CATHY

My husband and I with 2 children aged 14 and 11 are planning a trip to France in August 2000. Help ... if we spend 2 weeks there what should we include? and any tips on accommodation. Thanx

wes fowler

Cathy, <BR>It's difficult to tell you what you should include without knowing your interests, your spouse's and your children. Are you looking for the sophistication of Paris, the beaches of the Riviera (monstrously crowded in August), wine regions of Bordeaux and Burgundy, EuroDisney? What type budget will you be traveling on - 5 star hotels or family run auberges? Interested in art, history, cathedrals? Fill us in with some specifics and we'll be back to you.

Maira

I would spend it in the Normandy region; breathtaking natural scenery, fun beaches, best food, affordable lodging and fascinating historical sights (close to Joan of Arc' sights; D-Day beaches, Mount. St. Michel, etc, etc...). August in Europe with kids, you want to be near a beach/lake. Reserve early, though.

elvira

Have you traveled together before for two weeks, with the kids this age? Boys? Girls? One of each? Do they get along well? Anybody subject to air-, sea- or motion-sickness? Afraid of heights? Claustrophobic? Terrified of the dark? Water? Does anybody speak French? Even a little? Anybody have a disability or physical condition that limits mobility? Is everyone equally responsible? Will everything be on your shoulders? Or your husband's? Are you driving? Is anyone a picky eater?

Lori

Cathy, <BR>France takes in a lot of territory - you need to prioritize what you all are interested in and want to see. August is also the prime month for the French to take vacations so take that into consideration too. Generally speaking Paris will be full of tourists in Aug. so be prepared for crowds. You should sit down with the kids and get them involved making a list of what they want to see/do .. kids that age can get real bored real fast being with their parents all the time (and two weeks can be an eternity to all concerned if this is not thought out). If they are involved in the planning they will more then likely be happy campers when it comes to sightseeing. You might think about an apartment if you plan on staying in Paris at least a week (and you need a week to see the major sites). You'd have more room and a place for snacks/soft drinks etc. for the kids. Hotel rooms in France are generally smaller then in the U.S. and you won't come across any "suite hotels", i.e. Embassy Suites, Comfort Suites, etc. where family accommodations are the norm. If you don't want to do apartments I'd opt for two rooms -- that way you get two bathrooms which is a definate plus. <BR>Renting a car and seeing another area of France is a nice idea, i.e. Loire Valley, Normandy, Brittany, etc. but again you need to zero in on your interests and then post questions.

Al

We took our two daughters to France when they were about the ages of your two children, and they had a grand time. <BR>Six months of study and preparation on their part made all the difference. If it were mine to do again, I would suggest the following: 4 days in Paris, with a day trip out to Versailles or Chantilly. Then to Blois, Tours, Nantes, Coutances, Bayeux, and back into Paris. France, you will discover, is about the same size as Texas. You simply must limit the scope of your travels. Thus, you will see and experience more without tiring yourselves into a frazzle. Stay in small towns -- they're cheaper. Picnic for lunch or for dinner. Saves $$$. Forget about such places as the Riviera, particularly in August when everyone who can goes on vacation in France. If you can, rent a car outside Paris and return it there -- Paris is about the worst place I can recall for auto traffic and terrible, aggressive drivers. You will have a marvelous time -- if you limit yourselves, stay healthy, get rest, and relax.

Rex

Cathy, <BR> <BR>I absolutely LOVE planning chaallenges like this. The fun is to start with a good airfare, then see how much nearly free travel you can get on by adding flights WITHIN Europe to get from point A to B to C. <BR> <BR>Are you from South Africa? (I'm assuming so, since the domain of your e-mail address offers "local" news for South Africa). I have not been a regular as long as some other people here, but I don't recall that we get many South Africans here - - anyhow, welcome! <BR> <BR>I used Johannesburg-Paris as a starting point (Aug 1-14) and found a good base fare on SwissAir - - $665.20 (USD) -- a good fare, though it requires overnight flying in both directions. So I started adding segments on to see what you can get at little or no cost (and coincidentally, got rid of the overnight flight to get you home). <BR> <BR>Here's what I came up with: <BR> <BR>Aug 1 <BR> <BR>JNB-ZRH/ZRH-BSL dep 7:55pm / arr 7:55am with a very tolerable connection 6:15-7:25am in Zurich. Start off in Basel with a 3-4 day car rental. Basel is a great base for the Alsace-Lorraine. This region of France (and formerly Germany) will give you and your family a view of a part of the country you probably won't recognize. You can end up in Strasbourg - - a great multi-cultural city, and get a small dose of Germany by heading from there through the Black Forest (I realize maybe this isn't is your agenda - - but if you'd like a little variety, this short foray into Germany and a night in Zurich will add whole new dimensions to your trip). <BR> <BR>End up in Zurich on Aug 5 or 6; overnight there (or its outskirts to avoid the high cost of rooms in Zurich). <BR> <BR>Your next flight takes you to Paris - - essentially free. <BR> <BR>Aug 6 (or 5) <BR> <BR>ZRH-CDG dep 11:55am / arr 1:10pm <BR> <BR>(There are also other times at the same total cost). <BR> <BR>You won't need a car for 2-3 days in Paris, but start a second 3-4 day rental to leave the city and see some of the Loire Valley on the way to Lyon. Finish up in Geneva or in some of the great French Alps which are very close (Annecy, Chamonix, lots more). You can return your French car rental at Geneva airport with no surcharge because the majors maintain both a France office and a Switzerland office there. <BR> <BR>Your flight home also has a good connection: <BR> <BR>Aug 14 <BR> <BR>GVA-ZRH/ZRH-JNB dep 7:00am/arr 7:00pm with a conenction time of 7:50 am to 8:55 am. <BR> <BR>Five segments, with the chance to see four great cities, all by air - - and the added cost only 71 dollars! <BR> <BR>Total fare: $736.50 (again, USD). <BR> <BR>It's actually much more flying for the money than we can ever get from the US in summer (yes, I realize August is summer for us in the northern hemisphere, not for you). <BR> <BR>You may or may not be interested in these destinations - - and I'll gladly tell you many more places that I like in France (over Switzerland, just to set the record straight!) but connecting any set of 4 points in France will mean more driving, smaller circles or more train fare than this itinerary. <BR> <BR>Feel free to write me if I can provide assistance with any variations on the itinerary of YOUR choice. <BR> <BR>Best wishes, <BR> <BR>Rex <BR>

topper

Cathy, <BR> <BR>I have copied your continuation of your own thread here. Better than starting a new thread called "continued". <BR> <BR>Author: CATHY ([email protected]) <BR>Date: 12/29/1999, 7:03 am ET <BR> <BR>Message: Thanks for all the replies - Wes, Maira, Elvira, Lori, Al and Rex. Yes we are from South Africa. I like the idea of an apartment in Paris, do I contact the Paris Tourist office for this? Our budget is approx. FF500 - FF850 per night for the 4 of us. The kids would like to stay overnight on a barge - which province - any contacts? They also want to cycle - once again which province for this and any advice? We want to spend time in the wine areas - which are the best farms for wine and champagne. We also want to experience the traditional types of food - any favourite foods/restaurants in Paris (not too expensive)? The kids also want to stay in a castle/chateau - any recommendations? We enjoy all forms of art - any special places for local artists? Which car hire companies are most reliable and thanks for the tip not to drive in Paris! We'll investigate Swissair aswell as Air France and see what add ons they can give us, I forgot the Black Forest was so close to Basel - Thanks and I look forward to more advice.

elvira

Your budget limits you in your aspirations; the only barge b&b I know is in Paris, and is 3 to 4 times your budget. Chateaux stays are luxury accommodations, and again, quadruple your budget (less than 900ff for four people). Now, don't despair - I have a plan! (this is a really bad line from a really bad movie that the Loons watched on their Six Counties tour a few years back and has never left our repertoire). <BR> <BR>This assumes slightly more than two weeks (17 days). Three days in Paris in an apartment (1 bedroom with a pullout couch & cot in the living area)for about 900ff per night, or in a tourist-rated hotel for about 600ff (bathroom down the hall) for a 4-person room. If you plan to eat breakfast and one meal per day in the apartment, you'll save money renting. If you plan on restaurant meals 3 times a day, get the hotel room. <BR>Then: One week in the Loire Valley, One week in the Dordogne Valley. Both are flat enough for bicycling; both have fabulous architecture and interesting cities, villages and towns. Rent a drive-it-yourself barge in one place (4 person barge for 5000ff a week) and a house in the other (some come with pools, some are converted windmills, some are on lakes and have rowboats, etc.) for about 4000ff a week. There are even 'chateaux' to rent, very reasonable in the Dordogne Valley. <BR> <BR>Whatever order you want to do is up to you; some houses and barges come with bicycles. You also can bicycle in Paris (as soon as they clean up the trees off the park paths) but I'd not recommend bicycling in traffic (I'm a cyclist and I'd rather spend my time in Paris looking at the sights than riding in an ambulance).

Mary

For lots of info, contact the French Tourism Office (www.francetourism.com). <BR> <BR>I agree with Elvira as far as the self-drive barge trip. We did this in October (three couples) in the south of France and had a ball. My brother and his wife(who were with us) are planning to do this again with their 13 year old son. We used Locaboat Plaisance (www.locaboat.com). Hope this helps.