I am planning a 6 week family trip for next summer, that will involve time primarily in Italy, with a bit of Greece, Turkey, France and Spain. We are taking a cruise that will end in Barcelona. Of course we will spend a few days there, but the last three or four days of are trip are unplanned so far. Our daughter and son-in-law will probably head to Madrid (she is a Spanish teacher), but I was thinking of ending our trip in Paris, and heading back to the US from there. I would like this grand finale to be relaxed and romantic (just my husband and me), hitting the important highlights without killing ourselves! We'd of course see the Eiffel Tower, Arch de Triumphe, probably a Seine River cruise and spend a bit of time in the Louvre. My husband is a little leary of going to Paris, because it is reputedly so expensive. We could stay in Spain, head up to the French Riviera or really anywhere close. What would you do if you had an opportunity to wrap up a long trip like this? This is a trip of a lifetime for us, and it is entirely possible we will not get back to Europe for a good long time if ever. GO!!
Posted by
Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, USA
14731 posts
Jan, I would probably pick Paris just because I have a new found love of that city! My caveat would be to make sure your hotel has AC. It will be much hotter than we are used to in the Inland Northwest. The museums are not well air conditioned if they have AC at all, so sometimes it's good to have a hotel where you can head back by 330-4PM and lay low for a bit.
BTW, we have a Rick Steves travel group that meets up in Moscow (One World Cafe on Main and 6th) on the 3rd Sat of each month. We have had people from Spokane, CdA and Hayden come down for it and would love to have you all come. We have a group of experienced travelers and some who are not so experienced but just love to talk travel! Let me know if you would like to be on the e-mail list. No pressure!
Posted by
Medford, OR, USA
5837 posts
Tour de France ends 26 July, traditionally in Paris. (Official route to be unvailed 22 October). The museums should be pretty empty 26 July.
Posted by
Olympia, WA, USA
6713 posts
Paris is wonderful, hot in summer but so are Spain, Riviera, etc. But your time is so limited, consider that it will take at least most of a day just to get there from Barcelona ("there" meaning the city itself, vs. the airport). Leaves little time for such a big magnificent city. If you do it, certainly try to fly home from there instead of wherever you arrived in Europe ("open jaw" itinerary, using the "multi city option on airline websites).
Posted by
victoria, Canada
11507 posts
Interestingly enough I find Paris is not the horror of expensive cities that some think it is.. I guess I skip the $$$$ meals at starred restaurants.. and manage nicely in two or three star hotels.. and think a lunch of a street crepe or bakery sandwich on a park bench is lovely!
French Riveria in summer is certainly not going to be cheaper.. Spain will be a bit more reasonable,, and since I will assume you plan on hitting places like Rome, Venice and Florence.. they are no cheaper then Paris either !!
I think you could suggest what you consider a reasonable budget to spend per night in euros for a hotel and folks here can suggest places for you to look up.. maybe if you show hubby there are decent nice places that don't cost an arm and a leg we will be reassured.
Lets keep in mind that hotels in Europe usually will be in older buildings.. so often much smaller then us North Americans expect.. this is our problem.. we have gotten used to hotel rooms that could sleep a small family easily.. lol Won't be like that in Europe.
Venice was really hard for me to find a hotel in my budget to moderate catergory that was on the island..
Greece and Turkey will be more reasonable.
Posted by
Ohio
2161 posts
Hi Jan, Paris is wonderful and I think it would be a great place to end your 6-week vacation! The sites you mentioned will give you some of the highlights and there are many hotels nearby. I like the 7th arrondissement and would recommend the Londres Eiffel Hotel or Hotel de L'Empereur. There are many nice areas and hundreds of nice hotels. What is your budget?
Posted by
Seattle, WA, USA
1068 posts
Paris is one of my FAVORITE cities on EARTH. It's is gorgeous and delightful and crammed full of treasures. I really cannot recommend it highly enough!
And yes, it can be pretty reasonable if you eschew pricey restaurants - do the picnic thing - take advantage of Monoprix and other less-expensive places for food - go to FREE things (le Carnavalet leaps to mind) - go window shopping and people-watching rather than spend money. I am a penny pincher of the first order and have found it quite easy to not break the bank in Paris. It's so jaw-droppingly beautiful that one can happily wander and admire the architecture, explore side streets, marvel at the gardens, drop into local churches, "lick the windows" at amazing stores filled with fashion or edible delicacies, and spend entire days almost without spending a dime!
That being said, it can be really and truly horrendously hot in July. Just blazing. So plan accordingly if you're not a fan of being slow roasted. :-)