France late June with a teenager--itinerary suggestions

Can you switch the itinerary so your days in Paris are at the beginning of the trip? I would not advise driving after that long flight. We’ve done it, but won’t do it again. Also, we tend to have more energy at the beginning of the trip. By the end, we’re starting to drag and we start dropping things off the must-do list. We just returned from two weeks in Spain and France, with 5 nights in Paris at the end. Three nights in Paris seems very rushed, especially since Versailles takes most of a day.

Book rooms with a/c.

I like the idea of the first night at Chartres, supposing one of you is OK with driving jet lagged. If that is a concern, look into flying into Orly, which is close to Chartres.

After that, however, there is much too much driving, and not enough sightseeing, in this itinerary. You only have 10 actual days on the ground! You are also making an unnecessary return to Paris.

Assuming that Bordeaux and Paris are important, how about this.

Day 1--fly into Bordeaux. 2 nights Bordeaux.
Day 3--drive to Sarlat area. 5 nights Dordogne.
Day 8--Drive to Paris. Return car. 4 nights Paris.

Why 5 nights Dordogne and only 4 Paris? The Dordogne is an exceptionally lovely and interesting place, but you are probably less likely to return there than to Paris. (If that assumption is wrong then shift a day to Paris.)

This is a much fuller itinerary, with more of France and less of the interior of your rental car.

Is a teenage boy really interested in visiting the Loire castles? Mine wouldn’t have been and they love history.

Thanks for all your ideas! Suki, he really is interested in the chateaux! travel4fun, agree that there's not much time in Paris, but my husband and I have been, and I don't think our son will be interested in spending hours wandering the Louvre or Orsay--and of course we can't visit inside Notre Dame. We'll of course hit the main sites and allow time for patisseries, but as Adam says, we'll be back to Paris at some point.

Adam, hadn't thought about flying into Bordeaux; I'll look into that. I assume we would go through immigration and customs in Paris---anyone have an idea of how much time to allow between flights? I'm not sure about 5 days in Dordogne, but agree that backtracking to Paris may not make sense (though it's only 2 hours from Bordeaux on the TGV).

If your only/best option is RT to Paris then consider going right to Bordeaux on arrival day. I think there is a TGV from CDG- if the timing doesn't work then cab to Montparnasse and train from there. Be sure to allow enough time to get thru passport control, get your luggage etc. CDG has always taken us a long time- I'd give it at least 4 hours from flight arrival to TGV from Montparnasse- a bit less if there is a TVG at CDG that works for you. That day is a jet lag day anyway-and I would never drive after arriving on an overnight flight.

Arrive- train to Bordeaux- 3 nights
Pick up car- drive to Sarlat- 3 nights
Drive to Amboise- 2 nights-- this drive took us a bit more than 4 hours so half your day is already gone. See Clos de Luce and maybe Amboise chateau (we enjoyed it- easy to see, right in town as well)
Next day see Chambord then Chenonceau- stay in Amboise
Drop car in Tours (St Pierre des Corps)- train to Paris
Paris- 4 nights- day trip to Chartres

I think that actually adds a night or 2- any way you can do that? Feels like a less rushed trip, less driving, more time to enjoy where you are.
If you can add nights I'd also add a night to Sarlat/Dordogne- we loved that area- so much to see and do there.

5 nights = 4 days, not 5 days.

The same principal applies to shorter stays. It's the main technical flaw in your original itinerary: you are assuming you have more time than you actually do.

To be sure, you can visit 2 chateaux enroute between Chartres and Amboise, but if you are driving to Bordeaux from Sarlat via St Emillion, there is no way that drive counts as a day of sightseeing in the Dordogne.

My suggestion may have been cockeyed, but you will have a better trip if you do not plan quite so much rushing around.

Perhaps leave off the Dordogne, then, if it does not appeal to you, and have more time in the Loire. The train to Amboise from Bordeaux is less than 2 hours. You can see Chartres as a day trip from Paris very nicely, or spend the night on your way to or from Amboise.

I didn't think much of Arcachon. I went through there in June 2018 (just before mid-June). It seemed dead and otherwise uninspiring. I'm guessing in summer it becomes packed and lively (but otherwise uninspiring).

I'd suggest planning a night or three in a cabin at one of the many campgrounds north and south of Arcachon along the Atlantic coast. It's a great way to meet regular European families and for your son to meet some vacationing kids the same age. I met a couple from Rotterdam (in the next campsight) and traded email addresses.

I camped in a tent but they have cabins available and you might beat most of the summer crowd. You will definitely want to book ahead for a cabin, they can always squeeze in an extra tent. The campgrounds are nice. They usually all have big pools, volleyball, restaurant/bar, bike rentals as well as other attractions. I enjoyed renting a bike and riding north to Dune du Pilat (about 20 km from my campground) then south to a town known for it's surf.

It's a good idea to ask your kid what he's interested in? I took my family on a trip from Amsterdam to Rome in a leased car. Beforehand, I asked my boys, 15 and 12 at the time, what they wanted to see. "Castles." Ruins or restored castles? "Ruins." Always funny how teenage boys have one syllable conversations.