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Planning a solo trip mostly to France, advice please!

Planning a solo trip mostly to France, advice please!

Old Apr 28th, 2017, 02:53 PM
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Planning a solo trip mostly to France, advice please!

I've never traveled abroad before, but I have 3 weeks off of work in August and I planned on taking that opportunity to go on a solo vacation.
Something on my bucket list is to go to France. And while this might sound silly to you all, a huge factor for me wanting to go there is to follow a bit of Vincent Van Gogh's footsteps. It's a personal journey and would be partly also for someone who is no longer alive who had always dreamed of doing it. I'm a huge Van Gogh fan, and so I thought it would be wonderful to go to France and see some of his artwork in Paris.
I also wanted to go to Arles and visit some of the sights there, of course not just in Van Gogh's footsteps, there is so much rich history there that would be wonderful to see.
And then I am considering taking a short trip to Amsterdam as well to visit the Van Gogh museum as they hold the largest collections of his works in the entire world. But I can't seem to figure out how that will fit in with my time-frame and budget.

I have planned on going from the 5th to the 18th of August. All with a $3500, which from what I can tell might be a bit tight, but might not be. I don't know. Flight and hotel rooms roundtrip seem always add up to right around 2100 for me, leaving me with the rest for food and museum tickets, and probably Metro tickets. Does that sound plausible at all? over/undershooting at all? I really would prefer to do hotels over Hostels, I know the price difference is huge but, I would be more comfortable in a hotel...

So my plan, to fly into Paris on the 5th, i'll get there the sixth, take the TGV to Avingon and ride a train to Arles. (not sure about adding renting car to the list of things, considering there is a huge fee for people under 25 to rent a car)
And then I would stay there until the 9th, go back to Paris until the 15th, and take a train to Amsterdam and fly back to Vegas on the 18th from there.
I know there's a ton of things to see in Amsterdam, but i'm mostly just interested in the Van Gogh museum there, and I feel like I would much prefer spending the most time in Paris so I could have the time to do a day trip to Auvers-Sur-Oise to visit Van Goghs grave. (I plan on doing lots of sightseeing of course, I know this seems very Van Gogh centered, maybe it is...)

I've never done anything like this before, and I just would appreciate any advice I could get from experienced travelers that have done a similar journey to mine. Is it worth going to Arles? To me I feel like it would be nice to see the country a bit rather than just Paris, and Arles is of course huge for Van Gogh lovers...I feel. What i'm most conflicted on is Amsterdam, perhaps it isn't worth the trouble, perhaps it is??? I'm pretty open minded when it comes to switching things around, if my plan seems crazy, tell me so please. Thank you so much
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Old Apr 28th, 2017, 03:01 PM
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I would absolutely include Paris and Amsterdam. Visiting major cities is the easiest things to do when you are traveling solo (I think). There's nothing crazy about any part of your itinerary. You can find budget hotels in both places, you shouldn't have to stay in hostels.

$1400 divided by 13 days leaves you $107usd spending money. That's plenty (if you have correctly figured your flight and hotel costs).

As far as car rental or taking the train around in the countryside, sorry can't help as I have done neither of those things myself.

But chiming in to encourage you about your trip, it sounds lovely and totally do-able!
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Old Apr 28th, 2017, 03:18 PM
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I am also fascinated by Van Gogh and his artwork and especially his history of mental illness. I was in France 1.5 yrs ago and visit and stayed in St Remy de Provence. This is where he spent time in St Paul de Mausole, the hospital he was confined to due to his illness. There is a museum there that explains the treatment of mental illness during that time and you will also see the room he stayed and the view he experienced from his window. Here you are truly walking in his footsteps and seeing what he saw in the surrounding hills and scenery. You can just see his paintings in the world around you. I've wondered if genius borders on insanity.

I also visited Arles. It is a city that is old, tattered and gritty and there are streets that look like they haven't changed since Van Gogh's day. I loved it! You can go on a walk to see where he was inspired to paint some of his pictures , complete with a plaque and explanation. I enjoyed myself thoroughly. I say go for it!

I think you might need a car for this portion but I don't really know much about public transportation. The other towns and villages in Provence and the Luberon are worth a visit if you are interested. Stu Dudley is your source for info if you are interested in traveling in that region.
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Old Apr 28th, 2017, 03:51 PM
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There is nothing silly about your plan. I've been to all three cities, and all three places are great for what you're looking to do/experience.

In Arles, if you don't rent a car and want to get out into the countryside, there are very likely day tours that you can take. These will eat into your budget, though. You could probably even do a simple day excursion via public transportation.

I've never been to Paris in August. Have heard it can be a little dead/less lively than normal, but given your goals I think that wouldn't be a big deal.
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Old Apr 28th, 2017, 03:51 PM
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My visit to the hospital, St Paul de Mausole, was informative and especially moving to me because it is an active facility, not just a museum, where mental patients are still being treated. Don't miss it and spend time there, don't rush through.

http://www.avignon-et-provence.com/e...sole-monastery
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Old Apr 28th, 2017, 04:06 PM
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Also, have you looked at hotels? In my experience--and this may not be the case for your dates/season--hotels in the hinterlands can be significantly less costly than those in big cities. Have you looked at booking.com? In Arles I stayed at Le Calendal solo, and it was really comfortable.

For what it's worth, the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam is fantastic. I know, I know--it's not Van Gogh, but still...
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Old Apr 28th, 2017, 04:09 PM
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For what you are doing, car is not needed.

Arles is where you find the where he spent his time, but not his works. Throughout Arles, you see plaques marking where Van Gogh painted famous paintings. There are frequent trains from Avignon.

For paintings, you go primarily to the Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam. http://www.vangoghmuseum.nl/en/searc...t%20van%20Gogh Be aware that the works tend to be on loan often. If you want to see specific pieces, you need to make sure they are there.

Another museum you can find a lot of his work is Kröller-Müller Museum, somewhat difficult to get to from Amsterdam. http://krollermuller.nl/search-the-c...ncent+van+Gogh Same warning about museum loans. Café Terrace At Night, the famous Arles scene painting, is at the Kröller-Müller if not on loan.

If your arrival in Paris is early in the morning, you can go straight to Avignon on arrival. If you can completely eliminate your one night stay in Paris if it was there because you thought you had to do it that way, then you save one day lodging and food and cost of traveling into Paris if you take TGV from the airport. However, this adds your landing to train departure uncertainty if you want to take advantage of discount TGV tickets.
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Old Apr 28th, 2017, 05:04 PM
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The only thing I would say is that if you haven't been abroad before, you may not know how jet lag affects you. It doesn't bother me on domestic flights at all. I'm completely ok. But I tried to do something similar to you- fly in and take a train the first day- and I wouldn't do that again. I did sleep in the plane but not enough. I kept passing out on the train, and that was kind of freaky- I loved the trains over there but I did not like being unaware of my surroundings. So MAYBE swap your Arles and Paris time. Paris is really, really easy to get around, and would give you a chance to get your bearings.

Your budget might be ok. I think it really depends on how you eat. In August, I could probably do that budget, but in January, I spent a lot more money in food- partly to sit out of the cold- and I had a little bit of sticker shock in Paris (but I also ate a lot of pastry, so if you don't have a sweet tooth, that is your first step to budgetary success).

Another thing- research neighborhoods really well and then come back and ask about hotels. There are tons of little private hotels in Europe that are fun to stay in, and a lot cheaper than a chain generally. This forum was really helpful in that regard. I can't help you with Paris- I stayed in hostels there. But I was really surprised to find how much you can get hotel wise in Europe (compared to places like Boston, NYC, LA) for considerably less money.

Absolutely go to Amsterdam- the discount airlines make it so cheap and easy to do! That's next on my list- I had to essentially choose between London and Amsterdam and chose London.

As someone with somewhat obscure interests in art and museums, I think your plan sounds FANTASTIC and I definitely encourage you to go! Please post a trip report!
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Old Apr 28th, 2017, 06:13 PM
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It sounds like you are arriving in Paris and taking the train to Arles the same day. I would not recommend this. The cheap fares train require advance purchase, but its hard to predict what time you'll actually be in Paris since flights are often delayed. In fact you'll need to arrive at the Paris airport, take the RER into Paris, then the metro to your departure from Paris Lyon station. Each change of train takes time, you've never traveled abroad so you aren't familiar with the train system or buying tickets, and you'll be navigating all these changes while jetlagged.

If this was my trip I'd fly into Marseilles and take one of the hourly trains or use a rideshare service to go the 40 or so miles. If that doesn't work because flights are so much cheaper to Paris then I'd spend the start of the trip in Paris, go to Arles for a few days, and then take the train from their to Amsterdam
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Old Apr 28th, 2017, 06:21 PM
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^^^ to add on, my point is that if you buy a cheap train ticket it is difficult to predict what time you'll actually be standing in the Paris Lyon station ready to board. Guess wrong and you lose your cheap ticket and will have to buy an expensive walk-up ticket. Pad your ride out of Paris with a few hours and that is a pretty boring start to a vacation, a long airplane ride and then perhaps a few hours sitting in a train station (if your plane is on-time)

Do it my way and when you leave Paris a week or so later on a cheap TGV fare you have no worries about missing that train!

Also Van Gogh and the impressionists spent a lot of time in Normandy which you can visit by train, including the village of Auvers-sur-Oise where he died (see https://www.wsj.com/articles/a-tour-...age-1437073199)
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Old Apr 28th, 2017, 07:08 PM
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If you could fly into Amsterdam and home from somewhere in southern France (or vice versa) you would avoid backtracking.

When we stayed in St Remy, there were buses between Avignon and St Remy which took about 40minutes. I seem to recall there was also a bus to Arles from St Remy but could be wrong. Worth checking though.
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Old Apr 28th, 2017, 11:54 PM
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You do not have to go into the Gare de Lyon in Paris to get a TGV to Avignon. There are regular trains right from CDG. You'll have to decide for yourself if you want to keep traveling on from Paris on that first day. I always do (going to Bordeaux, not Avignon, but it's the same amount of time traveling). I then take a train to Périgueux,which would be even more time than you'd need to get from Avignon to Arles. I've been doing this for 25+ years and it always works for me. I give myself 3 hours after landing to catch the TGV, have a coffee or two if there's time, read the paper, walk around.

I really like ending up at my farthest destination on Day 1 rather than break up a trip.

I agree this is a great candidate for open-jaw tickets.

But no matter how you do it, it sounds like a wonderful trip.
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Old Apr 29th, 2017, 04:19 AM
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I think your trip sounds great. I have been to all those places (though not on the same trip) and whenever I'm in a 'Van Gogh related' place I try to photograph the scenes which he painted. There are a ton of websites that give specific locations, etc. (which you've probably already found).

If you do your plan you have only 2 full days (3 nights) in Provence, 1 travel day back to Paris then 5 days (6 nights) Paris, then 2 and a half days (3 nights) Amsterdam. Is that right? How much is your airline ticket? You said you have three weeks off but your trip is only for two. If you fly mid week it's often much cheaper than flying on weekends. You might be able to squeeze in a few extra days which I think you really make your trip more pleasant, add at least 1, if not two extra nights to Provence and also to Amsterdam. And I think your budget could stretch a few extra days especially if you don't need fancy hotels and all sit down meals (eg. buy food at markets, street vendors, etc. and eat on a park bench for some meals).

The only logistical thing might be getting to St Remy and the hospital from Arles by public transportation (I had a car) but I'm pretty sure I read about a bus from Arles to St Remy. The hospital is a bit out of the town center but walkable, or you could take a taxi just for that bit.
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Old Apr 29th, 2017, 04:27 AM
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You want to save on hotels I recommend hotels in Paris in the 18.
I slept in rue Ramey I think hotel Ramey for 45 euros a night last august (low season). 5 min to metro and a nice area.
I'll check the name of hotel. Been there twice - very correct.

Train : check Izy from Paris : it goes to Bruxelles for 19 or 29 euros check if it carries on to Amsterdam but from Bxl you may take regional trains to Ams. Slower but cheap.

Or bus. I hate buses but my daughter made Paris Bruxelles for about 10 euros 4 hours.

Food : crêpes I france are cheap and usually good. No need to spend a fortune.
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Old Apr 29th, 2017, 09:16 AM
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Thanks for all of the very helpful advice everyone. Very much appreciated. Today I'm going to work hard on revising everything for my trip and picking out nice cheap hotels, I've gotten some great pointers here to certain places. And I definitely think I'll do Paris first, then do Arles and Amsterdam at the end of the trip. Considering it's true I'm not sure how jet lag affects me, so it would be best to not jam all of that travel into that one day. I'll probably just get wiped out from it. I'll also add a day or two to both Arles and Amsterdam. That's probably solid advice as well.

I've also never flown before to be honest.
I'm very excited, and I'm glad I posted here! It's definitely helped me see through some kinks. Still very very slightly on the fence about Amsterdam, but I know I'll love it if I just go.
Thanks everyone.
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Old Apr 29th, 2017, 09:23 AM
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Wow! That's a lot of firsts! Good luck
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Old Apr 29th, 2017, 09:27 AM
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I'd do Amsterdam - Paris and leave out Arles. The way you lay it out, you have crazy travel between Arles and Amsterdam. Amsterdam - Paris is easy by Thalys and not expensive if you book early to scoop up the discounts.

Do see the paintings at the Van Gogh museum. It is the best collection in the world. Would be a shame to miss it. Instead of Arles, consider Auvers sur Oise. It is where he ended his life after he came there to convalesce.
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Old Apr 29th, 2017, 10:01 AM
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I've done every bit of your trip over time (about 20 years or so) and always by train, never car, so stick to that and all will be fine.

But you fail to mention

http://krollermuller.nl/en/van-gogh-gallery which you can access by train from Amsterdam and a bike (painted white these are left all over the lawns of the park) and can get you from the station to the museum quickly. NB bike riding in Holland does not require nanny state helmet wearing.
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Old Apr 29th, 2017, 10:34 AM
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It's a toss-up for me between the Kröller-Müller and Arles. I love them both, but they are very different. In Arles, you would have a chance to visit a lot of things other than Van Gogh sites, though - the arena, the baths, the market (depending on what day you were there).
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Old Apr 29th, 2017, 04:55 PM
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I wouldn't leave out Arles. If you love Van Gogh then going to Provence will be a highlight - between Arles and the hospital at St Remy. Plan to spend most of a day doing the hospital and the town of St Remy. Then another full day in Arles. I think it's a toss up between pushing on to Arles at the start of the trip or putting it in the middle. Yes it would be a long day going from Arles to Amsterdam but certainly not crazy, very 'doable', just a long day. And especially if you can stretch your time so you had a couple extra days in Arles and Amsterdam, that will be a great trip.
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