crazyfamilyof4

We won't drive to Sarlat . . we will be training ad then driving. I can ask a lot of hubby but an 8 hr drive is just asking a little too much. We really can't do more then 5 hrs.

Champagne house advice is taken . .

Found a great site to book my train seats on . . very user friendly and you can select where you sit and everything.

https://ventes.idtgv.com

As always thank you!

Goldens

I fully support what StCirq said about the champagne houses. Don't take a 2 and a 4 year old on the tours, these are activities for adults. You have to consider that other people on the tour have paid a lot for the tour and it is a special activity for adults.

At Moet, in particular, you are down in the maze of the underground cellars listening to a guide. There is no way to take a fussy child out and no one wants to hear the echos in the tunnels of upset kids. It also may be a little frightening for them to be down there.

The last time that we toured Moet there was a small child who would not stop whining. There was also a couple who were on their dream honeymoon and the tour was a wedding present for them from the bride's grandmother. The young woman was about in tears. This child (parents, as the child couldn't help it) ruined the tour for everyone.
There are many tasting rooms where you can just stop in and purchase tastes of champagnes but again I don't see dragging two little kids there.

thursdaysd

iDTGV - sigh. Didn't you READ seat61.com?

If you had read this very useful page - http://www.seat61.com/Pop-up-tgv-europe.htm - you would have seen this:

"iDTGV a special brand name and fare structure SNCF gives to a <b>couple of daily TGVs on a handful of routes</b> designed to compete head-to-head with budget airlines, with booking opening <b>120 days ahead</b>."

Emphasis mine.

dugi_otok

OK-Paris in the better apt, with better location, cheaper, and Disney-Paris it is!

Now one more problem. Getting to Sarlat by 5PM. Is this really a required time? If it is? I do not think by driving it is possible. I do not think it is practical by train.You would have to get to Gare d'Austerlitz(Brive) or Gare Montparnasse(Bordeaux) at an ungodly hour for an early train. You could try to arrange for a late arrival in Sarlat, but it might not be practical due to working hours of your landlord.

A possible solution is drive or shuttle from Disney to Orly for an Air France flight to Bordeaux, rent a car there and drive to Sarlat in order to meet your 5PM appointment.

The saga continues!

Cathinjoetown

dugi

I think the 5:00 pm deadline is to get to Brive to pick up a rental car.

StCirq

I thought the 5 pm deadline was to arrive in Sarlat. She's apparently taking a train from Paris to Brive (which she spells Brieve, making me worry she's going to end up in Asturiaand then planning to drive from Brive to Sarlat. At any rate, however she cuts it, that's going to be a helluva day!

crazyfamilyof4

Morning! Thursday I got that site from seat61 Flying might work . .didn't think of that . . .check in at our place is after 5pm in Sarlat so I don't mind what time we arrive just that we cant get there at 12pm etc.

At least I can book my seats on trains and PICK my seats . . that makes life somewhat easier!

Thanks dugi for your tips.

As always you have all been a huge help.

bendigo

And another Aussie who doesn't have Disneyland anywhere on a bucket list - didn't even mention it when we were booking Paris last year in fear of the thought that others in the family might want to go!
I think a day at Versailles was better - exceeds any Fantasyland I could imagine, and we definitely don't have one of those in Oz either!

caroline65

bendigo- I'm so with you- another fellow aussie! My kids are 15,13 and 5! I didn't mention it either as I thought it would ruin our whole culture experience! We are giong to Versailles instead and Monet's garden!

millie2112

Claire - if i could I would put my hands through my lap top, grab your shoulders and give you a shake......i am so frustrated with your train bookings. And I thought the apartment search was bad.
thursdaysd - gave you correct advice. The site you are using to book trains is not the site you should be using. For any particular day it does not give you all the times and all the prices. As thursdaysd said it is only for a couple of times for a route.
you are missing out on choosing a time that will suit better and even a price.

I still do not know what your problem is with using: http://www.tgv-europe.com/en/.

millie2112

bendigo and carolin65 - to each their own.
Claire's children are young and I think that if they miss out on Versailles or Monet's garden and do Disneyland they will not end up being culturally challenged.
And there is nothing wrong with breaking a trip up and doing what you think is the best for your family.

bendigo

millie,

It was crazy's statement that "We don't have a disneyland and it's just a dream to us aussies to get to go" that we were all trying to clarify. The term "us aussies" was quite limited in nature, and should not be read as applying generally to aussies.

cathies

Thank you bendigo, nicely said.

crazyfamilyof4

you all make me laugh! I am sure with our week in paris we will get the chance to see other places like monet's garden. Bear in mind this is my husbands and I third time to paris ...even if the other times were for just a few days we have done the "tourist" things so this trip we won't need to go to museums and art galleries like last time etc.

I'm surprised Disney isn't popular for those with kids from australia! Maybe it's the gen y in me??? I can't wait!

When in London we plan on going to thomas land, lego land and pepper pig land! Soooo I can only imagine how most of you will feel about that!

I like the idea of staying at the explores hotel and going out early in the morning to a french town coming back and then spending the afternoon at a disney park.

In regards to the trains . . .I found the tgv site would let me pick my seats and I really wanted to make sure we got to me near the luggage in seats that fave each other. The tickets were 45 euros..I thought that was a good price..and the time 10am . .I thought was a good time as well. I also like how I could pay for a driver to be there waiting for us . .with car seats etc.

Sorry for speaking for "all aussies" in my previous thread . .point taken! It is a dream and memory that I want for me ( I know the kids will pnly have photos to remind them they did go)

I think we are done at this stage though!

caroline65

Fair enough crazy!I'm with you in London as I have a crazy lego son who eats, sleeps lego and can't wait to go to the Lego store! It's his no.1 tourist destination- up there with tower of london and the eye!

bendigo

For those with young / teenage boys:

You might like to check out the Lotus F1 shop at Piccadilly Circus - it was a hit with our 16yo - as was the Ferrari shop just off Via del Corso in Rome!

dugi_otok

My teenage son wanted to find one of these in Paris.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30CJs...eature=related

crazyfamilyof4

hahahaha . .dugi that made me really laugh!

just27

ttt

janisj

crazy: Peppa Pig World is not anywhere near London. It is down in the New Forest in Hampshire.

And Thomas Land is even farther - its north of Birmingham.

W/ all your threads I can't remember how long you now plan outside of London but these two places are far apart and not near London at all.