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Hello and advice please to help plan our visit

Hello and advice please to help plan our visit

Old Apr 27th, 2015, 01:17 PM
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Hello and advice please to help plan our visit

I've enjoyed lurking on this site and would appreciate a bit of guidance. Wifey and I tend to stay away from the touristy things when we travel, preferring to drive the scenic back roads and meet the people of the area we are visiting. We'd rather have a meal prepared in a small family run inn then by a Michelin rated chef. If we can return home knowing a bit more about what it is to be French we will have had a successful trip.

I know we want to spend at least 4 days in Paris and Versailles because everyone needs to see Paris and Versailles. We want to spend a day or so visiting Normandy and pay our respects in the Cemeteries but we can probably skip the WW2 museums. A day for the Bayeux tapestries and driving along the coast to Mont St. Michel.

I’d like to work our way over to the eastern Rhone-Alpes area via Le Puy and spend a couple of days touring the Alps and working our way up to the old towns around Colmar. We would head back to Paris visiting the WW1 sites in Hackenburg and Verdun.

Now for the questions
Is the drive along the Loire from Angers to Tours with a stop at Chateau d Azayle Rideau special?

I am assuming that great local wines and Cognac are available everywhere in France so we can have our wine experience without a visit to Bordeaux and Cognac? We’ve seen a lot of wineries and distilleries over the years.

Have I missed any must see areas? I know this is all subjective but your opinions are appreciated.
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Old Apr 27th, 2015, 01:54 PM
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Hi alblancher - sounds like a nice trip that you're planning! How much time do you have for this?


>

Not really. I have been to Paris around a dozen times and have never been to Versailles. It holds no interest for me.

Sorry, I have no advice but want to wish you well. Sounds like a lovely trip!
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Old Apr 27th, 2015, 02:48 PM
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Is the drive along the Loire from Angers to Tours with a stop at Chateau d Azayle Rideau special?>

kinda - along the southside of the river road near Saumur you have wineries of course but also numerous 'champignons' signs in front of troglydyte houses and caves where mushrooms are grown - you can go into the caves and see the operation and of course buy shrooms.

The Abbey de Fontrevaud (sp?) is just off the route and a amazing site - avoid the Tours conurbation as it has horrendous traffic IME - if going to Azay you may want to go via Chinon, to me the nicest of all Loire valley towns - visit the historic Jeanne d'Arc museum in a local fort and take a road stright to Azay from there, abondoning the Loire at Chinon and missing little except as you near Tours a lot of traffic.

Where are you ultimately heading?

Chenonceau is pretty much due east and of course the most famous of the Loire castles.
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Old Apr 27th, 2015, 02:51 PM
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How long a trip is planned and for what month? Yes, it is easier to loop up to Normandy, then southerly to Loire and back up through Burgundy. Bordeaux is quite a distance south. Save southern France for another trip.
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Old Apr 27th, 2015, 03:55 PM
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Thanks for the replies

We are still too early in the planning stage to know exactly how long and where. I'm guessing we will arrive in Paris on a Saturday morning in May and fly out of Paris in a couple of weeks.

elizzie My Lizzy wants to see Paris and Versailles is what I should have said. Born and raised in South Louisiana we both grew up with French speaking grandparents. Both Cajun French and "High" French

PalenQ thanks, sounds like great advice, need to do a bit more research on your suggestions but definitely going to take a close look

aliceD probably around this time next year, late April or early May, looking for one of the shoulder months. I think we are looking to avoid SW France and the Mediterranean area this trip.
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Old Apr 27th, 2015, 11:18 PM
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"I am assuming that great local wines and Cognac are available everywhere in France so we can have our wine experience without a visit to Bordeaux and Cognac? "

Cognac is available everywhere

great local wines of Cognac are generally not available elsewhere as generally local wines are drunk locally. So if you go to a Bordeaux supermarket you will see shelves of Bordeaux and just a small section of say Alsace (and an even smaller section for the "rest of the world")

Given that Cognac is made of Ugni Blanc/Colembard just pray you never have to drink wine made from these.

I'd stick to Bordeaux which is a fair bit more southerly and you can get more easily all over France.
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Old Apr 27th, 2015, 11:20 PM
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Or more northerly Loire wines are good.

Normandy does not make wine, but cidre (alcholic) and calvodos which makes up for a lot
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Old Apr 27th, 2015, 11:41 PM
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It depends on what YOU want to see and experience, but you might want to give Paris a bit more time, especially given that you plan to visit Versailles. I recommend that you get some good guidebooks (or spend some time with a few in your local library), identify the things you most want to see in each location, note their opening/closing times, and mark them on a calendar. Then pencil in your transportation, add some time on either side (for getting to/from your lodging, checking in/out, packing/unpacking, getting oriented, etc.).

You might want a bit more time in Normandy, too.

"Is the drive along the Loire from Angers to Tours with a stop at Chateau d Azayle Rideau special?"

My recollection -- would could easily be wrong -- is that the drive was pleasant. I thought the Château d'Azay-le-Rideau wonderful, and Chenonceau, too. And you can stay at Fontevraud Abbey (which PalenQ mentioned), and I highly recommend that if it suits your purposes.

And if you go to Angers, the Tapestry of the Apocalpyse is well worth seeing IMO, as is the Jean Lurçat Contemporary Tapestry Museum and its garden, a nice riverside walk away.

IME, you can get some excellent wine and cognac anywhere in France.

If possible, plan your trip so you fly into Paris and out of another city (or vice versa) -- no reason to backtrack if you can avoid it!

Enjoy, and hello!
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Old Apr 28th, 2015, 01:47 AM
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bilboburgler I am looking forward to trying the Calvados and we will probably visit the Loire valley and the Alsace region

KJA Thanks, great ideas. I'm going to look at flying out of Zurich after we visit the Alsace region. Only reason I am planning to fly in and out of Paris is it gives us some options on when to do what. We can tour Paris at the beginning or end of our trip depending on the weather, flight delays, festivals and other unforeseen opportunities or problems?
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Old Apr 28th, 2015, 01:57 AM
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You like the "trou Normand" which is the concept that half way through a large buttery meal (for which Normandy is famous) you get the chance to make a hole in the contents of your stomach for the next course by knocking a tot back.

If you want something special, after Alsace head south to Bescancon and then up onto the plateau following the Doubs river, you will find yourself close to Switzerland and in little wooding communities with fantastic views, go wandering and visit mountain top fields, cheese (comte) and bee hives, drive between the twin fortresses south of Pontarlier and down into Zurich. A very under visited area.
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Old Apr 28th, 2015, 02:11 AM
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Hi and welcome! You might also like to try the pommeau when you are in northern France (appple brandy cut with apple juice). It's absolutely delicious.
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Old Apr 28th, 2015, 02:38 AM
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I also suggest a bit more time in Paris (and not necessarily Versailles) and a bit more in Normandy.
You might want to look at the scope of tne Normandy beaches because the Cemetery will impact you so much more, seeing where those men fell.
You are correct in not needing to see all the WWII museums (they are repetitive), but I highly recommend seeing Arromanches and its museum. Omaha Beach, yes. Pointe du Hoc yes.
When we did Normandy, we rented a car at CDG and drove the back roads, stopped at fromageries and cideries, Honfleur, and eventually stopping in Bayeux for several days for a base. The Tapestry is also not to be missed. There is a wonderful restaurant in Bayeux, Le Petite Bistro, a "mom and pop" type, where we had the best meal of our trip that year.
If you wanted to then drive to the Loire, maybe stopping by Chartres, you could from Normandy.
Then perhaps end your trip with 5-6 days in Paris (since your total time seems not to be set as yet).
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Old Apr 28th, 2015, 03:35 AM
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bilboburgler Is that an eloquent way to say "take the afternoon off, sit in a small café, enjoy a huge, leisurely meal while drinking a lot of Calvados and watching the world go by"? That sounds like a great way to get over jet lag! I'm a beekeeper and have seen videos of the area you mentioned. Similar to great wine, honey is a product of the land and should be experienced.

Flying out of Zurich is sounding better and better.

RM67 Never had Pommeau, it's now on the list! I only wish it wasn't so expensive to ship alcohol home. I can see us sleeping the whole way home having emptied all the half empty bottles the morning of the flight.

Gretchen We have a great WW2 museum here in New Orleans. I do want to get an idea of the scope of the area and the landings. I did read good reviews about the museum in Arromanches. We seem to have similar tastes in itineraries.
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Old Apr 28th, 2015, 06:49 AM
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The Caen Memorial is IME by far the best museum for D-Day overview - it has in it a large relief map with everything outlined on it - I would make that your first stop.

http://normandy.memorial-caen.com/the-museum
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Old Apr 28th, 2015, 11:33 AM
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By "scope" I really meant geographical terrain--when you see that all the beaches have an incredible undeterred 180* view from heights to see incoming craft, you will wonder how anyone survived. Omaha for the landings, Arromanches for the floating harbor, Pointe du Hoc for the heights.
As I said, the museums become repetitive in their contents--except Arromanches for explaining the harbor and perhaps St. Mere Eglise or Pegasus Bridge for the use of gliders and parachutists.
I am not one that really needs to know precisely how different divisions moved on those days which is probably why we were interested in doing it ourselves, using the Michelin Green Guide to Normandy for a guide. The American Cemetery has a very good map.
As for sitting quayside, and enjoying a big bowl of mussels, Arromanches is good, as are others.
Don't forget the wonderful cow's milk cheeses made in Normandy--and visit a fromagerie along a back road.
Returning to Paris via a different route is not the same as "backtracking". LOL
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Old Apr 28th, 2015, 06:03 PM
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Gretchen wrote: "Returning to Paris via a different route is not the same as "backtracking". LOL" -- Indeed! I chose my phrasing poorly. IF one plans a trip that brings one back to one's starting point because that's the route that best suits ones interests, "backtracking" is not involved. If, in contrast, one is trying to plan a route that brings you back to your starting point simply because one hasn't considered open-jaw options -- which some people do! -- then backtracking could be involved. All depends....
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Old Apr 28th, 2015, 07:06 PM
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Have you'all ever driven the Pacific Coast Highway in Northern California and the Northwest? I would recommend backtracking that drive! Normally I would agree there is no reason to travel the same road twice.

Your responses are most helpful in deciding the "loop" we want to take. Maybe instead of returning to Paris we'll drive through the Alps and fly out of Zurich. Still to early to make decisions and still have a lot to learn.

The more I think about the trip the more time I want to spend in the smaller towns and rural areas. We're still young enough we can keep our plans less structured, do a bit of exploring and be a little adventurous. We can always revisit Paris when we are older and appreciate more comfortable accommodations.
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Old Apr 28th, 2015, 07:34 PM
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Your openness to options, and awareness that they carry consequences, should serve you well on this trip and through the years!

(And yes, I would be happy to drive the Pacific Coast Highway in Northern California and the Northwest in either direction as many times as possible. )

FWIW, you might want to consider getting the Michelin Green Guides to the places you are considering - I have found them especially valuable for road trips (and for some non-driving trips as well!). You might learn a LOT about your options and possible routes....

I am confident that you are going to have a really wonderful trip!
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Old Apr 29th, 2015, 03:27 AM
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Never heard of the Michelin Green Guides, I'll do a search for them. Thanks for the kind words, I've been telling my wife for many years that we should avoid the big cities while we are still young enough to spend the night in a tent or bad hotel. Problem is I'm closing in on 60 and she keeps asking if it's time yet to come up with the "reservations" and "tour buses"!! She's a trooper and has enjoyed the experiences we have had together so I think I can get her to hold off a bit longer.
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Old Apr 29th, 2015, 03:43 AM
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You've got another 20+ years before you have to think about it. I have a bunch of friends of 75 to 90 and only the 80+ are using tours
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