Rose

We are going to stay in Como and Garda lakes and Venice from 2 to 10th, and then in Paris (including 1 day in Vale du Loire) from 10 to 18th, in September. <BR> <BR>Can anybody tell me how the weather is like in that period? <BR>What kind of clothes should I take for my children (9 and 6 yr. old) and my mother (85)? <BR>Will we be able to use the swimming pool? <BR>Thank you in advance. <BR>Rose <BR>

sally

i was in paris at about that exact time last year. the weather was good. it got a little warmer during the day than we expected, but not really bad. we only carried fallish clothing expecting it to be on the cooler side. i think it was warmer than normal for there. don't know about the pool. at night it was cooler, but very comfortable.

anniel

Nobody can guarantee weather in Europe.However, we have been to both lake Garda and Como in September and enjoyed warm sunny weather both times. The temp.was in the mid to late 70's.As we do not swim much we did not use the pool. English children seem to swim whatever the weather in the summer and I expect if you are from a colder part of the world your children would be able to use the pool.I always take a light jumper and a light zippered jacket or cagoule to be ready for a cool windy day. One of the joys of the lakes are trips on the ferries and it can get breezy. We are going to Stresa on Lake Maggiore in September and honestly think it is the best time to go as it is quieter once the school holidays are over. be sure to visit Bellagio and Varenna on Lake Como; both are lovely. Paris enjoys about the same weather as London. We have had pretty poor weather this summer and so maybe September will be better. However, we can get two to three seasons in one day. <BR>The best thing to do is to have layers of clothes..T shirts, a long sleeved cotton sweater and a light jacket. Make sure you have comfortable shoes; you will want to do quite a lot of walking in Paris although the public transport system is great. May I suggest two websites to visit: initaly.com is very good and you should find lots of info. Also the bulletin boards on bonjourparis.com should help. <BR>have a wonderful holiday!

Diane

I was in Venice in September and the weather was perfect! Sunny and pleasant during the day, sweater weather at night.

Susan

Rose - <BR>I second the post about layered clothing - particularly in Paris at that time of year. Do not forget umbrellas (we used them a lot both times we were there in September).

Rose

Thank you all, Sally, Anniel, Diane and Susan for the info!! <BR> <BR>Anniel, I am surprised about getting two to three seasons in one day! I thought it happened only in my city (Sao Paulo, Brazil)... <BR>Nice to hear that you went to Como and Garda. Could you give me a suggestion about the best places to go there? We probably will have only one full day in each lake and since we will be with children and an old lady, need to make a good selection of the places to visit. <BR>I have heard so many good comments about the lakes, that I'm thinking about skipping a city tour in Milan to have a little more time. What do you think? Have you been to Milan? <BR>I was thinking about taking my children to Gardaland, but it would probably take all the day... Many doubts on what to do... <BR> <BR>Susan, I got a little sad about taking umbrellas. One more thing to pack... <BR> <BR>Thank you again! <BR>Rose <BR> <BR>

anniel

I have not been to Milan and have no information to give you on that city. If you have one day on each lake, where are you based?. We are late middle aged people and have no knowledge of amusing areas for children. On Lake garda most tourists head to Sirmione as the most interesting town. As your mother is probably not going to want to walk a great deal, you may be better off taking ferry rides around the lake. It is possible to spend just a couple of hours in a place and then hop back on the ferry and go elsewhere. this will also prevent the children becoming bored. Lake Garda IMO does not have the same appeal as Lake Como. However, we visited Sirmione, Limone and Malcescine <BR>and if I remember correctly we went to all these in one day!. there is also a pleasant town called Riva del Garda at the Northern end of the lake. <BR>On lake Como I would probably adopt the same policy but make sure to visit Bellagio, which is such a pretty little town. Other places worth a look are Varenna, which incidentally has a rail station connecting to Milan and Como itself which has a cathedral which we visited. It shuts in the lunch hour. <BR>You can get a real taste of the lake by using the ferries. It is a most relaxing way of getting from place to place. It is tough that you only have one day in each area. However, I can understand you want to see as much as you can on your visit. You mentioned you are also going to the Loire for a day. Is this an organised tour or are you travelling independently? There are so many lovely chateaux to see you will need to be selective.

Rose

Anniel, thank you for the precious advice. <BR>We will be based at Como, Hotel Continental. And, in Garda area, I could not book a hotel on the lake because all of them were full (I did not expect so hard booking in that period.) So I have just gotten a hotel in Bussolengo, a village between lake Garda and Verona, which was recommended by a person in this forum. We will rent a car to go from Como to Garda, and then to Venice (base in Mestre). <BR> <BR>Have you been to the Loire? <BR>After Venice, we will go direct to Eurodisney, spend 3 nights, and then rent a car to visit Loire area (all our trip is independent). I booked a hotel in Amboise to spend 1 night. I was told to visit Chambord, Chenonceau. Do you have any suggestion? <BR>Thank you very much! <BR>Rose <BR>