France with older teens

Old Feb 15th, 2013, 07:06 AM
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France with older teens

We are planning a family trip this summer and France is on th e top of the list. We have two teens aged 17 and 20 and neither are great walkers.

The more I investigate the options on my own the more I see that is a great task to undertake. South of France seems to be a good place to start.

That said, Where to begin? We're thinking about 2 weeks total. Fly into Paris or Mareseille and rent a car and take it from there.

I'm open to any suggestions. Sorry if it's such an open-ended question. Any input is welcome.
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Old Feb 15th, 2013, 07:13 AM
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What do you mean they're not great walkers? What would THEY like to do? Sit them down with a few guidebooks and a really good map and let them come up with a plan. Plus, surely they use the internet, which is a gateway to more travel info than anyone could absorb in a lifetime. The "South of France" is huge - you have to narrow that down to specific areas.
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Old Feb 15th, 2013, 07:17 AM
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in two weeks, I'd suggest a week in Paris, and a week in either the Dordogne or Provence - you could use the TGV to get to and from Paris, or fly home from Nice. rent an apartment in Paris, and a gite near Nice, preferably with a pool.

you will find loads of agencies offering apartments in Paris, and accommodation of all types in/around Nice.

for gites, you could start looking here:

http://www.gites-de-france.com/
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Old Feb 15th, 2013, 07:27 AM
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My son (16 years old) is not a great walker, but he did adapt in Europe because he had to, and really he was fine, once he got into the rhythm of it. But it is good to keep the teenagers in mind and the suggestion that they make suggestions by one of the forum members is a good one. I think the Nice idea is also a good one. We stayed a bit in Nice in a hotel with access to the beach and sushi (his favorite food), and he got to luxuriate a bit as a break between all the walking bits. The nice aspect to Nice is that you can go east and west along the Riviera or you can go north to the more mountainous area. Another thing to consider is museums and churches--some late teenagers love visiting them (my 18-year-old nephew for one), others don't. My son did declare that he was sick of "old stuff" at one point, so we let him choose an alternative and he took us to a modern sculpture garden. He was quite happy to walk about there, of course, because he'd chosen it.
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Old Feb 15th, 2013, 08:52 AM
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If your older teens have heard of something called the internet, they should be bursting with ideas of interesting things to do -- unless you are dragging them to Europe against their will. (But if you are doing so, you are doing the right thing!)
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Old Feb 15th, 2013, 09:22 AM
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Your "kids" re definitely old enough to do a lot of the research for the trip. They should definitely have a list of their must see/dos - sights as well as towns and shuold do some dining research as well.

Let them know now a lot of walking is involved - we typically do at least 8 miles per day in Paris.

And make sure they brush up on their French so they're not helpless when someone puts a menu in front of them.

As for Paris - they can do a lot of that on their own - make sure they start looking at street and Metro maps now. With kids that age you won't want to be joined at the hip the whole time - and I'm sure they will want to head out to student clubs in the evening. (Also if they're not used to drinking wine give them a few lessons before you leave - French students will think it very odd if they nothing about it and guzzle instead of sipping.
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Old Feb 15th, 2013, 09:39 AM
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Walking on vacation, particularly in cities, is not at all like walking for exercise. There's so much to see that you forget about all the miles you've covered in a day.

Fly into Marseille and rent a car; explore the small towns to the north of Marseille. Drop off the car and take the train to Paris for a week. Fly home from Paris.
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Old Feb 15th, 2013, 03:53 PM
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Your kids are 17 and 20 and are "not great walkers". Are they handicapped in any way? Do they eat enough vegetables? Are their pants too tight? GAWD. Most of us would walk the entire breadth and width of all France just to be 17 or 20 again. Hey I'd do it at 30, 40 even. You better check what they've been smokin'. And as opposed to what others have said above, maybe they've been spending TOO much time on the internet. Hey, it's all about getting more exercise now. This is the new era!

Seriously though, we took my son to France at 13 and from day one, he didn't even want to sleep,he couldn't get enough of Paris. It's PARIS!!!! How about history? The French revolution and the places in Paris that they may have read in their history books. Are they into that? They might like Normandy and the invasion beaches? I agree with several of the above, limit the number of destinations and plan to spend more time in fewer places. You'll need plenty of time just to see "some" of Paris. I'd be willing to bet that once they get there, they'll be turned on to just about everything there, from the food to the historic sites to the great art, to the music and festivities that are ongoing. There are plenty of posts here about things to do. I personally wouldn't go to Marseilles as I don't find it that interesting. We spent almost 4 weeks in France a couple of years ago and I wrote a trip report about it, "Our Month in France". We hit Paris, Normandy, Dordogne and Provence. Good luck . . . and get those kids off their butts.
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Old Feb 15th, 2013, 04:33 PM
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In Paris, our DS teen was kind of sick with a low fever and lethargy. We found the Batobus was a life-saver in Paris to let us all sit and take a break. We tend to walk all day.

One day was raining and we were able to sit on the boat under the roof and watch Paris glide by. It was charming. My son fell asleep. Which was a good thing.

Batobus sells multi-day hop-on-hop-off tickets. Very reasonable. We got 3-day passes.
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Old Feb 15th, 2013, 04:33 PM
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PS. Nice is nice.
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Old Feb 16th, 2013, 07:41 AM
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Marseille is European capital of culture this year and that makes a visit a must if you are in the area. They have spiffed up all of the historic areas of the city even if you don't want to visit the brand new museums.
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Old Feb 16th, 2013, 09:45 AM
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Carleen, you have not been clear about the dates of travel.. If it is end of July to mid August note that the French are on holiday so accommodation and facilities will be heavily used.

If the guys don't walk do they walk, climb, bicycle, canoe? If so why not rent a gite in the Tarn valley rather than in a city?
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Old Feb 16th, 2013, 11:52 AM
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If they are boys: lots of canoeing along the Dordogne, surfing on the Atlantic coast, rock climbing galore in Provence and the riviera, cycling everywhere. Legal drinking. Clubs. "Supernana" may be outdated slang but it means "major babe". There are lots of them as long as you like skinny girls. What's not to like?

Girls: some of the above plus cute clothes shops on every corner, even in towns that in the US would only have Fashion Bug and Walmart. Handsome guys on motorbikes. The best pastries, cookies, chocolate in the world and the second best ice cream. Great beaches. Legal drinking. Dance clubs.

Maybe they are too sophisticated to like this stuff. What would THEY like to do?
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Old Feb 16th, 2013, 05:37 PM
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i would think guys that age would be lost in the deep countryside - much happier in a sizable town with a lot of students, clubs and activities that can do with local friends.

Just make sure they know some French - to begin to kep up with locals.
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Old Feb 16th, 2013, 05:44 PM
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>

And girls wouldn't want to do this why? Heck, whatever gender they are, they aren't even "great walkers." Why would they want to kayak or rock climb or cycle?
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Old Feb 16th, 2013, 05:53 PM
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>>>There are lots of them as long as you like skinny girls. What's not to like?

What? No curvy girls there? All skin and bones?
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Old Feb 16th, 2013, 06:01 PM
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Sorry, I can't get past the:
"We have two teens aged 17 and 20 and neither are great walkers."

If they are handicapped, I apologize, but if not, perhaps they have been coddled a bit much an need to get off the internet/video games - Or whatever it is that has made two young males unable to be great walkers.

Are they heavy or obese? Get them out and exercising before the trip so they are prepared for it.

I agree with StCirq an jobo.
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Old Feb 16th, 2013, 06:03 PM
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>>>There are lots of them as long as you like skinny girls. What's not to like?

I'm curious about this too. Not a fan of skinny gals, so I guess I'll skip that part of France!
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Old Feb 17th, 2013, 03:47 AM
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St Cirq, the first line of my "activities for girls" recommended "some of the above" [activities for boys] assuming that those would be the athletic activities, not ogling supernanas. Sorry if I was insufficiently clear.

A longer post should also not have suggested that a concern for fashion is limited to girls. I have always been interested in street fashion, though not at all haute couture, and I am an elderly, straight male.

The dangers of trying to be brief, which I too seldom am.
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Old Feb 17th, 2013, 09:58 AM
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Pas de problème, Ackislander.
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