kwren

Thanks so much to all of you for all the great advice you gave me. From train passes to hotels, restaurants, car rentals, ATM cards, salt mines, monks serving beer, hikes, Museum Pass, Carte Orange...everything. I used it all and had a great time (despite the weather!)

My motto? I'd rather be in Paris in the rain than at home in the rain!

I'll write my trip report as soon as I finish 3 weeks of laundry for 3 people, and 2 weeks of laundry for the 2 others, but at least the souvenirs are all unpacked You know you are a Fodorite when you spend your vacation trying to remember all the things to report back on!

Back soon with details!

Dukey

I don't suppose you asked about what the weather will be like while there before you went did you? Apparently that turned out to be a rather important part of your trip given your post's title.

kwren

Well sure I did! Unfortunately, I couldn't ask about it 10 months prior when I booked my flight, but thanks for asking.

cls2paris

You must have been somewhat surprised by the weather considering there has been a heat wave much of this summer! It sounds like you have good travel attitude,which I try to maintain - I would rather walk in the rain in Paris than at home any day! Looking forward to your trip report!

katzen

kwren, my husband I just returned from 17 days in Germany and Switzerland. We left July 27 and returned August 12. We had rain and cloudy skies every day but 3. Some days it rained for a bit and the rain would stop but it was still cloudy. Other days it just poored all day. We of course cherished our days in the sun and made the most of the rainy days.

We had a wonderful trip but it was a bit disappointing to hear the locals tell us that we were 'unlucky' because they had had straight sun, blue skies and warm weather for 2 straight months.

LoveItaly

I just spoke to a friend in Italy last evening. She and her family had returned home from the second home in the Domomites due very heavy rain. She was it was miserable. Not typical weather.

kleeblatt

When I left Switzerland for my vacation at the end of July, we were still in a heatwave. I've just returned to a warm but cloudy day. It seems as if the rain and cold has moved on.

Gottfriedstutz, when someone asks what time of year is best to visit Switzerland, I really can't answer that anymore. For the past two years, June has been great. Three years ago it wasn't.

Sorry to hear you had "scheiss" Wetter.

kwren

Hey katzen - we really overlapped didn't we? People have to have a good attitude to travel - and there's nothing to do about rain but make the best of it. It was harder on the kids than it was on me, but it still would have been better in the sun. My husband and 17 year old son started in Vienna in the heat wave so they actually preferred the cooler weather (but maybe not the pouring rain!)

I'm just counting myself lucky that we had any time without rain. It was a great vacation nonetheless and I'll just have to go back to finish the things I didn't get to do!

The funniest thing is that every day I would ask the hotel people what the weather for the day would be and in almost every case the answer was 'nice'. 2 hours later it was raining again! They must learn to always cheer up the tourists no matter what at hotel school

Trip report is up and running (refer to the most boring title and you have found it!)

kwren

Hey katzen - we really overlapped didn't we? People have to have a good attitude to travel - and there's nothing to do about rain but make the best of it. It was harder on the kids than it was on me, but it still would have been better in the sun. My husband and 17 year old son started in Vienna in the heat wave so they actually preferred the cooler weather (but maybe not the pouring rain!)

I'm just counting myself lucky that we had any time without rain. It was a great vacation nonetheless and I'll just have to go back to finish the things I didn't get to do!

The funniest thing is that every day I would ask the hotel people what the weather for the day would be and in almost every case the answer was 'nice'. 2 hours later it could be raining again! They must go to "Cheer up the Tourists No Matter What 101" at hotel school

Trip report is up and running (refer to the most boring title and you have found it!)

klondike

It has rained every day, all day here (S.E. Alaska) for the last 2 weeks and the forecast is for 7 more days of the same....I'll take the same in France any day!

And I was really looking forward to some warmth! Hopefully things will have changed in a week's time. Renewal of wedding vows 8/23 then off to France for the Lune de Miel. Won't my husband be sad if the weather's so bad we have to spend extra time in the room (wink-wink)!

Ok, kwren...waiting impatiently!

kwren

Klondike, I hope it clears up for you too, but whatever the weather, you will still love being there soaking in the culture in restaurants, boulangeries, museums and monuments, the boulangeries, the metro, shops, the boulangeries, even with the hotel staff. It didn't stop me and it can't rain forever!

Congratulations and bon voyage to you and votre mari!

Did I mention the boulangeries???

katzen

Kwren, I agree with you ... you have to make the most of it. We had umbrellas, rain gear and went about our merry way!

We did the same. I would ask the hotel people, the restaurant servers and even shop owners just in case one had a different opinion on the weather than the other.

cparris

We were in germany, Switzerland and france also the first 2 weeks of Aug and end of July. Luckily some of the nice days came when we really needed them...like when we were in Wengen. We got there in drizzle and then the next day it cleared up so we were able to go on a couple nice hikes with beautiful sunshine. Also when we drove through Alsace it was sunny. In Munich we caught the end of the heat wave and had a nice bike ride with Mikes bikes. The Engadine was also sunny and beautiful. So it wasn't a total washout. Still having 4-5 days of sun in two weeks does dampen things a bit.

welch

We returned from Italy last night with much the same thing. Positano and Capri in pouring rain- as well as Venice- beauiful in Verona. We had nice days here and there but the Italians are blaming it on global warming. They say there are tropical fish in the waters, never before seen! On another sunject, we had a great service drive us back to Naples yesterday. Four local men in Poistano who run a car service. The two we dealt with spoke perfect English and offered wonderful commentary where ever they drove us. Happy to pass the web address on for anyone who might want it..