Hubby and I are flying to Paris in mid-March and will be in Europe for approx. 12 days (not counting the days we arrive/leave). We are departing out of Paris as well (tried for an open-jaw but didn't work out this time).

So far in Europe we have been to: Ireland, London, Rome, Florence, Venice, Salzburg, and Munich.

Where to now? Hubby doesn't want to spend the majority of our time in France. I have suggested Belgium and Amsterdam areas as ideas.

What are your thoughts? What would you do with the time allotted?

FYI - we both love to shop, eat, general sightseeing and prefer walkable towns (we will be taking trains, no car this trip).

thanks!!!

What was the open jaw you had in mind? Where were you hoping to go when you sought out these tickets, if not France? Did you have B/NL in mind even before the purchase? Does he have an opinion about destinations in those countries?

Paris connects to a lot of other destinations, cheaply - - by air - - if you don't want to visit adjacent countries. Maybe I am reading your question wrong, but I have never bought tickets first, and then thought about an itinerary second.

I think that the preferred order is:

1. Find tickets which generally match the desired dates and will work with an itinerary of places I would like to go.

2. <i><b>Propose</b></i> an overall skeleton itinerary - - at least generally - - to those who will be traveling with me, to see that <i><b>they</b></i>, <u>too</u>, want to go on the proposed itinerary.

3. <i><b>Then</b></i>, buy the tickets.

Best wishes,

Rex

Hi IL,

&gt;Hubby doesn't want to spend the majority of our time in France.&lt;

Any particular reasons why?

Paris is worth a week.

You could visit Amsterdam and the Netherlands, Brussels and Bruges, Switzerland, Spain.

&lt;&lt; Paris is worth a week. &gt;&gt;

... to those who want to go there. I have no difficulty understanding the kind of person who would get restless and want to go somewhere else before 48 hours had passed... and others who might feel that two months isn't &quot;enough&quot;.

There's no accounting for taste, and no point in trying to criticize nor defend it... and no substitute for reading, thinking through... and discussing... where is it that he (thinks that he) DOES want to go?

Well as you already pointed out, Belgium and Amsterdam are the easiest places to go from Paris. I've done both (different trips) and train connections are easy and total traveling time would be less than half a day. Luxembourg city sounds interesting and is about the same distance. Any of these, or a combination of them, would go nicely with a trip to Paris. Spain is not so easy to get to by train, but there are quick, cheap flights. I will also be in Paris mid-March and am flying from there to Barcelona on Easyjet for about $50. But I have been to Paris, and various other parts of France many other times. I do agree with the others that there are plenty of interesting places in France to go if you want to get out of Paris. And I don't think 12 days in Paris itself is too much. I'm only going to Barcelona because I really want to go there, not because I don't want to spend the time in Paris. If I had my way I'd spend 12 days in each of them.

&gt;&gt;Hubby doesn't want to spend the majority of our time in France.

What are your thoughts?&lt;&lt;

Take the 3 hr TGV to the Cote d'Azur and tell your hubby that this area was formerly part of Italy. Or, take the train to Strasbourg and visit Alsace - tell him that this was part of Germany at one time.

BTW, more tourists visit France than any other country in Europe - perhaps there is a reason why!!!

You said that you love to &quot;shop, eat, general sightseeing, and walking in towns&quot; - you just described France (and Paris in particular) to a &quot;T&quot;...........

Stu Dudley

Geneva or Lausanne (and Vevey, Montreux) are easy enough to get to by train from Paris. I think it's maybe 4-5 hours. Absolutely lovely part of the country on Lac Leman.

lovely part of Switzerland I should have written.