38 days in France: we are all set...I guess !
 

Hi !
we (2 adults and 2 kids of 11 and 15 years old) will make a road trip in France in July-August. We have 37 nights for that trip. We know July-august is the worst time to travel but having kids in school and being a Teacher (me) and a school psychologist (my wife) kinds of dictate our travel time ! So our trip is july 4 to august 11.

We have lease a car (Renault captur automatic) that we hope we will really get !

Paris: 6 nights get leased car car at the end at CDG airport
Honfleur: 2 nights and day trip to Etretat and stop to Rouen on road from Paris
Bayeux: 3 nights ddays beaches, tapestry, museum, enjoy 14th july ! Head to Brittanny with a stop in Mont St-Michel (we will get up early to try to avoid daytrippers but it’s just a photo op for us so…)
Britanny : 8 nights ( 3 Dinan, 4 Quimper and 1 Vannes)
Puy du Fou : 2 nights in a airbnb in a village near (our tickets are bought so we cant leave that one out !)
Dordogne (house with a pool 2 km from Sarlat): 5 nights
Murat (Auverge): 1 night with a stop on Puy Mary
Puy-en-Velay: 2 nights
Thônes (French Alps): 5 nights. Daytrips to Annecy, Chamonix and other mountains around.
Lyon: 3 nights . Leave our car in our Arrival in Lyon. Fly back to Montreal (With a layover in Frankfurt) on the last day ( at 1 pm)
We made reservations (refundable) only in Airbnb (beside Lyon)
What about that ?

Well I guess that Our plan is ok or a total disaster and no one dare to says it to us !

Sounds amazing to me! What lucky children!

Others here know France better and will comment. The only area that I see missing is Southern France in the Mediterranean. Kids seem to like Nice between the ocean, the Chagall Museum, Monaco close by …

Some says that we already covers too much in 38 days adding the soiutherne woul have mean to cut somewhere. We have chosen to have more time in the north to (maybe) avoid some summer heat. And our kids are not much into beaches.

I'd say I was a france old hand. Look, you know the key bits wrong with this
The wrong time (but you have to)
Too much traveling (but you are used to it)

So, trying to be helpful
1) do you have an IDL?
2) have you read up on traffic rules in France?
3) a Captur is small (I know, I drive on), have you hacked your total luggage down enough?
4) I guess you are going to drive straight after the flight (because that is what you do). Please don't. Micro sleeps kill families
5) Check out which towns have markets when, markets often cause town centres to change for the day, but also great fun

good luck, not my type of holiday at all, but enjoy

No, Bilboburgler, they did say six nights in Paris and then go back out to the airport to pick up the rental car.

Cave visits will be the ticket to cooling down. You’ve chosen some nice areas for that.

thanks I must have missed that, ah I assumed "at the end" meant at the end of the airport (which is where I hire them), my bad

1) A france old hand ? What does it means ?
2) We dont need IDL, we are from Québec and our driver's license is in french
3) Traffic Rules ? it's not our first trip we will manage .
4) The capture will (I guess) be the biggest car we have got while travelling ! We have use a Lancia Ypsioln for one month 4 years ago and it was fine so....We only have 4 small cabin luggage.
5) We will check for markets, but it's not something we are usually looking for.
6) By ''at the end'' I meant at the end of our Paris stay.

My guess is that you are older than what we are and that you have time and money to go to Europe many times per year. I,ve seen really worse idea of european trips (4 countries in 10 days or such).

I have complete confidence you will have a great holiday. You asked for feedback so I provided it.

Yes, I live in Europe and see France as my back door

"An old hand" means one who is experienced and used to the glove into which it fits, or the task which it does.

I've certainly seen far worse holidays, you are right, but, since you asked for feedback, I still think you are travelling too much. But go for it!

As you go from Puy de Fou to Sarlat, you will pass right by one of the most unique landscapes in Europe, the Marais Poitevin. A bay canalised by monks in the 14th century. Also known as The Green Venice. The village of Arcais is right in the heart of it. You could even try your hand at gliding down a canal on a barque (paddled standing up like a gondola) or use a guide.

Murat is a very nice choice! Stop by Polignac near Le Puy. A great site.

Also, Col des Aravis is a very beautiful spot. Easy access from Thones.

I think it sounds like a great trip. You are going to some areas where I haven't traveled so I can't really comment much. I don't think the pace sounds bad at all. Bon voyage!

Sounds like a great trip! I will also be visiting Paris and a bit of northern France this summer. I hope I don't regret it.

Sounds like a fun trip,

Did you ever write a trip report on this? The itinerary looked fantastic. Hope you had fun. Would love to hear how it went.

Glad you checked the dates, Tom! Yes, please report back.

Glad you checked the dates, Tom! Yes, please report back, tostaky.