lisacohen

Hi there,

I had recently posted that I was planning a summer trip for a foodie (me) and family with 2 kids *but* we've since found a fun place that the kids are going to hang out while my hubby and I take a much-needed vacation together (the first one since the kids were born). So it'll be just the two of us (that has such a nice ring to it) for two weeks (14-16 days) and we've decided on visiting France (1 week) and Spain (1 week). It'll be the first time that we're visiting so please let me know about any cities/towns that we should try to include (we have Paris, Barcelona, and Madrid so far) and how many days you would allot for them. We'll be departing from one of the Washington DC airports.

I love finding great places to eat and going to food markets (I'm vegetarian; hubby is not), art museums (we're not big on religious art/churches... more of impressionism, expressionism, through to modern art - I love to paint and plan to bring some light supplies with me), I'd love to try a half-day cooking class to take, visit local artisan shops (of both artists and artisan food producers), I love gardens (especially kitchen gardens, but any gardens are good with me), open squares/interesting parks for picnicking, do some bicycling, walking around or light hikes, perhaps a wine tasting or two or three (I love Sauvignon Blancs/Sancerres so somewhere in the Loire Valley perhaps since going to Alsace for my favorite Rieslings might not make sense this time around). My husband also loves history.

I've heard that any self-respecting foodie would make sure to spend some time in San Sebastian. How long is a decent amount of time and what are the must-sees/must-eats?

My husband wants to spend no more than a week in France. So if we are planning on visiting these cities should we add other places too that shouldn't be missed if we have enough time? Are there favorite hotels (with air conditioning) in these places and sites that you would recommend (or those to avoid)? I just ordered some guidebooks that should arrive any day now but I'm so excited at the possibilities that I couldn't wait to jump on the forums and ask. Everyone was so helpful with my last post (many thanks again)!!

Thank you in advance!!
Lisa

lisacohen

We're still looking at the same summer time frame.... late July through early August.

Kwoo

I'm not an expert on France and Spain, having been to each country only once, but thought I'd give some insight based on my trips there. We spent two weeks in France this past summer: one week (7 nights) in Paris, 3 nights in the Loire Valley; & then 3 nights with my daughter's fiance's family at their vacation home. This is the first time I've been to Paris & can see why so many people return over & over again. If you are content with "only" seeing Paris, I would recommend 7 nights in Paris. The problem with spending, let's say, 4 nights in Paris, in order to visit another part of France, is that I think you will feel anxious & rush around trying to see a lot. It's impossible to see everything. We saw & did a lot, such as Louvre, Musee D'Orsay, Notre Dame, Versailles, Rodin, L'Orangerie, Eiffel Tower, Cluny & Opera Garnier, plus we also walked around a lot, visiting different neighborhoods & parks. Also had an evening boat tour on the Seine. But we only saw the Arc de Triomphe from a distance, & didn't walk down the Champs Elysees. I recommend HOtel Bonapart in the 6th: great location, friendly staff & reasonable size rooms, & reasonable rates. If you spend 4 nights in Paris, you could also spend 3 nights in Loire Valley. We loved the Loire but I know some people on this forum don't care for it. I haven't been to other regions of France yet, so can't compare. In the Loire, we had a wine tasting, visited 3 chateaus/castles, & visited small, pretty villages. while in Paris, I recommend buying the Paris Museum Pass so that you can avoid long ticket lines. We walked right into the Louvre, Musee D'Orsay, etc.

I've been to Barcelona, spent 5 nights there, then rented a car for a 3 night/4 day roadtrip along the Costa Brava. Loved this trip, too. Since you love food,& want to go to San Sebastian, maybe you could combine a trip to SS with Barcelona.

You can click on my name & read my trip reports from France and Spain. I give names of restaurants, etc. For guidebooks, I recommend Fodors & the Michelin Green Guide to Paris, especially helpful with planning a trip to the Louvre.

ribeirasacra

With only two weeks and with the list of things you want to do I would cut the number of countries you plan to visit down by half.
Dont forget every day travelling means less sightseeing.

biztravfod

If you are a foodie, you really should go to San Sebastian. Forget the restaurants there but eat the pintxos. It is fantastic. You could do Paris, San Sebastian and Madrid. It's too hot to go south in summer.

Food in Spain isn't just food. It's a whole social scene outdoors, and it goes on for hours. You can really only do it when you don't have kids with you. So grab your chance.

lisacohen

Kwoo - I will definitely read your trip reports! Thank you for the suggestion to take our time in Paris and to get the museum pass.

Ribeirasacra - so you'd suggest only going to one country? That'd be hard to sell to my hubby (especially because id want to be in France fir that time and he has a 7-day limit there or else he turns into a pumpkin... he has no desire to go to France at all but knows I've wanted to go since taking French in high school 20+ years ago... am I really that old?!)). I appreciate you taking the time to reply.

Biztravfod - San Sabastian has just been added! I didn't know what a pintxo was but did a google image search and my mouth is watering already! They look so good! I honestly don't need any fancy restaurants, I just want good food.

Anyone know how I can edit this thread to include France as a tag? I thought I checked both countries but only Spain is showing up.

Thanks again!

lisacohen

Sorry about the above typos. Grrrr.