Ok - we have 8 days overseas, We've allocated 3 days in Paris. With the other 5 I would like to see Amsterdam and some portion of the French wine country.

What order will be the most efficient use of our time and how should we travel between the 3 areas?

We will be flying in from the US.

This is my first crack at planning an overseas trip - I'm a bit overwhelmed!

THANK YOU FOR YOUR IMPUT!

-everret

Hey - 3 days in Paris, 2 in Amsterdam, and the remainder in either Alsace-Lorraine (recommend that if you're a white buff) or Reims and roundabouts.

Easily trainable, great itinerary. Don't forget to rent bikes or stay at hotels that have them free - in A-L and A'dam you'll get a local's view of cobbled daily life . . .
HTH !

Hi everett,

My first thought is "SLOW DOWN".

Paris is an eight-day trip all by itself, and you are alloting it only 3 days.

Please take a look at the postings on this forum on Paris. I think that you will find that you can save the wine country and Amsterdam for future trips.

The 2nd time we went to Paris, we spent 12 days and it was wonderful. I can't imagine trying to engineer a visit to wine country within the allotted 5 days to Paris for a first-time visitor.

I'd recommend a schedule like this:
1. arrive Amsterdam - take it easy recuperating from jet lag; maybe take a canal boat tour for an overview
2. enjoy Amsterdam - Anne Frank house, a museum or two, a stroll or bike ride thru Vondelpark (if nice weather)
3. take a 1/2 day tour to Zans Schanse - windmills, cheese, folklore; maybe one more museum like Amstelkring; or find the Beginjhof (sp?)courtyard -very peaceful
4. take train to Paris - direct from Amsterdam Centraal station,
takes about 4 hours. Find your hotel, and maybe see one
"I'm here in Paris" site like the Tour Eiffel or Arc de Triomphe
5. day in Paris - so much to do!
6. day in Paris - more to do!
7. maybe go out to Versailles or Fontainebleau, either are easy trips
on the train
8. last day in Paris - don't forget to just wander, café-sit and maybe shop a little
I think anymore outside of Paris would be quite stressful myself.

woops, I have the Paris portion as "5 days" but that must be a Freudian slip, and just how I would allocate your time.

I think this is an ideal driving trip. After 3 or 4 days in Paris (no car), rent a car and go to Reims area, visit various wineries, and drive to Amsterdam.