Stop(s) between Paris and Rome

Susan, There are many possibilities, but you might consider spending a few days in Nice. While there you could take a day trip to Monaco and Monte Carlo, and I'm sure your kids would find it interesting to see how "the other half" lives. If you use a direct TGV, the trip from Paris to Nice is 5H:39M. I'm sure your kids would also enjoy the TGV ride at 300 kmH! For the trip from Nice to Rome, you can either: > travel by train (depending on which train you choose, the time is as short as 8H:52M with two changes at Ventimiglia and Milan. That's a full travel day! > travel via budget airline. Several airlines operate from Nice, and the airport is relatively close to the city centre. For example, EasyJet has flights departing at 17:10, arriving Rome / FCO at 18:25. A flight time of 1H:15M would be a better option than a long train ride (IMHO). Check This Website for a list of the other airlines. Happy travels!

Why not give Normandy a more reasonable time and then fly?

Ken is right. There is plenty to do in Nice for a few days. I was there last year and spent time visiting the Russian Orthodox cathedral, which is walking distance from the train station. I also visited the Matisse museum which is located within Roman ruins. There is an archaeological museum at that site. Nice has a tram now that runs from above the train station to the lower part of town. I especially enjoyed Old Nice. My hotel was Hotel Durante, which is quiet, clean, and close to the train station. As far as I know, there is frequent bus service from the train station to the airport. Your kids can probably be turned loose in Nice. I took a commercial day trip to the area's villages. It was an interesting experience, and I would never have visited the mountain villages on my own. My favorite was St Paul de Vence, a walled village. We ended the day at a perfume factory.

Nice is a very good option that is about half way between. The kids will like the option to hit the beach (though the Nice beach is very rocky). Monaco is a fun side trip they might enjoy too. And there are better beach towns in daytrip range from Nice. You wouldn't drive from Paris to Rome. In that event you'd spend the whole time just driving and then pay huge drop-off fees. A few other options I'd skip are Milan and Marseilles. I don't highly recommend either city. Avingon, Nimes and/or Arles are options but the kids might not find them as interesting. Cinque Terra could be an option. You could explore towns while the kids hang out on beaches or the harbors. They might enjoy the town-to-town hikes too.

Susan, Here's another suggestion..... > Flight from Paris / ORY to Pisa / PSA. EasyJet has flights on that route, with a flight time of 1H:40M. > train to the Cinque Terre. For example, the trip to Monterosso is a short as 1H:29M, depending on train used (for that route, there's usually at least one change at Pisa Centrale). > Spend a few days hiking and relaxing in the Cinque Terre (and of course enjoy some Pesto in the area where it was invented). It would be a good "rest stop" before rigorous touring in Rome. > Train to Rome. There's a direct train from La Spezia Centrale to Rome with a travel time of about 3H:44M. It's an easy and pleasant trip. You can easily get to La Spezia in a few minutes from whichever of the five villages you decide to stay in. Cheers!

Not sure it is worth going out of your way to "avoid Switzerland" just so you can use euros. You can pay for your hotel and meals with a credit card, also transport like boats and cablecars. Withdraw a few francs from an ATM to use for incidentals. And you can spend your euros when you get to Italy.