Sorry for the long-winded request. We’re traveling in September 2015, but I like to a lot of research. We’ll have 15 nights in France. We’ll arrive in Paris and stay for five nights. From there we’re going to see some of the WWII sights. I’ve read here that Bayeaux is a nice town to use as a launching point for that. We’ll stay there for three nights. (If anyone has a better recommendation than Bayeaux, lay it on me). From there, we need your input. This leaves us seven more nights, and we would love your recommendations on towns/cities to visit. We’re not big museum fans, but we’ll visit one or two. We like small towns and big cities. We aren’t brave enough yet to rent a car, so we rely on trains/busses. Beachy resort towns aren’t all that interesting to us. We love the culture and antiquity of Europe. We love to just amble through the streets, eat well, drink often and generally observe another culture and participate in it as best we can. We like attractions – the Sagrada, Vatican, Alhambra, Coliseum, etc, but we skipped the Prado. We like RS’s advise of two nights minimum in a location, and we prefer three. What are two or three other locations you would recommend that would follow at least a somewhat logical pattern following Paris and Normandy? If you want to just list some destinations, that’s fine, or you can give detailed reasons for your recommendations, that’s fine also. I’ll take as much or as little information as you want to provide. Thank you all for your help and suggestions.
Posted by
🏝️ Hobe Sound, FL⛱️
3279 posts
Since you've got a long while to plan, research guide books and websites to determine what interests you most. In Rick's guide book, he recommends itineraries based on the length of time you'll have. These are under the heading "Sightseeing Priorities." He also has whirlwind 3 week tours by car or by train and bus. It's a good starting point and you can refine it from there.
Posted by
Green Bay
21145 posts
OK, I'll put out two:
Beaune in Burgundy, very attractive town, things to see and do, Hotel Dieu, vineyard tours, great food.
Colmar in Alsace, ditto in spades, great wine and beer, lots of too-cute-to-be-real small towns nearby surrounded by vineyards, studio of Bartholdi who built the Statue of Liberty with his design models, and some WW II history (Audie Murphy got his CMH here), memorial plaque on the church in Kaysersberg to US 36th Infantry Div, as well as the many local conscripts killed on the Russian front.
These places all have excellent train connections with each other and Paris.
Posted by
Boston
4132 posts
Burgundy would be great, but not without wheels. (With wheels, you could take a slow swing there from Normandy via the Loire.) It's too rural and poorly served by rail. Note however, that wheels includes bicycles, which can be rented in Beaune.
Otherwise, without a car, you've got to back through Paris, the hub of the transit wheel. From there you can go to Champagne, Alsace, and Provence quickly and easily. And, there are WWII sights to see everyplace you go.
Consider, then, a few days in Lyon followed by the balance in Arles. If Burgundy really interests you you could spend two nights in Beaune first. Provence boasts 3 interesting cities on the rail line, Arles Avignon Nimes, plus you can take a bus to the Pont du Gard and a train to the Roman theater in Orange.
You can fly home from Marseilles or, if you schedule an afternoon flight, the TGV will whisk you to Chalres deGaulle by 10:30 AM.
Posted by
San Francisco
14976 posts
Hi,
If you are gong to be visiting Alsace-Lorraine for sure, ie, tracking down WW 2 sites, I heartily suggest the town of Bruyeres (Lorraine). They definitely paid tribute to their liberation by US forces and, specifically, not to be forgotten in war history. Most would be surprised by whom.
Go to Strasbourg, the main city in Alsace, for the obvious reasons.
Posted by
27 posts
Since you're already going to be in Normandy, I'd make sure to spend at least one night at Mont-St-Michel. Horribly crowded during the day, but absolutely magical at night.
Based upon your list of attractions, I think the Loire Valley is a natural for you. As is Versailles, which I assume you'll day-trip from Paris.
You also might like the cathedrals in Chartes or Reims. Neither place is worth more than a single night though.
Posted by
Seattle, WA
359 posts
Bayeux is wonderful. I definitely recommend to stay there.
Posted by
OP
South Portland, ME, USA
83 posts
Thank you all for your input - just what I was hoping to get. You mentioned some places I have already begun to research and a few I hadn't thought or heard of. This gives me direction in my research.