8 days in France (first week of Nov)

Old Sep 10th, 2017, 03:26 AM
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8 days in France (first week of Nov)

Hi,

We will be traveling to France for 8 days (excluding arrival, departure days) in first week Nov. Currently thinking of two options:

1. Paris + South France
2. Paris + North West France (Honfleur, Bayeux, Normandy, Dinan, Mont St-Michel, upto Loire potentially)

Need some advice as to which might be better places to visit that time of the year - more from the point of view of whether places are generally open to visit or closing down, whether weather is still okay or becoming inclement. No particular preferences between beaches and sites, as long as the above considerations are fine. We have a 1.5 year old with us, so kid friendlier locations are preferable.

Thanks.
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Old Sep 10th, 2017, 04:31 AM
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Beaches in winter?

Anyway, in about 4 days, you cannot visit a lot of the "French desert". All depends on your interests.

Tell us what you are interested in and you will get tons of proposals.
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Old Sep 10th, 2017, 04:36 AM
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En general, the weather in the northwest of France in early November is grey, damp/wet and windy. You might luckily hit a lovely day or two but that would not be expected.

The south of France can be pretty chilly with the Mistral but you would be more apt to find bright sunshine.
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Old Sep 10th, 2017, 06:03 AM
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The "South of France" is enormous. Where did you have in mind?

For obvious reasons, Normandy will be less clement than much of anywhere in the South of France, but it's unlikely to be beach weather much of anywhere, and November can be rainy and windy anywhere.

Unless you are headed to small villages, or oceanfront resorts where much of the commerce derives from only the tourist trade, you shouldn't expect many closings, certainly not of major tourist sites.
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Old Sep 10th, 2017, 06:27 AM
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Head south - for much nicer weather than Normandy - take high-speed TGV trains say to Nice and hole up there for say 3 days and fly home from there. No need for a car in Nice as trains and buses go everywhere you would want. If taking trains book tickets really early for discounted fares - www.voyages-sncf.com for your own booking online - www.seat61.com for help with that; for general info also on trains and where to go by them check www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com.
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Old Sep 10th, 2017, 09:20 PM
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I can think of better places than Nice.

Why not go someplace more interesting, like Lyon - where there will be stuff to interest a little kid?
Google "Lyon tourisme" for things to do. There's a lot there, and the food is better than Paris.
Only about 2 hours from Paris, if you decide to go back to a hotel.
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Old Sep 10th, 2017, 10:31 PM
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My daughter has a T shirt with a map of France on it with clouds and rain over every part of France except Normandy and the caption reads, " I have a dream".
Weather is likely to be better in the south of France but you never know. The Loire valley by the way is about 300 km from Normandy so not close and if you visit Normandy you will have plenty to do just in Normandy. Have you ever been to Paris or France? The problem with traveling with a 1 1/2 year old child is not finding things to interest them, it's that they need down time during the day and this tends to limit how much you can accomplish.
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Old Sep 11th, 2017, 05:47 AM
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Another neat place to take TGV trains to from Paris is the Avignon area - rent a car and tool around for a while - so many neat places nearby - research that - better weather than north and just about 3 hours by train from Paris.
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Old Sep 11th, 2017, 07:06 AM
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"like Lyon - where there will be stuff to interest a little kid?"

I have a hard time seeing where Lyon would be more or less interesting to 1.5 y.o. than Nice. And I would expect the weather to be better in Nice.
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Old Sep 11th, 2017, 07:50 AM
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I can't imagine why Lyon would be of such interest to a 1.5 yo either. Why? 1.5 yr olds don't really "do" anything, just want to be around their parents. A 1.5 yr old isn't going to visit museums or be a foodie that wants to tour markets. I'd go to the south of France in November myself, and I do think it is "kid friendler", I guess. But I've never tried to travel with a baby, just can't envision a baby being interested in touring WWII sites.
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Old Sep 11th, 2017, 08:09 AM
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I've traveled with babies all over Europe. They don't care where they are; they don't know where they are. The notion that there are "kid-friendlier locations" is nuts. If you want playgounds and such, if that means "kid-friendlier" to you, there are kids, believe it or not, all over France, so things like that are common.

I'm having a hard time thinking of what would be of interest to a 1.5-year-old in Lyon or anywhere else in France.
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Old Sep 11th, 2017, 09:53 AM
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Thanks everyone for all the inputs. I guess the point about 'kid-friendliness' was more the ease of pushing a stroller along while site-seeing, instead of it turning into a hike

Thanks for the tips. Slightly revised thinking -

1. Paris
2. Short trip to Loire valley to see 2-3 chateaus (any recommendations?)
3. Lyon

Will this be doable / manageable, given the weather?

We have both been to Paris a couple of times earlier - so can do with a 3 day stint this time.
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Old Sep 11th, 2017, 10:17 AM
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2. Short trip to Loire valley to see 2-3 chateaus (any recommendations?)>

Take train to say Amboise - stay a few nights and do mini-bus tours from there or rent a car. Chateaus hard to get to by public transit though could do one a day. Car would be best - take TGV trains to St-Pierre-des-Corps train station - several car rentals there and drive to Amboise or other base.

Chenonceau and Chambord- consensus two 'best' chateaus of the Loire can easily be done from Amboise - do one each day and Amboise has its own great chateau.

Then return car and train to Lyon - no car needed or wanted in Lyon.

TGV Lyon back to Paris in 2 hours or directly to CDG Airport if want.

Book trains well in advance again for discounted fares.
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Old Sep 11th, 2017, 11:35 AM
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Why not go someplace more interesting, like Lyon - where there will be stuff to interest a little kid?>

Yes indeed please elaborate! A year and half year old?

Whatever Lyon has for kids that age everyplace will have.

Lyon is a nice but large busy city - I think you should consider just going to one other base, like Loire (grim weather probably though) or better yet for strolling with baby outdoors someplace further south with much better weather - like Avignon area and rent a car - stay in maybe a Gite de France for 4-5 days - vacation houses in small villages usually:

https://en.gites-de-france.com/

self-catering - go to local market for fresh food and relax.
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Old Sep 11th, 2017, 01:46 PM
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If Nice sounds nice and is IME a great place for 3-4 days there is an overnight train from Paris to Nice -ultimate daytime time saver and save on hotel cost - night trains not for light sleepers but it is an option to consider. www.voayges-sncf.com for details and booking. Kid goes free on all trains if under 4 in France and does not occupy own seat or sleeping berth.
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Old Sep 11th, 2017, 02:07 PM
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In November I would for sure go to Nice rather than Lyon. All the wealthy Brits escaping winter in the late 1800s and early 1900s chose Nice (and Pau), not Lyon. That's why the walkway along the beach is the Promenade des Anglais. And there is plenty to see/do.
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Old Sep 11th, 2017, 04:29 PM
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If you are only staying in Paris for 3 days, you will have 5 more days for your holiday? The Loire valley probably does not have much better weather than Normandy in November so I would not use weather as a reason to pick one over the other. The Cote on the other hand is more likely to have more sun although perhaps heavier but not more frequent rains. Would be quite a bit warmer too 16/9 vs 10/4 Loire. With a baby I would recommend one additional destination, preferably in an apartment or condo for 5 nights with the ability to take easy day trips. The Cote, probably Nice would be my choice.
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Old Sep 11th, 2017, 05:46 PM
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Would also open jaw into Paris and out of Nice or the opposite if you choose the Cote with TGV inbetween.
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Old Sep 11th, 2017, 06:00 PM
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As much as I loved Normandy and Brittany last September I wouldn't recommend going there in November. I rather liked Nice and you can take public buses to cute towns like Eze or St Paul de Vence if you had time. We will be going to The Avignon/Aix-en-Provence area in mid October. I don't know if the weather is similar to Nice but you would definitely need a car to explore more than one town unless you stayed in one place for a few days. The advantage would be it is only around a 3 hour TGV train ride from Paris or Charles de Gaulle Airport. I didn't love Lyon. I think this part of Provence would be easy to go in and out of Charles de Gaulle airport.
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Old Sep 11th, 2017, 06:07 PM
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Love it and love to discover more about France

hi
sinans,

Sharing images here what you have visited .. so i discover best lifestyle and if possible for me to visit there love to get the proper information here.
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