NinaL

Hello!
I love reading this forum, so many good tips and recommendations! I am planning a trip to France (first time, I am planning to have a small wedding in Paris and then a short honeymoon afterwards). I have this itinerary but I am not sure if it is doable and I would really-really appreciate your inputs and recommendations: It will be 10 days in the beginning of July, August or September (not sure yet, it will depends on the prices and packages I will find but preference is July.)

Here is my "perfect" plan:
Chicago-Paris
Paris (3 nights)
Paris to Annecy (train 3.35h, leaving Paris in the morning so spending the rest of the day and 1 night there.) -1night
Annecy to Nice (train, leaving in the morning I think it will be long trip like 6 hours?? Not sure yet) -Nice (1 night)
Nice to Calvi, Corsica (ferry, 4 hours)
Calvi (3 nights)
Calvi to Nice (ferry) (1night)
Nice-Chicago

Please let me know if you think it is possible to do it in the time frame I have or should I consider something else? We are not renting a car. Thank you very much in advance for your help!!!! Nina

janisj

You are getting married in Paris and only staying there 2.5 days??? That seems very weird to me. Why the rush? You will be jet lagged the first day or two and then the wedding. In that situation, I'd plan on a minimum of a week in Paris.

Then you plan 1/2 day in Annecy, less than 1/2 a day in Nice before chugging on to Calvi for 2.5 days, a few hours back in Nice and flying home.

If it was me -I'd fly into Paris, stay a week, get married and actually <i>enjoy</i> Paris.

Then Nice for 2.5 days, fly home from Nice.

You just don't have time for all that other 'stuff'.

Aramis

Annecy to Nice is about 6.5 hours on the fastest route.

Aramis

What do you think of her husband Janis?

StuDudley

You must like spending time in trains & boats instead of really seeing & savoring France.

Fly to Paris & spend 5 nights there.

Take the 2 3/4 hr TGV to the Avignon TGV station, rent a car, stay in a smallish hotel in the Luberon, explore Provence, and stay 5 nights. Try to get to Provence in early July when the lavender is in bloom.

Fly home from Marseille, or take the TGV back to the Gare de Lyon in Paris, stay at the Terminus hotel, dine at Train Bleu at the Gare ( http://www.le-train-bleu.com/uk/index.php ), and take a taxi to CDG the next morning for your flight home.

Your original plan is no honeymoon - more like a death march.

Stu Dudley

StCirq

I agree with Stu and others. Sounds like a forced march, not a honeymoon. What's wrong with staying in Paris and enjoying one of the most romantic cities in the world?

mamcalice

If this is your first trip to Paris, you are giving it very little time. It is a wonderful city - you must have an idea that it is if you have chosen to get married there. Spend 5 or 6 days there and choose one other place to visit. As it is, jet lag plus all that running around will leave you with very vague memories of your wedding and honeymoon.

janisj

aramis: I haven't met the bridegroom - and neither have you. He is probably a lovely man.

(BTW the others also don't know the fiance - but they do agree this is too much.)

NinaL

Thank you everyone for your comments (even for the negative one). I guess there is nothing wrong with staying in Paris for a week or longer, but I have only 10 days and I have some places that I really want to see/visit and I don’t know when I will be in France next time so after reading some of the forums here I thought that it is possible plus I heard that train rides are nice as well (in terms of scenery.) But I am sure you are right and it is too much for one trip...Thank you!

jamikins

With ten days you could have a lovely trip covering 2 locations. While train trips are relaxing I kind of think spending hours on a train when you only have ten days to actually see france is a waste of your valuable and expensive vacation time. 2 locations will allow you to see more of the places you visit as opposed to trains, train stations, and glimpses of several places.

Just something to think about...

Cathinjoetown

Nina,

I agree with the comments on trying to get to too many places..

About timing, very early July or early September would be best so that you miss the French, Dutch and German school holidays, particularly if you head south.

In Sept, slight increase in chance of rain.

StuDudley

>> I have some places that I really want to see/visit<<

You really won't be able to "visit" Annecy & Nice in 1/2 to 1/4 of a day. See if there is a Rick Steves video available about these places and "see/visit" them that way, so you can have more time to REALLY visit the other places.

Your itinerary looks like my first itinerary for Europe in '77 - which was a disaster. My mom & sister "bailed out" half way through the trip. Hope your new husband doesn't do the same.

>>Thank you everyone for your comments (even for the negative one).<<

All of them were negative - does that tell you something?????

Stu Dudley

NinaL

Thank you!

Cathinjoetown thank you for the timing recommendation!

StuDudley: I read some other forums that 1 day is enough for Annecy, I guess people have different opinions...And by negative comments I meant comments like your last one...

StuDudley

What forum did you read that 1 day in Annecy is enough??? I want to make sure that I don't get advice from that forum.

We recently spent 2 weeks in Annecy - and didn't get to all the places in the region that we planned to visit. Note that you're only planning to be there for 1/2 day or less.

Too bad you won't listen to others who have years worth of experience about traveling in Europe. You are headed towards making the same mistakes we all made 20-30 years ago. Kinda like parents passing on knowledge to their children.

Stu Dudley

NinaL

I read it on Tripadviser.

I originally was planning to leave Paris early morning (7am) so I thought to get to Annecy around 11am and leave next day…so it is more than 1/2 day there…

Unfortunately I don’t have luxury of spending two weeks in one place and I can’t fly to France every month so I have to try to use what I have. Leaving and working in US I am used to short “vacations”/weekend: like spending 13 hours in a car, then next full day enjoying West Virginia white water rafting and then coming back home on the next day (another 12-13 hours of driving)...I know it is not perfect but I don’t have any regrets only best memories.

I am listening to other people’s recommendations and I appreciate their time and help (otherwise I would never join this forum), but I am looking for specific recommendation like some people already gave me and not comments like “death march”, ”forced march” and question about my husband to be...
Nina

Cathinjoetown

Nina,

Annecy is very pretty but if it's socked in and you can't see the mountains, you will have wasted a lot of your precious time. Nice town but it's all about the views, imo.I would leave it for another time.

I remember forcing Zermatt, Switzerland, into a tight vacation because I had to see the Matterhorn. Didn't happen.

StuDudley

Just about every frequent traveler to Europe has learned that travel in Europe is different than travel in the US. France is much more compact - smaller than Texas - and the sites are much closer together. There is no need to travel for 13 hours to get to just one site/event and then 13 hours to get back. Since Europe has about 2,000+ more years of history than we have, there is more "stuff" to do in each region. You could easily spend 2 weeks in the Dordogne exploring all the caves with pre-historic paintings & stalactites & mites, cute villages, canoeing on the river, castles, countryside, Farmer's markets, scenic drives, cafes, etc. Same in Provence with Roman Ruins, cute hilltop villages, lavender & sunflower fields, farmer's markets, wineries & vineyards, Alps, gorges, snoozing by the pool, walks, etc. Same with the Pays Basque, Annecy, Alps, Burgundy, Brittany, Normandy, Languedoc, Auvergne, etc.

It seems a shame that you'll spend most of your VERY limited time in France getting from A to B instead of being at A & B.

But - we all must learn from our own experiences sometimes.

If you are interested at all in Provence & the Cote d'Azur, I have a 27 page itinerary I've developed that describes our favorite villages, scenic drives, markets, etc. It also has a section on Provence fabric. We've spent 34 weeks vacationing in this region. I've sent the itinerary to over 3,500 people on Fodors - including 10 this morning. E-mail me at [email protected] & I'll attach a copy to the reply e-mail.

I also have itineraries for:
Brittany & Normandy
Alsace
Languedoc
Dordogne
and one for Annecy & Burgundy I wrote for a friend

Stu Dudley

NinaL

Thank you Cathinjoetown!! This is a very good point...I think I will need to drop Annecy from my list ...

I really want to spend some time on the beach: Corsica, Nice or Cassis? I would appreciate your recommendations (also we are not renting a car.) Thank you a lot!!!

pdx

I would throw in a consideration of not going to Paris at all if it is a secondary sight to the others on your wish list. Save Paris for a time when you can spend more time there. It's supposedly romantic but I find it exhausting. It would be pleasant with more time to spend in the southern regions near the Nice and the coast, or Annecy where you'll be near the lake. I suppose getting married in Paris is important to you but I think getting married in Annecy or Nice will be just as romantic (and maybe a bit special), especially if you can look back on the wedding/honeymoon as pleasant and comfortable and not hectic and rushed.

NinaL

Thank you, Stu! I will email you for your itineraries, really looking forward to see them.
Nina