France Backwards

Hello ampsj.

Since you ask for possible problems, i will lead off with a negative. But I think this sounds like a really exciting trip!

The caution from me is that I do not think 3-1/2 weeks is enough time to do this itinerary. Yes, Rick says to do it in 3, but my experience following his itineraries (which are wonderful) is that it's just not enough time. I'd want maybe 4-1/2 weeks, especially with a large crowd of newbies. You will not be nimble.

Rick's itineraries are based on his tours, which are fast paced but where all the scutwork of booking and parking and driving is taken care of for you. All those little transactions that involve orienting and figuring out and reading the map and interpreting the signs and finding the TI—it adds up!

I'd be interested to know what others who have tried following Rick's routes think about this.

Anyway, good luck, you are on the right track!

Honfleur is worth - at best - one afternoon. If you wanted to take a day trip either from Chartres or Bayeux, it would only take you about 2.5 hr from Chartres or about an hour from Bayeux.

My thoughts exactly. Break-neck pace may be fine if you are going solo and have all your ducks in a row in advance. I just looked at the tour. It's title is "Whirlwind Three-Week Tour" and the first sentence says "While this trip is doable in 22 days, most will appreciate an extra day here and there to rest their engine." I think that says it all. A string of 2 night stays is exhausting, and you will need time for everyday things - laundry, shopping for toiletries.

There are 5 of you. How efficient are you all at unpacking and settling in and then repacking (without leaving anything behind) and ready to hit the road? Remember, you will only be as fast as whoever happens to be the slowest at any given moment, whether it's getting out of bed in the morning, lingering at a sight, or having coffee after dinner. There's no room in the plan for spontaneity - if you pass a sight that looks interesting, if you happen upon a weekly market . . .

How comfortable are you all going to be in a car on those long drives? Kids strapped in? 3 adult-size people sharing the back seat? You'll have all your luggage with you at a lot of stops. You'll want a car large enough to stash all your stuff out of sight when you park.

You really don't have to follow the entire itinerary. When we toured France by car for the first time several years ago, we used Rick's itinerary as a guide, but mostly stayed north of the Loire. We had 3 days in Paris, a couple of nights in Honfleur, 1 night in Bayeaux, 1 at St. Mont Michel, 3 near Vannnes in Brittany, 4 near Amboise, 3 near Beaune, and 2 in Epernay, final night at CDG. Conversely, if your group is more interested in the south, use Rick's itinerary for that area and flesh it out. Get some good guidebooks - I like to augment Rick's with the Michelin Green Guide - and some good detailed maps of the areas you plan to visit. Let everyone in your group work on the planning. I always assume I will return, and I have - 3 times for road trips covering different regions. Good luck.

Thanks for the replies.

What I am really asking is whether there might be any issues that are specific to doing the itinerary in reverse ( I assume the Rick Steves tour goes counter-clockwise for a reason). Perhaps there is a conflict with opening times, traffic, etc.

I appreciate the advice regarding pacing my group, but we do generally take a lengthy trip each year and have done so for some time. We did a fairly extensive tour through the UK and Ireland in 29 nights and managed quite well.

Thanks again

No, there's no issue with driving that route clockwise. The major car rental agencies all have offices in Versailles to drop the car.

We actually did this trip just as you're describing a few years ago. We took an extra week, because we budgeted additional time in a couple of spots, but three weeks will get you around the loop and the direction makes no difference.

Bruce