Traveling in France for 2 weeks

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ed teach

100+ Posts
I need some help setting up an itenerary.
I have 2 weeks. Currently the first 5 days I will be staying in Paris working, but with plenty of free time. After that we can go anywhere as long as I come back to Paris for my flight.

This is also a last minute trip, I leave soon, so any tips on finding hotels on short notice would help. I don't want to go cheap but I also don't want to break the bank.
 
Your options are endless, but you have not told us what you like to do, where you might like to go, etc. It is kind of like saying I have two weeks in the US and will spend 5 days in NYC. Much to do and see depending on your interests.

I would not worry about rooms. Pleanty of B&Bs and the like. Some may be closed because of the time of year, but you should be fine.

I have spent a great deal of time in France and would be happy to help, but I need to know more.
 
I stayed atThe Link last month. As good a value as you will find in the 6th, but it was still expensive. About $450 as I recall. The euro is merciless. Bistro Allard is nearby, non-smoking, and awesome. If you can get a table at Spring, do so.

I'm sure you could get a bad meal in Paris, but I would have no idea how to go about it.
 
1) There is the suburb of Chartres (sp?) and its amazing Gothic Cathedral.

2) The Blois River Valley

3) Burgandy Region

4) Bordeaux Region

5) Nice, Monoco, Ban de Soleil

6) Biarritz

7) Brittania

And much much more. (It's like a whole 'nother country.)
 
Reason that my intial post was so vague is because I know so little about France. I found out that I was going there for work 7 days ago, I just found out 3 days ago that my wife could get her passport in time.

I am very open about where we go, I may end up staying in Paris for longer. But I am looking for additional ideas.
We definitely are going to spend some time in the French Riveara, maybe Nice. I am not sure if that is the best city to go, it is going to be cold so spending the whole time at the beach isn't going to happen.

I have always wanted to see the beaches of Normandy because of my intrest in military history. I am not sure that the trip up there from Paris is worth the time.
Any ideas are helpful. I have a giant travel book from 1/2 price books that I should have some time to read on the 11 hour plane flight.
 
What about the wine regions, is there one that is better to see than another? Is it too late in the year for visiting the winerys?

Also, I was not planning on renting a car. I was planning on using trains and public transportation to get around.
 
Normandy is great; if you want, you can take a train from Paris in the morning to get out there and come back the same night. Another sight to see in Normandy outside of the beaches, cemetary and Point-du-Hoc is Mont-Saint Michel. It's a third century monastary (added on through the centuries) on a little rock island about a mile offshore. It used to be that you could only get there at low tide, but now there's a road.

Strasbourg is an awesome city as well. It's in Alsace and has been back and forth German and French through all the wars. It's very scenic and just across the Rhine is the Black Forest.

Nice/Cannes/South of France is also really cool, but you may want to check the weather there now.
 
If the weather is too cold for the beach is there still things to do in Cannes/ Nice. I am still going there either way, but wanted to know what there is to do. Do they have a wild night life, like Miami or is it more family orientated?
 
If you're a Van Gogh fan, you should check out the little town of Auvers-sur-Oise, which is only about 20 miles north of Paris. You can get there by train, and presumably continue on to Normandy. Van Gogh moved to Auvers to live near his brother Theo, and did some of his most famous work there before commiting suicide within the year. It's a beautiful little town, with many placards showing Van Gogh's interpretation of local landmarks, so if you love his artwork (as I do), you get a little peek into the mind of a genius.

Mont St. Michel is a great recommendation, as is Chartes. The Palace of Versailles shouldn't be missed, either.
 
If you are interested in history, I highly recommend Normandy. It is easy to do as a day trip from Paris. You can set up a tour with numerous outfits since you will not have a car. The beaches, the cemetery, the museums in Bayeux and Caen are all well worth the trip.

Is there a particular reason you do not want to rent a car? I would do so. After my five days in Paris, I would go out to Versailles, check out the chateau, rent a car there, and the go spend the night at the lovely B&B Chateau de Jonvilliers. I would spend the next morning in Chartres, before making the drive over the Reims and the world of champagne. Spend a couple of days there, then drive up to Normandy for a few days. Stop in Rouen on your way up there and stay in Bayeux.

Why do you want to go to Nice? I would not want to go that time of year, but if there is something in particular you want to see, it may be worth it. Easy to reach by TGV from Paris.

Do you want to focus on wine, WWII, castles, art, beautiful villages, mountains, etc.? I would go check out the Fodors and Slow Travel discussion boards to see what your options may be then come back with more questions that are more specific to what you want to do.
 
I can't believe this thread has gone for this long without a mention of Provence. Avignon, Arles, Aix, etc are just great places to visit. Easy 3 hr train ride from Paris. Should be better weather than N France as well.

Great wine region there as well - Cote de Rhone / Chatteneaf de Pape (sp) are right there.
 
I like Texclerks's recommendations. Two things-
1) Versailles is to Paris about as far as Pfugerville or maybe Round Rock is to Austin. It's RIGHT THERE!!!

2) You should try to get that whole "Nice, FR" thing out of your head. This time of year it's a waste of time.


ALSO-WHEN IN THE HELL ARE YOU GOING?

If you are going late enough in November, you might be able to go skiing at Val d'Iser (sp?) where they had the Olympics somewhat recently. If it's December, then definitely.

We need more info!!

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And so much easier to drive away once you get just a little further away from Paris. So much easier than trying to rent a car in the city.

As for Provence, I love it. Great wine, exciting history, and beautiful villages. I made the recommendations based on the time of year he plans on going and his desire to do wine and Normandy. Reims has wine related activities year round, but Ch. de Pape does not.

Another driving idea may be heading to Burgundy. Dijon, Beaune, Vezalay, Autun, etc. would be a great way to spend five days or so. If you drive south and work your way north, you might still be able to do Normandy. Leave Dijon after breakfast, stop in Giverny to see Monet's house, and off to Normandy.

Another highly popular place is Dordogne, but it is dead in late November to February.
 
I am leaving the middle of next week. The first 5 days are set I have to be in Paris. The next 5 I can travel around.
I was nervous about navigating around in France, so I thought I would skip renting a car. I am reconsidering that after some of the comments here.
The southern coast of France was because of my wife having always wanted to go there. I may try to convince her that it would be better for a completly seperate trip.

What I want to do on this trip is not concentrate on 1 aspect of France. I would like to spend some time on history, some time exploring the wine country, some art, and also catch some of the must see sites. The things mentioned so far all sound like intresting things to do. It has given me a starting point of some things to research.
I am sure that I will have more specific questions as I narrow my iternary down.
 
whatever you do check out the second floor of the museo d' orsay. That is unless you don't like French Art, or impressionistic art, or whistler's mother for that matter.
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Go walking around the parks around the Notre Dame/eifel tower area, check out the Arch de triomphe and see the thankyou and flame to the US/Allies from the French.

walk up the Champs-Elysees if the weather is nice.

I like the picasso museum.
I liked watching the people trying to look at the famous items in teh Louvre, it was a feeding frenzy at times.

Eat some french bread.
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Drink some wine. Smoke some cuban cigars.

Don't forget that the trains stop running at midnight.(I had to take a long cab ride after leaviing a cuban bar about 1:30 am)

good times, 50% of the french people were nice, about 50% were not so nice.
The Link
 
If she has always wanted to go to the coast of Southern France, then it will probably miss the mark. She probably wants to go for reasons that are not likely to live up to expectations based on the time of year. What woudl she like to see?

For a mix of art, history, and wine, I would refer you again to my post above. I would be happy to give more information if that would help. One thing I would through in is Giverny and Monet's house. I might also head from Paris to Reims, Chartres, then Normandy.

Please, please, please try to not do too much. If you rush, you will not be able to enjoy so much of what is France. Take time for coffee and wine in cafes. Check out the pasteries, walk in parks, try to visit the outdoor markets in small towns. Travel eats up time. Not just getting there, but checking in and out of hotels. Limit it.

As for driving, it is so easy. Just do not drive in Paris. If you can do it here, you can do it there. Check out the blog on the Chateau de Jonvilliers website for some tips on driving. Howver, it is not hard. The signs on smaller roads generally point to the next town, so it is important to have a good map so that you know not only where you are going but what is along the way.

If you have questions about some specific sites, let me know.

Check out slowtalk.com/groupee/forums/a/frm/f/3956056284
 
My wife loves the ocean and has been fasinated by the mediterranean sea since childhood. We love traveling to the different coastal cities, from small fishing villages to large cities like Boston. The water and the towns are the main attraction for her, not swiming and laying on the beach.

It looks like I have the start of a plan. We will stay in Paris for the 1st 5 days, then travel by train to Marseille on the coast. From there we can get to Cannes, Nice, or St Tropez via car or train. We will spend 3 days in which ever city it turns out to be, then we will head by car toward Normandy stopping along the way for a day / night and to see the wine country. After Normandy we head back to Paris for the remainder and leave from Paris.

One question is on our drive back from the south is it possible to find a hotel or BB in the wine country when you get there, or do you need to have a reservation. Right now I was thinking that having flexibilty on picking where we stay based on what we see on our drive. I plan on having a reservation in Normandy and also in Paris.

Also, any recomendations on which city to stay in Southern France. Marseille from what I read is the largest but is not a good place to stay, lots of crime. I also do not want to end up in a place that is all casinos. It seems like St Tropez might be a good place, but is it the super expensive choice.
 
If that is what you are set on doing the Med, train to Marseille and head west, not east. You will start in a large city, head through small villages, and then drive up toward Avignon. You can hit the Roman ruins in Provence, see the Papal Palace in Avignon, maybe spend a day in Arles, spend a day in Ch. De Pape for a wine fix, drop off the car at the TGV station in Avignon, TGV to Paris, train to Bayeaux.

I really think you are trying to do way to much. You can do one of the two areas well or try to do both in a rush. I would save one or the other for another trip and focus on just one region. As it is now, you are losing three days heading south, back north, and then back to Paris. I think that based on the desire to see the Med, I would spend my time down there, may be as follows:

Days 1-5 in Paris

Day 6 to Marseille

Day 7 in Marseille

Day 8-9 on the coast away from a big city

Day 10 Les Baux and St Remy

Day 11 Arles

Day 12 Ch. de Pape and Avignon

Day 13 the Luberon

Day 14 back to Paris

Day 15 home

I can recommend a good B&B in Provence that will allow you to do much of this itenerary from there.
 
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