I posted earlier and forgot to add I have 2 weeks to travel this route. I want to see Normandy WWII site (s); Loire Valley; Paris ; Bastogne (Father was in WWII Battle of the Bulge) and end up in Amsterdam for flight home. I was thinking of traveling in a counter-clockwise pattern from Brussells to northwestern France to Paris to Bastogne using combination of train and rented car. Does this general route/direction of travel make sense, or should I consider another path to get to the sites I list here? Thanks,
Dale
Posted by
2081 posts
hi, i think your path would be determined by where your are going in/out of in Europe. just an fyi, im doing somewhat the same trip this Sept, but more countries. but for your areas, im dropping in from the north, from Koln >> Brussels >> Bastogne >>> Luxembourg. Im flying in/out of AMS since its a hub for me and they offer direct flights to PDX. just an fyi, afaik, there are only private tour guides in the Bastogne area. Im hiring one for a day tour. Im thinking i should have done a 2 day, but i will probably go back in the area. you will need a car in Bastogne but im taking the bus since i really dont want to drive. afa direction goes, you may want to check the cost of flights in/out of your cities and that includes days of the week. there could be price differences and that is where i would look at direction. also, check the opening days/times of the attractions you want to see, those could be open/closed on certain days too. happy trails.
Posted by
Ypsilanti
146 posts
I spent time in the Loire Valley (based in Ambroise) and it was amazing! It is defintely worth a two day stay. However, we had a rental car to drop off in Paris and that drive was absolutely terrible. I would discourage any kind of driving near or in Paris. It took forever and was simply not worth the time or effort. Not sure what your exact plans are but do not drive or drop off a car in Paris!
Posted by
OP
Minnetonka, MN
5 posts
Was thinking of train from Brussels to somewhere in the Normandy region, maybe Caen, then car rental for 2 days Normandy and 2 days Loire Valley before heading to Paris. Thinking of train from LV area to Paris vs. driving. I share your attitude about driving in Paris but will need to get a car for the Bastogne/Ardennes area.
Posted by
Ypsilanti
146 posts
We drove from the south of France to the Loire Valley (easy drive). From there, we headed to Chartres to see the famous Cathedral and also managed to see a stage of the Tour de France. The drive from Chartres to Paris was not far (maybe 60 miles?) but it took nearly four hours with huge traffic at toll plazas and in the city of Paris. It will be my first and last time driving in Paris! But Chartres would not be a bad place to drop off a vehicle and it should be an easy train ride to Paris.
Posted by
2081 posts
hi again, yes, a car would be of benefit in the Normandy area. just an fyi, there are tour buses/guides too if you dont want to drive. iirc, some are based out of Bayeux. i took a guide out of there and was happy with the tour. although it was a "personal" one since i couldnt get into one of the other tours. If your traveling with others, sharing the cost of one isnt that bad. fwiw, if youre going to drive up there, you may want to check out Mont St. Michel too. happy trails.