ejack4

This is our itinerary so far for our trip to Europe next June:

1. Arrive in London, 3 nights
2. Paris, 2 nights
3. Bayeux/Mont. Saint Michel, 3 nights
4. Chatelaillon Plage, 6 nights (visiting husband's grandmother)
5. Have 6 nights left before flying out of Geneva

After our two nights in Paris, we will be renting a car and driving the rest of our trip. We'd like to take it easy in Chatelaillon and enjoy spending time with family but may need to split the time with a day trip. Any suggestions? We'll be two adults and 2 teenagers (14, 16)

I'm having a difficult time deciding where to base ourselves in the Provence area. Every place I read about sounds interesting! My husband would also like to take the kids to Chamonix as he remembers going there with his mother and grandmother as a child. Any thoughts on a base for 3 or 4 nights in the Provence area before we head to Chamonix? Thanks!

Gretchen

Mighty little time in Paris.
Chamonix in June will look pretty much like a mountain, although memories are important and you need to go that way anyway.

StCirq

From Chatellaion Plage, the best daytrip is to Ile de Ré, maybe stopping for a bit in La Rochelle on the way or way back.

The usual Provence bases for the amount of time you've got on your way to Geneva are the Bouches-du-Rhône or the Lubéron.

ejack4

We went to Paris in 2007 so we just want to do a couple of nights on this trip. I guess maybe we should only do one night in Chamonix then? I've been looking for transportation between Chamonix and GVA instead of taking the rental car into Switzerland but not sure what would be easier....train, bus, shuttle?

Gretchen

As I said on another post, "I went to Paris once, and did it". Oh my. Whatever.
I would really do a bit more in Paris, and a bit less in the Swiss mountains. I LOVE them, but you can get "caught up" quickly, particularly with teens. "Hey, isn't that just a beautiful mountain?". Actually BTDT. Look for sports shops in the alps!!
And Switzerland will be expensive no matter how you do it. Doesn't make it invalid--just look out for it and how you want to go there.

Jean

I disagree. I'd skip Paris and add the time to Bayeux/Mont Saint-Michel. I assume you're heading to Bayeux for the D-Day sights. If so, stop at Caen on the way from Paris and visit the Peace Museum. (London to Paris-Caen/museum-Bayeux will take an entire day.) From Bayeux, see the landing beaches, including Arromanches and Pointe du Hoc, one or two of the cemeteries, and the Bayeux Tapestry. See Le Mont Saint-Michel on the way to Chatelaillon-Plage and maybe spend a night somewhere in Brittany.