Last minute itinerary changes = 2 more days in France, recommendations?
 

We're leaving for France next week and MyAir just cancelled our flights that we were taking to and from Venice. A complicated story, but there's no way we can get to and from Venice in the time we wanted now, so we're having to cancel our 2 days in Venice and rework our trip.

That leaves us with our first night in Paris, a spare two nights, then 2 nights in the Marseille/Aix area, 2 nights in Arles, and the last 4 nights in Paris.

What should we do with our spare 2 nights, given that we're traveling by train only? I've thought about spending those 2 in Paris as well and taking day trips to EuroDisney and the Loire Valley, but I'm not sure if the Loire Valley is actually a do-able 1 day trip. Another option would be perhaps to go to Nice or maybe wine country for those 2 days. Any recommendation on an easily accessible, good spot to go to for a short 2 day period would be great.

And actually come to think of it, after landing in Paris form the US we could actually just take the train elsewhere immediately after landing, which would allow us to spend 3 nights elsewhere (don't need to spend that first night in Paris.

Thanks for any thoughts - I hate the fact that after all my planning I'm ending up having such a major change in itinerary just a few days before I leave! And I have to find hotels...

>maybe wine country for those 2 days.<
1h40 from Paris with TGV, Dijon and/or 20 more minutes Beaune. :-)
Happy travels!
coco

I certainly would not add any destinations to your itinerary. Just 2 nights in Arles and Aix/Marseille isn't much time unless you plan to stay in town your entire time there. I would try real hard to stay in Arles 4 nights do a trip into the lovely countrysde in Provence. I like the Luberon, the Dentelles, and the region south of Mt Ventoux.

Availability of hotels in August may pose a problem for you.

BTW, you can now see the problem with such a fast paced schedule with only 2 nights in any one place and long plane/train trips between destinations. If someone throws a curveball at you, there are very few recovery options that don't impact your plans. If you had planned 3 days in Arles, and 3 days in Venice & skipped Aix, there may have been time to still do your trip to Venice once your air travel was changed. I'm not trying to preach, but I hope others (and specifically Katie4 and sarge56 who are/may be embarking on this type of hurried schedule) realize that small things can happen that really present a big problem - or at least one that will consume a lot of your limited time in trying to solve. This year our bags trailed us by 1 1/2 days. Luckily we were staying in 1 place for 4 weeks, so we didn't have a problem But if you'll only be in Paris 1 night, then 2 nights in Arles - your bags may never catch up with you.

Stu Dudley

Hi RD,

Now you get another 2 days in Paris, without having to rush off somewhere else. Wonderful!

Alternatively, have you looked into www.ryanair.com for Beauvais to Treviso?

((I))