Budget family trip to Europe
Jan 8th, 2015, 09:50 AM
#81
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Mario... yes I can see that your options are not ideal when you're working with such a strict budget and travel times with the baby.
I didn't realize the Thalys from Brussels takes so long (and more if you're staying in Bruges)... so I guess it does make more sense to go first to Paris, then on to the Loire. However, that means you arrive in the Loire on a Sunday. And I can't imagine what the fee would be for Autoeurope to bring one of their employees in on their Sunday off, just for you--or whether that would really actually happen.
Have you considered just picking up a car in Paris on Sunday (they won't be closed) and driving into the Loire? Depending on your pickup time, it may not even be an incremental day. Then your only additional costs would be petrol and toll fees.
On the return to Paris, you could drop your car off at the Tours/St Pierre and take the TGV straight to CDG for your flight. Or you could drive, I suppose, but it takes a bit longer than the TGV and you risk traffic at the peripherique.
One thing you *could* consider, and probably have... if your brain works like mine and is considering all options:
---Would you take a day off of Paris? The rationale is that you've been there before. Travel to Loire on Saturday instead of Sunday. (The Europcar office might close early, though, so it'd have to be a morning train.) Take the TGV from Gare Montparnasse to Tours. In this scenario, your itinerary would look like this:
Belgium---3 nights -----train to Paris
Paris------3 nights -----------1 hour TGV to Tours St Pierre des Corps
Tours/Loire--4 nights ---------Train to Paris then fly to Barcelona
----OR, (possibly harder with the baby) split your Paris stay into two... one initial night as a layover, then the Loire, then 3 nights back in Paris. This option might also ease your travel day to Barcelona because you start your travel in Paris that day. It would look something like this:
Belgium---3 nights -----train to Paris
Paris------1 nights -----------then a 1 hour TGV to Tours St Pierre des Corps
Tours-----3 nights------------then a 1 hour TGV back to Paris
Paris------3 nights------------fly to Barcelona from Paris
Due to a Sunday arrival in the Loire and a long travel day from London, I'm doing something similar on my upcoming trip. We are staying just one night in Paris as a layover between London and the Loire... but our kids are 12 and 9, and we're staying someplace we've already been, and we know it'll be a quick stopover as we get ready for the next journey on to the Loire. I can't begin to say how it would work with your child... but it's something else to consider.
I didn't realize the Thalys from Brussels takes so long (and more if you're staying in Bruges)... so I guess it does make more sense to go first to Paris, then on to the Loire. However, that means you arrive in the Loire on a Sunday. And I can't imagine what the fee would be for Autoeurope to bring one of their employees in on their Sunday off, just for you--or whether that would really actually happen.
Have you considered just picking up a car in Paris on Sunday (they won't be closed) and driving into the Loire? Depending on your pickup time, it may not even be an incremental day. Then your only additional costs would be petrol and toll fees.
On the return to Paris, you could drop your car off at the Tours/St Pierre and take the TGV straight to CDG for your flight. Or you could drive, I suppose, but it takes a bit longer than the TGV and you risk traffic at the peripherique.
One thing you *could* consider, and probably have... if your brain works like mine and is considering all options:
---Would you take a day off of Paris? The rationale is that you've been there before. Travel to Loire on Saturday instead of Sunday. (The Europcar office might close early, though, so it'd have to be a morning train.) Take the TGV from Gare Montparnasse to Tours. In this scenario, your itinerary would look like this:
Belgium---3 nights -----train to Paris
Paris------3 nights -----------1 hour TGV to Tours St Pierre des Corps
Tours/Loire--4 nights ---------Train to Paris then fly to Barcelona
----OR, (possibly harder with the baby) split your Paris stay into two... one initial night as a layover, then the Loire, then 3 nights back in Paris. This option might also ease your travel day to Barcelona because you start your travel in Paris that day. It would look something like this:
Belgium---3 nights -----train to Paris
Paris------1 nights -----------then a 1 hour TGV to Tours St Pierre des Corps
Tours-----3 nights------------then a 1 hour TGV back to Paris
Paris------3 nights------------fly to Barcelona from Paris
Due to a Sunday arrival in the Loire and a long travel day from London, I'm doing something similar on my upcoming trip. We are staying just one night in Paris as a layover between London and the Loire... but our kids are 12 and 9, and we're staying someplace we've already been, and we know it'll be a quick stopover as we get ready for the next journey on to the Loire. I can't begin to say how it would work with your child... but it's something else to consider.
Jan 8th, 2015, 09:56 AM
#82
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Ooops, I typed Autoeurope and meant Europcar at the Tours train station. Just because their website says that they can charge you extra to arrive on a Sunday, I'm not sure what those charges would be (and they're probably high fees), and I wouldn't want to be relying on that to actually happen. It also looks like Sixt has the option of a Sunday pickup, but their website explains that your car and keys are at the Hotel Kyriad. What happens if you don't like the car? Or they've forgotten to leave the baby carseat? I don't think I'd be willing to take that risk.
Jan 8th, 2015, 06:14 PM
#83
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@skatterfly It´s not that bad, something around 30 extra euros , but... you´re right, problems could happen...
In another forum, I considered pick up the car in Paris and they called me insane, "possessed" and others compliments.. Not a joke. They said it would take at least two hours to be on my way out of Paris, because of the heavy traffic... Maybe because I made the mistake to mention to pick up the car at Gare du Nord or CDG. But how could I know that?
But Paris is your 'place' and I guess you know what you ´re doing.
@For the forum
Anyway, to be honest , this loire alternative seems not good enough for us. As i said before the logistics are hard to fit in our itinerary. For this moment, i still feel that Fontaneableau can be a better replacement for a chateaux experience.
But, as skatterfly, I also like to consider all the options. And I have got an last idea.
How doable (or surreal) is this?
I´ve already confirmed with an hotel that we could check out, leave our bags , and check in the next day.
So, we leave the bags in Paris(except kid´s luggage) , take the train to Amboise, get an afternoon excursion (visit chambord, cheverny, see blois, amboise), sleep in Amboise, take the train back to Paris next day.
Thank you very much for your patience.
We are running out of time and we must take a decision to buy some tickets in advance.
In another forum, I considered pick up the car in Paris and they called me insane, "possessed" and others compliments.. Not a joke. They said it would take at least two hours to be on my way out of Paris, because of the heavy traffic... Maybe because I made the mistake to mention to pick up the car at Gare du Nord or CDG. But how could I know that?
But Paris is your 'place' and I guess you know what you ´re doing.
@For the forum
Anyway, to be honest , this loire alternative seems not good enough for us. As i said before the logistics are hard to fit in our itinerary. For this moment, i still feel that Fontaneableau can be a better replacement for a chateaux experience.
But, as skatterfly, I also like to consider all the options. And I have got an last idea.
How doable (or surreal) is this?
I´ve already confirmed with an hotel that we could check out, leave our bags , and check in the next day.
So, we leave the bags in Paris(except kid´s luggage) , take the train to Amboise, get an afternoon excursion (visit chambord, cheverny, see blois, amboise), sleep in Amboise, take the train back to Paris next day.
Thank you very much for your patience.
We are running out of time and we must take a decision to buy some tickets in advance.
Jan 8th, 2015, 09:00 PM
#84
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Hi Mario,
I'm not surprised that other forums said those things... there is a lot of unkind behavior online.
I personally would be terrified to pick up a car in *central* Paris, and also reluctant to pick up or return it to CDG. (But then again, we've driven in and out of Florence a bunch of times---also considered to be quite "pazzo", but that was when we were in our 20s and much more fearless.) I think a lot of the warnings about CDG is about traffic around the peripherique... and a lot of the online panic comes from the fact that most North American's are unaccustomed to roundabouts, and many are terrified of driving a stick shift.
Anyway, I think many people here would tell you that you could easily pick up at Orly, or Gare Montparnasse, which is closer to the Loire than CDG. And, you're talking about a Sunday, so it'll be hardly any traffic. In fact, many people recommended that to me, when faced with the same dillemma a couple months ago. Click on my name and I'm sure you'll find the thread.
But by far, the easiest thing to do is to rent a car in Tours, on a Saturday or a weekday, and return the car to Tours and train back to Paris. It's also the quickest option. Not sure it's the least expensive. The least expensive would be to skip the Loire altogether.
(Actually, the least expensive option would have been to pick 3 cities, get 3 apartments, and stay put. But that's not the trip you've outlined. You seem to be cramming in a quick look at as much as you can, trying to fit it around a train schedule, and working from a very long list of things you want to see. But it's your trip... you gotta do what works for you and your wife.)
I am a little confused by your comment above that you the loire isn't good enough for you, and then talk about staying one night in Amboise.
First off...if you really think that Fountainbleu can satisfy your chateau craving, you can do Fontainbleu as a day trip from Paris, and you don't need to travel to the Loire at all. Vaux le Compte is another famous chateau that can be seen from Paris as an easy day trip (and it was the inspiration for Versailles). For that matter, Versailles is also a quick day trip from Paris.
And if you're saying that you could or would skip the Loire, then it certainly gives you 3 extra days in your schedule to put back into one or more of your other cities. An extra night or two in a couple of the cities will make your trip more relaxing, I'm sure.
On the other hand, you say you'd spend one night in Amboise, which really *does* seem surreal and a little crazy. If I'm understanding you, you're suggesting leaving a fair amount of your luggage at a hotel in Paris, taking the train to Amboise, where you'll stay for just one night and see---in one day---Chambord, Cheverny, Blois, and Amboise? (or some combination of those places?) You could, I suppose, *theoretically* see one place from Amboise---though I'm not sure what you mean by an "excursion"... you mean, like hire someone to take you? *Why* on earth would you put yourself through that? If you're going to the trouble of taking the train to Amboise (which goes through Tours), why only stay 1 night there? Why not 2 or 3 nights and relax a little.
The Loire Valley is so much more than a series of string of royal chateau. There are small, quiet, and beautiful villages, rolling hills of vineyards and farmland, wonderful wines, great market days and cheeses. It's offers a chance to see the slower pace of the French countryside. Some of the chateaux are quaint, and tiny, like Azay le Rideau. Some are known for their prized gardens, such as Villandry. Some are medieval fortresses and walled cities, like Chinon, and I think, Amboise? Some were great royal hunting lodges (Cheverny & Chambord, I think?) Did you even get a chance to think through which chateau are the most appealing to you?
If I were to recommend one classical renaissance chateau to you, it would be Chenonceau, not only because it is a gorgeous chateau with furnished rooms, the grounds are beautiful, it has a maze (play peekaboo with the baby) and a small animal farm for kids. It's a nice half-day outing. If you're looking for a much more grandiose palace-style chateau... you might prefer chambord or cheverny. Or, like you said, you might be satisfied by seeing Fontainbleu. That might be just enough for your chateau experience.
It sounds like you need to make some important decisions, and you're probably not going to lose out on great ticket fares if you just take a few days and figure this out.
What does your wife say in all of this. What does she want to do and see?
---------------
By the way, if you're really considering dropping the Loire (which it sounds like you're considering) look what eliminating the Loire from your itinerary does... see how much breathing room you now have in your schedule? (Assuming you're still flying to Barcelona and aren't thinking of putting Provence back in the schedule.)
Lisbon-------3 nights
London------5 nights (gave it an extra night)
Brussels-----4 nights (an extra night to explore Antwerp, too)
Paris--------5 nights (an extra night to see Fontainbleu, Versailles, Vaux le Compte)
Barcelona--4 nights
Madrid----2 nights
OR, give yourself more time in Barcelona instead...
Lisbon-------3 nights
London------5 nights
Brussels-----3 nights
Paris--------5 nights (from which you could see Fontainbleu, Versailles, Vaux le Compte)
Barcelona--5 nights
Madrid----2 nights
I'm not surprised that other forums said those things... there is a lot of unkind behavior online.
I personally would be terrified to pick up a car in *central* Paris, and also reluctant to pick up or return it to CDG. (But then again, we've driven in and out of Florence a bunch of times---also considered to be quite "pazzo", but that was when we were in our 20s and much more fearless.) I think a lot of the warnings about CDG is about traffic around the peripherique... and a lot of the online panic comes from the fact that most North American's are unaccustomed to roundabouts, and many are terrified of driving a stick shift.
Anyway, I think many people here would tell you that you could easily pick up at Orly, or Gare Montparnasse, which is closer to the Loire than CDG. And, you're talking about a Sunday, so it'll be hardly any traffic. In fact, many people recommended that to me, when faced with the same dillemma a couple months ago. Click on my name and I'm sure you'll find the thread.
But by far, the easiest thing to do is to rent a car in Tours, on a Saturday or a weekday, and return the car to Tours and train back to Paris. It's also the quickest option. Not sure it's the least expensive. The least expensive would be to skip the Loire altogether.
(Actually, the least expensive option would have been to pick 3 cities, get 3 apartments, and stay put. But that's not the trip you've outlined. You seem to be cramming in a quick look at as much as you can, trying to fit it around a train schedule, and working from a very long list of things you want to see. But it's your trip... you gotta do what works for you and your wife.)
I am a little confused by your comment above that you the loire isn't good enough for you, and then talk about staying one night in Amboise.
First off...if you really think that Fountainbleu can satisfy your chateau craving, you can do Fontainbleu as a day trip from Paris, and you don't need to travel to the Loire at all. Vaux le Compte is another famous chateau that can be seen from Paris as an easy day trip (and it was the inspiration for Versailles). For that matter, Versailles is also a quick day trip from Paris.
And if you're saying that you could or would skip the Loire, then it certainly gives you 3 extra days in your schedule to put back into one or more of your other cities. An extra night or two in a couple of the cities will make your trip more relaxing, I'm sure.
On the other hand, you say you'd spend one night in Amboise, which really *does* seem surreal and a little crazy. If I'm understanding you, you're suggesting leaving a fair amount of your luggage at a hotel in Paris, taking the train to Amboise, where you'll stay for just one night and see---in one day---Chambord, Cheverny, Blois, and Amboise? (or some combination of those places?) You could, I suppose, *theoretically* see one place from Amboise---though I'm not sure what you mean by an "excursion"... you mean, like hire someone to take you? *Why* on earth would you put yourself through that? If you're going to the trouble of taking the train to Amboise (which goes through Tours), why only stay 1 night there? Why not 2 or 3 nights and relax a little.
The Loire Valley is so much more than a series of string of royal chateau. There are small, quiet, and beautiful villages, rolling hills of vineyards and farmland, wonderful wines, great market days and cheeses. It's offers a chance to see the slower pace of the French countryside. Some of the chateaux are quaint, and tiny, like Azay le Rideau. Some are known for their prized gardens, such as Villandry. Some are medieval fortresses and walled cities, like Chinon, and I think, Amboise? Some were great royal hunting lodges (Cheverny & Chambord, I think?) Did you even get a chance to think through which chateau are the most appealing to you?
If I were to recommend one classical renaissance chateau to you, it would be Chenonceau, not only because it is a gorgeous chateau with furnished rooms, the grounds are beautiful, it has a maze (play peekaboo with the baby) and a small animal farm for kids. It's a nice half-day outing. If you're looking for a much more grandiose palace-style chateau... you might prefer chambord or cheverny. Or, like you said, you might be satisfied by seeing Fontainbleu. That might be just enough for your chateau experience.
It sounds like you need to make some important decisions, and you're probably not going to lose out on great ticket fares if you just take a few days and figure this out.
What does your wife say in all of this. What does she want to do and see?
---------------
By the way, if you're really considering dropping the Loire (which it sounds like you're considering) look what eliminating the Loire from your itinerary does... see how much breathing room you now have in your schedule? (Assuming you're still flying to Barcelona and aren't thinking of putting Provence back in the schedule.)
Lisbon-------3 nights
London------5 nights (gave it an extra night)
Brussels-----4 nights (an extra night to explore Antwerp, too)
Paris--------5 nights (an extra night to see Fontainbleu, Versailles, Vaux le Compte)
Barcelona--4 nights
Madrid----2 nights
OR, give yourself more time in Barcelona instead...
Lisbon-------3 nights
London------5 nights
Brussels-----3 nights
Paris--------5 nights (from which you could see Fontainbleu, Versailles, Vaux le Compte)
Barcelona--5 nights
Madrid----2 nights
Jan 9th, 2015, 11:02 AM
#85
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Loire :
I see where there could be some confusion. I did not mean to say that Loire is not good enough... I was just trying to say that the alternative scenario in which we include the Loire seems more complicated and difficult to accomplished in our itinerary than others scenarios (with Nimes or the one you´ve posted).
The "one night Amboise" alternative schedule was just a bad ideia. Forget it, Loire seems to deserve a new trip if we are not confident to face that problems. I am going to talk with my wife and probably we decide to skip Loire.
Planning :
We (me and my wife) may have a different way to planning a trip.
I like to think we have two different kinds of approach : one for cities or regions we already seen before. Another one for new cities or regions.
For instance, we already seen Versailles some time ago and we found it wonderful, but IMO it is not a kind of place that we are looking forward to go back with a child. I mean, it is really interesting, but it is also very overcrowded (at least it was when we were there) and far away from city center.
For Lisbon, London, Paris and Madri we are not considering to waste time again in such long lines. Better save our time for do some walkings around the city and take a quickly look in some landmarks , visit one or two new attractions and perhaps revisit one or two of our favourites ones.
That way, we usually save our energy for the cities we had never seen before like Barcelona and (in case original itinerary) Avignon.
In this case, we like to explore everything we can. I call it heavy sightseeing. We usually plan a busy day, but in case something goes wrong (like bad weather or our child be tired) we just skip what is not so important for us.
BTW, my wife is taking care of Barcelona day-by-day planning, including the attractions, logistics and pauses for baby feeding =) . She agreed with one more night in Barcelona and two in Madrid.
Now we are back to our previous dillema :
1) skip Nimes, take a flight and enjoy more time in another cities ( like the very good options you´ve posted and I´d also considered)
2) follow the original itinerary, catch the train, do a "stopover" in Nimes/Avignon and proceed to Barcelona?
The other hard decision is where to base in Belgium. In this moment, Antwerp has our preference, although a lot of people say we might get disappointed.
I see where there could be some confusion. I did not mean to say that Loire is not good enough... I was just trying to say that the alternative scenario in which we include the Loire seems more complicated and difficult to accomplished in our itinerary than others scenarios (with Nimes or the one you´ve posted).
The "one night Amboise" alternative schedule was just a bad ideia. Forget it, Loire seems to deserve a new trip if we are not confident to face that problems. I am going to talk with my wife and probably we decide to skip Loire.
Planning :
We (me and my wife) may have a different way to planning a trip.
I like to think we have two different kinds of approach : one for cities or regions we already seen before. Another one for new cities or regions.
For instance, we already seen Versailles some time ago and we found it wonderful, but IMO it is not a kind of place that we are looking forward to go back with a child. I mean, it is really interesting, but it is also very overcrowded (at least it was when we were there) and far away from city center.
For Lisbon, London, Paris and Madri we are not considering to waste time again in such long lines. Better save our time for do some walkings around the city and take a quickly look in some landmarks , visit one or two new attractions and perhaps revisit one or two of our favourites ones.
That way, we usually save our energy for the cities we had never seen before like Barcelona and (in case original itinerary) Avignon.
In this case, we like to explore everything we can. I call it heavy sightseeing. We usually plan a busy day, but in case something goes wrong (like bad weather or our child be tired) we just skip what is not so important for us.
BTW, my wife is taking care of Barcelona day-by-day planning, including the attractions, logistics and pauses for baby feeding =) . She agreed with one more night in Barcelona and two in Madrid.
Now we are back to our previous dillema :
1) skip Nimes, take a flight and enjoy more time in another cities ( like the very good options you´ve posted and I´d also considered)
2) follow the original itinerary, catch the train, do a "stopover" in Nimes/Avignon and proceed to Barcelona?
The other hard decision is where to base in Belgium. In this moment, Antwerp has our preference, although a lot of people say we might get disappointed.
Jan 10th, 2015, 07:50 AM
#86
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Well, I'm going to chime in re Antwerp again:
It's a great place to use as a hub.
As I had reported earlier, we used a hotel near Central Station in Brussels as our hub, very efficiently and very happily touring Antwerp, Bruges, Ghent and a few others for art, but we all said to each other: "You know, Antwerp would have worked out just as well. We like this town!"
And if you can find reasonable lodging in Antwerp, the issue I was totally unsure of, then go for it.
Here's the index page for New York Times articles about the city:
http://www.nytimes.com/travel/guides.../overview.html
We really loved the Antwerp train station there itself, so you can imagine our delight when I later saw a YouTube celebration of its great Sound of Music flashmob:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQLCZOG202k
Again, no matter how you finalize your trip, I give you SO MUCH credit for creating a strong "skeleton" of your trip with a total understanding of how to zig and zag for your child.
AZ
It's a great place to use as a hub.
As I had reported earlier, we used a hotel near Central Station in Brussels as our hub, very efficiently and very happily touring Antwerp, Bruges, Ghent and a few others for art, but we all said to each other: "You know, Antwerp would have worked out just as well. We like this town!"
And if you can find reasonable lodging in Antwerp, the issue I was totally unsure of, then go for it.
Here's the index page for New York Times articles about the city:
http://www.nytimes.com/travel/guides.../overview.html
We really loved the Antwerp train station there itself, so you can imagine our delight when I later saw a YouTube celebration of its great Sound of Music flashmob:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQLCZOG202k
Again, no matter how you finalize your trip, I give you SO MUCH credit for creating a strong "skeleton" of your trip with a total understanding of how to zig and zag for your child.
AZ
Jan 11th, 2015, 03:46 AM
#87
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@AlessandraZoe
Thank you very much. There are some good options of hotels near Central Station from 50~60 euros, a bargain...
As for ticket Antwerp-Bruge, it seems that the weekend fare (half price) is extend on some holydays like Friday and Monday Easter.
What did you find about Ghent?
Thank you very much. There are some good options of hotels near Central Station from 50~60 euros, a bargain...
As for ticket Antwerp-Bruge, it seems that the weekend fare (half price) is extend on some holydays like Friday and Monday Easter.
What did you find about Ghent?
Jan 11th, 2015, 09:58 AM
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OK... about Ghent.
It was wonderful! But it would not have been the hub for our purposes.
We had specific museums in mind when we were using Brussels as our hub, so our trip goals differed from yours, I am supposing. We had one "child" along, but she was in college by that time. She was not in a stroller.
We were using two major hubs on this art exploration trip: Amsterdam and Brussels, and we were flying in/out via Schiapol(Amsterdam). Our goal was to explore the artists of the Netherlands/Flanders through three centuries. So we basically did Amsterdam museums (a repeat visit for two of us), Brussels museums, Antwerp museums, Ghent museums, Bruges museums, and then finally Den Hague museums.
Brussels' art museums were not our favorites. I know, I know-- a lot of people would feel we sold them short. But although we diligently toured there, I have not one lasting memory of anything I saw. But we loved coming home each day through Grand Place from our travels.
We totally enjoyed the Ghent Museum of Fine Arts because it certainly extended our understanding of Flemish art. But again, we were on "a mission", and Ghent would not have been our ideal hub.
I think this Daily Mail article, though, is fabulous in its discussion of Ghent:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/ar...gs--Ghent.html
and perhaps I have sold the city short as a possible hub.
As always, kudos for your further explorations...
AZ
It was wonderful! But it would not have been the hub for our purposes.
We had specific museums in mind when we were using Brussels as our hub, so our trip goals differed from yours, I am supposing. We had one "child" along, but she was in college by that time. She was not in a stroller.
We were using two major hubs on this art exploration trip: Amsterdam and Brussels, and we were flying in/out via Schiapol(Amsterdam). Our goal was to explore the artists of the Netherlands/Flanders through three centuries. So we basically did Amsterdam museums (a repeat visit for two of us), Brussels museums, Antwerp museums, Ghent museums, Bruges museums, and then finally Den Hague museums.
Brussels' art museums were not our favorites. I know, I know-- a lot of people would feel we sold them short. But although we diligently toured there, I have not one lasting memory of anything I saw. But we loved coming home each day through Grand Place from our travels.
We totally enjoyed the Ghent Museum of Fine Arts because it certainly extended our understanding of Flemish art. But again, we were on "a mission", and Ghent would not have been our ideal hub.
I think this Daily Mail article, though, is fabulous in its discussion of Ghent:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/ar...gs--Ghent.html
and perhaps I have sold the city short as a possible hub.
As always, kudos for your further explorations...
AZ
Jan 11th, 2015, 12:06 PM
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I agree with skipping Versailles with children under seven or eight at least, its almost child abuse because they get squashed in the crowds and only get views of elbow and backs in the palace! The grounds are however lovely and uncrowded for them, but if one is going to see the palace, no, its not kid friendly in there!
Jan 12th, 2015, 03:39 AM
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@justineparis,
Versailles--,
we had the same impression of being squashed in the crowds.
Fontainebleau--,
We think that palace is less crowded and since we love history and beautifull gardens, the palace matches our needs and tastes.
Also, I found out that the shuttle bus to the palace is accessible to strollers, however they are not allowed inside the palace.
Versailles--,
we had the same impression of being squashed in the crowds.
Fontainebleau--,
We think that palace is less crowded and since we love history and beautifull gardens, the palace matches our needs and tastes.
Also, I found out that the shuttle bus to the palace is accessible to strollers, however they are not allowed inside the palace.
Mar 7th, 2015, 12:53 PM
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skaterfly,
I ´ve been busy planning our trip, but I ´ve some good news : my parents are coming with us, so I hope it is going to be easier to deal with our kid. He is now almost 2 years old and is growing up very quick.
We are having some difficult to find budget hotels that offers baby cots in London and Paris, so we are thinking about rent one or even bring a 'travel cot' with us.
We were able to find a store next to our hotel in Paris, but we did not find one in London. Does anybody know a good store that rents baby cots preferably next St Pancras station (so we do not have to pay a courier)?
I ´ve been busy planning our trip, but I ´ve some good news : my parents are coming with us, so I hope it is going to be easier to deal with our kid. He is now almost 2 years old and is growing up very quick.
We are having some difficult to find budget hotels that offers baby cots in London and Paris, so we are thinking about rent one or even bring a 'travel cot' with us.
We were able to find a store next to our hotel in Paris, but we did not find one in London. Does anybody know a good store that rents baby cots preferably next St Pancras station (so we do not have to pay a courier)?
Mar 7th, 2015, 03:06 PM
#95
Join Date: Oct 2013
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If it's not too late, my husband and I found an inexpensive way to see some Loire castles without renting a car.
http://www.tlcinfo.net/index.php?chateaux-de-la-loire
We took the train to Blois, and then rode this little navette from one château to the next. We don't like to get up too early when on holiday, so we didn't have time to stop at more than two of the châteaux. However, it was a very pleasant day, until it started raining hard!
Also, we've stayed in Nîmes, and taken the train to Avignon, and the bus to Pont du Gard. I don't think you could do both in one day. Also, the bus stop for Pont du Gard is quite a walk from the bridge. I've got a little lost in the itineraries above, and don't know if Nîmes is still on the itinerary.
Finally, I loved the train ride between Nîmes and Perpignan. At times it seemed as though the train was traveling through the sea.
http://www.tlcinfo.net/index.php?chateaux-de-la-loire
We took the train to Blois, and then rode this little navette from one château to the next. We don't like to get up too early when on holiday, so we didn't have time to stop at more than two of the châteaux. However, it was a very pleasant day, until it started raining hard!
Also, we've stayed in Nîmes, and taken the train to Avignon, and the bus to Pont du Gard. I don't think you could do both in one day. Also, the bus stop for Pont du Gard is quite a walk from the bridge. I've got a little lost in the itineraries above, and don't know if Nîmes is still on the itinerary.
Finally, I loved the train ride between Nîmes and Perpignan. At times it seemed as though the train was traveling through the sea.
Mar 8th, 2015, 02:32 PM
#96
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bvlenci ,
Our final itineray is :
29-03 to 01-04 Lisbon
01-04 to 05-04 London
05-04 to 08-04 Brussels
08-04 to 12-04 Paris
12-04 to 15-04 Nimes
15-04 to 19-04 Barcelona
19-04 to 21-04 Madrid
We bought all the tickets between these cities already, so we cannot change it anymore.
As for Nimes , I am just about to write our detailed plans in Nimes... your advices will be very helpful. Good to know about the Nimes-Perpignan ride.
We were not aware about this long walk for pont du gard yet.... Can you say exactly where is the bus stop for Pont du Gard ? How difficult is a trip to both Pont du Gard and Nimes in the same day on your opinion? In Avignon we are interested mainly in "Palais des Papes"
As for Loire, this "tlc navette" seems be really a great option, thank you, but because of our itineray we will not be able to take the navette during our stay in Paris. What a pity!
Our final itineray is :
29-03 to 01-04 Lisbon
01-04 to 05-04 London
05-04 to 08-04 Brussels
08-04 to 12-04 Paris
12-04 to 15-04 Nimes
15-04 to 19-04 Barcelona
19-04 to 21-04 Madrid
We bought all the tickets between these cities already, so we cannot change it anymore.
As for Nimes , I am just about to write our detailed plans in Nimes... your advices will be very helpful. Good to know about the Nimes-Perpignan ride.
We were not aware about this long walk for pont du gard yet.... Can you say exactly where is the bus stop for Pont du Gard ? How difficult is a trip to both Pont du Gard and Nimes in the same day on your opinion? In Avignon we are interested mainly in "Palais des Papes"
As for Loire, this "tlc navette" seems be really a great option, thank you, but because of our itineray we will not be able to take the navette during our stay in Paris. What a pity!
Mar 8th, 2015, 06:41 PM
#97
>>29-03 to 01-04 Lisbon
01-04 to 05-04 London
05-04 to 08-04 Brussels
08-04 to 12-04 Paris
12-04 to 15-04 Nimes
15-04 to 19-04 Barcelona
19-04 to 21-04 Madrid<<
That is really:
Mar 29-31 Lisbon 3 days
Apr 1 - 4 London 3.5 days
Apr 5 - 7 Brussels 2.5 days
Apr 8 - 11 Paris 3.5 days
Apr 12 - 14 Nimes 2.5 days
Apr 15 - 18 Barcelona 3.5 days
Apr 19 - 20 Madrid 1.5 days
So in effect one less day in every city (really 1.5 less because of all the travel)
01-04 to 05-04 London
05-04 to 08-04 Brussels
08-04 to 12-04 Paris
12-04 to 15-04 Nimes
15-04 to 19-04 Barcelona
19-04 to 21-04 Madrid<<
That is really:
Mar 29-31 Lisbon 3 days
Apr 1 - 4 London 3.5 days
Apr 5 - 7 Brussels 2.5 days
Apr 8 - 11 Paris 3.5 days
Apr 12 - 14 Nimes 2.5 days
Apr 15 - 18 Barcelona 3.5 days
Apr 19 - 20 Madrid 1.5 days
So in effect one less day in every city (really 1.5 less because of all the travel)
