Is my husband CRAZY?
 

My husband and two children ages 14 and 5 years old (boys) will be flying to Paris in June in order to meet me in southern France. I will be down in Antibes. Flying to Nice is rather expensive for the three of them (I was quoted about $200 each rt). My husband thinks it would be great to drive to Antibes with the kids. (He will be the only adult in that car!!) I am pushing to cough up the $$ for the plane. I am having second thoughts though...that is alot of money. Or would the TGV be a good option for them? They'd train it to Avignon then rent a car there and drive to Antibes. That sounds like a burnout too. Would they have to stay all night in Avignon? Or is Antibes not too far? I'd appreciate your advice. <BR>The Mom <BR>(Monica)

Mom, two things: <BR> <BR>1) A 14 and a 15 year old are hardly kids, they're YOUNG MEN. They should be treated like men. If you raised them right, they shouldn't need two adults to behave. <BR> <BR>2) If your husband is willing to drive, back off, better yet let them figure it out. <BR> <BR>Looks to me that Mom is a bit of a control freak.

all husbands are crazy! I first thought that your boys were 14 & 15... that would be crazy... what the heck, if he wants to do this drive, good for him!

Hey! She knows her kids and hubby better than we do. If they want to and there is time for them to do it safely and with a few short stops here and there it could end up being the male-bonding roadtrip that they'll all remember. <BR>I myself would lean towards the TGV and *then* rent a car, but it depends on how they want to spend their time. It's a looooooooong way to the south of France:) <BR>

The part that most concerns me is the time they arrive in Paris. Is it the usual overnight, arrive in the morning flight? Will your husband be in any condition to get in a car and drive? I'd personally opt for the train idea. By the way, does anyone know exactly how far that new TGV line is going in that direction and won't it be open by June if not now? We saw a station near Arles last summer that was just about finished and thought the new line was going even further, like Marseilles or Nice.

Did I miss something? I thought Monica said the boys were 14 and 5, not 14 and 15.

no you aren't crazy her boys ARE 14 & 5, I said I thought going in a car with a 14 & 15 year old would be crazy! Although as I read the responses that issue of when they get off the plane, and will he be ready to drive is a Very important point!

Check out the TGV fare and car rental prices, I'm not sure you would save money over flying, $200 RT isn't that much IMO. TGV fares are rather expensive, as is gas and tolls in France, if they stayed overnight in Avignon, you would then be paying for a hotel room--a flight takes about an hour and from your quotes should be about $100 one way (less than the train+car, at least for an adult), that doesn't make sense to me. Antibes is pretty far from Avignon, so taking the train to Avignon and then driving to Antibes, not to mention all the paperwork etc in between sounds like a very hectic day, but it could be done. But I don't understand why he'd do that, if you're going to take the train, why not take it the entire way? I would definitely do that over driving the entire distance which will take a <BR>very long time (I"m not sure but maybe 10 hours? somebody could prob tell you, I just know the train is about 8 hrs and it is a lot faster than driving). On the other hand, if saving a little money is important to you, car + train might save some as you have three airfares which add up--it wouldn't make any economic sense for 1-2 people, probably. Well, maybe one way you'd save money, it sounds like you have to get back to Paris as you talk about RT air fares, so then you will have to rent another car or pay train fare back to Paris, which will cost a lot. Unless you want a car in Antibes (which is a whole other story), I would tell them to either fly or take the train the entire way. I would never let him drive all the way after getting little sleep on an international flight, that is nuts.

Monica, <BR> <BR>Whatever your husband and sons decide, they should absolutely *not* drive from Paris to the South of France on the first weekend of June, since this is Pentecost weekend, one of the deadliest time on the roads here. <BR> <BR>Because there is a 3 days holiday (Sat 2 - Mon 4) almost all the population from northern France will be heading South, and we expect the usual carnage. Better not take part. TGV all the way is your best bet at this time of year.

Yeah, the second kid IS only five years old. (I had a "late in life" little gift)And, yes, I can be a control freak at times...that's why I thought I'd use the forum for a little advice. The male bonding idea is one I have thought about... their own little adventure....but, I don't want them to have a terrible introduction to France. I love France and am hoping they will like it too. I haven't been there for a long time so I am not sure about what it's really like there now. (and I was never there with children!) Thanks for all your advice, there are some good tips there. Keep 'em coming. <BR>The Mom

Mom equals control freak! Count me in! I'm a mom and we live with my mom, control abounds! This was a great thread, I'm not driving there but learning a whole bunch.

I cannot believe you have such a huge age gap between your two kids. If you had planned better and hadn't have done that then you wouldn't have such a problem now!

Gee, Dad. What should Monica have done with her unexpected little gift, now 5 years old? Why in the world would you try to give her a hard time?

Dad, <BR>what do the ages of Monica's children have to do with her concern/question? <BR>And what business is it of yours to even comment on such a subject anyway?!

Monica, <BR>Tell your husband and kids to go for it. The response from a supposed "Dad" is nothing more than a troll- in fact he's the troll, something that lives in a cave or under a bridge. Life is short. Spending time in a car with one's kids can be wonderful. There is nothing better than spending time with family, especially in the South of France.

I won't even say what I'm thinking about "Dad".

Oh go ahead, say what you want about dear ole Dad, the loser.

LOL on the Dad's remark...too much! <BR> <BR>I think it's admirable the concern and thoughtfulness you are giving this issue, Monica. <BR>Having taken children abroad, I vote for the train for the trip to meet you. <BR>Jetlag can be difficult for kids and your husband may need to spend his energy just taking care of them. <BR>I loved going on the train with the kids. It offers them a little more freedom and the parent a little more rest. I don't think going on the train will prohibit any "bonding", if anything, it may promote it. <BR>I'm sure you will make the right decision and you will have a wonderful family experience! <BR>Au Revoir, <BR>Gigi

Well I'm a real Dad, tho my two boys are grown. I wish I would have had the opportunity to drive or ride with them on that kind of a trip when they were that age. Would have been fantastic. <BR>My Dad took my brother and me off on our own a few times during my youth, and I have fond memories of that. Didn't harm any of the three of us, and I'm sure it gave Mom a well needed break. <BR>If he wants to drive, let him drive. He must be making that decision with open eyes. He's cared for them before, I suppose. Should be fun. Don't make this decision on cost. Wrong reason. Make the decision on what people want to do. The more exciting the adventure, the more stories to tell later in life. Anyway that's my two cents worth.

Monica.. <BR> <BR>Read Florence's post again in case it got lost in all the trivia. She is absolutely right about the carnage on the roads in early June; the carnage is in fact literally spot on, with a huge death rate as the French head South in droves at irresponsible speeds. <BR>TGV all the way for me!