all,

i am going to france next march with my wife, her parents, and her little sister (14 years old). we have 8 nights total in france. my wife and i have travelled in france, but her family has never been out of the country.

my proposal is the following: 3 nights in paris, 3 nights in the loire valley, and 2 nights in normandy. i have a number of questions:

does this itinerary make sense? we would rent a car heading out of paris to the loire valley, and return it to CDG on the way out.

can one wake up sunday morning in normandy and make a 9:55 am flight out of CDG? how much driving time would it take from bayeux, for example.

should we stay in bayeux or caen? any suggestions? what are the nicer places to stay in these two towns?

any suggestions for a hotel to use as a base in loire? would like to stay in one place for 3 nights. upper end but not over the top. what are the must see areas of the loire?

thanks for any and all help

jr

With only 8 nights, I think you should winnow your trip down to one destination outside Paris.

No, it would not be possible to leave Bayeux or Caen and make a 9:55 a.m. flight out of CDG. YOu need to be at the airport at least 2.5 hours ahead of time, so you'd need to leave Normandy in the middle of the night.For driving times and distances you can check www.mappy.com.
If you go to Normandy, stay in Bayeux rather than Caen. We loved the Château de la Bellefontaine there.
If you go to the Loire, you might want to check out Le Choiseul in Amboise, which is very central for touring the area.

Have a nice trip

THe MufFin Man !!!

Hi, jr98,

We were in the Loire Valley in 2000 and Normandy in 2002.

In the Loire Valley, we stayed in Amboise (which is where St Cirq's recommended hotel, Le Choiseul, is located -- that is a nice spot and a member of the Small Luxury Hotels group). Amboise is a great town and a great base for the Loire Valley. We stayed a few doors down from Le Choiseul at Le Manoir Les Minimes (http://www.manoirlesminimes.com/ ). The superior double rooms there were fantastic and a very good value as well. They faced the Loire river and you could see the Chateau as well. It is a 5-10 minute walk into Amboise.

In Normandy, we stayed 2 miles outside of Bayeux at Chateau de Sully. Fantastic grounds, a 1* Michelin restaurant, very comfortable rooms and nice bathrooms. More information at: www.chateauxhotels.com/sully ).

Have a great trip.

John H.

You'll never make the plane! You have to get to CDG 2.5 to 3 hours before your flight to get through security, check in, etc.

You might consider 2 nights in the Loire and 2 nights in Normandy and then drive back to someplace near CDG for that last night. It certainly would save your nerves.

Sounds like a fun trip. Enjoy yourselves!

IMHO you are trying to do too much travelling. It takes 5 people more than twice as long to do anything than 2 people. There is so much to see and do in Paris, especially for first timers, that I would plan only one overnight or 2 night trip. Either to Normandy or the Loire valley, whatever appeals most to you. Fancy chateaux or WW2 sites.

I think Normandy has more to offer than WWII sites. It's a charming area with half timbered houses, wonderful villages both inland and seaside. Honfleur alone is a major destination IMO. Both Loire and Normandy offer wonderful scenery and experiences as side trips from Paris, but I agree with the idea of picking one or the other rather than both if you really want to have your wife's relatives get a feel for both Paris and the countryside.

I would also reverse the order of your trip so that you stay in Paris your last nights. That way you've already dumped your rental car and can cab or RER (?) to the airport without needing to worry about where to stay on your last night in order to be able to make your flight.

thanks for all the advice. in terms of getting to the airport--how long would it actually take to drive to cdg from bayeux. we are flying business class so can usually cut through some of the check in time.

in terms of picking one side trip vs the other. . .probably good advice. is there really enough to do in normandy over 3 nights?

We just did this drive last Monday, and it took about 4.5 hours. There is a lot of traffic in Paris, so I would really recommend not doing that to yourself.
We stayed in Bayeux at the Lion de Or and loved it. Great location.
Have fun

Just returned Wed and no way you'll make the 9:55 unless you stay on the airport, in Paris or get up at 3. I'm a major frequent flier (not bragging just comparing to your Business Class comment) and I got through the lines no faster than the next guy.

We were in Normady for the D-Day events but spent the last night in Paris. We took the RER B from St Michels Place and happened upon an express at 9:55. Took us 20 minutes rather than the 40 quoted by the attendant.

You asked us if your itinteray makes ense and I think you're getting some very good and realistic answers.

jr98:

The drive is 4-5 hours. There are frequent backups on the périphérique. Finding return parking lots for rental cars often causes people problems. You'd need to leave Normandy at 2 a.m. NOT advisable!

As for Normandy, there is more than enough to keep you busy there for 3 weeks, never mind 3 days - that should not be a concern.

I just returned from 6 weeks in the Loire valley. You will love Ambroise should you choose that as your base of operation. All of the Loire valley feels like a fairy tale kingdom. But I am concerned that you want to give Paris only 3 days. I have been to Paris 5 times and still have not seen all the sights. Also, I highly agree with reversing the order of your trip to end up in Paris for your departure. I just went thru a scarey experience Monday when I was bumped at CDG because the plane was already full even though I was checking in 2 hours before the time of departure. I have promised myself to never try and cut it that close again.

thanks for all the replies--we'll reverse it and do 4 nights in paris so we can make the flight. so now the question is--normandy or loire? is there enough in normandy for 4 nights?

Jr - both destinations are full of things to explore. Like someone mentioned above, "3 weeks let alone 3 days". Your choice will all depend on what YOU would rather see - castles, castles and more castles or WWII history. Your job, if you choose to accept it, is to research, research, research and weigh all the choices among all in your party. Thank goodness you are not leaving until March. You have lots of reading to do!

There is enough to do in Normandy as it covers Rouen to Cherbourg. I spent 2 nights in Rouen and 2 in Bayeux then another 5 in Ste Marie du MOnt. Granted those 5 days were hanging with the 4th ID for their Utah Beach landing events but our tour guide was local and could keep you busy. If you're interested I can provide his name.

There's enough in Normandy to spend a year. Don't worry that you won't have enough to do. Our first trip we spent a week in a little town near Rouen and never did get to everything we wanted to see.

Get a good guide book and check it out. We use the Michelin Green Guide but there are many excellent books. Also, ask at your hotel. They usually have excellent suggestions and really know the area.