Paris Plus - ?

Posted by Allison (CT by way of FL) on 02/03/25 02:13 AM

Hello All,

After our successful trip to London in 2023, we were heading back to Europe this summer - this time, with my parents! We have decided on Paris for the better part of the week, with several days in Normandy, but are having trouble narrowing down options for the second week of travel. So, I figured I would turn to the experts! I'll ask other questions later about Paris and Normandy; this is just about where ELSE to go.

Who: Me, my husband, two sons (12 and 10 at time of travel), my parents (72 at time of travel; my dad rides his bike regularly and is in good shape; my mom can walk around cities and easy countryside but isn't up for long, hard hikes).

When: Pretty much any time in July, but looking at middle weeks. One of the main questions we are wrestling with is whether we want to see the Tour, and if so, where and how much of the Tour?

NOTE: My Husband will be with us for one week; the rest of us will stay for another week.

Here are some options. Some are more developed; others are Spaghetti on the Wall. I would love you hear your thoughts, especially if you have kids and have visited these places.

OPTION 1: Fly in Bordeaux, stay the night, rent a car and head to the Dordogne. Stay 2-3 days, then head to Toulouse for the Tour; their Rest Day is Tuesday, July 15 and they go in and out of Toulouse the next day. Thursday, do a day trip to Carcassonne. Friday, head to Paris. Husband would arrive Saturday, July 19. We would be in Paris for the last day of the Tour (Sunday, July 27) and fly home Monday, July 28.
PROS: I think the boys would enjoy the Dordogne; it will be a unique experience for them. My oldest is into ancient history so both he and my mom really want to see the Caves. I think it would be fun to watch the riders whip around the Champs.
CONS: My dad thinks Paris will be a madhouse on the last day of the Tour and wonders if the crowds and hassle are worth it. There seem to be no available car rentals in Sarlat la Caneda that weekend, so we would need to rent in Bordeaux, and since I don't want to drive upon arrival, that means "wasting" a night there. Could/should we return the car in Toulouse? It feels like this might be harder logistically.

OPTION 2: Fly into Barcelona, spend two nights there, head to Toulouse on Monday, July 14 (Bastille Day); rest of itinerary carries on as before.
PROS: My oldest loves practicing his Spanish on unsuspecting victims. My parents love Barcelona. It is an easy airport to get into and an easy train ride to Toulouse.
CONS: Barcelona has never been high on my Must See list (please tell me how I'm wrong about this! I want to WANT to go, it just doesn't grab me). Are there things for the kids to do there? Is two nights crazy? Should we stay longer?

OPTIONS 3-? (NO TOUR): We all arrive in Paris on Saturday, July 12 and do Paris/Normandy that week. Husband leaves around July 20th and we head to -
Carcassonne and Barcelona? Would be fun and would have more time to see these places since we are avoiding the Tour and don't HAVE to be in a certain city by a certain date. But is that too far?
Dordogne? Do it here instead? May be easier to rent a car and we'd have more time.
Amsterdam? Would Amsterdam AND Paris be too much for one trip? I'm not sure the boys (especially the youngest) are old enough for the Anne Frank House. But it's an easy train ride and a unique place - but should we save it for its own trip?
Eurostar to London and then England? York and northern England? Cotswolds? Wales? We had discussed Scotland for this trip but are saving it for when the boys are a little older.
Switzerland? I know nothing about travel in Switzerland. Do you need to rent a car? Can you do easy hikes? Where to even start? This would require some research.
A place I haven't listed?

Basically, there are too many choices and all of them are good! Any advice/guidance/suggestions would be appreciated! Thanks!

Posted by Judy

Long Beach, Ca, usa

02/03/25 05:06 AM

1534 posts

Allison,
Firrst things first...it seems you have two weeks in France (and/or Baecelona). Please don't underestimate the time it takes to go from one location to another. Count nights in a place, not days. e.g. 2 nights in the Dordogne means one full day and a part of a day when you arrive. When leaving a town or city, factor in checking out of lodgings, either getting to a train station or picking up a rental car, actual travel time, locating your new lodgings and checking in. From Bordeaux to Sarlat-la-Caneda is about 3-3 1/2 hours drive. A car is really a must in the area in order to visit the prehistoric caves. If you go there, try to stay a bit longer. A kayak down the beautiful river makes for a wonderful memory, as do visits to one or two of the castles from the Hundred Years War. (We were 7 people in June of 2023, from 9 years to 80 years old and filled ten days with activities), A stay of 4 nights (3 full days) will justify your drive there. And even longer is better.

Also, French cars are smaller than we are used to. A car that holds 6 people with their luggage would be a van over there. We needed two cars for our time there, and when five people left to return to Bordeaux before DH and I, they were pretty crammed, what with 5 small carry-on bags and five small backpacks. And two of the five personswere a 9 and 12 year old. Research your car size diligently. It is possible to rent something like a VW van, which would be more comfortable for six persons. Car rental options in Sarlat are smaller than in Bordeaux (or Tours, for that matter).
Outside of the Dordogne, you could use trains for your travels, which would work better for 6 people, IMHO.
Re Paris/Normandy..."Paris for the better part of a week" and "several days in Normandy". That sounds like more than one week. Remember travel time...and (speaking from experience here), getting 6 people going on a travel day usually doesn't entail brisk early starts, so half of your day is going from Paris to someplace in Normandy (Bayeaux, for example).

The Dordogne was a great success with all ages, not rushed, actually idyllic. I would opt for that for the full number of days you have after Paris and Normandy, There is a TGV from Paris Montparnasse station to Bordeaux. Lots of car rental companies at the station (Gare St. Jean) with fairly generous open hours. In returning, there is a TGV direct to CDG also, if you are not stopping in Paris on your return home.

(A side note...I could easily spend the whole two weeks in Paris with one or two day trips. Just a thought.)

(Another side note...a night in Bordeaux isn't wasted. You could all visit the Bassin de Lumieres followed by an excellent meal. There is a good tram system in town, and a nice old quarter.)

Re your other options. They mostly sound like too much time spent in moving around. Don't cut travel time short. Stick to one country. For reference, France is about the same size as California. It takes time to change locations, even if the train ride is a two hour ride. And arrival day is sort of lost/diminished/possibly jet-lagged. Departure day can be lost as well, depending on your flight time out.

I hope I have given you some helpful advice without being too discouraging, and that your wall of spaghetti will begin to resemble a coherent picture. Good luck!