crazyfamilyof4

ok .. for those that have followed me would know I have been planning a 8/9week trip with my family -husband,son4,daughter2 . . everything was going along nicely and few humps along the way but we got those smoothed out however, now we have had a mountain! HUBBY CAN'T COME FOR 4/5WEEKS OF THE TRIP!!! So..this means my mother is coming with me until hubby can join. The first flight is to London 10th June . . .mum will be flying out of Paris 10th July . . .Hubby flies in 7th July Paris . . .We all fly out 10Aug Frankfurt.

So new plan of attack . . .since we won't drive!
10th June -14th June = London

14th June - Fly to Marseille

14th June-21st June = We fly to Marseille - SO WHAT DO YOU SUGGEST?

21st June = We fly to Venice

21st June-26th June = Venice

26th June -train from Venice to Varenna

26th June-3rd July Varenna

3rd/4th July - Fly from Milan to Paris

3rd/4th July (not sure yet) - Paris

11th July leave Paris and go ?????? we need to be in Barcelona by the 16th July - we can either rent a car or train???? I'll have hubby so cars won't be an issue from here on!

16th July-19th July Barcelona

19th July - Ferry from Barcelona over to Genoa

20th July- Arrive in Genoa - We have till the 30th July where we need to catch a plane from Milan to Prague

30th July onwards we are fine and our bookings don't need to change.

So ...with these new changes lets see what our plans or places to see can be!

PatrickLondon

I'd suggest you cross-link between this and your other thread, so that you get all your information linked up, and more importantly, people know what questions you've asked where so that they don't go on repeating themselves.

If you're asking for useful information about this itinerary, it might be an idea to say what it is you all hope to do and see in all these places.

It looks a bit like leaping all over the map. Why not London (train) - Paris (train) - (Barcelona/Marseille in either order) - Italy - Prague?

crazyfamilyof4

how do I cross link it Patrick? I know we are a bit over the place the reason is we had booked in some accommodation that can't be swapped due to now being fully booked - Barcelona and Prague and Our original flight lands in London and flies out Frankfurt. The airline company doesn't fly to Italy which has meant my mum has had to fly out from Paris and my husband will land here as our crossing point.

When doing my original plans we wanted to see the chateaus of France. The orignal plan was to hire/ lease a car so it makes a very different trip as now we will be training and hiring a car if we are in a spot to have look around. I still really want to see Carcassone and I love Amboise and Sarlat but I just don't know if 12th of July to the 16th of July gives us enough time to do it.

The other part is from Genoa to Varenna - yes I am going twice - my mum wants to see it and so does my hubby so we are going their twice! Anyway we have one week to get from Geona to Varenna and I am not sure if we should do Lucca or Siena or FLorence or a combo.

I was kinda thinking of 2 places but if someone knows of one place that would be a good base for us then yes please suggest.

I had such a successful time getting your suggestions last time I know it will happen again!

Many thanks!!!

janisj

Some of our other threads:

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...ays-by-car.cfm

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...what-to-do.cfm

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...ice-needed.cfm

crazyfamilyof4

Thanks janisj!

which would you do do Amboise or Sarlat?

I am thinking train Paris to Brive pick up a car and drive to Sarlat then drive to Carcassone and then train to Barcelona?

dugi_otok

>14th June-21st June = We fly to Marseille - SO WHAT DO YOU SUGGEST?<

14,15 Arles. Hotel d'Arlatan. sat market day.
16,17,18 Avignon. Le Medieval Hotel-location,location,location
19,20 Aix-en-Provence. th market day.

Aix is as close to airport as Marseille

Train between cities.

crazyfamilyof4

thanks Dugi . . .knowing that I am travelling with little kids and my mum who doesn't really want to pack up and be so on the go could we skip Marseille and go straight to Aix? then train to the other places over the week?

annhig

crazy - haven't got time for a detailed response now, but I'll be back!

crazyfamilyof4

thanks ann!!!!

Ok for berlin . .what's this location like? It seems cheap so I am scared=dodgy!

crazyfamilyof4

http://www.holiday-velvet.com/berlin...able&utm_term=

annhig

crazy - have you noticed that it doesn't mention its proximity to the centre of Berlin? I think there's a reason for that, which also explains the price. IMO you really want to be near the zoo or in Mitte, as you are only going to be there for 3 nights.

could you perhaps stretch the budget for that, bearing in mind that eating out in Berlin is cheap?

indydad found somewhere good and cheap to stay in Berlin - I'll see if I can find it.

annhig

here we go:

http://www.novotel.com/gb/hotel-3278...te/index.shtml

here's his thread discussing Berlin hotels:

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...s-363320-2.cfm

and here's his itinerary thread:

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...ver-easter.cfm

StCirq

<< I still really want to see Carcassone and I love Amboise and Sarlat but I just don't know if 12th of July to the 16th of July gives us enough time to do it.>>

Impossible. And you shouldn't even consider the Dordogne without a car. But in any event, those are three very widely dispersed places (entire regions) and 4 days is simply not enough.

dugi_otok

<<knowing that I am travelling with little kids and my mum who doesn't really want to pack up and be so on the go could we skip Marseille and go straight to Aix? then train to the other places over the week?>>

You should skip Marseille, but Aix is too far away for day trips to the tourist sites. You could go directly to Avignon for 4-5 nights and then to Aix for 2-3 nights.Aix is great for cafes and enjoying the ambiance of France but no tourist sites. You could take a day trip, hire a driver, and visit the Luberon hill towns from there.But 7 nights in Aix would be too long without a car.A question, how much luggage will you and mum have? Seems like a problem to me. There may be a time when you have to carry both kids. Without hubby it is tough.

I have another idea.You could take the train from London, Eurostar connecting to TVG in Paris which goes direct to Avignon.The TVG trip is less than 3 hours.

Another idea. The Eurostar from London does go direct to Disneyland , Marne-la-Vallee, for a day or two, then the TVG direct to Avignon. The TVG trip is less than 3 hours.

annhig

OK - so this is the tricky part:

10th June -14th June = London

14th June - Fly to Marseille

14th June-21st June = We fly to Marseille - SO WHAT DO YOU SUGGEST?

21st June = We fly to Venice

21st June-26th June = Venice

26th June -train from Venice to Varenna

26th June-3rd July Varenna

3rd/4th July - Fly from Milan to Paris

3rd/4th July (not sure yet) - Paris

11th July leave Paris and go ?????? we need to be in Barcelona by the 16th July - we can either rent a car or train???? I'll have hubby so cars won't be an issue from here on!
__________________________________________________

working backwards, as it were, as I understand it you have to be in Paris by 7th July, and to be in Barcelona by the 16th.

in that gap, why not do the Dordogne? - for which you will need a car. then return it somewhere where you can get the train to Barcelona, and go from there?

going back to the beginning, from Paris, [or disney] why not head straight to Nice? everything I've read about it suggests that it's a great place for getting about without a car - plenty of buses and trains - and plenty to see and do. you could then still go to Venice [again great public transport] and i would follow that up with Garda rather than Varenna - lots to do with small children like gardaland and a water-park. and great public transport.

then you could fly back to Paris from Venice or Verona.

dugi_otok

<<11th July leave Paris and go ?????? we need to be in Barcelona by the 16th July - we can either rent a car or train???? I'll have hubby so cars won't be an issue from here on!

16th July-19th July Barcelona

19th July - Ferry from Barcelona over to Genoa>>

July 11 Leave Paris: Train to Brive. Rent car and drive to Sarlat.
July 11,12,13,14 sleep in Sarlat.
July 15 Leave Sarlat. Drive to Carcassonne. Sleep in Carcassonne.Or drive to Carcassonne for a 3 stop and drive to Narbonne or Perpignon,turn in car, sleep in either.

July 16 Train to Barcelona from Narbonne or Perpignon.

Note: Since ferries leave at night you may be able to reduce your nights in Barcelona to 2, July 17 and 18,and still have 3 full days in Barcelona.This day could be applied to Sarlat.

crazyfamilyof4

HI Ann, SQ and Dugi, THANK YOU!
Ann- thanks for the Berlin links! I'll def take a look and book from there! Also I will do the hire car . .I like why dugi has suggested . .train to Brive and hire a car then stay in Sarlat and drive to Carcasoone and I'll see if I stay there or somewhere else and drop off car and train to Barcelona.

I am going to pack as light as I can . . .I am going to take one of those backpacker backpacks for me to wear while I'm with just the kids and then a small hand luggage case and a duffle/sport style bag. I just said to hubby..it's not like I can't buy clothes if we run out etc . .good excuse for my second favourite past time . .shopping!

My mother and husband both really want to have a long stay in Varenna! It's just something I'm going to have to do.

Many thanks again guys!

crazyfamilyof4

now it is looking like I may still need to go to my amboise booking . . .however I won't have a car. I might look into hiring one for a day trip or two but I would like to get there by rail.

I can't seem to figure out which site to use. SQ or someone else can you help? MANY THANKS

kerouac

It would be a huge mistake to not stop in Marseille this year.

http://www.mp2013.fr/?lang=en

crazyfamilyof4

WOW! Thanks for this!