LisaLee

Hi everyone,

As new Fodorites, our family needs some help. We know it may be a little late in planning this vacation, but we have decided to take a 19-night trip to France, ending in Barcelona, before coming home to Canada. We are planning on leaving on the 13th of July and returning August 2nd.

Our initial plan is to fly into Zurich, where we have some family, and spend two nights. We would then rent a car and drive from Zurich through the Alps into the Burgundy region, staying in Dijon for 3 nights. We would then drive to Paris, where we would stay for 6 nights. We would then take a whole day and drive south, through the western part of France, into the Provence area, where we stay 4 nights (we would welcome any suggestions as a good base to see this region).

After Provence, we would drive to Barcelona and stay 4 nights, before flying home (we were in Barcelona a few years back and fell in love with the city, and would like to show our children this city as well).

We would appreciate any recommendations, ideas or comments on this itinerary before we reserve.

Thanks so much.

LisaLee

zeppole

First question is whether you have checked out the drop-off costs for the car rental.

Were it me, I would at least consider flying into Barcelona, and flying from Barcelona to Paris. Then I might take a fast train to Marseilles, and rent the car there. Drive it to Dijon and take the train to Zurich, and use trains to see more of the Alps if you have time.

Part of my reason for that itinerary would not only to avoid all the car rental costs, but to be out of the heat of the south and moving toward the mountains in Aug.

zorrosf

First, since it sounds like you haven't bought your air tickets yet, try for an "open jaw" ticket (into Zurich for the reasons stated and home from BCN). Next, I would look into the drop off charges for picking up a car in Switzerland and dropping it off in France. These fees used to be quite high and might warrant picking up the car in France (train from Zurich to ???, pick up car). Third, I would consider driving into Burgandy and then Provence (BTW, we love St. Remy as a base for exploring Provence) BEFORE Paris, keeping the car to explore these regions. Fourth, drop the car in Avignon and take the TGV to Paris, in which you are better off without a car. Then fly to BCN on RyanAir, EasyJet or Vueling (or equivalent) and fly home from there, no car necessary or desireable. Sounds like a great trip, but I hope you have not waited too long for air and hotels.

StuDudley

>>We would then take a whole day and drive south, through the western part of France, into the Provence area, where we stay 4 nights <<

I don't quite follow - Provence is in south-eastern France!!!

Zeppole has a good point about trying to visit the hotter/more crowded parts of France first - then the Alps last. I always try to avoid back-to-back large cities too -like Paris followed immediatly by Barcelona - or the other way around.

I also think you are doing WAY too much driving - and the main freeways in France will be VERY crowded on the weekends leading up to August. StCirq remembers a 60Mile/100K backup on one occasion.

Lots of shops & restaurants will be closed in latter July & Aug in Paris.

I think you are really complicating travel (and time associated with travel) by trying to visit Barcelona - a place you've visited before. I made the same mistake on my second trip to Europe 30 years ago. We re-visited Amsterdam because we loved it - and then discovered over the next 30 years that there are dozens & dozens of places we've enjoyed just as much as Amsterdam. Try something new!!

I think your plan is a good one - but skip Barcelona & do it in reverse.

Consider this:
- Fly into Marseille. Rent a car there.

- Spend 5-6 days in Provence (1 to recover)

- Drive the Route de Grande Alps. Perhaps stay:
.....Enbrum, 1 night
.....Briancon, 2 nights
.....Bonneval sur Arc, 1 night
.....Mt Blanc/Chamonix, 1 night
.....Annecy, 2 nights

- Dijon/Burgundy 4 nights

- Dump the car in Dijon & take the TGV to Paris. Paris 6 nights

- Fly to Zurich

- return home from Zurich.

Stu Dudley

zeppole

Are Paris and Zurich big cities back to back?

StuDudley

Paris - 2,100,000
Barcelona - 1,700,000
Zurich - 360,000

Stu Dudley

zeppole

Right. That village on the lake. From Wiki:

"Zurich's metropolitan area has a population of about 1.68 million people."

But to the real point: Why do you personally avoid cities back to back? I have no idea if the OP can begin in Barcelona, but I see no reason to eliminate it if she wants to show her kids Barcelona. I don't think your disappointments going back to Amsterdam would predict how someone else would react -- and don't you go repeatedly go to Tuscany and Provence? Why not something new?

StuDudley

One of the features I liked best about AOL travel forums was the "ignore Author" function. I wish Fodors had it. Consider yourself ignored by me, Zeppole.

from the Michelin Green Guide to Switzerland.
Zurich
Population 360,000
Altitude 408M/1,339 ft.

Stu Dudley

The Paris & Barcelona populations were also from the Michelin Guides.

StCirq

Right. That authoritative source: Wiki. LOL.

To the OP: You are, IMO, biting off too much for the time you have. You will spend most of your time on highways. And Provence is in the southeastern corner of France, not western, so something's off there. Given your other requirements, I don't see that you have time for Provence unless you drop Paris.

If you want to start in Zürich and end in Barcelona, you don't want to drive that route - a dropoff in another country will probably cost you a good deal more than airfare. I'd fly into Zürich and fly out of Barcelona, for starters. I'd then take the train to Dijon, do your visit there, then take a train to Paris and visit there. THEN rent a car and head down through the Loire Valley and due south through Brive and Toulouse to Perpignan (I would not do this in a day; I'd spread it out over at least 5). Drop the car and train to Barcelona.