France & Germany July/ Aug 2015, need help planning.
Jan 24th, 2015, 04:12 AM
#1
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France & Germany July/ Aug 2015, need help planning.
We are attending a wedding in Lucon, France the beginning of August. We need to plan 3 days for wedding festivities. While in Europe we want to see more of France and Germany. Is it better to travel in July or after the wedding, which would be August 2? We understand the month of August is a "holiday" month. Maybe someone can help us plan. We have several ideas and places marked to visit, but we aren't sure if we have enough time. We have estimated 10 days travel for all activities, including the wedding. Besides Lucon we want to see sites in Paris (Eiffle Tower, Lourve, outdoor markets), in Germany we want to see Rothenburg, Munich and Neuschwanstein castle. With this information should we fly into Paris, take a train to Nantes, rent a car for the 3 days in Lucon? From there we are not sure how we should travel to Germany, by train or rent a car? Any information would be helpful to us.
Jan 24th, 2015, 05:16 AM
#3
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Ten days is NOT enough for what you want to see/do.
First you cannot count the day you land (jetlagged and often mid day before you get to your hotel) nor the day you depart.
If it were me I would do the travel before the wedding - to avoid August travel - esp the first weekend when roads will be packed - and to give yourself a chance to acclimatize to all of the differences.
I would land in Munich and leave 5 full days (6 nights) to see Munich, a couple of Mad Ludwig's castles and then head for Rothenburg (overnight).
It would take most of a day to get from R to Lucon (Day 6)
Wedding 3 days (Days 7, 8 and 9)
Train back to Paris (4-5 hours on Day 10). May well be too late to get a flight out to the US that day - and not time in Paris.
So you either need to add more days or revise your itinerary. Given the difficulty/length of time (12-14 hours) of getting from Rothenburg to Lucon I would include only France in your itinerary. This would give you time to see Paris - with perhaps a day trip or two and the train to Lucon for the wedding. Or if you want to drive you could do 4 days (5 nights) in Paris and then stop at one or two places on the way south.
First you cannot count the day you land (jetlagged and often mid day before you get to your hotel) nor the day you depart.
If it were me I would do the travel before the wedding - to avoid August travel - esp the first weekend when roads will be packed - and to give yourself a chance to acclimatize to all of the differences.
I would land in Munich and leave 5 full days (6 nights) to see Munich, a couple of Mad Ludwig's castles and then head for Rothenburg (overnight).
It would take most of a day to get from R to Lucon (Day 6)
Wedding 3 days (Days 7, 8 and 9)
Train back to Paris (4-5 hours on Day 10). May well be too late to get a flight out to the US that day - and not time in Paris.
So you either need to add more days or revise your itinerary. Given the difficulty/length of time (12-14 hours) of getting from Rothenburg to Lucon I would include only France in your itinerary. This would give you time to see Paris - with perhaps a day trip or two and the train to Lucon for the wedding. Or if you want to drive you could do 4 days (5 nights) in Paris and then stop at one or two places on the way south.
Jan 24th, 2015, 06:28 AM
#4
The area surrounding Lucon - the Vendee - is most interesting and would be a great place to pass a week or so before the wedding. you have Angers and Nantes [the western Loire] in the north, Cholet just south of that where you can have a day's fun at a very french and excellent theme park - the Puy de fou - which has a most excellent son et lumiere at weekends - Poitiers to the east, and Les Sables d'Olonne and La Rochelle on the coast.
http://www.vendee-guide.co.uk/lucon.htm
Personally I would fly into Paris, get the train to, say, Angers, and tour the area up to the time of the wedding, then get the train back to Paris, spend a few days there, and then fly home.
http://www.vendee-guide.co.uk/lucon.htm
Personally I would fly into Paris, get the train to, say, Angers, and tour the area up to the time of the wedding, then get the train back to Paris, spend a few days there, and then fly home.
Jan 24th, 2015, 06:41 AM
#5
As others say, too much to do in the time allowed.
I'd try and do most of the journey in July.
http://about-france.com/week-planner.htm gives you ideas of general holidays and
http://www.bison-fute.gouv.fr/ on traffic
I'd try and do most of the journey in July.
http://about-france.com/week-planner.htm gives you ideas of general holidays and
http://www.bison-fute.gouv.fr/ on traffic
Jan 24th, 2015, 08:01 AM
#6
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The only reasonable way from southern Germany to Lucon is flying. There is a non-stop morning flight from München to Bordeaux with Volotea (a Spanish low-cost airline based in Barcelona), and you can rent a car there to drive to Lucon.
With this flight, you could follow nytraveler's suggestion.
Otherwise, you should stay in France. The Atlantic coast south of Lucon is spectacular - with gorgeous beaches. It will be well-booked in August and probably already in July, so reserve early. Weather might be slightly better in August than in July. Both months will be warm in southern France, but at the west coast there is always a chance of rain and cooler days.
With this flight, you could follow nytraveler's suggestion.
Otherwise, you should stay in France. The Atlantic coast south of Lucon is spectacular - with gorgeous beaches. It will be well-booked in August and probably already in July, so reserve early. Weather might be slightly better in August than in July. Both months will be warm in southern France, but at the west coast there is always a chance of rain and cooler days.
Jan 24th, 2015, 01:22 PM
#7
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"While in Europe we want to see more of France and Germany... in Germany we want to see Rothenburg, Munich and Neuschwanstein castle."
Why? Those places are quite far from Paris, and 2 of the 3 are meccas for international tourists, not at all good places to experience Germany. Neuschwanstein is not a castle, just a private, late 19th century home. From Paris you can take in real 800 - 1,000-year old castles wifh a 4-hour train trip to the Middle Rhine Valley, where there are real German towns and villages that are not completely tourist-dependent.
http://www.welterbe-mittelrheintal.d...php?id=288&L=3
http://www.welterbe-mittelrheintal.d...php?id=274&L=3
Cologne is a great city that's even closer to Paris:
http://www.cologne.de/what-to-do
Other great options:
http://www.romantic-cities.com/Cities.5616.0.html
Why? Those places are quite far from Paris, and 2 of the 3 are meccas for international tourists, not at all good places to experience Germany. Neuschwanstein is not a castle, just a private, late 19th century home. From Paris you can take in real 800 - 1,000-year old castles wifh a 4-hour train trip to the Middle Rhine Valley, where there are real German towns and villages that are not completely tourist-dependent.
http://www.welterbe-mittelrheintal.d...php?id=288&L=3
http://www.welterbe-mittelrheintal.d...php?id=274&L=3
Cologne is a great city that's even closer to Paris:
http://www.cologne.de/what-to-do
Other great options:
http://www.romantic-cities.com/Cities.5616.0.html
