blackmons

So I'm just trying to rough out the very beginnings of an itinerary for a 2-week trip to France next year. We will be going the beginning of July with the hopes of seeing the lavender in bloom. Here's where I am right now:

Day 1 - Paris
Day 2 - Paris
Day 3 - Paris

(2 full days in Paris)

Day 4 - train to Normandy
Day 5 - Normandy tour
Day 6 - Normandy - Paris - Avignon - rent car, drive to Gordes

Day 7 - Gordes
Day 8 - Gordes
Day 9 - Avignon?

(3 full days Provence, hopefully doing some of Stu's lavender guide)

Day 10 Avignon - Paris
Day 11 Paris
Day 12 Giverney
Day 13 Paris

(2 full days in Paris)

Day 14 Home

How is that for a start? I would greatly appreciate any and all feedback.
Thanks,
Laurie

Jean

Hmmm. Most here will probably advise against splitting your Paris time. I would look into the possibility of flying immediately to Avignon or Lyon, starting your trip from there and then working your way north. You could also fly Lyon to Caen to avoid that long train ride the entire length of the country.

Personally, I would want a car for the time in Normandy, and for the travel time required I would want to spend more than one full day there.

If you stick to your initial plan, check the travel time for Day 6. That's one Very Long Day.

Jean

Also re Day 6: You would have to leave Normandy early in order to get to the car rental office in Avignon before it closes. Where would you be staying in Normandy?

blackmons

I was thinking we would stay in Bayeux. Maybe we should stay in Avignon the first night and rent a car the following day?

Jean

I'll top this again in hopes that some of the France experts will see it.

Anyway, below is generally what I would do. Obviously, a lot depends on the flight options within France, whether departure times work, etc.

Day 1. Arrive Paris, fly onward to Avignon. Spend the night.

Day 2. Spend the day exploring Avignon. Night in Avignon.

Day 3. Rent the car, explore and end up in Gordes. Night in Gordes.

Day 4. Explore. Night in Gordes.

Day 5. Explore. Night in Gordes.

Day 6. Drive to Lyon, turn in the car and fly to Caen. Pick up a car and drive to Bayeux. Night in Bayeux.

Day 7. Explore. Night in Bayeux.

Day 8. Explore. Night in Bayeux.

Day 9. Drive to Caen, see the Peace Memorial/Museum, turn in the car and train to Paris. Night in Paris.

Day 10. Explore. Night in Paris.

Day 11. Explore. Night in Paris. (Day trip to Giverny one of your days in Paris.)

Day 12. Explore. Night in Paris.

Day 13. Explore. Night in Paris.

Day 14. Fly home.

kevin_widrow

Not bad at all - big improvement over the first effort.

Just one thought: why drive all the way to Lyon to drop off your car. Marseille is much closer.

- Kevin

Judy

I would fly open-jaw, into Marseille and out of Paris. It is actually cheaper than even a Prem train fare to Avignon. Last time I checked the difference between a round trip to Paris and the open jaw was only $20.

ira

I agree with Judy

StCirq

Yes, Judy's idea is best. Jean's itinerary, with the exception of the Lyon bit, is great.

Jean

I was trying to get the OP all the way to Caen. Are there flights from Marseille to Caen?

blackmons

Thanks so much for your replies. Couple of thoughts, just so you know why I posted the original itinerary. I'm picturing us arriving in Paris quite jet-lagged and would like to keep that first day as simple as possible. That's why I was considering staying in Paris for a few days to get our bearings. My husband will be doing the driving, and I'm trying to make it as easy on him as possible. (We don't speak French and have never been to France.) While flying to Marseille and renting a car may make more sense timewise, I don't think he's going to feel up to that on our first day. We will be using frequent flier miles, and I don't have our flights yet so I'm not sure what time of day we'll be arriving as far as catching a train. My thought was it would be easiest on him renting a car and driving out of Avignon than it would be in either Paris or Marseille.

Also, we weren't planning on renting a car in Normandy. My hope was to take a train there and make arrangements for a van tour the next day, spend the entire day, and then continue on to Provence. I can see that's where there's a problem. I'll have to take a train back to Paris and then on to Avignon.

Does anyone have a link to the train schedule so I can see what I'm talking about, timewise? Do the trains run every day?

Thanks for any feedback you can give me.
Laurie

StCirq

Train schedules are at www.voyages-sncf.com. Trains run every day everywhere, just with limited schedules on holidays.

My view is that one ought always to get to the farthest point away from the origination point to begin with, even if it means a slightly grueling day. For example, I'm headed to France August 29 and will fly overnight, then get on a TGV followed by a regional train, followed by a 45-minute drive. I'll be in transit 30+ hours all told, but will be able to crash and recover that first night and will be fine from Day 2 onward.
I don't see any advantage at all in getting a train to Normandy, taking a one-day tour, then having to go back to Paris to catch another train to Avignon when you can get off the plane and get right on a train there without even leaving the airport. Your plan has you adding hours and hours of transportation time just for a day in Normandy.

Judy

We do the same as St Cirq and also don't like to break up our time in any city. It just seems we lose so much time moving around and, if I have a week in Paris, I want a full week! Of course, we all have our own travel "styles."

Have you considered a Normandy day trip (with a tour company) during your stay in Paris?

Judy

FWIW, you can do open jaw trips using FF miles. Next year we are going to Provence and Paris and hope to use Delta miles for one ticket. That's how I happened to know the difference in cost between round trip and open jaw.

blackmons

Is there a train between the airport at Marseille and Avignon?

StCirq

Read this thread from last year. There's a train apparently, but you'll need a chip and pin credit card to buy tickets.

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...non-france.cfm

Without one, you may need to take a navette to the train station in Marseilles and catch a train to Avignon from there.

Christina

yes, you have to search for Vitrolles (name of station at airport), it has local regional TER trains leaving from there rather than the big station in the city. That's all you need to get to Avignon. IN fact, it is better as you go to the train station in Avignon proper, not the TGV station outside. those trains take around 1 hr and cost 15-20 euro. YOu hve to look for a TER from Vitrolles airport to Avignon centre. If you are just staying in Avignon in a hotel you sure don't need a car for those couple days.

Personally, I understand the issues as it isn't just grueling, but can be dangerous if you are renting cars and driving with jet lag and perhaps very little sleep, and you are in a foreign country where you don't know the language (I hope if you rent a car you learn French road signs and what they mean).

I think going to Marseille and taking the TER train to Avignon is a good idea.

blackmons

Actually, I'm playing with the idea of ending the trip in Avignon, flying out of Marseille Airport. I kind of like the idea of going from the rush and chaos of the city (Paris) to the countryside (Provence.) Maybe I'll just stay in Bayeux one night in the middle of our Paris leg, arriving there the night before the tour and heading back to Paris after the tour the next day. Any idea how late the trains run from Bayeux to Paris.
Also, although I have always tried to do everything myself on-line, would I be better off having a travel agent book all these various train tickets for me? I'm getting the impression that it's a little tricky to do by myself. I haven't searched out the websites yet. I guess that's what I should attempt next.
Thanks. I really appreciate all the expert advice.

StCirq

<<Any idea how late the trains run from Bayeux to Paris>>

Train schedules are at www.voyages-sncf.com.

I've never met a travel agent who knew how to deal with getting tickets any way other than through Rail Europe, which is a reseller with high prices.

There are countless threads on here explaining how to book tickets. The ones you need to order ahead of time are the Paris-Avignon-Paris ones. If you go online 3 months out from your travel date you can get the deeply discounted PREM fares. You print the tickets out and take them with you.

No need to buy the Paris-Bayeux-Paris tickets ahead of time. Just get to the Gare St-Lazare a half an hour or more ahead of the departure time. In Bayeux, you won't need to be at the station more than about 15 minutes ahead of time.

Judy

I use this site for train tickets because my french is not good.

http://www.tgv-europe.com/en/?rfrr=H...ited%20Kingdom

When it asks your country, put in Great Britain and then, on the next page, click that you want to pay in Euros.