3.5mths in Europe, let me know what you think so far. (its long)
 

Thanks so much for all your help so far. This is a huge trip to plan for, we have some definates and lots of just winging it. But I'd love to hear your thoughts on our rough plan so far.

We (dh & I both late 40s experienced travelers) leave Australia end of July. 10 days in London, this will be our third trip, to catch up with DD#1 & her partner, who leave in two weeks on a 2yr working visa. We will also be joined on the 3rd day (for the next two weeks) by my DHs recently widowed aunty who will be undertaking her first ever o/s trip. We are so excited to be able to be with her for this trip.

We've rented an apartment in Earls crt for 10 days. We will be helping auntyJ have a good look around, but she is happy to do a lot of things independantly as we have done quite a bit. But theres still lots we want to see, plus some plays and of course generally spending time with DD#1. <b> I'd love help with good lunch, afternoon tea places.</b> We will probably breakfast (and dinner sometimes) in our apartment. I will be spending time at markets <b>(suggestions for good markets)</b> etc sourcing good local food. I have saved the link to Inn the Park as one possible nice place to stop for lunch.

We are completely comfortable using the tube, in fact we love it. This time we will make sure to purchase an Oyster Card on arrival.

Then we will say goodbye to DD#1 for a while and head to Paris on the Eurostar (tickets already purchased) for a week. We have an apartment in the 14th. Again DH & I have been here before, but it was winter and we were traveling with someone who was determined not to enjoy Paris (long story). So we are looking forward to lots of walking and soaking up all that is Paris, again fresh food markets are high on my list.

We arrive on a Thursday, on the following Monday we will be collecting our Leased car. The owner of the apartment has a car park we can use. We may do a trip or two outside of the city. <b>Any suggestions would be great</b> auntyj will enjoy whatever we decided.

On the Thursday auntyj will be heading back to London to begin an escorted tour of Europe. We start our driving trip. We have about 5 weeks to do what ever we like. We'd like to go up and see some of the Australian war memorials Villers-Bretonneux and the beaches of Normandy. Then maybe head to Mont Saint-Michel, then beaunne, Dijon, bourdex, toulouse and places in between.

We may even make it into Spain.

We will then be meeting friends in Venice September 7 for 3 nights, We will all then head to Lake Como where we have booked a beautiful Villa for 10 days. Then off to a villa in Montemagno Province of Asti for a week. Our friends will be leaving here after 3 nights. But DD#2 will be flying in for two weeks. YaY :-)

Then our good friends from Melbourne will be meeting us in Cinque Terra. This has been a long planned part of our trip. We will be driving down the Italian Coast, then crossing over from Bari into Croatia for two weeks, before we split up and we head back to Paris to drop our car and fly home from Paris. DD#2 will be leaving us in Rome. We have given ourselves 3 nights in Paris to do whatever we missed or to just enjoy it before flying home to Brisbane Nov 3.

Somewhere along the way we will be catching up with DD#1 again, probably Spain, but it will depend if they have jobs etc and can get away.

So what do you think? Sorry its long, but theres a lot to work out and its taken weeks of research to narrow down this much.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on routes, villages not miss, place to eat, markets to visit. We will only be visiting major cities for day trips as we want to stay in small villages etc.

Thanks

One of my favorite trips was to the Nice Hinterland. I stayed in a small village called Peillon (hard to find) that is definitely off the tourist trail. I was there for 2 nights and did a trip to see a small frescoed chapel a couple of hours away from Nice, near the Italian border. On the way I passed through several wonderful villages (a couple of them were listed as the "Most Beautiful Villages in France"). The roads were empty of cars, the villages were empty of tourists, and I was alone in the chapel that was my destination.

I've described the day on this board so if you search on Peillon and my name you can find my post. Although it was 10 years ago I'm sure this route is still off the tourist map. It's one of my wonderful memories.

Hi there,
I've read some of your trip plans....we've just returned back to Oz after spending nealry 4 months away with our two children. I have some suggestions that I thought you might be interested in, most of them are to do with food, which is my passion.
In London, be sure to visit the Borough Markets.......you won't be disappointed. It's very hip and groovy with many, many tasting experiences. We've since read that it's Jamie Oliver's fave spot to hang out. Lots of local and French producers selling their wares in a relaxed atmosphere. Be sure, if you so go to try the warm alcoholic apple cider. We grabbed a cup each and wondered through the markets drinking it. The cheese Racclette also deserves a mention. As does the young guy selling homemade mushroom pate. Salami's to die for! Massive pots of curry are a real sight and were very popular. It's a great spot too for fashion spotting! Prepare to be full and contented once you leave. It's a sensory dream.
Paris. We'd also heard all of those stories that are designed to put you off enjoying Paris. We loved it. We walked everywhere and made a real effort to learn a little bit of French. A simple 'Bonjour' when you enter a shop often makes all of the difference to how you are treated. Perhaps that is a tip you could give your friend.
If you are going to Toulouse - stop off at a place called St Antonin Noble Val. They have a Saturday market that is quite unique. Beautiful bread, gorgeous cheeses and slow roasted duck, salami's and homemade walnut wine. The pub is full of friendly people. The bottle shop in the village has some terrific French wines. Lovely spot to do some walking. there's a huge hill behind the main shop that, if you have the energy to walk up, is well worth the effort. View forever. We took a picnic lunch up there and ended up spending the whole day there. Another little village along that route is Najac. Very pretty and historic. Visit the Castle.
Anyway, hope that helps you.
All the best and have a wonderful trip.

I found what I posted:

If you're looking for something unusual and you like frescoes spend the day in the Nice Hinterland. Start either near Nice or Menton (I think the drive is easier from Menton) and head toward La Brigue, stopping along the way in Sospel and Saorge.

Outside of La Brigue is the chapel of Notre Dame des Fontaines, set in the middle of no where with no tourists. Here are the notes from my trip report:

"It was another hour [ from Sospel ] and 38 Km to La Brigue and the chapel of Notre Dame des Fontaines, the interior entirely frescoed in the 15th century by Italian artists Jean Canavesio and Jean Baleison. Frescoes include the Last Judgment and Christ’s Passion and are remarkably well preserved. Located any place else in the world, this chapel would be guarded and an entrance fee would be charged. Its isolation has probably saved it from ruin since it must see few visitors. It stands near the Italian border, beside a rushing stream, frozen in time. If you can find your way here, the magic of frescoes almost six centuries old is yours to enjoy in solitude. The hour I spent here was transportation to a different time; to a different world".

I've scanned some pre-digital photos (so quality isn't the best) and some post cards from the chapel. They start on the second row of photos. For a view of the drive look at the 5th photo from the left in the first row.

There are a few photos of the place I stayed a couple of nights - Peillon - the last photo on the right in the 3rd row, taken about half way up the hill.

If you do the trip to La Brigue have lunch in the town. I saw some older women entering the restaurant on the way to the chapel and made a not to stop there for lunch. It was just the type of place I was looking for; a typical French country experience. Here are my notes from the trip report about the restaurant.

"On the way back through La Brigue I stopped for lunch at the Fleur des Alpes hotel. Lunch was served in a small dining room in the back of the building with lace curtains on the windows. It was typical of a small town hotel and restaurant serving locals of the previous generation; the type of place where the entire tureen of pate is set on the table and you take what you want and pay accordingly. I had a cheese omelet and a small pitcher of red wine for 60 ff".

http://modigliani.shutterfly.com/provence1999

You guys are amazing. Thank you so much. I'm always a bit nervous to describe us as 'foodies' but we really are, most of our best travel memories are food related.
Can't thank you both enough.

Keep it coming......:-)

Oh, and another thing...you mentioned that you may even make it into Spain....one place that is often overlooked and is certainly enroute between Toulouse and Spain is the littel tiny country of Andorra. We spent 5 days there skiing in the Winter. But you'll be pleased to know that it is one of the most picturesque places to visit and totally unique. The people there are very friendly and accommodating. Their main source of income is tourism! It's a multicultural place, though still maintains a special local feel. If you're looking to shop...this is your place. Many things are tax free. Clothing, electrical goods and alcohol are all very cheap. Very cheap to stay there too.

aussiedreamer - Hi,
I am not sure whether I have passed this niffty little website on to you in previous posts but here it is again for you to look through and see if it helps. We too are arriving in Paris on a Thursday (July 22nd) and have plans to head off to Basilica St Denis earlyish on Friday morning.
St.Denis is accesible by a short metro ride on line 13. There is an outdoor street market on a Friday with hundreds of merchants and shoppers gathering in the town square, also right outside the metro station, selling anything and everything from colourful garb to household goods.
As you exit the metro, a short walk through a covered passageway leads you to the market place bustling with life.

We intend only visiting for a few hours looking through the centuries old Basilica (5thC) before heading to another venue but probably not before a snack for lunch from one of the Arabic vendors - maybe even find a decent tagine?!

Here is the link:http://www.tomsguidetoparis.com/TomsGuideToParis.php

We've done this one and it was wonderful!:http://www.nubar.com/realstock/n75540-33.html

Found this very interesting and quite useful:http://tinyurl.com/croxnr

Thinking seriously going here if the weather in kind:
http://www.parispuces.com/en/Default..._exposants.asp

aussiedreamer,

How wonderful you can do a trip like this, my husband and I are working on doing a longer trip,we just got back and we are ready to go back. We fell in-love with Nice and Cinque Terre.

Have a great time and I hope you keep us up to date.

Just to say that Andorra is very busy in the summer. The duty free prices are cheapish but there are strict limits for importing items back into EU (either Spain or France). Sometimes there are long queues as every vehicle is searched on the border.

With plenty of time, I would think about linking together Normandy, Bordeaux, Biarritz, San Sebastian, Madrid, Murcia (option to head South to Andalucia), Barcelona, Pyrenees, Roussillon, Languedoc, Provence, Cote d'Azur, Venice, Italian Lakes, Italian visits, Switzerland, Germany, Luxemburg, Belgium, War memorials, and back to France.

You could extend this down to Gibraltar, or cut it short and follow Pamplona, Jaca to Barcelona - or miss Spain altogether.

I'd think of stopping somewhere for a few days rest - perhaps in the Cevennes hills which are close to the Languedoc section. This would also allow visits to Gorges du Tarn, Millau bridge, etc.

Your 5 weeks will not be long enough to see everything !


Peter

Just to clarify the 5 weeks is from Paris, through France and ending up in Venice. We will do 'Italy' after that ie, The Lakes, Refrancore, Provincia di Asti, cinque terra, rome etc.

The Millau Bridge is a must for my bridge obsessed DH.

And yes we would love to make it to Gibraltar.

OMG I can't believe you are off to Europe again - I'm so jealous!!! ;)

The Borough Market is great fun, we had a lovely lunch there one day. I forget what we had now, but it was great, lots of free tasting as well as yummy things to purchase. Packed with all the 'city suits' buying their lunch too. We sat on the grass and tucked in. There is a cooking show on foxtel that's has outdoor segments that I think are sometimes filmed there - Market Kitchen.

Do stop at any markets you find in country France, we absolutely loved them. I still have a bar or two of gorgeous soap that I bought in a market in the South of France. I'm going to be sad when I use the last one.

We found 'cafe du teau' (not sure of spellng) shops in little villages and would stop for afternoon tea. We had some lovely cakes etc as well as a fun variety of teas to choose from.

I think you mean 'salon du thé' - nice for afternoon tea, but often expensive. Tea is usually much more expensive than coffee in a cafe, but I agree they are nice places to stop and have a rest.

Someone commented on St Antonin du Noble Val, which is a very lovely town, but does not have a 'unique' market. It is a good market, but typical of those in towns and villages all over France. So, wherever you are there is likely to be a market, some better than others, but still worth visiting. Just check with a tourist office, or even someone on the street for the 'jour du marché'

Wow 3.5 months I am soo envious

We spent 4 weeks in France. Staying in an apartment in the 5th near Rue Mouffetard with lots of food shops and markets.
We also wandered the streets of Paris soaking up the atmosphere, just loved it.

We spent 2 wonderful weeks in Provence and visited lots of great markets. Not to mention the beautiful perched villages.

Also spent a week in the Dordogne near Sarlat.

All places were contrasting and unique but oh so wonderful.

I have done a trip report so search my name. You may get some suggestions there.

Cinque Terre is on my list next.

We spent a morning at Harrods and bought some delicious fresh food and chilled wine there and had a picnic lunch in Hyde Park. One of the highlights of our stay in London.

Happy holidaying!

I can't believe the wonderful responses, thank you all so much. Just know this will be saved and printed and carried on our adventure.

I know how lucky we are to have all this time.

Cathies, I love Market Kitchen, it was on my list.

Harrods also holds great memories, one in particular were the cakes we bought and ate while waiting for a train to Northhampton last time. YUM YUM YUM, we also ate at the Pizza counter and the Seafood one.

Our apartment is a good 30 minute walk to Harrods yay.

Can't wait for more ideas and I will search all the older posts that are suggested to me here.

aussiedreamer, you have some great ideas so far.

For Borough Market try to go on a Thurs or Fri as it is really busy on Sat which detracts from its charm. (Its open Thurs - Sat only). A couple good pubs in the area are the Market Porter and Southwark Tavern, the latter has 'debtor cells' in the basement which are like little separate rooms! Also nearby is the George, one of the oldest coaching inns turned pub, supposedly used to be beside the Tabbert where Canterbury Takes started.

For Paris, there are loads of lovely markets. Richard Lenoir was great. Also, if you click on my name and read Bikerscott and my trip report from Dec 2009/Jan 2010 we have lots of stuff in tehre about markets and market streets as thats what we love to do in Paris.

Enjoy!

3.5 months in France, Italy, Spain & United Kingdom.

My first question would be - how much are you spending outside the UK?

The other three countries are members of Schengen which means that from the date you first enter one of them you can only spend 90 of the next 180 days in them. Spend more time and you are breaking the law

Also nearby is the George, one of the oldest coaching inns turned pub, supposedly used to be beside the Tabbert where Canterbury Takes started.>>>>

I'm afraid not. The Tabard was in Tabard St - which is nearby, but hardly next door. The George is well worth a trip as is the Anchor on the riverside.

My suggestions:

I'd love help with good lunch, afternoon tea places.>>>>>

It rather depnds on where you are at lunchtime. In general if it's in a guidebook - avoid. Lunchtimes are when pubs are usually the best choice.


(suggestions for good markets)>>>>>

You are in completely the wrong part of London. Borough Market is worth a trip (and throw in the bankside pubs etc). But the good markets are out in the suburbs where we natives live.

You might like Berwick St Market in Soho though.

Oh CW, you must always correct. Sorry, its 'nearby' where the Tabard was. haha...its in the same area!

Oh CW, you must always correct. Sorry, its 'nearby' where the Tabard was. haha...its in the same area!>>>

Honestly, its further than you might think.

And there's nothing in Tabard St apart from office blocks.

But, hey, you're a yank that's been here once. Therefore you know better.

CW- Fed up with gobshite yanks. Is going to start calling them.

CW - I am a CDN who LIVES in London