dgmr45

Hi All
I'm planning on a family trip in late May early July..
What might be reasonable.. I do have family in the Dijon region of France that I must visit at least for 2-3 days.
Its been years since my family has been to France and now that the kids are older, 24 and 22 it will be easier.
My wife wants to visit Germany and my one son wants to visit the Normandy beaches.
My other son would be happy visiting Paris.
What's reasonable?
Land in Paris, spend a few days, go to the beaches in Normandy..perhaps two days then cross over to Dijon to visit my family..
Then thinking of taking the train from Dijon to Zurich and then renting a car in Zurich and driving from there to Munich and fly out of Munich? Perhaps drive instead??
Cars seem really expensive to rent!
Any suggestions would be great.. The family likes the outdoors and have never hiked the alps.
I'm wondering if we are trying to do to much?
What are general suggestions regarding car rentals?
Was also thinking of flying to London and then taking the train to the beaches and then onto Paris rather than doubling back..
Thanks for any ideas!
Dan
PS.. I'm taking my mother's ashes back to her home town in France..There isn't anything special to handling them other than just packing them in my suitcase right?!?!

jpie

Rental cars will likely be much more expensive if you have to pick-up and drop in different countries-so you might see if you can work your plans to pick up and drop off a car in the same country-either France, Switzerland or Germany.

geetika

Taking the TGV to Normandy after landing in CDG is easy and will probably take less time than getting there via LHR. You can stay a couple of nights at either Caen or Bayeux, my choice would be the latter. Normandy-Dijon would necessarily have to be via Paris, no direct train.

Car rentals aren’t particularly expensive in Europe, though they’ll sock you for renting in one country and returning in another!

My brother brought our mother’s ashes back to India last month without any issues, though they did ask to see the urn when it went through the scanner.

Jean

I'm not sure you'll be able to please everyone. Try plotting out the itinerary day-by-day, include transit estimates and time needed to see particular sights, and then see how much time you'd actually have everywhere. Paris especially could eat up a lot of time. Whatever you mean by "Germany" could also eat up a lot of time.

It's logistically easier to visit the D-Day beaches (assuming that's what you meant by Normandy beaches) from Paris rather than London. I highly recommend a stop at the Memorial Museum in Caen.

ahbonvraiment

Hi
i would spend a little more in Dijon and visit some of the area.
Then i would go to Strasbourg and from there inside Germany.

Id rent a car in Germany (say Offenburg right after crossing the bridge at Strasbourg).

Or do normandy and Dijon.
But you would too rushed to do normandy Dijon and some of Germany.

Southam

Your various (and widespread) interests will be easier to satisfy if you agree in advance that individuals can go off on their own. You and mom can go to Germany while a son or two divert to the Normandy beaches. Then meet and share your stories. It will take more planning, though. There's no money saved by travelling through London but time will be lost.

Christina

You cannot take the TGV to Normandy after landing at CDG as it doesn't go there, from CDG or Paris proper, only TERs go there. They take 2.5-3 hrs on a direct train from Paris to Bayeux. I wouldn't call that necessarily easy, depending you your ideas, you have to get from the airport to a Paris train station (Lazare, I think, maybe Montparnasse). It's probably easier than from London, I do agree on that. You cannot take a train from London to the Normandy beaches. That is impossible.

jpie

You can take a TGV to Le Mans directly from CDG 1h44 minutes and the you could pick up a car there or you could change to a TER to go to Caen 1h54 minutes for instance. Not that great but at least you wouldn't have to go into Paris St Lazarre. Here is a map of the main tgv lines in France-and Christina is right that Normandy is poorly served. But I know my cousin is going to use the CDG to Le Mans to Caen option that I mentioned above. If you use trainline to search be careful you are getting the route from CDG not St Lazarre and also be sure they are using a bus for all or part of the journey-the site kind of throws all options in:

https://www.thetrainline.com/

jpie

Sorry this should have read: and also be sure they are NOT using a bus for all or part of the journey-the site kind of throws all options in:

Rosa68

Your frist trip option is good.
I would skip London in this trip. it will be too long and tiring... From Pris to Munich is doable and spend some days in the Scwazch Waalt ( Stoccarda region)!
Chusse
Rosa

menachem

consider splitting up for some destinations. It's not as if your children are 4 and 6.
Maybe no London. Too complicated

neckervd

I suppose you plan to visit many extremely isolated tiny places on your way from Zurich to Munich. Otherwise you wouldn't need a car as there are tons of trains and buses along this itinerary.
If this is the case, you would better rent your car in a German suburb of Basel (Loerrach, Weil, etc.) or may be at Singen or Konstanz.
A train ride from Dijon via Strasbourg and Stuttgart to Munich would last about 6 1/2 hrs.
If you travel via Basel - Waldshut - Friedrichshafen - Ulm, it's about 7 hrs..