blackmons

To all you experienced travelers, I'm just wondering what the advantages or disadvantages would be to either starting or ending a trip in Paris when traveling through France? What is your preference?

Judy

We prefer to end in Paris. It is fairly easy to get to almost anywhere in France, or connect to another country from CDG and we like to go to our farthest stop from Paris first. We're already jetlagged so why not just keep going.

If we start in Paris and are flying out of Paris, there is usually one night's stay in Paris necessary to make the flight home. We prefer not to break up our stays.

I tend to shop in Paris and it is easier not to carry my purchases wherever else we are going, especially if it is by train and means carrying another bag.

Gretchen

We also prefer to end in Paris. Rent a car or take the train from CDG if we are going other places. It seems so much easier to consolidate times, and getting to CDG for departure for home.

StCirq

Almost always end my trips in Paris for the same reasons stated above.

logandog

Both start and end the last time.

adrienne

If you're flying home from Paris then I would end the trip there, it makes traveling easier.

jamikins

Agreed...we end our trips there as we always leave Paris from home and it saves having a one nighter in Paris the night before we leave.

nytraveler

We usually start in Paris - since after an overnight flight I usually just want to walk around and get my bearings the first day. Sometimes we will drive a small distance - 1 or 1.5 hours if it will get us to our first location. But we tend to stay where we land for at least 3 or 4 days.

I much prefer to have a connecting flight on the way home - rather than the way out if necessary - since i fyuor luggage is delayed you still have the rest of your wardrobe waiting for you. (Although neither one of us has ever had luggage misplaced.)

Rastaguytoday

It all depend on whre else you're going, and for how long.

If I start in Paris, I make it a point to go to the Luxembourg Gardens, and watch the world go by.

It gets me out in the fresh air, to minimize jet lag.

I've had many a bag lost, in Brussels, Amsterdam and Buenos Aires, to name my latest mishaps.

The BA mishap took 5 days to get my bag back, as BA's airport code is not far from Zurich's airport code.

I once flew to Quebec City from SFO, and had one bag lost in Toronto, and the second one lost by the time I got to Quebec City.

justineparis

I often start and finish in Paris, this summer I will do 7 days ,, then will travelling for another 12 days, then 5 more days in Paris, love Paris.. and 7 days is too short!

Myer

We just returned from Provence and ended in Paris.

I'm not really sure why we did it that way but it worked well.

Maybe because if we ended in Provence we would have returned from a city (Marseille) in which we weren't planning to stay so we would have probably had to chech into a hotel for one night.

By returning from Paris we just got up in the morning and left a hotel we were already in.

Libretto

We often do both, but CDG airport is such a hell hole I really prefer to end in Paris. Leaving on the very long haul home to Australia seems easier than arriving after the same 28 hours or so, and facing the usual chaos of luggage collection and oh - so - very - bored staff.

I adore Paris and love the French but CDG is my least favourite airport in Europe, and probably one of the most inefficient ones I've ever visited.

ira

Hi bm,

One can end with the best part and see Paris last.

OTOH, what if something happens and you don't get to Paris? Then it would be best to start with Paris.

Perhaps you could tell us a bit about your trip?

maitaitom

On our trip this Fall, we are spending two days in Paris on the front end and three on the back end.

blackmons

I like the idea of spending a few days in Paris at either end. That way we could just relax in Paris for a few days and get our bearings before we continue traveling and would also eliminate the one-night stay before flying out at the end of the trip. We could also stay in two different neighborhoods, which would be nice.
Thanks!

blh

Like several others, we have done both. It's nice to start in Paris to get over the jet lag before moving on. It works especially well if you're taking a train out of Paris to go to other places and would have to go into Paris anyway to catch the train. But if, on the other hand, you are renting a car and aren't driving too far, we prefer to leave from CDG and either drive back to Paris at the end of the trip or drop the car somewhere and take a train into Paris. Our next trip in September, we are driving to Honfleur from CDG and will drive back to Paris at the end for a 5 day stay in Paris.