and use the two days day-tripping up in the foothills of the Pyrenees - - Montserrat or Seu d'Urgell, for example.
But train stops could include Avignon or Montpellier (while on the TGV; well, actually the transfer is actually AT Montpellier), or Sete or Collioure, after.
I must be missing something about the suggestion from mgmargate, proposing that you head in the opposite direction to get to Spain from Paris.
Best wishes,
Rex
May 3rd, 2004, 04:29 AM
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Well, yes, I am an American, and when I wanted to go to Normandy, I went to Normandy.
But this is a travel logistics question.
Paying homage at Epinal or Gettysburg or the USS Arizona might be good ideas also, but they're not on the way from Paris to Barcelona!
But this is a travel logistics question.
Paying homage at Epinal or Gettysburg or the USS Arizona might be good ideas also, but they're not on the way from Paris to Barcelona!
May 3rd, 2004, 04:37 AM
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Normandy might not be "on the way to barcelona" but millions of people still make time to go there on their way elsewhere.Many people only travel to france once in their lifetime and do not have the opportunity to catch a location the next time.
May 3rd, 2004, 04:53 AM
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Have you booked your Paris-Barcelona flights already?
It seems a little strange to book flights, yet leave 2 days unaccounted for. Maybe you'd be better just to spend the 2 extra days in Paris, after all, I'm sure you'll find plenty of things to amuse you there.
If you haven't booked the flights already, then I'd fly down to Nice, spend a night or two there, or thereabouts, then fly on to Barcelona. Or maybe I'd fly to Madrid for two nights, and take the train or fly to Barcelona.
If you could advise the exact situation and your budget, I'm sure people will be able to give more specific responses, even those that suggest the Normandy beaches.
It seems a little strange to book flights, yet leave 2 days unaccounted for. Maybe you'd be better just to spend the 2 extra days in Paris, after all, I'm sure you'll find plenty of things to amuse you there.
If you haven't booked the flights already, then I'd fly down to Nice, spend a night or two there, or thereabouts, then fly on to Barcelona. Or maybe I'd fly to Madrid for two nights, and take the train or fly to Barcelona.
If you could advise the exact situation and your budget, I'm sure people will be able to give more specific responses, even those that suggest the Normandy beaches.
May 3rd, 2004, 05:24 AM
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Just to clarify that I have no intention of diminishing the importance of visiting any American war cemetery, here is the complete list:
http://www.abmc.gov/abmc2.htm
There are ten in total in France. Suresnes is the closet to Paris. Saint Avold is the largest (though still smaller than Manila).
Whatever out affinity for travel to/in Europe, a visit to http://www.wwiimemorial.com might also be an appropriate travel destination to those who wish to pay homage to the "Greatest Generation" (Brokaw's term, not mine - - neither agreeing, nor disagreeing with it).
http://www.abmc.gov/abmc2.htm
There are ten in total in France. Suresnes is the closet to Paris. Saint Avold is the largest (though still smaller than Manila).
Whatever out affinity for travel to/in Europe, a visit to http://www.wwiimemorial.com might also be an appropriate travel destination to those who wish to pay homage to the "Greatest Generation" (Brokaw's term, not mine - - neither agreeing, nor disagreeing with it).
May 3rd, 2004, 05:44 AM
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With no disrespect to those who were killed in action, and their families, on a leisure holiday, what is the purpose in visiting a cemetary of people, who to you are unknown?
These places are not like Westminster Abbey where one can see famous names, these are devoted to those who died in action. These people should, and indeed are remembered for what they have done, but to spend two days walking around a modern cemetary has a rather dull, if morbid feel to it.
These places are not like Westminster Abbey where one can see famous names, these are devoted to those who died in action. These people should, and indeed are remembered for what they have done, but to spend two days walking around a modern cemetary has a rather dull, if morbid feel to it.
May 3rd, 2004, 06:02 AM
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mk2: you may not have intended to insult people but you surely did. My father was a prisoner of war for 2 years at Stalag 17b and my stepfather landed at omaha beach. General Theodore Roosevelt jr. is one of 3 medal of honor reciepents among the almost 10,000 americans buried there killed in action helping to liberate the french people from the nazi's. REX: Thank you for the helpful info for someone who may not think that going to Normandy is a waste of vacation time as mk2 suggests.
May 3rd, 2004, 06:13 AM
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It seems to me we need to know how Valmoon plans to get to Barcelona (obviously he/she isn't planning to fly at this point) before suggesting stops along the way.
Normandy really isn't the logical choice if you look at a map. It's a long way to Barcelona from Paris whether you're going by train or by car. Stopping in Normandy for even one night leaves too long a trip ahead.
If Valmoon is driving, I'd suggest the first night around Sarlat and the second in Collioure. If he/she is taking the train, I'd suggest the first night in Toulouse, second in Narbonne.
Normandy really isn't the logical choice if you look at a map. It's a long way to Barcelona from Paris whether you're going by train or by car. Stopping in Normandy for even one night leaves too long a trip ahead.
If Valmoon is driving, I'd suggest the first night around Sarlat and the second in Collioure. If he/she is taking the train, I'd suggest the first night in Toulouse, second in Narbonne.
May 3rd, 2004, 06:27 AM
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StCirq: you are correct that Normandy is not logistically the best place to go but in our travels there are sometimes other forces that can drive our choice of destinations.I believe that any american who has the opportunity to travel to Normandy has an obligation to pay homage to the fallen.I also believe that every French citizen has the same obligation.
May 3rd, 2004, 06:43 AM
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<<I believe that any american who has the opportunity to travel to Normandy has an obligation to pay homage to the fallen>>
I really do think that you and I are on different pages on this, and in fact, I don't think that the remarks by m_k2 (which normally seem seem so VERY "off-planet" to me) are not excessively cynical. What does a cemetery mean when you have no personal connection to it? For what it's worth, I found every bit as interesting a small unmarked <b>German</b> soldiers' cemetery, not far from Pointe du Hoc.
And even though I mentioned the new WWII memorial, I think that only a modest number of Americans should feel any obligation to go there.
I have been to Colleville-sur-Mer, and to Pointe du Hoc and to Arromanches, and to Ste Mere Eglise, and even WITH a personal connection to the 82nd Airborne, it wasn't like what some people might call a "religious" experience; all of those places were important landmarks, historically, but not shrines to me, and I don't think that I am more or less respectful of my forebears for thinking so.
Birthplaces - - of people, ideas, technology and organizations - - are every bit as hallowed to me as final resting places. I wouldn't evangelize anyone else to think that THEY "have" to go to the places I deem important.
We've gotten conisderably afield from the original question asked by valmoon. It will be interesting to see more follow-up on how these days fit into the itinerary - - and what, if any, of this info is useful in making the plan.
I really do think that you and I are on different pages on this, and in fact, I don't think that the remarks by m_k2 (which normally seem seem so VERY "off-planet" to me) are not excessively cynical. What does a cemetery mean when you have no personal connection to it? For what it's worth, I found every bit as interesting a small unmarked <b>German</b> soldiers' cemetery, not far from Pointe du Hoc.
And even though I mentioned the new WWII memorial, I think that only a modest number of Americans should feel any obligation to go there.
I have been to Colleville-sur-Mer, and to Pointe du Hoc and to Arromanches, and to Ste Mere Eglise, and even WITH a personal connection to the 82nd Airborne, it wasn't like what some people might call a "religious" experience; all of those places were important landmarks, historically, but not shrines to me, and I don't think that I am more or less respectful of my forebears for thinking so.
Birthplaces - - of people, ideas, technology and organizations - - are every bit as hallowed to me as final resting places. I wouldn't evangelize anyone else to think that THEY "have" to go to the places I deem important.
We've gotten conisderably afield from the original question asked by valmoon. It will be interesting to see more follow-up on how these days fit into the itinerary - - and what, if any, of this info is useful in making the plan.
May 3rd, 2004, 08:37 AM
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mgmargate: I appreciate your family history as well as the significance of the D-Day beaches and memorials - have been several times myself - but you appear to be trying to force a rather senseless itinerary on someone who just asked for some basic information.
I could argue that anyone traveling by car from Paris to Barcelona has an obligation to stop at Oradour-sur-Glane on the way, which would also be senseless.
I don't see this as an instance of "any American who has an opportunity to go to Normandy" (and how do you know Valmoon is American, anyway? I see it as a simple question of where best to stop for two nights on the way from A to B.
I could argue that anyone traveling by car from Paris to Barcelona has an obligation to stop at Oradour-sur-Glane on the way, which would also be senseless.
I don't see this as an instance of "any American who has an opportunity to go to Normandy" (and how do you know Valmoon is American, anyway? I see it as a simple question of where best to stop for two nights on the way from A to B.
May 3rd, 2004, 11:52 AM
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Perhaps the amazing seaside resort town of San Sebastian in northern Spain, or Pamplona if you're going around the time of the Feria de San Fermin.
Biarritz in France is also cool seaside resort town.
Biarritz in France is also cool seaside resort town.
May 3rd, 2004, 04:19 PM
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Guys, We plan to take the eurail from PAris to Barcelona but I didn't want to spend too many days in Barcelona so I was wondering if there could be other areas in France I could visit that will still enable me to catch a train to Barcelona. Did you say that flying is much cheaper than rail? I will check out the website of easy jet.
May 3rd, 2004, 05:30 PM
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We took the TGV from Paris to Montpellier on the way to Barcelona. It's a college town with a quaint pace of life, some good restaurants, and a pretty nifty tram to check out the town. It's also home to one of the oldest medical schools in the world and had a free museum on the premises. We spent a day there and had a good time. I would vote for a day, or two, in Montpellier. We had a really nice dinner in a converted chapel. I can look for the name if you want. send me an email.
