Hopping onto this thread late, but wow, what an evocative trip report! You got to see some of the best of French village life. Aurillac, btw, has an important street theatre festival every August. Has been going on for nearly 40 years!

One other note, true story: We rented a car at the Athens airport recently, and I was shocked I couldn't find my drivers license. I had an International Driving Permit, but that won't rent you a car. My wife had her license but had no intention of driving plus we reserved a stick shift which she doesn't know how to use. The guy behind the counter (I think this is very Greek), said "No problem, if you get in an accident, just switch seats. Nobody will care." She was the only one on the contract and I did all the driving. My IDP got us though two border crossings, and we didn't get into an accident.....

What a busy last day sorting out your issues, and bad luck getting Covid. At least you were home and not still travelling. That was our biggest worry last year, especially coming from Australia where we spend 20+ hours on planes.
We have never travelled overseas with others. It sounds as though it worked fairly well for you by going off and doing some things separately and coming together for some meals and other activities. I would want some ground rules settled before travelling with others. Even then I have heard some stories of trips that were less than successful. It can be difficult when people have different budgets , different likes and dislikes, different ideas on what constitutes a good holiday, to please everyone.
I enjoyed reading your report.

Howdy everyone!
Soooo is a year tooo long between comments & the reply??

I am deeply sorry for the long delay, but there are solid reasons (two surgeries: a spinal fusion in August 2024 and a toe fusion in April 2025, with associated recovery, rehab, & challenges) and a very weak reason (after a little delay, the reply seems less relevant; then the delay grows, and the reply grows even less relevant; then I just grew more & more lazy). I hope you all will overlook my reticence.

But there is an issue here I really wanted to respond to, as I’m curious about it, and I hope I’ll hear more thoughts on it. It may be best to start a new thread on it.

So, gomiki, yes I did make it to Paris in November 2024! I got the Rose apartment from Guest Apartment Services for my nephew, and he proposed to his girlfriend out on the balcony overlooking the Seine. And even in November, they had tea on the balcony every day. It was a big win. I was in another apartment in the same building.

Unfortunately, though, there is no trip report or photos. I was there just three months after my spinal fusion surgery, and boy was I a dope about my recovery. I’d been cleared to lift heavy things, and that was my only concern, so on I went without a care. Oooo. Stupid move. I could hardly walk. I mean, I could walk. So long as there were no cobblestones, no dogs, no dog poop, no pedestrians to dodge, no bins or poles or bags or bicycles or people on the sidewalk. I could walk in a straight line if I got into a rhythm and a steady gait.

On our first two days, I’d reserved some tours with Paris Walks, and after keeping up with the crowd for two hours, I was done. Just D.O.N.E. The kids (grown adults, but it’s easier to just say the kids) had forgotten an adaptor, so after one of the two-hour tours, I had to walk them to BHV and back, and I really blew out my legs, back, and spirit. I spent every day pretty much holed up in the apartment bemoaning my stupidity (I *did* have a nice view of the Seine, so there was that!). I would give the kids clues about what to do, and I would take a bus to meet them for lunch. I would stroll around for an hour, maybe, then take a bus back to the apartment to bemoan my stupidity. Luckily Berthillon was just around the corner, and my nephew got me fresh croissants one morning. It was OK.

Hi shelemm! Actually, it was your comment that I wanted most to reply to. What a very interesting experience you had in Greece! In fact, before we got to Aurillac, my friend did ask me if I could just let her husband drive even though he wasn’t on the contract. Sadly, I could not. It’s important to note that I spent 20 years as a soldier, 17 of them as an officer. An officer in the Army is sorta like a Lord in Medieval times: we can send people to jail on just our word or signature. (I was assigned to West Point for three years, and that Honor Code also gets into your soul . . . or it oughta). As a result, I simply cannot lie in word or signature. If I sign something, you can be certain it is true. So there is no way I could sign the contract as driver if I knew I wasn’t driving. But I love learning and hearing how the world actually works, lol.

And that brings me to another point: which gender is more relaxed about driving in Europe? Why did your wife, shelemm, have no intention of driving if it had been an automatic transmission (I am assuming you are male, but let me know if that’s wrong, pls)? I read so often on trip reports “we love to drive,” but then learn it’s usually the man driving. There are exceptions (ekscrunchy I think, for one). But then when a woman travels alone, she wants to learn about trains & busses “because my husband always drove, but I’m solo now…” So, why is that? I am totally at ease with the actual driving of the vehicle (I drive a stick at home and always have), but I am terrified, for whatever reason, of getting lost. That makes me uncertain at turn points, etc., and especially nervous in cities or big towns. So, I was just wondering about everyone's experiences as a solo driver in Europe – more likely to be men? Or women equally? Maybe I should start a new topic for this.

Hi rhon, thank you! Yes, there were ground rules. I told them that I am an introvert, so I would need my own private room/accommodation, and that I would most likely be tired by the afternoon, so they would be alone for the evenings. We really meshed quite well, I think. That one time when they wanted to do the gardens in the afternoon spontaneously, I thought I’d just nap alone in the car. But the gardens were so beautiful, I really enjoyed it. So, I think we were all flexible enough. There weren’t any money issues; we just took turns treating, etc, and it evened out. None of us were concerned about losing 20€ here or there. I think they had a good time, and they did take the car out a few times without me. They are now talking about visiting me here in Germany maybe in the spring. So, we’re still friends (he can drive my car … I won’t even try, lol).

My apologies again for letting this sit for a year.

s

For gosh sakes, take your time. What's the rush?

I am male. My wife used to love driving and has driven solo in Europe. Mostly England, where as you surely know, they drive on the wrong side of the road. We used to go on some very long driving trips in which she did 100% of the driving.

In the last few years, though, she is more than content with me doing all the driving. I think she has retired from being the conductor.

She is not one for public transportation. At home, I love taking the metro and buses. We live walking distance to a metro stop. Could not be easier. I am sure the last time she used metro was for Obama's inauguration. The first one.

I used to do all the driving in Europe and the UK, because I knew stick and we were cheapskates. Then Mr T learned stick, and we began to share. Then we both got older, richer and slower to react, and started renting automatics. Still shared but my navigation skills in French were better so the balance shifted: our method depends on a navigator reading both map and GPS beside the driver. We drove in France and the UK on this most recent trip, and once we got on English B-roads Mr T simply couldn’t manage his terror when I was in control, so he took over. But neither of us ever want to drive those roads again. It’s not so much gender as Anno Domini.

When we drive in Europe I am always the driver. (I'm female) My husband hates driving anywhere, but when we're out of the country, it's unthinkable. That works for us.

shelemm :toj: :lol: :toj:

Wow, that's too bad that your wife won't ride public transport! I've seen a few people like that. Good of you to accommodate her and to live in harmony!

And for all of you -- shelemm, FTOttawa, and P_M, yaaay! Glad to learn it was a misconception on my part. I guess there are a few women who never drive in Europe, and those were the ones who posted difficulties when traveling solo. But yaaay most of us drive everywhere! Traveling solo, it's difficult to drive *and* navigate at the same time, so that could be the problem for the women traveling solo for the first time. Even with GPS, I'm always wondering, "Do I turn left here, down this impossibly narrow lane, or just there, two meters farther along, which looks like a major road ..... what does that 1-inch-tall sign say???" as I'm whizzing by. That's probably it. So much easier to drive when you have a navigator and a second pair of eyes.

Thanks all!