Travellers,

I am travelling into Paris reaching 22nd June n leaving 5th July from Paris.I will staying near Orly area with a friend while in Paris. This is my first time in Europe. Some of my friends told me 13 days is a little overkill in Paris alone and suggested I visit another country while I am there. I tend to agree but have difficulty determining which country to visit. I am on a shoestring budget and in desperate need of help in planning this 13 days trip. Any advice on the perfect itinerary is appreciated,

Thanks a lot.

Jerry.

France is a big country and has a lot to offer to a visitor. Why not remain in France for all 13 days?
You do not tell us what you want to see (nature, cities, architecture, museums, castles, history..).
Any case, I would like to visit Paris for 5 days (maybe including Versailles for 1/2 day), 4 days Normandy and 4 days the castleson Loire Valley.

Regarding visiting Paris, it will be easier to stay in Paris than near Orly.

London, Amsterdam, Belgium are all easily accessible by train. Or you could fly to another city for your second week. Berlin is apparently quite affordable.

I personally don't like the heat so I would avoid Spain or Italy in July, but they are possibilities too- Barcelona or Rome, for example.

At any rate, if it were me I would choose one other city, so you spend a week in Paris and a week someplace else. IMO London is a great city for first time travellers. You can get a low rate on the Eurostar if you book your ticket in advance, the big museums are free, and there are plenty of ways of finding affordable accommodation.

Staying near Orly in Paris will pose a bit of a challenge for you. Do you know what the public transportation options are and how much they cost? When you factor in the time and money involved in travelling into and out of Paris each day, it might be more economical to simply find a cheap place in the city centre.

There are plenty of 1 stars and hostels in Paris. What is your budget?

valtor, OP is staying with a friend so I'm guessing for free? I agree, there are many wonderful places to visit in and around Paris.

Is the town of your friend on a railroad line? This is, perhaps, a time to see if a pass could be a savings.

You do have enough time to go elsewhere, although just staying at your friend's and doing some day trips would work also.
I'd stay in France. It will be cheaper than going to London, for example.
Someone asked for your interests. Let that be your guide. Have fun!!

London is close but like others have mentioned, pretty expensive. British pounds will rip through a budget like a grenade through a dollhouse! Brussels is also nearby but honestly, it would be a few steps down. You could leapfrog it to reach Amsterdam but that's as far as i'd go. If you book early enough EasyJet will get you to cities like Barcelona, Lisbon, Madrid, or Milan for under 40 euros.

Thank you all for your speedy replies. Truly appreciate it.
I like architectures, and food and experimenting the local culture.

Having looked around, I am thinking of going from Paris->Brussels->Bruges->Amsterdam and take a straight train back to Paris cos I am flying out from Paris. Do you all think it's a good idea? I am not sure how much $ I have to bring along as well with this itinerary. But I know booking in advance will save quite a lot.

Any advice, recommendations on flight, accomodations and transportation in regards to these places?

Thanks

Jerry

Catch a train to either Strasbourg or Rheims, if you go midday the cost will be low, go to Tourist Info and ask for a low cost B&B "chambre d'hote"

Both are lovely and not too expensive but you are on holiday at the height of the season

Hi J,

To those who live in the provinces (France Profonde) Paris is another country.

I would stay in France.

>Some of my friends told me 13 days is a little overkill in Paris alone ....<

What do they know?

You can do daytrips from the city to Versailles, Giverny, Chartres, Bruges, Auxerre, Reims, Nancy, Strasbourg or Dijon.

That should keep you from becoming terribly bored.

Thank you for the replies. much appreciated. I decide to stay in France after all. Seems like there is too many places to go even in France itself. I'll post again if I needed more advice...

Try a train to Switzerland, a beautiful country and full of friendly people. The vistas are incredible and the weather is cool even in the summer.