Transportation Ideas please

Have you travelled europe before.? This is a whirlwind tour , by two days do you actually mean two nights? Two nights is really only one full day at a destination. Some folks lkke this type of whirlwind tour, but many would find it exhausting, a tour of train stations.

So Vienna up until Munich makes sense and is pretty straight forward. From Munich to Strasbourg there are TGVs as well. Also of course Strasbourg to Paris is under 2 hours by bullet train. Paris is much closer to Normandy than is the French riviera. It would make great sense to do Normandy from Paris and then head South.

If you have to do the South right after Paris because you already booked your train consider flying from Nice to Caen (Air France one-ways from €100 only).

Thanks for those who have given feedback here. This trip has morphed in some ways...and there are factors impacting it that you don't all probably want to know (boring for you!)
The reason we are going straight to the Riviera from Paris is our son...22...has zero interest in Normandy. He really wants to do Paris and the South area.. He is only with us for the 2 weeks in France...so we decided to do what he wanted during that time. My husband and I have a huge interest in the Normandy area...and that's why we are heading back that way after he leaves us.

Would you rent a car during the South of France time? Nice...(surrounding areas) and Aix-en-Provence?

regarding Normandy -

My husband and I recently enjoyed Normandy for 4 days, 3 nights. Here's what we did for our transportation.

We took the train from Paris to Caen where we rented with Sixt. Pick up was simple as was drop off. The car rental was right across the street from the train station. Hardest part was actually walking around the corner to where the lot of cars were after we completed the paperwork at Sixt! When we dropped off, the office was closed with a sign that they would return shortly. We literally dropped the keys off in the drop box and were on our way. Shortly after, my husband received an email that our return was complete.

We drove to our B&B. We did a day tour with Dale Booth ( stayed at his B&B). Other than our tour day, we drove every day. In our opinion, it would be hard to do these sites without a car. We also found the roads easy to navigate in the areas we visited during our time in Normandy.

Thank you for this! Very helpful!

Having a car is a definite advantage in the area of Provence...there is public transport but it will eat up a lot of your time and you will have difficulty getting to some of the smaller villages and rural areas you may want to see. You'll be glad you rented a car! Just do your homework ahead of time regarding the open hours and policies of the rental company you choose. Also be sure to study-up on the rules of the road so you don't get a ticket!

Do we need a different driver's license? Or will our American one work?

Thanks!

Get International Driver's Permit. Some countries require that. You can get it in AAA. If you are a member it's slightly cheaper. You will still need your state Drivers Licence with you (and Passport). I was stopped in Europe few times and police only wanted to see IDP and Passport. They never asked for my Washington state drivers license (but they could). Last time I got IDP I think it was $20, for non-members $25.

Does it take processing time like a passport? Or will the AAA office issue it right there?

Thanks!

AAA issues the IDP on the spot. They will take your picture for an extra fee if you don't bring passport type photos. All potential drivers should have an IDP. It's a translation of your driver license into several languages.

Please note that the credit card of the primary driver should be the one used to rent the car. We got dinged by Europcar when we returned our rental in Aix-en-Provence. My husband was the primary driver, but I paid for the rental, so we had to pay extra.

My favorite website for learning about renting cars and driving in Europe is gemut.com. They have a free downloadable brochure all about what to expect. Gemut is actually in Oregon, so you can easily call them with questions. Andy is the guy to talk to.

They specialize in Germany, Switzerland and Austria, but they are very knowledgeable about France as well. They can usually find a better price than I can online. We have rented through them for a trip driving only in France, for one driving in Belgium and the Netherlands, and for one driving in the German, Austrian, Italian, Swiss and French Alps.

I've been to Normandy twice. The 2nd time was much better than the first because we took a small group tour. We stayed in Bayeaux and saw the Tapestry -- 1066, William the Conquerer and all that. Our tour left from Bayeaux and concentrated on the American WWII sights in the area. It sounds like you will have more time than we did, so you will be able to see more. And there is lots more to see.

Not exactly in Normandy, but on the way to or from, and if you are traveling at the right time of year, you could visit Monet's Gardens in Giverny. See his paintings at Musée de l'Orangerie in Paris and then see his house and the gardens that inspired them.

And if you want to go east, I can recommend Reims and Verdun. I'm a WWI nut and have been to Verdun 3 times. Some might say that there's nothing to see in Reims except the Cathedral, which is magnificent both for its architecture and its history. Post WWI buildings dominate because the city was mostly destroyed during WWI. Of course, that's the champagne area, too, but we chose to go to the Basilica and Abbey of Saint-Remi on the way to Verdun instead.

There are so many choices. Whatever you choose, mix it with some basics of the French language and French culture and you will have a blast.

You will receive the IDP from AAA right on the spot.

Happy Travels!

Are we right to assume that you haven't been to Paris or France before? At least not for very long?

You certainly want a car in Provence, and also in Normandy, and probably anywhere else you go in France other than Paris. Via Michelin shows routes between Arles and Caen ranging between 9 1/2 and 12 hours. You could do that in two long days or, better, several shorter days with stops to visit many places you'll like. You could drive to Lyon and through Burgundy, skirt around Paris to Chartres then Normandy. Or you could head east through Languedoc, the Dordogne, Loire, and on north. With two weeks you have time for a wonderful road trip through France and still to do justice to Normandy. You might have time to explore in Brittany if you want.

An alternative, obviously, would be a train to Paris (Gare de Lyon I think), taxi or Metro across Paris to Gare St-Lazare, and another train to Normandy. That would be faster and less tiring, and you might consider it if you want more Paris time than the five days with your son. You could easily enjoy another week in Paris, before or after Normandy.

My own sense is that about five days, with a car, would be enough for Normandy, including Mont-St-Michel, but others might suggest more time there. If I'm right, you have another nine days or so to get from the southeast to the northwest of France -- a good problem to have. Look at a good guidebook for ideas.

Why not head to Barcelona (5 nights) by train from Provence.
Fly to Paris, then train to Rouen (2 nights)
Pick up rental car
Drive to Bayeux (2 nights)
Drive to Mont St Michel (1 night)
Drive to Loire Valley (3 nights)
Return rental car
Train to Paris (1 night)

I'm wondering if you can't see Normandie before meeting your son? If you go through Paris to Caen or Rouen, you can rent a car for a couple of days, then drop the car, train back into Paris and meet your son.

Since your destinations all seem to be reachable by rail (prior to Paris) and you don't seem to have intermediate stops along the way. I think you can train from city to city and use local transportation (public or taxi) to get around inside the city. This site seems to prefer rail, in your case I agree.

In Normandy and Provence a car will definitely allow you to wander more easily and efficiently.