General comments on our trip

France, cont. Versailles- AWFUL.. It was so crowded you could hardly move. The tour guide was in English and she got us in with no waiting, but oh my!!! I am so glad it was an hour tour and not the 4 hour one our friends suggested. I am not into fancy places. I am so glad that I disregarded the advice to stay at Versailles and we went on to REims like we planned. That said, we hated Reims. Long story but only place we had a rude person who refused to seat us. If I had to do it over again, I would have us drive straight from Normandy to Verdun. Verdun was GREAT!!!! I wish we could have spent 3 or 4 nights there instead of 1/2 a day. So much to explore and see. I forgot Rick's section of the book on this and so we saw the Citadel... don't waste your money. Everything else there was great and I REALLY wanted more time. Bacharach- I loved Germany. I loved the easy train stations. The 27 day pass was great for our family of 5. Once again, I would have enjoyed a whole week just here.. I guess I am just a small town gal. I honestly, could skip London and Paris and just enjoy the small towns. Christine

My husband's thoughts: He's glad we took the kids to the big name places and cities, but when we retire, we'll stick to the countryside. Worst part of the trip: Versailles Best part of the trip: Normandy Teenage boys HATED: the Louvre and Versailles LOVED: D-Day beaches, American Cemetery and Band of Brothers tour 9yo girl: Hated: Versailles
LOVED- climbing the Eiffel Tower and sT Paul with her Daddy. We LOVED our gite in Bayeux. It had a grass tennis court and they used a ton!!! They loved being able to relax and not go from major site to major site. They loved the food. Thanks again everyone for all of the help!! Christine

Christine, It's great to hear that you had such an interesting an enjoyable trip. Your experiences are another example of what a "personal" experience travel is. Some people like particular cities or sights, and others don't. At least you've narrowed down some places to explore further on your next trip. I was sure you'd enjoy one of Dale's tours. He's an awesome Guide! Time to start planning the next one! Cheers!

Sorry you didn't like London and Paris, two of my favorite cities, but I hear you about the crowds. After you retire and don't have to conform to school holidays, try going in the off season - it's quite different. But if you like smaller cities, consider Lisbon. Or Vienna or Budapest.

We were in Paris mid April prior to going to Barcelona for a cruise. I agree witih you on the Louve and Versailles as to the crowds. We stayed only a short while at each. But the rest of Paris we loved. We took the metro all over. Yes it had its share of grafetti, but I honestly found it better than NYC subways. I loved the Rue Cler area. Made us feel like a Parisian buying bread, wine and cheese every night for dinner. You need to get away from the tourist places to avoid crowds. We want to see Normandy next time as we didn't get to it this time.

Next time try the Dordogne, sounds like it's your cup of tea.

Hi Christine,
If you do go back to Normandy, I would suggest at least trying Paris once more. The first time I went, I had the same exact impression as you. I went on a tour at another time and liked it much better the second time. Of course, if you dislike it again, trust your instincts, but I would at least give it one more chance. The same for London too! :)

I am sorry you did not like the crowds and Paris. Typical of that time of year. I see you are from Kilgore, TX. I do not know the size of that town but perhaps you are accustomed to smaller towns and less crowds. If that is the case, there are plenty of small towns with few tourist all over Europe that I have visited and enjoyed as much as I have Paris. Glad you are back safe and healthy.

Sorry to hear about my favorite place, Paris -- but I've never gone there in the peak summer months -- and have not experienced any of the things you mention about it -- including the metro smell. I hope some day you can go in the spring or fall. Same for Versailles -- I've been there 3 times and it was never overwhelmingly crowded.

The Palace of Versailles can be very crowded especially the Hall of Mirrors. However, if you go independently rather than on a tour, then you get the chance to spend time exploring the gardens and to see the two smaller palaces Petit and Grand Trianon. The gardens are so vast that it is quite easy to get away from the crowds.

Christine.... sounds like you have found what Europe means to you and your family.... and I cannot agree more. The crowds and chaos and the 'must see' sights are definitely not for everyone. If I never saw Paris or London or Rome again it would be fine... but take away the Cotswold Villages, the small towns of Provence, the hills of Tuscany and all the quaint towns in Germany and you would be ripping my heart out. I have found what I love and although I sometimes end up in larger cities it is not until I am out of them that I find what I love about Europe.... travel on (your way)!

More Paris for the rest of us. You can't like it everywhere.

Yes, I guess one thing that surprised me was how crowded in was in May. Rick talks about that being shoulder season. I thought we were beating the tourists. We homeschool, so we can pick our times to travel. Maybe April would have been better??? Yes, I have no desire to ever visit NYC either. Our family trips have been to Alaska, Yellowstone ( in Sept..it was deserted!) Civil War battlefields( staying in state or national parks) etc. I did enjoy London except for the crowds. Christine

I'm so glad you guys took a week in the gite to relax. I'm amazed at how many people have itineraries going from major city to major city with kids. I'd be exhausted. On our trips with the kids, the times we spend outside of the big cities and sights end up being our favorites. I'm also glad to hear that your boys liked Normandy. My son's only 9, but he's already interested in WWII history. I'd love to take him to Normandy.

If you are free to travel to Europe at other times, I recommend the weeks between mid-April and mid-May. I've travelled in France in April and stayed in Paris for weeks during that time of year and found it to be perfect. Crowds are smaller; the weather is warm enough and not rainy. In some cases, hotel rates are lower. Many trees are blooming then.

Most people discover the big sites attract big crowds, which can be very offputting. My personal take has always been, "A city is a city, regardless of where it is in the world." It could be Dublin, London, Paris, Rome, New York or Los Angeles, cities offer major attractions to visit but lack the charm of less crowded areas. I still think the major sites are worth seeing but, like you, they aren't the places I want to return to during future vacations.

I totally agree - a city is a city, with all its problems, wherever it is in the world:crowds, noise, pollution, higher prices, traffic, crime, etc., and I discovered years ago that the smaller towns and countryside were much more inviting. The only reason I go to a big city now when traveling is to be close to the airport I'm leaving from.

I've only been to Paris around Christmas/New Year'snot at ALL crowded, not even the Louvre! I think winter is an excellent time for visiting cities where museums are the main attractions. It isn't too cold (highs generally in the 40's as I recall) and a lot less smelly than it is when the temps are warmer as in late spring and summer. I also visited Italy in March and found it to be a marvelous time to be there. Weather very similar to Texas in wintersometimes quite warm, sometimes a little chilly, but never really uncomfortable and you absolutely don't have to deal with crowds. Since you homeschool, seriously look at going in the truly "off" season of winter. If you are looking for beautiful natural scenery, spring or early fall are better choices, but if you are wanting to mainly visit museums, winter can't be beat. Incidentally, the first time I was in France half the family (the boys) went to WWII battlefields while the girls went to Strasbourg for the Christmas market. Wintertime in a battlefield can really give you a better sense of what it might have been like for the GI's according to what my nephews told me about their explorations.

Hi Christine, I love London...but I can understand what you say about crowds. You would love the English countryside. On your next trip I would really hope you would consider going to England and drive around the country.....it's fantastic!!

I was in Paris in early June and there were groups of school children (all ages) in every museum. . . during school hours. It's the end of the school year and there are lots of field trips. That's probably what happened to you in late May as well. Later in the day, crowds thin out, especially at the Louvre, which is conveniently open late 2 nights a week.

We are trying to combine Normandy with a cruise from Barcelona August 6. Did you take a car from Paris to Normandy? Did you take it at the airport?

We took the train from Paris to Bayeux and got a car there.