Hello All!

My boyfriend and I have decided on a 10 day trip to Europe in late October '05 flying into Paris and back out of Amsterdam. Je parle un peu Francais and we both have always wanted to see Paris, so we will begin with 4 days wandering the romantic streets and doing touristy things.

We will be spending three days in Amsterdam before flying out. He really wants to see Amsterdam for the cobblestone streets and bridges, (or is it the Red Light District?). Someone convince me it will be charming, please! So for the three days we are not spending in Paris and Amsterdam I would really love to see a little bit of Tuscany if that is not unrealistic. Because travel would take up a lot of our time, (it is a long way south to Italy, then back north to Amsterdam), I guess the bigger question is would I be missing anything if we decided to spend some time in the countryside of northern France on the way up to Amsterdam in lieu of a few days in Tuscany? Is there any comparison? From what I can find on the internet and in travel books, the countryside and villages in northern France don't really compare to those in southern France and Tuscany. Am I wrong? If so, can anyone recommend an area in northern France that has the charming villages and gorgeous countryside I am looking for with a nice Bed & Breakfast? We don't mind driving a little out of the way to get there. I heard the Route de Vin (spelling?) is really pretty.

Also, are there any websites you would recommend for driving trips in the northern French countryside? Towns to see and things to do? Points of interest, that sort of thing.

Does anyone have any good basic travel advice? We are seasoned travellers here in the states (we both worked for an airline for some time) but as far as Europe, we know nothing!


Sorry for the long message. HELP!!!!

I agree Tuscany is not practical for this trip. Normandy looks great, lots of cute little towns. Check out the books of "most beautiful villages" to find which towns to visit.

Tuscany isn't worth the travel hassle for three days. Go to Normandy or Brittany.

Tuscany is not practical. Look into the Loire Valley. Very charming and peaceful with lovely chateaux.

Hi,
Northern France i.e. Honfluer, Rouen, Giverney, Britteney would be ideal. It will be very cold that time of year in the north so bundle up accordingly. We were there in the month of May and the wind chill was almost unbearable, but then was not wearing warm clothing. There are tour buses in Paris that will take you on various day tours if you like. Check out this website:
Provencebeyond.com. Click on villages/towns. It will tell you all information about every main town/village including maps. Very informative.
Good luck...Bon chance...Francie

Distances can be deceiptful, what you have to look at is the transportation mode and time. Take Avignon, for instance: OK, it's 500 miles South of Paris, but, with the TGV train, it's actually 2 1/2 hours away! And it's a great base for Provence, the French equivalent of Tuscany, so to speak (I know, I know, real Tuscany lovers will crucify me for saying this! ). Plus, once you are there, there are direct TGV trains to Brussels (4 hours), then onwards to Amsterdam (2 1/2 hours). So it's an alternative that's worth exploring IMHO.

Oops, sorry, I checked, and actually Avignon to Brussels is closer to 6 hours, so it might be a bit long...

So I thought about Pisa, the heart of Tuscany, where you can fly to from Paris with Easy jet (easyjet.com), for as low as € 33 taxes included, then you fly from Pisa to Ams on Transavia (transavia.com) for € 100 t. i. All prices checked on their websites! That said, be careful: All Saints' Day (Nov 1) is a holiday in Catholic countries, and this year it falls on a Tuesday, which means that the Oct 28-Nov 1 extended week-end will be very busy in France and Italy, the above mentioned fares being multiplied by 2 or 3.

Otherwise, concerning Ams, yes, it's quaint and nice in its own, more austere than Paris, Calvinist way. And there is much more to it than the Red light district which, nowadays, seems to be invaded by British drunks all week-ends.

I'd prefer Italy myself, but in this short trip, it really wouldn't make sense to travel all the way from Paris to Tuscany and then all the way to Amsterdam. So I think unless you can completely change your plans, it would be best to forget about visiting Tuscany or anyplace in Italy this time.

why would anyone want to leave FRANCE?

seriously - too short. you will eat up a good part of days 1 and 3 getting there and back, which leaves one full day to see... what?

would you consider cutting Amsterdam to 2 days, and adding a 4th day to France? 4 in Paris, and 4 in Normandy/Brittany? You could actually even spend it in Burgundy if you had 4 days - it's not so far.

while I liked Amsterdam you can see a fair bit in 2 full days. (not in depth, but you won't see Paris in depth in 4 days either).

Hi J,

Is there any reason for not spending the full week in Paris?

We have been there many times and are still not bored.

are you actually leaving in 3 weeks?

Hi Ira!!

Thank you all so much!!! All of your advice is so helpful! I think I will cut the Ams portion down to two days to free up some time to explore France a bit more. I really want to see some countryside and stay a few nights outside of Paris in a quiant village and get more of a rural feel of France. It couldn't be so small that it wouldn't have a few cafes or shopping or areas to walk through and sight-see. What about Alsace/Lorraine? Or the Dordongne area? How is the antiquing/shopping/markets in Normandy/Brittany? Any specific town or villages in those areas you would recommend? We are also beginner canoists, and would enjoy a guided trip down a river with a lot of scenery and chateaux. Any recommendations for that? No whitewater, please! Any more helpful websites? I love the Provencebeyond one. It was very helpful.

We originally figured three days would be sufficent to see the highlights in Paris because we were factoring in a few days worth of travel to get down to Tuscany, but I think we may expand that to a week if we are going to stay close to Paris for our country excursion. I think we've decided that Tuscany is too far to include in this trip. Thanks again for the advice! Please keep it coming as we have not yet decided!!

Oh, and yes, Flygirl, we are leaving in three weeks!! We are used to flying by the seat of our pants - literally! Because we both used to work for an airline, we are flying standby for the price of the taxes on the tickets, so we have to keep things flexible. If we get to the airport and the flight to Paris somehow becomes full, we may end up flying to Ams and reversing the trip to fly out of Paris if seats are available (or better yet, both cities will be full and we end up in Rome and Tuscany for the whole trip! - but right now, that is not the plan). You never know until you get to the airport. It can sometimes be unpredictable, so we can't really finalize anything too far in advance! Kind of exciting, kind of a pain, but financially worth it! No worries, we have our preferred itinerary and always have a Plan B. Wherever fate leads us, we go! All of our vacations have worked out great, if not exactly what (or where) we expected!

Go Jen!

that's awesome! you will have a blast.

if you want to stay fairly close, I think the Loire Valley would be nice. You could see fair bits of it in a 2 hour drive from Paris. Plus there are great wineries - the little village of Vouvray is there for instance.

Or you could go to Giverny (60 miles from Paris) and spend an overnight or two. I suspect the Seine up there is decent for canoeing although maybe more popular in summer months. I stayed at a really nice little B&B right in Giverny, I have her info somewhere on here (or, click my name, and, I believe the France post I wrote about is kinda near the top - I think I wrote it in that one). It's a pretty area.

Can you fly into Amsterdam and out of Paris? Paris is a tough act to follow.
Save the best for last.

I'd slow things down and stay an extra three days in Paris.

4 days is not enough for Paris at all. The 10-day trip - does it include travel days? If yes, you're looking at more like a 8 day trip. I'd recommend just stick with Paris and Amsterdam, and maybe 1 or 2 day trips somewhere.

For Paris, do a day trip to Versailles. For Amsterdam, lots of options for day trips - do a search here for some ideas.

Amsterdam can be very charming. Don't worry about the Red Light District, though it is interesting if you have an open mind. The canals make the city beautiful. Try one of those huge Indonesian meals and don't forget about pomme frites for a snack. I'll be there myself in two weeks.

For my side trip, I'm flying out of Amsterdam to Rome to meet up with a girlfriend. From Rome, we're going to Positano. By Sunday, I'll be back to Amsterdam to fly back to the US. Some have suggested it is too ambitious, but it is the place I want to go, the time I have available, and a girlfriend is going to join me so I can't be the only overly ambitious soul.

I'm doing what I can with what I have. It's in your attitude. Make it what you want, and have a fantastic time whatever you decide!

Regarding Alsace, although I enjoyed spending four days there, I found it to be a bit Disneylandish. There are others areas that will give you a more authentic French experience.

Regarding Amsterdam, I have been there twice -- the second time for a week. We never ran out of things to do, but then we were there in warm weather.

You asked for encouragement about Amsterdam... I LOVE it! One of my favorite cities. You'll enjoy it. Take a canal boat tour, visit the Ann Frank house, walk along the canals in the Jordan. Unfortunately the Rijksmuseum is still mostly closed. It's a fantastic museum. And there are some great restaurants. Enjoy!

I would recommend that you go from Paris to the Loire Valley. There is plenty to do there - quaint villages, etc. You won't be bored and you will see a different side of France. Even though many will tell you to stay in Paris - no matter how many days you stay there, it won't be enough and I think that to get a balanced look at France it is great to take a look at Paris and at the countryside. Just remember - you will go back and spend more time in France. You will love it.

If the Loire doesn't appeal, the Normandy area is great and there are many quaint villages and things to do. I love both places and would go back to either area.

Have a great time! I leave for Italy on Sunday for my first look at Rome and Venice and can't wait. I've taken 7 trips to France and have finally torn myself away to see Italy.