Rome to Paris - where to stop
 

If you were to travel from Rome to Paris in late may or early June ( 2013), by car or by train or by bus, what path would you take and where would you stop along the way? I would like a combination of train/bus/car travel. I would not have a car in either Rome or Paris.

We are planning 20 days with 4 nights Rome and 4 nights in Paris. Would you travel through Bologna or go up the coast to Pisa or Lucca? Cinque Terre? Would you stop in Genoa? or Geneva? After spending time in Rome we would like to visit smaller towns in between.

This is just the Italy side, where are there any places to stop in France along the way to Paris? We are just not as familiar with France and need some direction on areas worth visiting.

However, I spent 6 weeks in Chalon-Sur-Soane over 30 years ago as a teenager. Most likely will go through that area, but don't really remember if there are places we would be interested in visiting in that area.

We are mid 50's traveling with two daughters, 19 and 21. It will their first trip to these countries.

Thanks for your help!

WE just came back from 15 days in Italy and we could have spent all of it in Rome. We did Rome for five days, Florence for five, and back to Rome.
We did not do Pisa because many said there really isn't much there. Also Milan because it is geared more for business.
I'd pick one country and do it.
Maybe you could fly into Milan or Venice. Lake Como is 30 miles from Milan. You could spend a couple of nights there then move on to Venice, Florenc, Rome, Naples and Capri,cicle back by train to Rome or Venice for the last two nights.

Same with France which is wonderful. Do four nights in Paris, take train out to Normandy and Mt. St. Michael for two full days, train down through the chateau country, to the Riveria, Monte Carlo, fly back to Paris and fly home.

Hi CW,

>If you were to travel from Rome to Paris...<
I would fly.

>I would not have a car in either Rome or Paris.

I don't think that you would want to pay the fees for a cross-border drop-off either.

((I))

I would make two area stops, Tuscany and Provence.
To get to Tuscany you could rent a car in Rome and drive or you could take the train from Rome to Orvieto and rent a car there. Spend up to 6 nights in Tuscan hill towns.
Now you want to transition to France. You want to turn in your car in Italy, perhaps Genoa or Torino, take public transportation to perhaps Nice, rent a car and tour Provence. To get to Paris I would drop the car at Avignon TVG train station and take the train to Paris.
What a wonderful vacation!

Dugi has the right idea for you.

Thank you for the ideas.

Patricia we are definitely doing the two countries. We wnt to Vennice and Florence in 2008, so won't do it this time. Although Venice was my favorite! Normandy is a possibility if we go directly to Paris from Rome.

Ira - we most likely won't take a rental car across the border. Flying does sound easier but then we wold miss the opportunity to see some small towns long the way. Why airline would you suggest if we flew?

Dugi- thanks for the suggestions of Tuscany and Provence. What is Provence like or known for? We have stayed in montpulciano before - what are your favorite hill towns?

Hi Cindy
Since it appears that you have "done" Tuscany I would replace Tuscany with the Dordogne region of France and do a shorter stop in Provence. To answer your questions, I do not have a favorite Tuscan hill town. I have seen many, including Montepulciano and recently stayed in Pienza and Castellina. Provence is to France what Tuscany is to Italy.The Provence of Peter Mayle is a Magical place of hill towns, gardens, landscapes, villages, people, restaurants and cafes, fields of poppies and lavender, fruit orchards. The mid size cities are known for Roman stuff,such as Nimes-Pont du Gard aqueduct, temple, and Arena,Arles-Arena, museum, and Theater, Orange-theater.

For your trip you could make your way to Provence via Genoa.Rent a car.I would skip the Roman stuff except the Pont du Gard, Stay at a Luberon hill town for 3 nights.
We stayed here:
http://masperreal.com/index.html

Make your way to the Dordogne with a possible stop over at Carcassonne.
We stayed here:
http://www.booking.com/hotel/fr/chat...g_confem%20ail

If you have an extra day, stop in Rocamadour.
We stopped here:
http://www.domainedelarhue.com/gb/accueil.htm

Spend a week in the Dordogne near Sarlat.Rent a Gite.
We stayed here:
http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p74875

The Dordogne is my favorite area of France. It has prehistoric cave art-many caves, underground caverns,medieval rock shelters, prehistoric man stuff,slow flowing rivers-boat ride, canoeing, pilgrimage town of Rocamador, formal gardens,bastide towns,abbeys,1000 castles, medieval towns and villages, and the medieval town of Sarlat. In fact this area is so full of things to see that you should consider flying Rome to Toulouse and saving Provence for another trip.

Go to Paris via train.

Thanks again I have been looking at all of your suggestions and that region does look very interesting.

Do es anyone know anything about Charon-sur-saone?

Oops! New IPAD and missing the keys. I meant Chalon-Sur-Saone.