Seems to be a strong Franco-Canadian contingent on this thread!

We've just booked BC w/BA Vancouver -
Paris in early May returning Nice June
21. But that's all we've done!

Thinking about gites in places we haven't yet seen or just driven by in
past trips. Brittany, Normandy, the
Auverge and somewhere around Saorge.
Although the nearness of Liguria is
wooing me!

I liken our travelling to solving a
Rubic's cube - a little twist here,
a slight turn there - et voila (I hope).

Also, 5 weeks in a 20" carry-on is
a puzzle for sure!

Count me in on an April 2008 trip to France!

Many, many thanks to Fodorites who selflessly have given info on this board over the years (esp. to StuDudley for his very comprehensive Gite info). Very helpful.

Thanks robjame. All opinions appreciated. I did start a thread asking about a first visit and got some great basic info - websites, arrondisements (sp?) etc.....

But I love to have a book to read. I am sure I'll have 10 by the time I'm done....

And it's a HOT spell in New England. Me, the a/c and the book tonight...

We don't have France on the schedule yet but we have booked and are planning our May 2008 trip to Rome, Florence and Positano. I am sure we will plan something for Paris, even if it is just a long weekend, as soon as we get back from our trip to Munich, Salzburg and Prague this coming October. I can't seem to juggle more than two big trips at a time so I will hold off on planning anything for Paris until after the October trip. I am hoping to squeeze that in before the May 2008 trip as I am getting "homesick" for Paris lately.
Plan early, plan often and keep travelling.

Travelrocks, we are planning a two week June trip to Paris and possibly southern coast of France, but thinking of flying out of Turin (due to using our miles)...curious as to what route you're taking from S. France to NW Italy (or perhaps the main highway along the coast and then north to Milan?).

The Cote d'Azure and the Luberon in June/July 2008! Thanks to Stu Dudley and others for their input and encouragement regarding gites I began my research last week. After a few late nights I discovered some wonderful places! We have booked three - one week near Grasse (small 2-bed, 2-bath villa for 4 people with a private swimming pool!) and one in the Luberon (Menerbes)with the same amenities (except no pool) for one week. Then my husband and I will stay an extra week in the Luberon on our own and stay in a 1-bed for a week. If you book early enough you can get some really nice properties. The people I corresponded with were very nice and eager to share information about the area. We are so excited!

I've only just finished planning for 2007, and I leave in three weeks! Can't get my head around 2008 just yet -though I am begining to get ideas - Canada, Africa again, US road trip. Yes next year will be an away from Europe trip for us wherever we end up.
I tend to avoid France - apart from to drive through on my way to the UK and back. I'm a bit superstitious about it - first time we went Princess Diana died, second time we went 9/11, so I'm in no hurry to go again in case there is another disaster.

A France trip is in our plans for April 2008. Two weeks with time in Normandy, Dordogne, and, of course Paris. The dates of travel will depend somewhat on the price of airline tickets--not sure if we will have enough FF points. We have just finalized all travel plans for our Germany-Austria-Italy trip leaving 10/29 so it is time to plan for France.

We haven't taken our Nov 2007 France trip yet, but I am looking into apts. for a March 2008 trip already!

STU'
Quick question. We will fly into Milan for a quick tour there and 2 days at Como. We will 3 full days to drive to Paris. WHich route would you suggest? We have driven through Switzerland, Basel and up through the Alsace from Como before. Is there another route you could suggest? Maybe through Lyon?

hi. we were in paris in 2006 and we just booked our may flight for 2008 to paris. never too early to start researching where to eat!!

May cruise along the Atlantic coast-Amsterdam! Just finished booking Lisbon and Paris stays; now I just have to wait to book the TGV Amst-Paris tickets!

Canada, I DO check back on air prices and have been able to get a credit from the airline for the difference when their prices have gone down (not a refund exactly, but still...)

Knoxvillecouple: I love l'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue! We discovered it by accident (renting a gite over the phone based on a 5-year-old gite book). We wanted something where we could walk into town and since the owner was a teacher also, I figured it was karma, and it was. We returned every time we went back to France. Feed the duckies for me.

If all goes well, I'll have two weeks in early April, several days in Paris, and the balance in the Dordogne. I've already picked up loads of info from the board, and will plan in earnest starting next month.

three months in Paris starting the last weekend of April 2008.

I'm already planning for Paris in October 2008!

Going to Paris enroute from Africa, in Oct, 2007 and now booking for June 2008! At that time we will fly into Paris enroute to a Baltic cruise late June, 2008.
One can never get enough of Paris/France as far as I am concerned.

Now if we could only decide whether to spend time in Normandy/Brittany or the Benelux countries then my research agonies would almost be over!

I just booked my May 2008 flight to Paris today using FF miles. There were already no reward seats available on the flight/date I wanted, so had to change to one day earlier. Now I can start looking at trains, hotels etc.

I'm planning 2 trips, very excited. Husband and I to Spain then 4 nights in Paris in April, on FF Air France miles, then in December '08, one week with the whole family, a reprise of a June '06 trip. I'm hoping that nothing gets in the way of the December trip. But if I don't get the apartment now, it'll be gone. So here goes. Crossing fingers, toes and eyes.

<Author: kerouac
It all works out in the end. Those of us who don't plan far ahead often benefit from the cancellations of those who planned too far in advance, thus saving them their cancellation penalties.>

What (s)he said.

I am such an early planner that my friends were recently thinking of staging an intervention to keep me more grounded in the here and now... it's quite reassuring to know that I'm not the only one who plans this way. We can't ALL be nuts!