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Input on itinerary - LONG - Paris, DLP, Loire, Beaune, Avignon and Nice

Hi all - we are planning a trip Sep 3-22, we are 2 adults with a 3.5 year old DD (and I'll be 27 weeks pregnant, FYI).

I'd love some advice & suggestions for our daily plans, if you have any input for each stop along our journey. Also, any family-friendly but delicious restaurants in each stop are GREATLY appreciated!

1 - Paris 9/4-8 (4 nights, renting an apartment that overlooks the Eiffel tower)

friday 9/4 fly in around 8AM, get a car (apartment has a parking spot, so we are just getting it here instead of dealing with the pick up on our paris departure day), considering stopping at Monet's gardens on our way into the city then get into apartment. Walk around town tonight, and plan to get Eiffel tickets for this evening to go to the top. Also, purchase a paris museum pass for 4 days at CDG. (FYI Monet's garden idea was mainly due to possibly not being able to get into the apartment until 4pm)

Saturday 9/5 activate pass by visiting Louvre at opening and possibly Arc de Triumph in afternoon? or Notre Dame. I jotted down a couple "free" tours from Discover Walks we may try today

Sunday 9/6 Visit Les Invalides, l'orangerie and Luxembourg park. Plan a nice dinner this evening.

Monday 9/7 possibly leave the city for Fontainbleu otherwise stay and visit orsay? Possible Seine lunch cruise if we stay in the city

Tuesday 9/8 leave early, drive to Versailles and have a guided tour booked (9am earliest?) then visit gardens through lunch, leaving around 2 for Disneyland Paris.

9/8-9/12 at Disneyland paris I'll leave out :)

Saturday 9/12 leave DLP early and head to Loire Valley where we are renting a home near Chenonceau next 3 nights. We'll stop at Chambord on the way (plan to be there by 10am). Fun country dinner or dinner in house tonight.

Sunday 9/13 Chenonceau and Villandry, see countryside - tips on dining?

Monday 9/14 - Chateau du Clos Luce and Parc Leonardo da Vinci, explore Amboise

Tuesday 9/15 drive to Beaune, stop at Chateau de Guedelon halfway there. Wrote down Sancerre & Chateauneuf as possible stops as well, 2 nights in an apartment in Beaune

Wednesday 9/16 truffle class & cooking with an expert in our apt about 10-2, visit the Musee de l'hotel-dieu (hospital) in the evening

Thursday 9/17 drive to Avignon (outside it, staying in a chateau for 2 nights) on the way stop in Lyon and see Old Lyon. Tonight? Maybe go into Avignon for the evening

Friday 9/18 Pont du Gard and Les Baux de Provdence

Saturday 9/19 drive to Nice, stopping in Arles, staying in a villa for final 3 nights

Sunday 9/20 Eze & coast drive, stop at the Villa & Jardins Ephrussi de Rothschild

Monday 9/21 old town Nice

Tuesday 9/22 mid-day flight out of Nice

Thank you so much for your help & time!

Posted by
7175 posts

If you are looking to hit the museums hard and get the most out of your 4 day PMP (Sat-Tue) I offer some suggestions below ...

Friday pm
Sacre Coeur & Montmartre (not sure Giverny at its best by late summer)
Eiffel Tower

Saturday
Orangerie (Monet's waterlillies)
Musee d'Orsay (Impressionism)
Invalides (Napoleons tomb)
Musee Rodin (famous bronzes in beautiful gardens)
Musee Quai Branly (artifacts from Africa, Americas, Asia, Oceania) open til 9pm Sat

Sunday
St Chapelle (amazing stained glass)
Conciergerie (where Marie Antoinette imprisoned)
Musee Picasso
Louvre
Pompidou Centre (modern art collection) open til 9pm Sun

Monday
Tours de Notre Dame (walk up the towers to get up close and personal with the gargoyles)
Crypt Archeologique (dig site in front of Notre Dame)
Musee Cluny (museum of the middle ages)
Pantheon (dedicated to the greats of France)
Arc de Triomphe (must see view from top)

Tuesday
Versailles (I think Versailles alone will satisfy you, leaving Fontainebleau for another time)

Posted by
10344 posts

Maybe you shouldn't "hit the museums too hard", they might not survive your vigorous onslaught.

Posted by
7175 posts

No, perhaps not with a small child. Just some ideas for what's possible. Be careful with Monday and Tuesday as most museums close on one of these days.

Posted by
74 posts

Thank you for the input and extra ideas, I will have to look into what is open sun/mon. I need to take a close look at a map with all the museums included so we can plan by location to not run around the city each day. I don't know if we'll be visiting 6 per day but some will be short visits I am sure.

Visits to some parks will definitely be necessary along with some good food, macarons, etc ;)

Posted by
7175 posts

http://en.parismuseumpass.com/rub-interactive-map-18.htm

Definitely include walks in the Tuileries when visiting the Orangerie, Place des Vosges when visiting the Picaso Museum and the Luxembourg Gardens. Explore the Latin Quarter when visiting the Cluny, The Marais when visiting Pompidou and St Germain de Pres when visiting Musee d'Orsay.

The daily listings I suggest are grouped according to location and opening days/times. Don't try and fir too much in - see what appeals.

Posted by
711 posts

Hi Lauren....Just a comment on your time in Beaune....we love Burgundy and this is a wonderful time to visit since the vineyards will be very colorful. Chateauneuf en Auxois is one of our favorite places but I believe the castle and most of the restaurants are closed on Tuesday... You might want to check on that.... We have a favorite restaurant there... L'oree du Bois. It is a creperie but has wonderful other things also... They have the most wonderful fireplace in the center of the room. Also Chateauneuf overlooks the Burgundy canal and when you are down on the canal there is a picnic table right on the canal ... Nice place to unwind and have a picnic and your daughter might like to watch the boats go by... My only reason for telling you this is that your schedule looks really busy with not a lot of down time to relax...part of the joy of France is just taking some time to unwind and be in the moment

Posted by
74 posts

Of course it's closed on a Tuesday - the day we drive to Beaune! Sounds lovely! Thank you for the suggestion.