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19 nights through France. Itinerary help please

19 nights through France. Itinerary help please

Old Jun 13th, 2020, 07:09 AM
  #21  
Dnf
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StCirq thanks for your opinions, I guess. No, I did not realize Alsace was the hardest hit region. No, I don’t know what will happen with Covid. No, I am not making any plans that would jeopardize me financially. I’ve been in lockdown mode here in the US before it was officially instituted by my state and city and even now after it’s been lifted, so I am fully aware of the state of the virus and do take it seriously and will not travel if we are in the same condition in the fall. That being said I love to plan trips as an escape from my high stress job and I take all the trips I plan...at some point. I am sorry if I have inconvenienced you with my post and realize that you are probably not excited about visitors from the US coming to France any time soon. I get that. But your acerbic tone is unnecessary. This is indeed a travel site where opinions are solicited because the original poster does not have all their planning figured out. Responses like yours are the very reason I seldom post here. You may have a lot of insider knowledge about the place but the way you deliver it leaves much to be desired. It makes me sorry I even posted in the first place. So I think I’ll just bow out now and plan and research without this medium.
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Old Jun 13th, 2020, 07:31 AM
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""So I think I’ll just bow out now""

Nope - don't do that because of just one person is being snarky. She has done that to me also.

Stu Dudley
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Old Jun 13th, 2020, 08:22 AM
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Fear not. StSirq is well known for internet grumpiness surrounding very useful information. Just translate it into nice words and you'll be fine.
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Old Jun 13th, 2020, 08:58 AM
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If you can't weigh a don't-go comment (from someone who lives in France) against the more encouraging ones, I don't think you're being honest about wanting advice. At least about a trip just 90 days from now...

FWIW, I don't think any non-expert is "fully aware of the state of the virus." Even the experts can't entirely agree. Sorry.
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Old Jun 13th, 2020, 09:19 AM
  #25  
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Stu, AJP, I appreciate that. Thanks for your advise. It has been truly helpful and as you both see, it has led to my rethinking parts of the plan.
Jean, take a look at how I started my original post. I am dreaming and planning for only IF we can go. Just so you know who I am, I had a trip scheduled to Switzerland for the entire month of June. I cancelled it in March, then waited for the airlines to cancel my flights and refund my money. All done, all good. I also had a trip to Portugal planned for the month of September. I canceled that in March too and got all my money back. I’m now dreaming and planning again. My chosen profession involves managing risk and resolving other people’s problems. I am fully aware of what is going on with the virus and even the spikes reoccurring in parts of my country and others, I have zero plans to put myself, my family, or others at risk. Planning, thank God, is still risk free.
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Old Jun 13th, 2020, 10:10 AM
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Weeks ago almost every thread that even mentioned possible travel, dreams of travel, where would one go IF they could travel -- anything the least bit positive -- would deteriorate into name calling and shaming for even thinking such a thing. Mainly from about 3 or 4 Europe-based Fodorites but others would jump in too. Got pretty tiresome -- on a 'Travel site' no less. One cannot even 'dream about future travel' w/o getting a lecture. The Moderators seemed to clean out the nastiest of the arguments and that mostly died down to a simmer lately. But a lot people are worn out by this pandemic so can - let's just be generous here and say - get testy And that definitely can be understandable.

Don't give it another thought. Go ahead and plan (BTW you can put individual members on 'Ignore' if it gets too heavy for you)

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Old Jun 13th, 2020, 12:18 PM
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My 2 cents as an American living in Paris for the last 15 months. If the US is on the approved list and you can get a flight here, there is no reason not to come in the fall (assuming Covid is not out of control). Alsace is worthy of a 2 week trip on it’s own. I would suggest you skip it and concentrate on Provence. We used Stu’s wonderfully detailed report when we went last October, his suggestions are right on. I would hesitate to see Bonnieux, Gordes, Menerbes in a day though, you are shortchanging the Luberon if you do so. We spent 3 nights in Bonnieux and could have spent much more time exploring the area. There are wonderful hill towns to climb, restaurant terraces to sit on with a glass of wine overlooking the valley. It is such a beautiful area, it deserves a slow pace to savor. It sounds like you can plan to come back to France, no need to see so much at once.
We have not been out of Paris in 6 months. Came here to travel, had to cancel 4 big trips since January (strike, apartment move, Covid) I just planned and booked a 9 day trip to Gascony/ Bordeaux for late June. Scared, yes. Masks worn always. Covid protocol asked about at hotels. Worried about train travel. But, the vaccine may be years, or never and Paris is not a bastion of social distancing and mask wearers.. All points of view have validity, the risk/reward is different for all. (Personally, right now I would like the French borders to stay closed so I can selfishly enjoy museums and restaurants without the hoards).
Anyway, here’s to travel and dreams make it happen.
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Old Jun 13th, 2020, 12:25 PM
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Janis--I agree, but I don't think she is being testy because of the pandemic. She has always been grumpy and flat out rude, IMO.
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Old Jun 13th, 2020, 01:53 PM
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Since Annecy is just a stop over, even if very nice, and it entails a long drive. Why not rent the car in Strasbourg, do a circuit of Alsace, and then take the TGV to Avignon? It may require going via Paris. If so, check if you can take the train to CDG and catch a train going to Avignon in CDG, leaving out Paris altogether.

Here's the TGV website: https://en.oui.sncf/en/

Last edited by Michael; Jun 13th, 2020 at 01:56 PM.
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Old Jun 13th, 2020, 02:39 PM
  #30  
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Hi Janisj,
Thank you for that perspective. I didn't know I could put someone on ignore. I will need to look into that. If I do so, will it mean that her responses won't show up in my thread? Or does it mean only I will not be able to see her responses? Sorry but I am still a novice at posting
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Old Jun 13th, 2020, 02:58 PM
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Michael - as I posted earlier, there is a train leaving Colmar at 9:32 which arrives at the Avignon TGV station at 14:27. No train changes. Runs every day in mid Sept - but on Sundays there is a train change in Lyon.

Stu Dudley

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Old Jun 13th, 2020, 03:11 PM
  #32  
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Thanks for the positivity Oforparis. I feel you with the trips and the cancellations. Yes, I am scratching the ill-thought Alsace portion and will put that in another trip at some point.
Stu THANK YOU for sharing your itin. I look forward to reading it tonight.

Guys, I appreciate all the input with practical suggestions for how best to spend the time and see the country.
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Old Jun 13th, 2020, 04:17 PM
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" . . . Or does it mean only I will not be able to see her responses?"

^^^ that.

Here is the info in the FAQs (though it does end by saying "a thread with 'ignore will look like this" . . . Then doesn't show what it will look like - so not sure what it would actually look like )

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If there are particular members that bother you and you do not want to see their posts or receive Private Messages from them, then you can add these members to your ‘Ignore List’. You can manage your ‘Ignore List’ through your User Control Panel found under “My Settings” in the Navigation bar: User CP, Settings & Options, Edit Ignore List. Then, type their name into the empty text box and click ‘Okay’.

This will hide all of that specific user’s posts on the forum. You will not see another comment from them until you remove them from this list. Thread with posts by ignored users will look like this:
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Old Jun 15th, 2020, 06:14 AM
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Bonjour,
Autour d'Annecy, surtout ne manquez pas d'aller jusqu'à La Clusaz et de marcher dans le massif des Aravis. Superbe ! Et d'aller dans une ferme goûter du reblochon. Délicieux. Aussi au bout du lac d'Annecy, l'abbaye Notre Dame de Tamié et ses psaumes grégoriens chantés par des moines cisterciens qui fabriquent aussi du reblochon.
Mais votre parcours semble marathonien ! Pourquoi ne pas louer un gite ou des chambres d'hôtes (Gites de France) et rayonner selon vos envies !
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Old Jun 17th, 2020, 08:17 AM
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hope you can read that, basically recommending more slow travel and that you eat reblochon cheese. Which is good in small doses, and some things around Annecy.

Personally, I think you have some of your time allocations a little distorted or strange compared to what is there. But this doesn't really matter that much as you can wing those when you are there and move stuff around anyway, within an area.

For example, putting both Nimes and Arles into one day and then devoting a day to Pont du Gard. Maybe you had other plans, but I wouldn't think you could spend an entire day looking at an old stone bridge, even though there is a little museum there explaining some archeology and history of the area. I know you like Roman ruins, but I wouldn't take more than a half day at most. Nimes and Arles both could be one entire day for a day trip, they were for me. And you sure don't need an entire day to see Goult (I presume that's what you mean by Gault) or Bonnieux, both of which are teensy and don't have much to see. But as I said, these may just be some plans and then you'll see what you feel like when in that area.

You could add Uzes to Pont du Gard day unless you really had plans for all that time there, like maybe going for a hike or whatnot.

Actually you could add Nimes to Pont du Gard and then give Arles an entire day.

You could also visit Grasse from Nice if you wanted, I did. I didn't have a car, I took the bus. I like traveling with the locals on buses and trains when I travel. Seven days is a lot in Nice but you have ideas so sure.

I do not agree with Stu about Aix. It's a very nice city, four days is not too much IMO especially when you plan 7 in Nice for example. And it is well-located for the things you named to see from it. YOu can easily spend a couple days just enjoying Aix, and it's a good base for visiting the Abbaye of Silvacane also. I spent a day touring around Montagne Ste Victoire when I was staying in Aix, also.
Abbaye de Silvacane
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Old Jun 18th, 2020, 03:57 AM
  #36  
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Thanks Christina!
I copied the text into Google translate and got some of it.
Yes, I did mean Goult. And since posting, I have realized that Uzes would be good to add to the Pont du Gard day. Stu’s suggestions and itin crystallized how small some of the villages are, so like you said, they can be combined for better use of days.
Thanks a bunch for your suggestions, we sometimes like the bus, and sometimes like the freedom the car presents. Specific day plans are fluid. I like to have an idea of what we will do, but if something else catches our fancy en route, or we simply feel like having a lazy day where we are based, then so be it. Thanks again! Feel free to add any other thoughts about better use of time if you think of more.
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