catherine

I know now why a lot of people take a bus tour.I feel I am going insane,trying to plan our trip to France.My house is covered with guide books and maps over every available surface.The counter by the phone is stacked with bits of paper a mile high with quotes from car rental companies.I spend half of my life on the internet.My husband and I are nearly coming to blows over pre booking.He is for,I am against.Are other people like this? Maybe I am just out of practice.The last two years we went on cruises.The only planning there was what to have for dinner.Thankyou fodors for letting me vent.

elaine

<BR>OK, now that you've vented, take a deep breath. How can we help?

martha

Trip planning is like a gas--it expands to fill the available space. Were you by any chance like this when you planned your wedding? Stop trying to plan the perfect trip and plan a good enough trip instead. Preparation is a fine thing, as the activity on this forum shows, but you don't have to stay in the perfect hotel and get the best price on everything and see all the sights at just the right time in just the right weather to enjoy yourself. It's vacation, not a quiz, after all. <BR>Can't you compromise on pre-booking? First and last stops on your trip, plus any one hotel that your husband just has to stay in? <BR>It sounds like you need a bottle of Champagne and a couple of romantic France-oriented videos. <BR>

Bob Brown

First, do what Elaine suggested. In reading her posts, I have come to regard her as an authority. <BR> <BR>Second, ash can about half of your junk and burn about a third more after you have read it over. <BR> <BR>My guess is that you may be overdoing the planning by loading yourself up with useless detail and trying to control that which cannot be controlled. Yes, I have a big cardboard box full of tourist "stuff" from last summer. But right now I could not tell you what was in two thirds of the brochures and phamphlets. Once I decided I was not interested in a brochure, I threw it in the box and never took it out again. One rejected, it stayed that way. Besides, you will only see about a half or less of what you have on your agenda as a general rule. And, you might consider going your separate ways to a few selected sites. <BR>Also, with all of the internetting, prebooking, travel agenting, cost comparing are you really saving anything dollar wise? Put a dollar price tag on the disputes and time spent; then see if you are ahead or behind. Last year in Switzerland I booked with Avis after a quick comparison with Kemwel and Hertz. Later I found out that I could have gotten a car from xyz company for $10.00 a week less. So what?? The Avis rental was smooth sailing; the agent picked me up at Interlaken Ost at no cost, signed us out quickly and off we went up and down the Grimsel Pass to the Valley of the Rhone. (Saved $10 probably not having to take a cab ride.) And I did not hunt for days frustrating myself trying to save a few dollars. <BR> <BR>And one other thing I learned early on, you cannot always judge the details from guide books. Pick out a few specific destinations, with lodging if going to a popular area, and fill in the details as you go. I often find a better alternative enroute. Just rememember you are not obligated to see anything or go anywhere you don't want to! Nor can you see it all. I once sat in as a member of a pre-trip panel held to orient a group of alumni here at U of GA who were going to London, England. I made a few comments about freelancing trips from London to Oxford, Cambridge, Bath, Stonehenge, Windsor and Hampton Court. One irate gentleman stood up and waved at me a major fist-full of tour brochures. His question: "How can I do what you said do when I HAVE to take all of these optional tours?" <BR> <BR>And as a last resort, you can do like my married buddies Mark and Drannan. They go alone or with other guys up and down mountains and wild rivers, while their wives do something else more sedate. <BR>Average years of marriage: 43

catherine

Thanks for the advice.I have calmed down a bit now and cleaned up all the stuff laying around.I think it is fear of the unknown,but then if it was known it wouldn't be so exciting.I will try not to worry about seeing everything.I think France is somewhere to visit 10 times.After this trip,I will have 6 more to go. <BR>

Bob Brown

PS to my post. My globe trotting friend Mark says "Only sweat the big stuff." <BR>A little enigmatic, but I think I get his drift. <BR>

lynn

Hi Catherine - <BR> <BR>One thing you might try in planning your trip, is "pre-select" what you think are good things to do and make a list of them. Since you've already been several times you may already do this but I'll tell you what I do in case it helps. <BR> <BR>I make a list of what I consider "the must & best dos". Museums, areas to walk in, events, whatever. All on this one sheet I list days open, times, what metro line to take and stop to get off at, how much it costs or if it's included on the museum pass, and a little detail or suggestion about each place/thing. Then, I tell myself that I'll probably only have time for about 50-60% of my list but I'll never have to stop and think and look through the guidebook to find something to do. For me, I hate wasting valuable time looking in the guidebook or looking on the map for which metro stop. The more I do this "hunting" at home before we go, the more we get to see. <BR> <BR>I also try to make sure the list is balanced (this depends on taste of course). I like a variety of things to see and do, not all on the same theme. But, if you like, you could do one based on a certain theme. <BR> <BR>I still carry a good guidebook just in case we're somewhere I didn't think we'd be (you know how that goes), so I can see if there is anything to do there, but, my list usually makes it very easy to see many sites and places in the amount of time you would usually see less. All without too hectic a pace. <BR> <BR>Well, I hope this might help you. If you have any good suggestions about how you are planning your trip I would love to see them. We are going end of next month so I'm in the middle of planning frenzies too... <BR> <BR>Happy Traveling!

Daniel Lee

Dear Catherine: <BR> <BR>Although it is true a well-planned trip will go more smoothly (unless Mr. Murphy goes with you), do not let over-planning kill your spontaneity when you get there. We are going there in March, and basically we have our hotel reserved, and are ifguring out what's good, what times things are open, and then go from there. All I am doing now is familiarizing myself with the train system (just enough to get where we want to go), and brushing up on my French. <BR>Last year we went to Singapore and planned the hell out of it, but once we got there, we ended up doing whatever came at the whim, and we still ended up doing everything and more. <BR>So just go and have fun. Once you start getting frustrated with planning, then it's time to cut some thigns out! <BR> <BR>Daniel Lee

Jennie

I'm going to Paris in late March for 7 days. While I was busy doing my homework, spending every night searching on the internet, my friend also named katherine, who has been to Europe 4 times, said to me "the best way to enjoy Paris is to Get Lost in Paris... It made sense to me, so I'm sharing her thoughts with you. Hope that helps.