Cindy

OK, Catherine. If we're talking about the end of July through August, I think that fact rules out some nice places. These are: Disneyworld, Texas, Washington, D.C., Arizona, the entire South. (Don't jump on me. These are nice places, but I would bet someone from France would boil in the heat). Southern California is too risky; too many people find the traffic a burden and I've even heard a few people whisper that LA lacks character, so it would be a shame to recommend something they might not like at all.

You didn't mention interests or budget or experience, but I'll just assume we're dealing with first-time visitors (the kids, at least) and their budget is very high-end. With those assumptions, I think I would do San Francisco with some combination of Yosemite, Carmel or Lake Tahoe to round things out. It has good food, amusement parks, Alcatraz, the Exploratorium for the kids, museums, deep sea fishing, cable cars, hikes, parks, cultural events and fabulous weather. Plus, it is really clean. It has Napa Valley for wine tasting, which the adults would really get a kick out of. Santa Cruz has beaches. Giant Redwoods and Big Sur and Pebble Beach are fantastic as well. For the time of year your friends are going, I think they would experience the most jaw-dropping things in the Bay Area. Plus, once they got over the flight, they wouldn't have to get on a plane until it is time to get home. Oh, and by the way, the flights between Paris and San Francisco aren't that bad because they have non-stops to avoid the layover on the East Coast.

Good luck!

John

Hi, Catherine,
We’ve hosted a number of Europeans on their first visits to the US, and my recollection is that the things they enjoy most are the scale of the country and the diversity of the scenery and places. But two weeks isn’t much time (really a short holiday period for most Euros) so they will need to limit their travels. Here’s one possible itinerary:

Book an open-jaw flight into New York, stay 3 or 4 days. Less time change than further west and lots and lots to do for all ages. For many Europeans New York IS the USA, so let them experience it.

Then fly to Denver, rent a car (or two cars or a van) for a one way rental with an ultimate drop in California. South to the four corners, Monument Valley, through Hopi and Navajo lands over to the Grand Canyon, up to Las Vegas. 5 days total, lots of driving, but lots of memories, too.

Drive to San Francisco, one long nasty day across the desert and central valley. Impressive landscapes, though, and Spanish language radio stations.

San Francisco with day trips to the Muir Woods or Monterey aquarium or Napa Valley (wine tasting – why not?) The group can subdivide any number of ways. Total 4 days or more if possible.

Return on the other half of the open jaw.

The point is, there are no Manhattans nor red rock pinnacles nor Vegas strips nor Golden Gate bridges in France or Switzerland. It will whet their appetites I’ll wager.

Cal

I would definitely concentrate on coastal California with side trips to Yosemite and Lake Tahoe. Also a trip to Las Vegas would be a "must do".

I would fly into either Los Angeles or San Francisco. Depends where you want to start.

San Diego - 2 days

Los Angeles - 2 days

San Francisco - 3 days

Las Vegas - 2 days

I would spend 3 days driving from Los Angeles to San Francisco along the coast with stops in Monterey/Carmel and wherever else you like. San Francisco can be used as a base to visit the Napa Valley, Muir woods, etc. as well as enjoying the city.

Las Vegas is an absolute must but you should fly there rather than drive. It is pretty inexpensive to fly from Los Angeles or San Diego. The drive is very boring.

You may find some time to squeeze in Yosemite and Lake Tahoe. Allow 3 days to cover both. The easiest would be to drive from San Francisco.

I think that this will give them a pretty good glimpse of a variety of things. The weather will be pretty good except for being hot in Las Vegas. However Las Vegas is a great place to visit whther it is hot or cold. You do not need to gamble. It is just a spectacular place to see.

Al

Las Vegas? Great? I cringe.

Toomuchtooquickly

Isn't this thread telling? When Americans go to Europe, they often try to cram in too much in too little time, packing and unpacking, and spending more time in transit than visiting anything worthwhile. Many of us have done it, and hopefully we have learned from that, and we try to do better as we become more seasoned.

So now Catherine posts a question about what her French friends should do with only 2 weeks of time, and the responses are way overscheduled. At least half of these posts have the French visitors moving at a breakneak pace, skimming over huge parts of a huge country, sometimes in desolate desert areas, sometimes visiting places that are really, really obscure. I would hate to spend my trip trapped in a car eating at fast food joints by the highway, and I assume French people feel the same way. I'm sure these recommended places are plenty nice and unusual, but I can't imagine the youths going back in the fall to write a paper about how they visited Bryce or Savannah over the summer.

Best idea I have heard is doing the San Francisco Bay area and doing it well.

Kim

I've seen a few posts recommending Las Vegas. I would not recommend Las Vegas for your friends - it is not a place for children despite Vegas' attempt to make itself into a family destination. It is still a seedy gambling town. Fine for adults, but leave the children home.
I also agree that 2 weeks is such a short time that they really need to focus on one or two areas. Perhaps New York and then get a feel for the South or Midwest or the grandeur of the West. In any event I'm sure they will have an enjoyable time if they try not to fit in too much. I would like to put in a vote for seeing a baseball game at one of the old fields like Wrigley or seeing a minor league game for a real sense of americana.

Robyn

I would really recommend a dude ranch in Texas on another trip. I think they would love it - but in the summer we have weeks of 110 degree weather and it's killer. But perhaps they could try Austin and a dude ranch outside San Antonio one fall (meaning October!) or spring. - fun!

The west coast, flying into LA for a few days and driving up to Carmel for a few days (beautiful drive) then a final stop in SF would be wonderful. Not breakneck at all and they would see two totally different cosmopolitan cities and beautiful natural scenery in between.

But come to Texas soon - lots to do when we aren't melting!

lisa

I agree that there is a danger of trying to do too much in too little time -- that's why I still think focusing on one general area (San Francisco-Big Sur coast-Yosemite-Lake Tahoe) would be best, and would still give them a varied urban/natural environment experience. By the way, there ARE dude ranches in California within driving distance of San Francisco if they are interested in that idea -- check out http://www.ranchweb.com/ca.htm
I've never been to any of them though so I don't know if any of them would be recommended. Good luck! (All of us who've been to Europe and loved it want them to have a good experience here in the U.S.)

lisa

Forgot to add one thing -- if they are planning this trip for this July-August, they need to make reservations VERY soon. Hotels in/near popular tourist spots (national parks, major cities, etc.) get booked up far in advance in the summertime, just as they do in Europe!

Neal Sanders

John, above, and I are basically in the same camp: to visit the U.S. for the first time and not see New York would be akin to being a first-time tourist in France and bypassing Paris. So, at least five days of your friends’ two weeks in America should be taken up seeing the quintessential cité Americain. New York in July is no picnic; they may well encounter horrible heat and humidity, afternoon thunderstorms and air so hazy that they’ll need a machete to slice a path in front of them. Then again, they may arrive with a cool front and wonder what all the dire warnings were about.

From New York, I’d have them board a flight for either Denver or Phoenix and plan to spend a week browsing the southwest: Monument Valley, painted desert, Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon, etc. The French think of mountains and wide open spaces and they conjure up something akin to the Midí. They get to Bryce Canyon and start to figure out just how large America is.

I'd then have them fly back east from either Flagstaff or Albequerque to Washington DC for their last two days. More symbols and icons of America, and two days of sightseeing ought to give them a sense of the capital city before heading home.

Several posters above are right on the money about one point: trying to cram too many cities into a two week visit would turn a vacation into a logistical nightmare, especially with eight traveling.

Catherine, thanks for letting us play "armchair quarterback" for your sister's vacation. It's a nice exercise in putting ourselves in someone else's shoes.

crazyman

I agree with above posts about trying to cram too many things into a 2 week trip. Las Vegas would not be a bad jumping off or ending point as it is within five hours of a variety of different parks/experiences along with the whole strip experience. Europeans love Las Vegas. You could hit the Grand Canyon, Utah, Lake Havesu, San Diego and/or LA if you wanted. Also for the whole Americana thing you'd want to hit either NYC or Wash. D.C.
(by the way, many of the things you other clones posted would bore most americans, let alone euro's out of their minds if subjected to it as you've described: i.e., Williamsburg, VA, "dude" ranches, new england, savannah/tybee island, come on we want them to have a good time, not be bored to death.)

Catherine

Once again, thank you to everyone who contributed their ideas about how to spend two weeks visiting America. This is a real question my sister has asked so I will send her all of your responses and let them work on their plans with your good ideas.

These are my thoughts on the question. I agree on Washington DC although I had not considered temperature that time of year. Frankly though, almost the whole country is hot.

I have tried to imagine what are the areas which have a French influence in our country. Remember how proud (chauvenistic) the French are and France was a major supporter of the United States in the Revolutionary War.
What about Philadelphia instead of New York? What about Philadelphia instead of Washington DC? If you think about the pattern of French settlements in America where else should we look besides New Oreleans or Louisianna more generally?

In terms of the kids what for them would be wonderful? I have heard that most French, who have a tour of America arranged for them, go to Disney World and that otherwise Florida is a major destination in the mind of the French. But remember Disney is now outside Paris; so what about Epcot or MGM? Where else?

The reason the time span is only two weeks is because this family will spend time with their American family who live in the Pacific Northwest (not California). So they will actually be stateside more like four weeks but two weeks will be spent fullfilling family obligations. If they were to be in the Pacific Northwest does this change any of your other recommendations?

What about the train as a way to see the vastness of the country? What about Chicago as a midwest experience?

Any effort or ideas you want to send this way I continue to appreciate. I do think it is a great question. Oh more detail...One couple and the two older kids are experienced travelers stateside...speak English well and so forth. For the other family it is their first time in the US and they will be in awe and shy about language.

Paul Rabe

Catherine:

Thanks for giving further details on your sister's plans. In reply to your questions you raised:

You ask about Philadelphia instead of New York or Washington. As a resident of Philly I cannot, for a FIRST TIME VISITOR, recommend it over either of these cities UNLESS one is specifically interested in the American Revolution. Philly has innumerable places to visit and is a great place, but not as good as either New York or Washington.

I've traveled all around America and honestly can't think of any place where French culture is particularly strong (which doesn't mean there isn't any -- I just can't think of any). Even in New Orleans, French culture is limited to French names and French cooking.

Do NOT use American trains for getting around outside the Northeast Corridor unless you absolutely cannot drive a car. For long term travel, trains cost more than planes; and they are infrequent and (too) often behind schedule. For three or more people, a car rental would cost much less than any combination of train travel, and give you immensely more flexibility on where you want to go.

Chicago is a great town to visit (I've traveled there eight times) and would be a great way to experience the Midwest. However, on an initial US trip of only two weeks, I (again) can't recommend it. There are so many other places that are much more uniquely American, that Chicago is best left for another trip.

Cindy

Boy, Catherine. This really is a brain teaser. I usually put in the good word for D.C. because I live here, and I lost track of where you were on that. But I just can't say enough bad things about the weather here at that time. It would take a miracle for weather below 85 degrees and drenching humidity. I just really think they should pass on D.C. If you want to risk bad weather, I'd advise New York instead.

One other observation: Don't do Disneyworld at that time. I did a few days last August. Our party was from D.C., Phoenix, and Denver, so we are used to heat. We almost collapsed from it. The only exception was the water parks, and I can't see your group going all the way from the Pacific Northwest to just do water parks.

There. I've said enough.

lisa

Catherine: Now that you've given us some more details I have a few additional thoughts.

First, if they are already going to be spending two weeks in the U.S. with family in the Pacific Northwest, they will be getting a good dose of American culture there -- so how about spending some of the remaining two weeks in Canada? The only reason I suggest it is (1) you asked about train travel, and one train trip that gets very high reviews is the one from Vancouver (which may not be far from where they'll be staying) to Banff and Jasper in the Canadian Rockies. (2) You also asked about places with French culture, so how about a visit to Montreal & Quebec City?

As much as I love the U.S., the Canadian Rockies really are spectacular and worth seeing. And if they haven't been to Montreal & Quebec before, they might enjoy it.

lisa

Forgot to mention -- Canada will be pleasantly cooler than much of the U.S. at that time of year. Also, their money will go farther in Canada than it will here in the U.S.

Of course they would have to fly between western Canada (probably Calgary) and Montreal, but that's not a big deal.

rl

One week each in Los Angeles and Washington DC. What else makes America tick like Politics and Entertainment? NY is also an obvious choice.