purcells5

Hi, I have been reading lots of posts on here so I hope I am not repeating other threads.

We are a family of 5, (three children aged 12,10 & 8) who are planning to go to France over December / January. Our flights are booked. My husband and I have both travelled but not overseas since we have had children, and more of the 'buy a ticket and decide what to do when we get there' type of travel. This is not something I'm keen on with kids.

Here's the plan:

Arrive in Paris, stay for 5 nights. I plan to find an apartment. We have no real plans, except that we'll be in Paris

Train to Strasbourg and stay for 5 nights. I have found an apartment already and am in the process of booking it. We will be there for Christmas, so again, no real plans except to experience a white Christmas.

From there we will go to Arles by train. This looks to be do-able, although a long day. (I am ok with a long day of travel though, as where we live it is a six hour drive to the nearest city). We plan to stay in Arles for 7 nights.

From there we are a bit up in the air for the next 5 nights, we were thinking the Dordogne for a few nights if that is feasable? Will we need a car there? Then maybe a night in Calais to catch the ferry to Dover? (This is the part of the itinerary I expect people might see some holes in).

We then have 5 nights in London with friends. After that we will get the train back to Paris and spend our last 2 nights there. It would have been better to fly out of London, I know, but we got a fantastic deal on airfares that was difficult to to pass up. Besides, it's two extra nights in Paris!

Anyway, do you see big gaping holes that I have missed in my planning? I know that there are loads of parts of France that we are missing, but we figure that we can't see it all anyway, so would rather spend a it longer in fewer places.

I would appreciate any feedback as the only parts that are locked in are the flights so far. I am some ways in organising the accommodation in Strasbourg and Arles, but not too far in that i couldn't make changes.

Thanks very much.

Gretchen

Yes, you need a car in the Dordogne--and in Provence. How are you getting to Calais?
It might be easier to go back to Paris and take the Eurostar.

jamikins

I wouldn't expect a white Xmas in Alsace unfortunately...we were there in 2008 and live in London and I can't recall a white Xmas in that area for the last several years...it's possible but unlikely I think.

If you look at a map of France you will see that the Dordogne is on the other side of the country...driving all that way for a couple nights in winter when you will have short days and many things will be closed seems like a waste. Then you want to get to Calais which is another VERY long drive...that doesn't make sense. And yes, you will need a car if you decide to do the Dordogne. I would maybe drop the car in Lyon and spend a couple nights there...cities are generally better in the winter as they have more inside activities.

Whatever you decide I would drop your car in your last location and train to Paris or Lille and get the eurostar to London. You don't appear to need it after the last countryside location.

Enjoy!

bilboburgler

I like the early part of the trip and Strasbourg looks like a good base for Christmas. Depending on arrival dates you may struggle to get all the food you want etc, so you could order yourself a Christmas Hamper to be delivered or just wing it. You might get snow up on the Vosges mountains to the west.

Arles in December will be a bit quiet and if the Mistral blows pretty cold (have you thought about Nimes or Avignon) Avignon would be my preference just as it is a bigger city.

The rest of the trip needs a car and be prepared for time problems as the days are short and snow might hit but if you stick to the motorways it will be ok. I think, if it were me, I'd look for either another city scape for this last bit or plan for a few days in a hotel up in a mountain with expected snow, say somewhere in the Massif Central. If you want some ideas come back

nytraveler

None of the places you are going are likely to have snow. For that you would need to head to the Alps. And you will need a car for the latter part of the trip - as well as allow for places that may be closed since it is off season.

purcells5

Thank you, all taken on board. I kind of knew that the last part was problematic so we will work on that and come back. We talked again this morning about the Arles/Avignon issue and are happy to stick with Arles. Our kids are country kids and we think after some time in cities they could do with a week somewhere quieter.

So the first half of the trip is pretty much sorted and we will keep working on the next part. For now I'll be looking for another city base for some of that time, and I like that idea of a hotel in a mountain so I'll have a look. Any advice on somewhere practicable after Arles? Calais was not really for any reason other than we want to get the ferry to England.

Thanks again, I appreciate it.

Alec

Calais is a dump and in winter, pretty dead. Ferry crossing to Dover depends entirely on weather. On a bright, calm day, it can be pleasant, but in winter you are more likely to encounter dark, wet days with rough seas, and sometimes the ferries stop operating because of conditions. And if you are travelling as foot passengers, how are you going to get to Calais and leave from Dover? Train connections, since the advent of Channel Tunnel, aren't so good and require the use of shuttle buses at both ends. Or there are Eurolines coaches (buses) that go from Paris to London via ferry, full of student-type trying to save money!

Gretchen

Did she want snow? Just curious.

Scootoir

Yes, the OP is hoping for a white Christmas in Strasbourg.

Purcells, as others have mentioned the biggest issue is the ferry between Calais and Dover, all the time involved and the possibility of a rough crossing. I made that crossing in December 1986 but now we take the Eurostar--so much faster and direct city to city. France has a good high speed train system which you might look at to see where you can travel from Arles and then onto Paris for the Eurostar.

purcells5

A snowy Christmas would be lovely but honestly, a European Christmas is what we are most looking forward to. Our Christmases are usually sweltering.

Yes, I'll have to get onto the train thing, as that is how we are hoping to do as much of our travelling as possible. I am going to show this thread to my husband who has his heart set on the ferry crossing, but it's looking way too complicated for me.

Thanks again.

nytraveler

Channel crossings by ferry are notoriously rough - esp in winter - and you may have several days in a row too rough to venture out. IMHO you should just get eurostar tickets - and be sure to buy 90 days out to get best prices.

StCirq

I would never go to the Dordogne at that time of year as a tourist, unless I was in the truffle business.It would be a waste of time to go all that distance to see a bunch of shuttered-up towns and bleak landscapes.

bilboburgler

purcells, the way I find these sort of inns in the mountain is use google maps and look for Auberge. For example

http://www.booking.com/hotel/fr/gite...FeTLtAodFTsAow looks lovely

the ones I know are over near Pontarlier, the Massif looks great for this sort of place though you need a say a bit of cross country skiing. For example searching google maps for "ski de fond" you can find http://www.montagnebellevue.com/

Underhill

Instead of spending all your Provence time in Arles, stay there for 2 days--plenty of time to see all the sights--and then take the train across to Nice. Nice is a wonderful city around Christmas, with really gorgeous decorations all over. There's an ice rink and a market, although that wouldn't hold a candle to the one in Strasbourg.

From Nice you could take the train up into the mountains for a white Christmas. Then you could fly to London.

purcells5

Thank you all. I'm going to spend some time working out what we will do for the last part of our trip and then I will come back to you. I'm having a read about Toulouse taking on board what some of you have said about a city base.

We have decided to stick with the week at Arles, although we will hire a car and use it as a base. I think it's the best chance we have of adventures with the kids feeling a bit settled. I know it wouldn't be everyone's ideal, but two members of my family are very excited about daily sword fights in the Roman arena (and only one of them is a child...)

I told my husband what you said about the Dordogne in winter and that actually made him want to go *more* (he has been before, but in summer, and a lifetime ago...)so I'll keep researching

To be honest I'm not that worried about how it all pans out, just want an amazing experience with the family, which I think we are bound to have regardless. I really do appeciate your input though.

purcells5

I just wanted to report back that we are in France and having the most beautiful time. We had four nights in Paris on our arrival then five nights over christmas in Strasbourg. All of that was magical for all of us. We are now part way through 10 nights in Arles (not everyone's cup of tea, maybe, but we are loviing it). After this is London then some more time in Paris.
My main reason for reporting back is to thank people who replied to me (you were right, no snow!!) and to let other would be travelers know that this approach of four places in four weeks is quite lovely.
Maybe not cool, but I'm already thinking about the next trip

ParisAmsterdam

>>>Maybe not cool<<<

Yes... cool indeed to both have the trip you dreamed of and to let others know about it! ;^) What a great start to 2014 for you.

jamikins

Thanks for checking back - sounds like you travel like we do!