16 days in France - Where would you go?

There were several places in France that I traveled to last year that I would gladly return! Instead of naming them and rewriting what I liked about them, I’ll just attach the link to my trip report.

You didn’t say which month you will be there, but be sure to check for the evening light shows - wonderful & free! I caught the last few days of some locations.

We always just travel by train - an easy & relaxing option for us.

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/our-combined-solo-couple-vacation-in-france-2019

I think you are wise to stay in one country. You could experience a lot of France by dividing your time between Paris (stay a week) and 2 or 3 other places. I think Normandy is worth including, although what you can do without a car is somewhat limited. Three nights in Bayeux would be perfect and you could spend one day touring the WWII sites with a tour company. Provence is easy enough by train with the occasional bus and could occupy you for up to a week. Beaune, Lyon, Chamonix...too many choices!

As you fly out of Paris, go to one of your other locations first and put all of your Paris nights at the end, if at all possible.

Interesting to see you taking the kids out of school at the beginning of the school year. September is one of my favorite months to travel because it's no longer "in season". I really like the area around Nancy, Metz, and Strasbourg, and the southern corner down around Nice, That being said, I'd seriously consider taking a couple weeks and working down the west coast.

KGC we homeschool, so we try and travel in September because we find a lot of places to be less busy as most families are home and in school!

Here are two three-base itineraries that might fit the bill.

1) Paris, Normandy, Loire

2) Burgundy or Lyon, Provence, Paris

Programmatically, (1) allows for D-Day history and Norman culture, plus the famous Renaissance chateaux of the Loire valley. Note: A little Chateaux goes a long way.; just two or three nights and a few chateaux would be best.

(2) offers the really great Roman antiquities of Provence. Choice of rural Burgundy (charming and very French) or bustling Lyon, which has tons of fun stuff for all ages. A zillion museums, Roman ruins, a funicular, great food, a zoo, and a city card that includes a boat ride and a walking tour.

Both include Paris and its many day trips. One advantage of cities is that it is easy to split up temporarily.

Logistically, the key to (1) is to catch a train out of Paris the day you land. This is a bit of a jet-lagged stretch, but you are rewarded with a grand finale in Paris and an easy connection to the airport.

(2) lets you de-jetlag and settle in in Paris. A key here is that you can catch an early train from Amboise TGV and be at the airport by 10 AM.

You may want a car in Normandy, Burgundy, or Provence; that is up to you. And even for some of the inter-regional travel if that is your preference (a good choice for Normady - Loire as there are no direct trains). But to get to Lyon or Burgundy from Paris, take the train--it is faster than driving.

Your idea makes a great deal of sense and makes for a more relaxing trip for all, particularly for the you and your wife. I have spent a number of weeks over the years with my kids in France and here are my thoughts. I might suggest that you consider going no further south than the Loire Valley to minimize travel time from a Paris home base. In the Loire visit the chateaus, Chenonceau and Chamboard at a minimum with overnights perhaps in Amboise, or perhaps one of the troglodyte cave hotels, kids and caves what could possibly go wrong, but the hotels are somewhat expensive and would likely require a car. Spending one night on the island of Mont St-Michel after the throngs of tourists leave and waking up before they return in the morning is a remarkable experience that my kids loved. To the north, the D-Day beaches of Normandy, Bayeux for the Tapestry, Honfleur for a charming beach town, and Givency for Monet's Garden.

I’m following your post in General Europe, too and staying in France is a good option. Laurel and Adam make a very good point about the benefits of moving to your first stop outside of Paris upon arrival at CDG and circling back to end in Paris. At the very least, you’re where you need to be for your return trip and not using the last precious day of your trip getting back for your flight the next day.

I’ve done Paris, Arles and Strasbourg on a two week trip. This itinerary is a bit like getting 3 countries in one - Arles has a sunny, Roman influence and Strasbourg is very close to the German border. Lots of easy day trip options using trains and public transit - including Germany. Depending on your interests and tolerance for 5+ hour train rides, you could substitute Lyon or Avignon for Arles. Using the “end in Paris” suggestion, I’d flip the order and do Strasbourg, Provence (or Lyon), Paris.

A note of caution from someone who has taken the TGV from CDG to the south of France a number of times. It is important that your scheduling of the TGV departure allow adequate time should your flight be somewhat late and not so long as the kids get restless. I have been lucky as they have often slept at the airport and on the train. That said from SEA where I assume you will depart, it makes for a very long travel day.
If you were to reverse the order of the trip and return directly from the south of France on your last day, you would not be fighting with jet lag.

JenS, I really am leaning towards just France but the rest of the family feels like going all the way to Europe and only visiting one country isn’t enough for our first trip. But I love your idea of the 3 towns giving other country feels! And I think we would have a much more relaxed trip this way. I do like the idea of the Loire Valley as well as Mont St. Michel.

jeshot5, is one of your goals in choosing an itinerary to use trains and local public transit and either eliminate or minimize your need to rent a vehicle? That will influence your choices.

I understand about going all that way and wanting to make the most of it. But, you will be a lot happier at the end if you slow down and immerse yourself in one country. Traveling everywhere in 16 days will just be a whirlwind of activities, focusing on 3-4 cities/areas in one country will make you feel like you really got to know a country.

It’s always hard to let things go, as each trip is about making choices. I just know how happy I am when the trip allows me time to sometimes just wander and not have something planned.

And just know you can always go again!

JenS we plan to only use public transportation. And Rizell I agree, I think we will enjoy it more staying in one country. I may have to make the executive decision!

Since it’s been suggested to put Paris at the end, be aware that Fashion Week starts September 28. Prices and congestion increase, but hopefully your dates won’t overlap.

“JenS we plan to only use public transportation.”

In that case, seeing the sights in some areas of France, Normandy and the Loire Valley in particular, may be a challenge using only public transit. Someone else may have a better idea about this as I haven’t been to either area recently. Keep using Rome2rio to get an idea of the transportation possibilities. Caution: I’ve discovered that Rome2rio doesn’t always offer every option and sometimes gives you kooky routes - but it’s a good place to start. Once I see the possibilities, I then go directly to the transit site (ie SNCF for trains, RATP. Fr for getting around Paris) to investigate further.

Jthom makes a very good point about the possible pitfalls of scheduling of a TGV train journey upon arrival at CDG. Once you decide where you’re going, come back and people here can help you sort out your best options.