Thoughts on mid-spring France itenerary?

Congratulations on your new baby, and on what looks like a great destination! I’ve not traveled with an infant, and never will at this point, but a few things come to mind, which you may have already got covered:

Are you bringing a stroller, or planning to get one in France?

Baby carrier, attached to a parent, for getting around, especially in hilly or steep places? Our Mt. Saint-Michel visit (one June) had a crowd of people, and navigating through all those people needed some careful maneuvering, even for just 2 adults.

Will your rental car offer a suitable infant car seat?

Does the wine/bike tour include a towed child bike trailer, or a rear baby seat, or another arrangement?

Protection from rain and/or wind, especially at D-Day sites?

Sounds like a good plan to minimize jet lag problems, for all 3 of you!

Have you travelled AT ALL with baby ? Even for a weekend ?? The logistics of packing baby and stuff can sometimes seem equivalent to packing for Antarctica.

You might be better off avoiding prepaid organized events and counting your day successful if you get to half your planned items.

I would worry about renting a car for a 4-hour drive after a (probably) sleepless international flight. Take the train to Beaune or spend the first night in Paris.

We are all set on baby supplies for the trip; car seat, stroller, travel pack and play with changing station and bassinette, etc. When we book our car, we will be sure to make sure it is car seat compatible.

I would prefer to train to Dijon and rent a car there. This is still our first choice, but it might be logistically and monetarily a lot easier to drive from CDG. I've driven after an overnight flight in Portugal and the U.K. in the past 18 months. It is not ideal but doable.

This is an ambitious plan for grownups and downright punishing for a baby. I honestly think you are asking for trouble with such a packed itinerary with a 6 month old.
My recommendation is to limit the number of location changes - base yourselves in Paris (6 nights), Amboise (6 nights) and Normandy (5 nights - last night in Paris for flight home). Skip Baune and save it for another trip.
Plan to do day trips - this allows you lots of flexibility - if the baby is fussy or sick, you can plan a simpler quieter day around the baby's needs and nap schedule
Look to rent airbnb's so you can do your own breakfast and dinner if going out isn't workable.
In short, design the trip around what will work for your child.

I traveled with my babies a lot between France and the US a long time ago. Six months is the easiest time to travel with them. This was before mandatory carseats and rather than a bed (is a pack and play what we called a playpen?) we had a French baby basket called a couffin for sleeping. You don't need to lug a pack and play, changing station and bassinet. Just put a piece of plastic and towel on the bed or seat of the car for changing and bathe the tot in the sink. Put a blanket on the floor or put the baby in the stroller during down time, especially if the stroller reclines. We carried a piece of foam to use as a bed, but gites or hôtels often have cribs. Bring your own kiddie towels. You can buy wipes and diapers. French baby food doesn't have additives.

You should start in Paris to let the little one have some stability and adjust to the time difference. One of my kids woke everyone in our NY hotel at 4am when we were visiting from France. Yours will stay up and sleep late, right when you want to be on the go.

Go slow and give him/her time to relax, skip a chateau, be ready to stay in on some days. If you are hyper, and this itinerary is a bit nervous, the little one will pick it up. You may run into teething, if so the pharmacist will be your friend.

Renting a car upon arrival not only endangers you, but more importantly, you risk endangering your child. Things are different now than 18 months ago in Portugal, dad.

I'd skip Beaune, too, this time. If it's the biking in the vineyards, baby's spine is too young for the bumps. The neck will get strained with the weight of a helmet. I used to ride my kids along the flat canals at the family house in Burgundy, but just a bit older. And it's too much for even older babies the day after landing. Believe me, your child will make you pay for that.

So, have fun and take advantage of the happy, gurgling, smiling immobile months. You'll attract a lot of positive attention from the locals. Once baby starts moving--it will be a different ballgame.

One more warning: you have two holiday weekends to deal with crowds and traffic. May 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and May 8th, 9th, 10th. There will be heavy traffic into Paris starting early afternoon on the 3rd and 10th.

If I'm reading your plan right, on ten of your first eleven days, you're driving somewhere or otherwise moving around (bike, guided D-Day tour, etc.). On five of those days, you're changing overnight locations (Beaune, Amboise, MSM, Bayeux, Rouen). I've never traveled with an infant or small child, but that seems like a lot of disruption on top of the jet lag. As someone else noted, this is an ambitious itinerary for adults. Seems way too much for a baby.

I can't speak from parenting experience but I have lots of respect for Bets' experience with international travel and with France. You might consider starting with several days in Paris before taking to the road. You and the babe will be in better shape to drive/ride. And you could save a lot of miles by skipping Beaune this time -- much as I like it.

I would skip Caen. Its major sight is the huge Peace Museum, where one can spend a whole day. It is popular, crowded and expensive. Stick with Bayeux, which has a good but much smaller and more focused museum about the invasion.

Your situation reminded me of a day I spent with a good friend and her 5-month old baby in Washington DC. David was a happy, smiling baby. Then he went into the car seat in the back seat and cried and shrieked no matter what until he was out of the car. At a museum he was pretty good for about an hour, but we spent 2 hours and he started to fuss. Fortunately the museum was nearly empty (February at the National Portrait Gallery :-).

In other words, you have no idea how your little one will be in a car or in a crowd. All I can tell you is that if he starts crying, the people around you won't be happy, and on an all-day excursion, a few might get testy.

Another thing to consider is jetlag. While adults and even kids may adjust pretty quickly, you can't force an infant to go to sleep or stay awake to help adjust. Assume that the baby's schedule is going to be on U.S. time for a few days at least.

I agree with the advice to skip Caen and stick with more time in Bayeux. It has a lot to offer, and was not bombed to smithereens in the war. Peter

Jonathan, I'm sure you didn't expect this kind of pushback on your itinerary and aren't happy about it. I think you should heed all the good advice you have received regarding the challenges of traveling with a baby. Pay particular attention to Bets. I've known people who say that they have no intention of changing their lifestyle just because a child comes along, but the reality is that life does change. The child's needs should come first. If baby isn't happy, no one is happy. I hope you have a wonderful trip. Taking it slower will help make that possible.

I noticed when we made our accommodations reservation in Paris that many of the reviews had mentioned traveling with a baby or kids and how they appreciated the space and kitchen area in these rentals. Look at Cobblestone in Paris rentals and don't hesitate to reach out to the owner, Jennifer, and ask for advice on which location and rental might be best for you (no stairs, kitchen, not a loud neighborhood, etc.). Having a convenience of kitchen, space, washer/dryer and ability to make some breakfasts & eat leisurely may be a bonus with your baby in tow. Good luck!

I must admit, I am very surprised that most seem to think this is overambitious. Other than the first day, which we know will be awful, most other days seem light and way less that we are used to. While days do include some long drives, we rarely have more than 2 activates per day. We thought this WAS taking it slow, haha.

We planned much lighter than normal because we are a family of three now. We are also going into this knowing that there will by times or even full days where our plans will be completely lost. We welcome that! It is part of the adventure. My wife and I have already agreed that if our son is having a bad day one of us will tend to his needs on a rotating basis while the other tries to enjoy what we have planned. In fact, we already preplanned days which at least one of us will get to do regardless of our baby's demeanor that day (me: D-Day sites, Guedelon; wife: Giverny, Mont St-Michel).

That is a great point about our baby's spine not being developed enough for a bike tour. We had not thought of that, and will probably 86 that idea as a result. We were going to have him in a trailer being pulled by one of us, but the juice likely isn't worth the squeeze (pun intended). The only other organized tour we were thinking of doing was D-Day. However, we were planning on hiring a personal guide that would hopefully not mind just driving our rental car with car seat ready to go.

As a result of the feedback we are considering cutting out Burgundy all together and dividing the time between the other places. It will certainly make the first day much easier.

This will elicit different comments now that we know that you are aware of the limitations and sacrifices imposed by the arrival of this new family member. Your activity list is for optimal conditions.

Now if we put your itinerary into number of nights rather than days, it is easier to give feedback.
Beaune 3 nights
Amboise 3 nights
Mont St. Michel 1 night
Bayeaux 3 nights
Rouen 2 nights
Paris 7 nights

I think it’s reasonable, and agree you should jettison Beaune. You could stay in Paris (50-55€ taxi fare from CDG) the first night rather than hit the ground running, and pick up your car at Orly (30-35€ taxi to Orly) to be on your way after letting everyone rest.

It’s not the pinot noir of Beaune, but Chablis and its chardonnays are 14k off the autoroute to Auxerre, and Auxerre is on the way to Guedelon. Or stay in Saint Sauveur en Puisaye or Saint Fargeau. There is a lot to do, including markets, in all these towns. ( Chablis market on Sunday and Auxerre market on Saturday are winners.) Or go to Guedelon via Chartres and stay in the Puisaye rather than Burgundy.

After Guedelon, the rest of your itinerary looks good. I think your D-Day plan will work with a private guide. A front carrier is best in case of drizzle, a back carrier otherwise if he can hold himself up. The stops are up to an hour.

The one-nighter at St. Michel can’t be avoided because that’s your wife’s must-see.

Every parent on this board has spent time back at the hotel or alone in a car with a child while the other fulfilled an errand, an obligation, a dream or just ate dinner. Bienvenue au club.

We travelled to France and Italy when our son was 8 months old. We brought a front carrier and an umbrella stroller that reclined. I would not bother with a pack and play. I would hate to have to lug that around.

Bayeux is lovely and a good base for D-Day sites. I don’t think a private guide can drive your rental car - they wouldn’t be covered if there was an accident. If you take a tour with a company, make sure it’s a private tour. Don’t subject others to an infant. I say this both as a mother, and someone who does not want to pay a lot of money to be stuck in a minivan all day with an upset infant.

We joke that our son napped at some of the best museums and sites in the world. Plan your outings around your child - if he naps well in the stroller, go to museums around nap time. Just know that there will be a lot of starting and stopping throughout the day for feedings, diaper changes, etc. Flexibility is key. There’s no way to know what his schedule will be at this point in time.

I would base in fewer places for longer periods. This gives you more flexibility in case of weather, illness, crankiness, teething, diaper blowouts after you’ve already changed him into the day’s spare outfit, etc. I would also look at staying at apartments, so you have a kitchen, laundry (!) and more space to spread out. Many provide baby gear too.

My husband and I travelled like we were on the Amazing Race before we had kids. After kids, you have to work around them.

When packing, remember that one of you will be managing the baby, while the other manages EVERYTHING else: Stroller, suitcases (3?), pack & play, backpacks, etc. Think about how you will do this getting on/off trains. Then go try it locally. We had 4 family members to help us, so we were lucky.

If you decide to bring all that gear, rent a bigger car than you think you need. You’ll need the trunk space. We brought a large suitcase for our baby’s stuff - pack two changes of clothes per day! Diapers and wipes are readily available so don’t over pack those. Just make sure you have plenty for the flight home!

Practice using a backpack as a diaper bag. And know that you will be a prime target for pickpockets, so wear your money belt.

Our baby was very welcome at all restaurants we went to. He was often fussed over quite a bit!

Remember in early may there are several bank holidays, many businesses are closed.

I admire you for attempting such a trip with a baby! We were much to scared to even try traveling internationally with very young kids.

I agree with the advice to take it easy and try to limit your locations. I agree with skipping Beaune. It is a lovely area and you really can't take advantage of the great wine and biking with a little one.

The only thing I do know from traveling with babies is the amount of time we had to allow for just resting when the babies want to sleep throughout the day. As long as your plans are very flexible each day, you will probably have a wonderful time!

You didn't ask for input on Paris, but based on your and your wife's interests, I highly recommend doing a Paris Greeter's tour >> reach out a couple of months before you arrive, and tell them your interests ... they'll match you up with someone knowledgeable on those. Last year I did an architecture-focused tour in the 14th arr. (Montparnasse) >> it was terrific. Touched on art, history, as well as architecture. It was 1:1, but it would easily accommodate you both and the baby. (My guide's name was Michelle)

When asked about his best advice regarding traveling with a baby, Rick Steves said "drop them off at Grandma and Grandpa's on your way to the airport." :)

You might be lucky and have a baby that adapts easily to travel-I was surprised at easily our 15 -mo old adapted, but be sure you have a bottle for takeoffs and landings to help the ear issues.