London, Paris, Provence question

Remember that the Olympics are in Paris next summer. Lodging and flights will be inflated, and the crowding will most likely be worse.

Good luck!

The Olympics don’t start until the end of July, though, so June should still probably be relatively normal.

I like the driving portion, and I would not want to spend 2 weeks in 2 big cities. Also (going against the grain of typical advice) day trips from big cities can be a hassle. You are spending more on accommodations and then taking a metro to a distant train station, it can end up being 2 hours each way even for fairly close day trips, and you are spending more time in transit than at the attraction. Sometimes the transport can be simple though, a bus just down the street.

Where would you fly, Marseille or Nice, very different locations and attractions?

Just because the Olympics start in July does not mean that each country has not started to move in their support staff, etc., well before the events. Even actual Olympians and trainers may be in country at that point.

If you want to include Provence, I agree put it in the middle and use open jaw flight into London and out of Paris, or vice versa. You could do London, fly to Marseille (it has good flight connections from many Europe cities and is an easy airport to get rental car and drive out of airport), see Provence (St Remy would be a good base with car and driving there to any of Arles, Avignon or Aix or any of the smaller towns is not hard) then drop car at Avignon or Aix TGV for high speed train to Paris and fly home from Paris (or the reverse, if Olympics are July maybe put Paris first to avoid Olympics the most).

On the other hand there are a zillion great day trips from London or Paris. And that does give you a bit more flexibility depending on weather and moods. And maybe some more time for independence for the teens.

You say that you want to see more in Provence than you'd originally thought. A lot depends on what you want to see there--how many different locations? There are many quaint villages that you could see from a base in Aix, for instance, all of which will take some time. We spent three weeks in Aix and took many day trips by car and still did not see everything, but we felt satisfied. If you decide to visit Provence and visit nearby villages and sights, then combining that with Paris would work. I think that also trying to visit London would be a real stretch.

Then felt like it was too rushed and just do London and Paris with day trips.

No matter what you do, remember this, With what you want to see being the distances they are apart, you will lose at least a full day each time you relocate. It's not just the actual travel time. It's also the packing up, checking out, getting a rental car or getting to the train station or airport, and the wait time there. Then there is the time spent locating the new hotel, getting there, and doing a bit of unpacking.

Oh, and get the girls involved in the planning. The more involved they are in that process, the nicer the trip will be for everyone. Not that teenage girls ever present a problem.

Don't mean to cast stones, just offering food for thought.

I bet you could find London/Paris/Rome tours and see if you can handle that kind of hustle. I'd say just pick two, there is more than enough to keep you busy in any of those cities.

And are you sure you want a driving vacation? I find that adds a whole 'nother layer of expense and hassle, and in Europe around 90% of the time you don't need or want a car. I've driven now in France and Italy and do not care to do that again.

Thank you all for the help, not just this post but all the advice you share with fellow travelers. I have learned so much before I even posted. This community is great!!!

I'm going the first half of June, but yeah, pre-olympics people or even constriction. And probably all of the non-Olympic tourists coming in early to avoid the crowds like me, lol. So probably bigger crowds than normal. I have no background to compare flights or lodging to, either.

Tom_MN, I have those exact concerns about commuting on day trips. but I do like flexibility. And the plusses of a home base. And thanks TC, good reality check. Lots to ponder.

I assumed London to Marseille. Drop off car at Aix or Avignon and train to Paris. Laurie Ann, those suggestions are awesome, thanks.

As far as Marseilles vs Nice. I assumed Marseille because its' closer to Arles area. Roman ruins, was our primary interest. But OMG I hadn't realized the amount of stunning natural scenery throughout!

If I instead fly to Nice, is there a good stretch of coastal highway that is worth the extra time just for the views? (Like the riviera version of driving along Big Sur?) Or if I start in Marseille, is there a really pretty stretch of the coast to drive? Not really interested in seeing the super rich houses or yachts.

Thanks Phred, was driving horrible? We speak NO French, btw. Would you say that for our first time abroad, road tripping on our own is getting in too deep? And for that matter, am I getting a bit too specific and nuanced for a first trip?

Hi OP,

Have you thought about skipping the flight altogether and going from north to south via high-speed trains? London to Paris is about 2.5 hours, same with Paris to Provence. You can choose to fly home from either Marseille or Nice. My family and I find train travel infinitely more relaxing and choose this option over regional flights whenever possible. It will also allow you to end your vacation on a beach if you so choose. Not a bad way to wrap up a busy itinerary. I haven't flown out of Marseille, but I can share that a departure in Nice is a piece of cake. The airport is relatively small and just outside the city.

There is a lot to see in each of these locations, so it's really up to you if you want a bit of many things or time to immerse yourself in a particular spot. I will caution against judging travel times in Provence based solely on distance on a map, however. There are a lot of slower, two-lane roads to contend with. Scenic yes, fast no.

If you want to invest most of your time in Provence but still want a taste of the Cote d'Azur without traveling all the way to Nice, Cassis is a nice option. It's close to Marseille and has the added benefit of the Calanques National Park.

Short hall flights are decreasing in France to mitigate climate change. Plus they are a huge hassle. We're headed to France in a few months and will use trains and rental cars for transportation (including to the south of France). Trains are so simple in Europe because of their frequency. Buy your tickets in advance for the trains and ask for help when you arrive to train station (of course I would recommend ahead of departure in case you get lost or the station is confusing.

cowden,
Just a note. Marseille airport is not in the town, and easy to get out of if you fly there and pick up a car. From there it is a short drive to Aix, Arles, etc. The drive from Marseille to Nice would take up too much of your short time. I would do either Nice or Provence (whatever town you choose there), but not both, unless you drop London or Paris. (My preference is Provence, but Nice would be great also.)
Isn't it nice, though, to have such wonderful places to choose from?
Bon voyage!

I assumed London to Marseille. Drop off car at Aix or Avignon and train to Paris

The Aix fast train station is actually closer to the Marseille airport than it is to Aix, so it wouldn’t make sense to pay a one way charge to do this.

I tried to resist the urge to weigh in here, but failed. Since this is your first European trip, my suggestion is to skip London, spend three nights in Paris. Take the train south and settle in to a VRBO or AirBnB in a small village in Provence. Rent a car in Nice or Marseille.

Fly home from Nice or CDG. I checked Nice- CDG flights on Air France yesterday and they averaged $121. You could also fly CDG- Nice instead of taking the train.

My reason for urging you in this direction is you will have a much more enjoyable trip. Keep your girls and hubby happy while enjoying the real flavor of France.

Every change of hotels, flight, change of cities is a day commitment and day lost from really settling in to the culture.

Please do not stay in a large city in the south ( Marseille, Nice, Cannes), save those for another trip.

I did something similar this year (in reverse). I flew from Marseille to London. My flight was delayed 2.5 hours so I ended up wishing that I had just taken the train. With the delay, it took longer than the train would have. You might look at the train from London to the Avignon TGV station (it requires a change). There are several car rental places right at the station.

However, if I were doing this, I’d probably:
1) Fly into London
2) Take the Eurostar to Paris and stay in Paris
3) Take the TGV to Avignon and pick up a car
4) Fly home from either Marseille or Nice. Alternatively, you could backtrack by taking TGV back to Paris and spending your final night in Paris or near CDG.

I think you have to know what you like to do and see when you travel. City or country? Plain or fancy? Busy or quiet?

If London and Paris are on your bucket list and this is your first trip to Europe, perhaps you should just focus on those. If your group agrees. Watch Youtube videos and see what the reaction is. There is more than enough to keep you busy in just those two places, and nowadays people seem to live by YOLO so whatever.

As for driving, it depends where you're from and how you are used to driving and whether you enjoy it. I grew up around Boston so I can handle full contact driving, but I now live in LA and driving in Europe is nothing like here. It would just stress me out too much to have to worry about a car. As noted, trains in Europe will take you almost everywhere.

Thank you again! Yes, we're watching many youtubes and reading guidebooks with the fam! What a fun decision I have to make!