4 days Paris + ???? in July 2009

Sally
I took my niece last year and did all the planning for us (her + my hubby) and realized that I bored her to tears. I should have asked for her contribution.

See what she would like to do, and mix your suggestion an hers.

In Paris she did like the Catacombs and shopping (the sales started at the end of June!). She was really into the japanese "anime" and near the Notre Dame was a row of bookstores selling the Anime magazines. That bookstore made her entire trip (sadly).

Paris also has the rental bikes and they have Rollerblade night.

We took an overnight trip to the Normandy region and she took in the Omaha Beach. We stayed at a chateau near Mt Saint Michel, and she seemed to have liked that, since it was very picturesque and the chateau had animals on property.

So my suggestion is to find out what your teen likes or would like to see. Getting an "I trust your judgement" cost me a huge headache

Michelle,
I think you are right. She may be too young to fully enjoy Paris at this time.
Thank you,
sally

Remember that Bastille Day is July 14 - I was in Anncey on that day once, and it was quite crowded, tho fun to join the crowds for the fireworks on the lake. In Italy, there's also Lake Maggiore - I like the little town of Stresa - which MIGHT be less crowded than Lake Como. I loved Murren in Switz, above Lauterbrunnen, but was there in May before the tourist season so don't know about crowds. Lots of great, doable hikes in the area. Good luck!

Hi Sally, are you flying in and out of Paris? If so, try not to go too far away to save on stress. Your best bet is to hop on the TGV train to your destination and get there in a couple of hours. Lake Como and Sorrento are too far, especially Sorrento. Annecy is beautiful but I'm afraid she would get bored there. It's very small and touristy. It's also not that easy to get to without a car. Chamonix would be dead in the summer and has rail service. You could ride the famous cable car across to the top of Mt. Blanc and even go across the border into Italy as a day trip if you wanted to. All the Normandy beaches and most of Brittany too will be packed with vacationers in July.
I suggest something different. How about the Dordogne? Stay in a gite in a small village or stay in the beautiful town of Sarlat. Rent a car and visit all the ancient bastides, (walled cities)& castles, &kayak down the Dordogne River, & visit fantastic caves. There's so much to see and do and the scenery is beautiful as well but book ahead because the British take over in the summer.
Katherine

Thank you all for the information it helps so much to have the prespective of those who have been there. I will look into your suggestions.Sally

Hi Sally,

I'd suggest you look into Chambery. It's close to Annecy, but I think it's less touristy. It's in the Alps, and there is a beautiful lake (Bouget du Lac) with a beach that's really nice. I spent a summer studying in Chambery, and absolutely loved it. It's a small enough town, but there is enough to do. You could easily do a day trip to Annecy from there, if you're interested in checking it out.

Also, I was 13 or 14 on my first trip to Europe, Paris included, and I absolutely loved Paris--the museums, sites, food, etc. Your daughter may really enjoy it. It may have helped that I was taking French classes at the time. :)

Nicole,
Thank you so much for your suggestion. I have not heard of Chambery but will check it out today. Do you have any lodging suggestions?
Sally

Unfortunately, I don't have any hotel recommendations. I stayed in the dorms the whole time I was there, and didn't have any visitors, so I'm not entirely sure about the hotels. I do know, though, that there were a few decent, smaller hotels across the street from the train station. It would be convienent if you're traveling by train. Most of Chambery is walkable, but there is a good bus system if you want to get outside the city to swim, hike, etc.

Sally,
Stresa is lovely, quiet and relaxing. There is an island right there that has an incredible restaurant. My sister just returned from Murren Switz. She said nothing was going on because it was off season. She hiked, which is always fun in Switzerland. She ended leaving early and visited Geneva. Provence, Nice area is always fun. A teen might like that area? You can get there in about 31/2 hours from Paris with the TVG.

Happy Travels!

Have you consider going down to Nice. It's just a couple of hours from Paris by high speed train. It is on the beach, there is the old town to explore and has a strong Italian feel as well.

Have you consider going down to Nice. It's just a couple of hours from Paris by high speed train. It is on the beach, there is the old town to explore and has a strong Italian feel as well.

How about Biarritz for your beach trip? It's on the Atlantic coast and is generally very temperate, though not as warm as the Mediterranean and certainly not as warm as Birmingham, Alabama! I spent 6 weeks in Biarritz when I was in college, and it was very pleasant well into September. There is biking, hiking, surfing and very good eating there (it's in Basque country and the food is delicious). I think there is a spa there as well--we're also looking into Biarritz as a family destination after our Paris trip this summer.

If your teen likes nature and animals, I'd like to put in a word for Eguisheim, in Alsace. We just spent several days there, then caught a TGV to Paris from Basel, where we had to drop a car, but the train stops in Colmar and Strasbourg also. A car might be necessary for local travel, though I've heard bikes recommended too. Alsace has a wine route, with extremely cute half-timbered towns, and best of all it has storks dominating town profiles with their huge nests on high towers and church roofs. The stork/otter reintroduction center near Hunawihr is bringing these two and other species back from near oblivion, and it's a fascinating place to visit. We gave it most of a day and loved seeing all the storks and otters and the informative show about the animals. Both there and from our hotel we were fascinated by watching the storks and learning more about the behavior of this noisy, expressive and unique bird.

Laurel,
I am going to look into Alsace-have not considered but it may be best location especially with Bastille Day crowds. I have booked the first 4 nights for Paris and want the rest to explore. We will only have 9 nights this trip but will make the best of it. I am a little concerned about trying to do too much but want my daughter to experience one area out of Paris.