Gina_M

My husband and I will only have 7 days for a trip to France. We will be leaving from the Atlanta airport. I am not counting travel time in the 7 days, so we will have 7 full days in France. We have never been to France.

I'm just starting to plan, but will probably go in the off season when prices will be a little more affordable. We enjoy driving through small towns in the country and seeing historical sites, no more than 2 museum visits (per my husband). We would love to see beautiful coastal towns, vineyards, and of course the city of Paris. I'm sure all of this is not possible with only 7 days.

We have points for the flight, but need to be very economical with other expenses (hotel, food). We are not foodies, so we can eat very cheap.

We have only been to Europe one time, back in 2008, with a 14 day trip to Italy. Love it!! Rented a car for a week in Tuscany and a week in Rome. Would love to go back to Italy, but want to see a different place since we don't get to travel a lot. We even considered a cruise to be able to see different places, but my husband loved our Italy trip so much he would like to do the same thing!

Please help with suggestions. We are not locked into France, but we thought it would be a great place to go. Thank you!!

StuDudley

If your flight is free, I don't think you'll save a whole lot of money by going off season if you want to hit Paris. Unless, of course, you travel in Nov or Feb - but that is certainly not the best time to visit the countryside.

I would fly to CDG and immediately take the TGV (train) to Avignon in Provence, rent a car, and stay in the Luberon for 3-4 nights. Visit Cassis as a day-trip if you need to see the coast - but do that last (I bet you'll not go to Cassis).

Then take the TGV back to Paris & spend your remaining time there.

Late June would be the best time to go if your plans are for next year (this year is probably "sold out" of the better places/hotels and perhaps flights). If it is for this year, try Sept to early Oct.

Stu Dudley

Gina_M

StuDudley-

Thanks for your quick reply! We are planning a 2015 trip. I was thinking off-season because of crowds and cost, but will definitely look at end of June. (We went to Italy 1st two weeks of November).

Forgot to mention our ages. I know that is a common question that people need to know to help advise activities. We are 48 and 51.

I will to start checking into these areas right away.

Thanks Stu!

Leely2

Stu's plan sounds good, but late June would be too hot for me. If you're coming from Atlanta you may not wilt in hot weather as I, a San Franciscan, do. But I'd probably look at April/May or October.

StuDudley

I'm a San Franciscan too - born here in 1947.

Late June is Lavender blooming season - that's why it's our favorite time to be in Provence (we'll be there again in late June this year). My wife & I have spent 18 weeks vacationing in Provence - about 15 weeks of that has been in June. It has been quite cool on some recent trips - but for about 2-3 times in about 2001 and 2005 it was very hot. During the peak heat time of day, we were either bobbing in the pool or in the air conditioned car. In early July 1997, it was so cool at night in St Remy that the restaurant owner was passing out sweaters to his guests who were dining outside. That probably doesn't happen too often in Atlanta (does in SF).

Stu Dudley

Leely2

Great, Stu, you're many decades older than me. I'd stil prefer cooler weather despite my far fewer weeks in France.

Phil306

I'm going to suggest something totally different. For 7 days, especially if costs are an issue, I'd suggest you spend the entire 7 days in Paris. You can rent an apartment for those 7 days, for much cheaper then a motel/hotel room. There are MANY one day tours you can take from Paris: Mont St Michel, D-Day Landing Beaches, et al. You can take 2-3 days of one day tours and still spend 4-5 days in Paris. And, as most who have been to Paris will tell you, you need 4-5 days just to see Paris. I've been to Paris 6 times, going back in May, and I haven't seen it all.

Lois2

Stu's suggestions above don't leave adequate time to see Paris for the first time...and Cassis...well that does not seem reasonable. I would second the sugestion above...after the long flight just stay in Paris...some one day excursions maybe one or two days and if you do want to say visit Provence well I would place maybe 2 days at the end of your trip and take train right back to CDG...maybe overnight last night there.

RonZ

" I am not counting travel time in the 7 days." If that's the case you only have five days on the ground, so stay in Paris.

RonZ

Oh, I see, nine days including travel. Oops.

StuDudley

>> We enjoy driving through small towns in the country and seeing historical sites..... We would love to see beautiful coastal towns, vineyards, and of course the city of Paris. <<<

Lois - how does Gina_M accomplish her objectives by just staying in Paris???

I think 3-4 nights in Provence & 3-4 nights in Paris is reasonable for a first timer. Like I stated - save Cassis for the last day, but I bet they won't choose to leave Provence to go to Cassis.

Provence to/from Paris is only a 2 3/4 hr trip.

Stu Dudley

Sassafrass

Based on your expressed interests in small towns or villages and countryside, I really like Stu's advice to spend a bit of time in Provence. After such a long trip, I would probably stay pretty close to Avignon. Three full days in Provence, TGV back to Paris on day four, afternoon and three full days in Paris. At the risk of hearing it is too much, I would also try to see the sights most important to you in Paris in two days and visit Versailles one day. Have a nice walk on the grounds as well as seeing the Chateau, and have lunch in the adjacent town. It is really just about part of Paris, a very short train trip. You will have a good taste of beautiful French countryside (Provence), a great city (Paris), and a grand chateau (Versailles) with only two hotel stays, so not that rushed.

Southam

Delta and its partner Air France will fly you into Marseille and home from Paris for almost the same ticket price as a round trip to Paris. Points tickets are always more difficult. My experience with Delta's website suggests you will profit by telephoning the airline's points program to see if this time- and cost-saving arrangement is possible.

dulciusexasperis

My first suggestion is to drop the word FRANCE from your mind.

The words we use influence our thinking. If you used the word Paris instead of France you would have no problem. Or if you used Alsace(example)you would have a much smaller problem. Thinking in terms of a smaller area makes it easier to figure out what to do.

You cannot see France in a week, no matter how much you might wish to. With 2 weeks you could do as you did in Italy, a week in a city (Paris) and a week in the countryside (Provence as StuDudley suggests or elsewhere) but you don't have 2 weeks so you CANNOT repeat what you did in Italy.

So my second suggestion is that you decide which part you loved more when you write, "my husband loved our Italy trip so much he would like to do the same thing!" Was it the week in Rome or the week in Tuscany you both loved more? If it was Rome then spend the week in Paris and if it was the week in Tuscany then pick a small region like Provence, Burgundy (like wine?), Ardeche, Alsace, etc. etc. and spend your week there.

You don't say who your points are with and what choices you have in where you fly to either. Can you fly directly to Nice instead of Paris for example? Or Marseille as Southam suggests? Those options increase your choices.

Christina

You won't necessarily save a lot of money by staying in an apt, anyway. There are plenty of budget hotels, and hotels tend to be cheaper in smaller cities and the country, anyway (compared to Paris). And if the desire is to see something other than the largest city in France, I think getting out of Paris to Provence would be a good idea (or somewhere).

I've been to Provence several times in July and really like it in summertime, so June would be fine. It's not that hot, anyway, if you have a car with AC and are staying in a place with AC.

Costs just aren't going to vary that much, outside of the airfare, I agree. IN fact, a lot of people don't even know what the seasonal rates are and think August is peak season in Paris, for example, when it is low season for hotel rates.

Gina_M

Thanks for all of your responses. Please keep them coming.

My points are through a credit card, no expiration, no limits. So we can book any flight. I do need to clarify that I live in MS and will prob leave from Jackson, MS or New Orleans. But most international flights in my area go out of Atlanta, thats why I mentioned Atlanta.

Our favorite part of Italy was the countryside by far! We really hated the crowds of a big city like Rome, but had to go, even though we went in November (off season). There is just so much history that you cannot pass on the opportunity to see! Even though we didn't care for the city itself and getting around in it, we loved everything in Rome and would go again.

I like Stu's suggestion for a mix of both. I just had no idea what countryside area to go to within a reasonable drive from Paris.

Next, suggestions for car rental, village to base, and hotel/b&b for Provence and Paris. Paris-somewhere central to walk, ride subway, eat, etc.

We

Gretchen

You could indeed stay the whole 7 days in Paris, but please don't do more than one day trip--could be Giverney, Versailles, even the Loire, Reims, etc.
NOT the DDay beaches or Mont St. Michel--they would be KILLER day trips to do.
Stu's idea of Provence is VERY appealing, and getting there is dead easy, as is driving around the area of Avignon. You would LOVE it.

bilboburgler

Provence is a good idea but you can have a good time in the country around Paris, visit smaller towns and get to see wonderful vinyards.

The ones close to Paris would be

1) Champagne, there is a deep grove worn by visitors going to Champagne for the day and they tend to stop in Rheims and then come back. I prefer Epernay which is more a country town, lots of fizz on the Avenue and yet the country is minutes away
2) Alsace, if you like red wine but don't like the head it gives you then you need to see the pastel coloured towns and the hills of Alsace with their white wines, Strasbourg is beautiful city.
3) Sancerre, if god made a bowl to grow grapes in he would have put it in Sancerre
4) Chablis, a very old town with a big wine trade

All reachable by train and you could even go wild and just take enough bags to stay a night to extend a visit

voyager61

The Luberon, for me, is a similar travel experience to Chianti, so if that is what you are looking for, it is a very good choice. It's not a "reasonable drive" from Paris, but it's a reasonable TGV train ride from Paris to Avignon and then a very short drive to the smaller villages that would appeal to you. Bayeux, Normandy is a reasonable drive from Paris; Dijon, Burgundy is an easy TGV ride. Italy is warmer than France, so I think shoulder season (late May/late September) vs. off-season in France is probably the best idea, unless you don't mind potentially inclement weather and few outdoor cafe opportunities. If just driving and seeing lovely villages is your priority, the Luberon is perfect. If you are into wine, Burgundy is good. If you are into WWII history and seeing the coastline, I would go with Normandy.

If you could make it 9 days instead of 7 you would have a much easier time of seeing both Paris and the countryside and doing both justice. If 7 is your only option, based on your priorities, 3 nights in Paris, 4 in the Luberon or other countryside destination. We liked Gordes and Bonnieux in the Luberon, but Goult is well located and a bit cheaper.

StuDudley

>>Next, suggestions for car rental<<<

We rent 2-3 cars every year from Kemwel.
www.kemwel.com
Their "sister" company AutoEurope is good too
www.autoeurope.com
but Kemwel always seems to have the best rates for France. Both are brokers in Portland Maine & they'll fix you up with Europecar, Hertz, Budget, Avis, etc. If you have a "problem" with things like "strange charges" on your final bill from Hertz (or whoever) Kemwell will be your advocate and deal with Hertz instead of you trying to negotiate with Hertz in France.

>>village to base<<
If you want pretty countryside, I prefer the Luberon. About 30-40 min drive from the Avignon TGV station. Lots of lavender in the Luberon. If you choose to stay elsewhere, don't get too close to Avignon - lots of ugly urban sprawl everywhere around it except west. Nice villages in the Luberon are Gordes, Roussillon, Bonnieux, Menerbes, St Saturnin. We're staying in Goult for 2 weeks this June - but we're staying in a gite (house)

>>>and hotel/b&b<<<

Try Kevin's B&B. It is one of the very few B&Bs recommended in the Michelin Red Guide. Kevin is a contributor on Fodors and he's from the US.
http://www.masperreal.com/index.html

My wife & I have vacationed for 18 weeks in Provence. I developed a 27 page itinerary that describes our favorite villages, scenic drives, markets, sites, and has a section on Provence fabric. I've sent the itinerary to over 3,000 people on Fodors. If you would like a copy, e-mail me at [email protected] & I'll attach one to the reply e-mail

Stu Dudley