Plan B

I hear you: out of our 19 trips to Europe, 13 have included Italy, but really, I think it's too far. What about a part of France you haven't already visited? Alsace? Loire? Dordogne? Brittany?

....Normandy, French Riviera....Nancy for art nouveau architecture...
But, maybe by October, the world will be more in synch with regulations and entry requirements. Someone here posted their son's recent multi border experience. Check it out.
Not that it matters much, but some cruiselines are cancelling cruises when too many ports are requiring stringent regulations for cruiseline passengers to visit. For the past year, European cruiselines have had to keep passengers on 'bubble tours' to the extent if you break off on your own, you don't get back on....so protection for other passengers and protection for the port towns. I doubt it is a staffing reason.

Thanks Janet and Maria. I am thinking Italy will just have to wait. More time in France. We love history, scenic countryside and quaint old cobblestone villages. It’s what I loved about Tuscany! So maybe Normandy? Looks to be not too far out of range from Paris? Recommended to train to the area. Stay several nights. Is there a base town to tour the various sites Normandy offers? Or does one need to stay various places? Not crazy about renting a car but read it’s the best way to get around. .

Since you will already be doing Germany and Czechia, what about exploring a part of those countries you haven't seen?

Multiple companies offer tours of the invasion sites in Normandy. Nearly all those tours depart from Bayeux. Since Bayeux also has a pretty historic center that survived the war, a nice cathedral, the Bayeux tapestry and a good, modern invasion museum, it is the best place to stay for invasion-related tourism.

The nearby port of Caen is more convenient for seeing coastal towns to the east by train/bus. They're not impossible from Bayeux, but there would be the additional travel legs between Bayeux and Caen every day, which would be really annoying. I'm not sure how well those schedules mesh, either. Most of Caen was flattened during the war, and it was rebuilt in modern style. It has just a few sightseeing attractions, one of which is the large Memorial de Caen, an all-day affair if you're really interested. I liked it a lot, but many folks find it too large, crowded and expensive. Its displays begin with the pre-war period and extend to the Cold War.

I also stayed in Rouen. It, too, was severely damaged during the war, but it was rebuilt beautifully in the traditional style and is gorgeous.

Thanks for helpful input. At this point I should be on the France forum since ruling out Italy. Is Giverny a pretty town for a stay and Monet gardens, etc? We do love walking/hiking. Maybe a good first day/night after jet lag flight? Then on to coastal towns you mentioned?

I haven't been to Giverny yet, but many people have enjoyed it. I don't know about accommodations in the area, but anything you can do on arrival day that keeps you outdoors and vertical during the daylight hours is a good plan. Because of uncertainties about flight arrival times, I probably wouldn't pre-purchase an entry ticket to the gardens (if it is even possible to do that).

I've taken a look at how you might get from Paris-CDG to the gardens on the Rome2Rio website. It's important not to trust the travel times, frequencies or fares shown there, because they can be wildly off base. But the basic transportation options are usually accurate. It looks like this is the process non-drivers would use (and I wouldn't want to drive right off a flight):

• Train from CDG to Paris Nord.
• Somehow get from Paris Nord to Paris St-Lazare. Although it could be done by Metro, after an overnight flight I'd definitely prefer a taxi. I don't know anything about the risk of dishonest cabbies at Paris Nord. Alternatively, you could get a flat-rate taxi from CDG straight to Paris St-Lazare; probably a bit more costly if there are just two of you, but much simpler, especially when sleep-deprived/jetlagged.
• Train from Paris St-Lazare to Vernon.
• Short bus ride from Vernon to Giverny--but again, on arrival day I'd take a taxi. You'd obviously want to go first to your lodgings, which might need to be in Vernon. I don't know that there's anything in Giverny. You can explore hotel options on booking.com.

It would be a good idea to ask about this process on the French forum if you don't see a recent thread on this topic. I know it has come up before, but I don't remember what solutions were offered.

You can fly non-stop between Paris and Florence. You can also fly into Florence non-stop from: Vienna, Brussels, Prague, Frankfurt and Munich, Rome, Amsterdam, Lisbon, Barcelona and Madrid, Zurich and London.

Since we have changed course with travel after Med/Adriatic cancellation…another weather related question. Will be in starting in Normandy, Paris, German rivers and Prague. Oct 1 thru 18. We do expect cool and especially the nights. Scarves, mittens, hats, fleece and woolen sweaters! Do not mind. Love fall! Hoping for more dry days than rain!? Always a rainy day and do take rain gear. Any fall colors then? What have others experienced? Hoping for plenty water flowing for river cruise thru Germany! Thank you for you helpful prior responses!

Unless you are used to a warm climate, early October really shouldn't be mitten and hat weather yet. But yes, do take rain gear, and yes, there will be fall colors; it should be especially pretty along the Rhine gorge in Germany - though perhaps not on par with, say, the Hudson Valley.

I wouldn't expect cold weather in early October, but I've often thought if was windier along rivers, and a river cruise...