Three for the road
Dec 1st, 2013, 05:25 PM
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Three for the road
Les Anderleys- we are staying one night at the Hotel La Chaine de Or. Looks super with a niice restaurant on site for this tired couple in their sixties.
Giverny and Claude Monet's house will be done on the second day.
Points in between needed and accepting recommendations please.
Bayeux- We will stay at the Hotel Poppa. Which is actually a B&B in the town center for five days and day trip from there to where?
We will visit the WWII memorials and beaches. I really want to hear them play taps at the end of the day at the American Cemetary.
Mont St. Michael will be on this list of things to see.
More country side ideas please.
Driving back to CDG to turn in the car and traveling to Paris to our favorite hotel, the Hotel Milliseime. It would not be my favorite if my budget was unlimited, but they give you a few perks with a package deal. One for 3 days and if you stay 4-5 days a bit more goodies will be yours. One nice one is a free transfer to the airport by taxi. Of course breakfast is delicious. The staff is wonderful and full of information and because it is small, they remember your name and make you feel special and like they are truly interested in you and your plans, Rue Jacob in the sixth.
Because of being ill, we have missed the Louvre, dining or going up in the Eiffle Tower, and Moulin Rouge. Touristy, I know, but that's what we are. We will do museums, and all the local suspects, but if anyone has any must sees, please respond. We like Opera, Plays and musical Concerts.
I understand this doesn't seem like a lot of planning, but it has taken me nearly a week to get everything locked in.
Stu Dudley has been a great help, but we are not large foodies. He makes me so hungry though, but his guides and tips are spot on.
Thank everyone once again for all past and hopefully future help.
Giverny and Claude Monet's house will be done on the second day.
Points in between needed and accepting recommendations please.
Bayeux- We will stay at the Hotel Poppa. Which is actually a B&B in the town center for five days and day trip from there to where?
We will visit the WWII memorials and beaches. I really want to hear them play taps at the end of the day at the American Cemetary.
Mont St. Michael will be on this list of things to see.
More country side ideas please.
Driving back to CDG to turn in the car and traveling to Paris to our favorite hotel, the Hotel Milliseime. It would not be my favorite if my budget was unlimited, but they give you a few perks with a package deal. One for 3 days and if you stay 4-5 days a bit more goodies will be yours. One nice one is a free transfer to the airport by taxi. Of course breakfast is delicious. The staff is wonderful and full of information and because it is small, they remember your name and make you feel special and like they are truly interested in you and your plans, Rue Jacob in the sixth.
Because of being ill, we have missed the Louvre, dining or going up in the Eiffle Tower, and Moulin Rouge. Touristy, I know, but that's what we are. We will do museums, and all the local suspects, but if anyone has any must sees, please respond. We like Opera, Plays and musical Concerts.
I understand this doesn't seem like a lot of planning, but it has taken me nearly a week to get everything locked in.
Stu Dudley has been a great help, but we are not large foodies. He makes me so hungry though, but his guides and tips are spot on.
Thank everyone once again for all past and hopefully future help.
Dec 1st, 2013, 05:58 PM
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Oh boy, where to start? Have you studied guidebooks and maps?
Les Andelys (please note correct spelling - it helps when researching) - good choice of hotels.
Giverny IS Monet's house.
Are you not stopping in Rouen? There is much, much to see there.
Five days in Bayeux could easily be considered 2 days too many. Apart from the D-Day sites and the museums at Arromanches and Caen and elsewhere, and the tapestry and the cathedral and the town itself, there's not much more. You'd be better off splitting that time between Bayeux and someplace like Honfleur, IMO. And you don't really want to make le Mont-St-Michel a daytrip from Bayeux if you have five whole days in the area. You want to visit le MSM and St-Malo and Dinan and maybe Fougères and Vitré. Or add Etretat into the mix.
Why are you driving back to CDG to turn the car back in when it's on the opposite side of the city from where you're coming from?
I don't know the Millesime, but people have good things to say about it.
It's hard to give you Paris suggestions without knowing how long your stay there is. There are all kinds of musical concerts in Paris, all the time, and opera and other performances. The vast majority of plays will of course be in French - do you speak/understand it?
Stu Dudley's info is impeccable, but you really do need to look beyond it and scour some guidebooks and look at maps. You seem to have a rather tenuous grasp on what will no doubt be a fairly costly trip.
Les Andelys (please note correct spelling - it helps when researching) - good choice of hotels.
Giverny IS Monet's house.
Are you not stopping in Rouen? There is much, much to see there.
Five days in Bayeux could easily be considered 2 days too many. Apart from the D-Day sites and the museums at Arromanches and Caen and elsewhere, and the tapestry and the cathedral and the town itself, there's not much more. You'd be better off splitting that time between Bayeux and someplace like Honfleur, IMO. And you don't really want to make le Mont-St-Michel a daytrip from Bayeux if you have five whole days in the area. You want to visit le MSM and St-Malo and Dinan and maybe Fougères and Vitré. Or add Etretat into the mix.
Why are you driving back to CDG to turn the car back in when it's on the opposite side of the city from where you're coming from?
I don't know the Millesime, but people have good things to say about it.
It's hard to give you Paris suggestions without knowing how long your stay there is. There are all kinds of musical concerts in Paris, all the time, and opera and other performances. The vast majority of plays will of course be in French - do you speak/understand it?
Stu Dudley's info is impeccable, but you really do need to look beyond it and scour some guidebooks and look at maps. You seem to have a rather tenuous grasp on what will no doubt be a fairly costly trip.
Dec 1st, 2013, 08:36 PM
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Did I miss the question in this post?
My first impression, after having read this itinerary, and a point StCirq also makes, is why in the world are you traveling across Paris just to return a car at CDG and then paying for transportation back into Paris? Even if money were no object, this could needlessly consume about 3 hours out of your day.
Wouldn´t it be a lot easier to drop the car off near Porte d´Auteuil, maybe even Gare Montparnasse, and then take either the métro or a taxi to your hotel?
Just a thought.
My first impression, after having read this itinerary, and a point StCirq also makes, is why in the world are you traveling across Paris just to return a car at CDG and then paying for transportation back into Paris? Even if money were no object, this could needlessly consume about 3 hours out of your day.
Wouldn´t it be a lot easier to drop the car off near Porte d´Auteuil, maybe even Gare Montparnasse, and then take either the métro or a taxi to your hotel?
Just a thought.
Dec 2nd, 2013, 01:15 AM
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Your second day is Giverny and then on to Bayeux to spend the night I assume. After Giverny head to Honfleur and then down the coast to visit Deauville and Trouville before arriving in Bayeux. Third day do a D-Day Tour. Fourth day visit Bayeux itself and the tapestry museum and this is where I differ from your plan. I would head to MSM to spend the night on or near the Mont. Spend the rest of your time in this area visiting some/all of the places mentioned such as Fougères, Rennes, Dinan, Saint-Malo, Dinard etc.
Have a look at this thread which will give a lot of info about Lower Normandy from Giverny out to Bayeux. There are links to all the tourist office websites for this area:
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic....html#39058384
To learn about what to see and do near MSM and the other places I mentioned you can have a look at a photo report I wrote about exploring that area. At the very end of the report are links to all the major tourist office websites for Brittany:
http://tinyurl.com/82azcyh
To learn more about the major places of interest in the different regions of Brittany (including near MSM) have a look at this thread:
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic....html#37748007
Pay attention to the advice I gave about the need for Michelin maps and how to use them to explore. Also pay attention to the advice about using tourist office websites, which are one of the best travel planning resources when planning a trip to France.
I agree with StCirq that you don't need more than a couple of days in Bayeux because aside from D-Day history it does not make a great base to explore the major sites in that area, unless you want to visit some of the less known places nearby such as the Cotentin Peninsula or the Suisse Normande. Certainly there are other worthy sites near Bayeux but if this is a first trip to the area then I would focus on the highlights of Normandy and eastern Brittany.
Have a look at this thread which will give a lot of info about Lower Normandy from Giverny out to Bayeux. There are links to all the tourist office websites for this area:
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic....html#39058384
To learn about what to see and do near MSM and the other places I mentioned you can have a look at a photo report I wrote about exploring that area. At the very end of the report are links to all the major tourist office websites for Brittany:
http://tinyurl.com/82azcyh
To learn more about the major places of interest in the different regions of Brittany (including near MSM) have a look at this thread:
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic....html#37748007
Pay attention to the advice I gave about the need for Michelin maps and how to use them to explore. Also pay attention to the advice about using tourist office websites, which are one of the best travel planning resources when planning a trip to France.
I agree with StCirq that you don't need more than a couple of days in Bayeux because aside from D-Day history it does not make a great base to explore the major sites in that area, unless you want to visit some of the less known places nearby such as the Cotentin Peninsula or the Suisse Normande. Certainly there are other worthy sites near Bayeux but if this is a first trip to the area then I would focus on the highlights of Normandy and eastern Brittany.
Dec 2nd, 2013, 12:28 PM
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Well, rats again. I have a husband with me, not two BFF's. That should explain the car being turned in at CDG. He wanted to turn the car in and get on plane for London. There is only so much I can do with a driving man. Dropping off the car in Rennes makes so much sense, but it must be cheaper to turn it in at the airport. He hasn't rented the car yet.
I have tried to explain until I am blue in the face and am still trying to explain wasted trip time. We are not untraveled, even though it must sound like it.
StCirq, I should have stated the area around Giverny, sorry.
I had temporarily planned for us to drive from Giverny to Honfluer, and then down the coast to Bayeux.
stu had recommended that we dip into Brittany as in his opinion i
The countryside was so much prettier.
We are planning to go Rouen and Caen to the Peace Museum, the beaches, and sights near by.
I assumed, which is a problem of mine, that we could base in Bayeux and go north or south for day trips out to other towns,
When we are in southern France, we base and drive from village to village. We do like to base as I wag around my paint, brushes and paper.
The guide books are coming in from Amazon as we type.
Sarastro, yes, there was a hidden question in there as I am seeking advice and opinions.
Frenchmyatic, thanks for the much needed advice, I will check out the links.
From what I had read on TP, I thought I had a handle on this, the good thing is I have time to plan after Christmas. When the quite sets in.
I have tried to explain until I am blue in the face and am still trying to explain wasted trip time. We are not untraveled, even though it must sound like it.
StCirq, I should have stated the area around Giverny, sorry.
I had temporarily planned for us to drive from Giverny to Honfluer, and then down the coast to Bayeux.
stu had recommended that we dip into Brittany as in his opinion i
The countryside was so much prettier.
We are planning to go Rouen and Caen to the Peace Museum, the beaches, and sights near by.
I assumed, which is a problem of mine, that we could base in Bayeux and go north or south for day trips out to other towns,
When we are in southern France, we base and drive from village to village. We do like to base as I wag around my paint, brushes and paper.
The guide books are coming in from Amazon as we type.
Sarastro, yes, there was a hidden question in there as I am seeking advice and opinions.
Frenchmyatic, thanks for the much needed advice, I will check out the links.
From what I had read on TP, I thought I had a handle on this, the good thing is I have time to plan after Christmas. When the quite sets in.
Dec 2nd, 2013, 01:06 PM
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>>Dropping off the car in Rennes makes so much sense, but it must be cheaper to turn it in at the airport.<<
Why do you assume that??? It does not normally cost anything to pick up a car in one location & drop it off in another. Driving back to CDG from MSM will cost you about 70E in gas & tolls and consume 4 1/2 hrs. Driving from Dinard will cost you 70E and consume 5 hours. You can take the TGV from Rennes to CDG for 20E each & it takes 3 hrs and lets you off inside the terminal. You can probably save a day's car rental also. The car return office is next to the train station in Rennes. We hate driving into CDG or Paris.
Stu Dudley
Why do you assume that??? It does not normally cost anything to pick up a car in one location & drop it off in another. Driving back to CDG from MSM will cost you about 70E in gas & tolls and consume 4 1/2 hrs. Driving from Dinard will cost you 70E and consume 5 hours. You can take the TGV from Rennes to CDG for 20E each & it takes 3 hrs and lets you off inside the terminal. You can probably save a day's car rental also. The car return office is next to the train station in Rennes. We hate driving into CDG or Paris.
Stu Dudley
Dec 2nd, 2013, 01:45 PM
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I'm not sure if your "driving back to CDG" option is to CDG so your husband can fly to London, or to CDG then Paris itself for everyone. Or if your husband is flying to London and you are going to Paris. Of course, there are many, many TGV departures from Rennes to Paris.
If in fact you are driving to CDG so that you or anyone can then go to Paris, you need to factor in the added cost of a taxi for 2-3 people to your Paris hotel from CDG, vs a taxi from the Gare de Montparnasse to your hotel. My guess is it's at least 40E more to take a taxi from CDG - and an added 30-40 mins.
Stu Dudley
If in fact you are driving to CDG so that you or anyone can then go to Paris, you need to factor in the added cost of a taxi for 2-3 people to your Paris hotel from CDG, vs a taxi from the Gare de Montparnasse to your hotel. My guess is it's at least 40E more to take a taxi from CDG - and an added 30-40 mins.
Stu Dudley
Dec 2nd, 2013, 05:19 PM
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An impression has been made, thanks everyone, I'm to write it down and tell him what and where to go.
Thanks to all, my head was black and blue!
I can check that nightmare off, besides, I love to ride the trains. My dad was an engineer on the ICC Railroad until his passing. It's in the genes!
More questions later. Thanks, once again!
Thanks to all, my head was black and blue!
I can check that nightmare off, besides, I love to ride the trains. My dad was an engineer on the ICC Railroad until his passing. It's in the genes!
More questions later. Thanks, once again!
Dec 4th, 2013, 12:00 PM
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I love to ride the trains.>
I love to walk along old rail beds that are now walking paths - and if going to Giverny from Vernon you can walk most of the 3 miles or so along a path on the course of an old railway following the Seine the whole way - coming into Giverny at the village cemetery where Money lies with a tombstone over him - a quiet part of the village few people get to - then walk onto the hectic part of Giverny where tour buses clog the roads to Monet's House - Giverny is many ways is a quaint cute village if you get away from the mobs by Monet's house.
Monet used to ride the rail line now a path frequently when going to Rouen to paint incessantly the facade of the cathedral that now graces so so many of his famous canvasses.
Anyway I thought a neat way to approach Giverny.
I love to walk along old rail beds that are now walking paths - and if going to Giverny from Vernon you can walk most of the 3 miles or so along a path on the course of an old railway following the Seine the whole way - coming into Giverny at the village cemetery where Money lies with a tombstone over him - a quiet part of the village few people get to - then walk onto the hectic part of Giverny where tour buses clog the roads to Monet's House - Giverny is many ways is a quaint cute village if you get away from the mobs by Monet's house.
Monet used to ride the rail line now a path frequently when going to Rouen to paint incessantly the facade of the cathedral that now graces so so many of his famous canvasses.
Anyway I thought a neat way to approach Giverny.
Dec 5th, 2013, 03:26 PM
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PalenQ, what a wonderful idea. We would love to do that. I betcha there are more paths like that in other areas. What fun! Thank you so much. I think it would be nice to drive from Les Anderleys to Vernon and do that. We are walkers, so that would fit in nicely, I think.
The jet lag might go away even quicker!
The jet lag might go away even quicker!
Dec 6th, 2013, 08:18 AM
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Promenade_plant%C3%A9e
one of the rail lines in Paris now a walkway is the elevated one from Bastille to the Bois de Vicennes - a few miles above the east end of Paris - planted with vegetation - a forerunner of the now famous elevated walk way in Manhattan over a disued freight line.
one of the rail lines in Paris now a walkway is the elevated one from Bastille to the Bois de Vicennes - a few miles above the east end of Paris - planted with vegetation - a forerunner of the now famous elevated walk way in Manhattan over a disued freight line.
