My husband, myself, and our 6 year old daughter will be staying in Paris for seven days. Then we have another seven days before we fly home from Paris the day before Easter. This is our first trip to France and I'm having a really hard time deciding on the itinerary for the second week. I need advice, please help! My original idea was to take the TGV to Avignon, rent a car and stay somewhere in Provence for 2-3 days, then stay somewhere around Nice for 3-4 days, and then take the TGV back to Paris. My main concern with this plan is if the weather is bad (I've heard cold rain and Le Mistral are common in early Spring) it could really put a damper on things, especially in Provence. Another possibility is to stay in or near Nice for the whole second week and take day trips from there to areas on the Riviera and possibly Provence if time and weather permits. A third possibility is to stay for a shorter times in each area, but cover more ground, stopping in Provence, the Riviera, Sarlat, Carcassonne, and making our way back to Paris either by train or car. I would really appreciate any advice. Thanks for your time!
Posted by
LaGrange, Ga, USA
1178 posts
Vaison La Romain -- about one hour from Avignon via auto...stay in the citi medieval...fantastic experience...the old bishops house there has a great suite with plenty of room for your daughter to play...the city below has many interesting sites as well...and the surroundng countryside is great for exploration....remember, there are no Disneyland entertainment sites in the area for a six year old child, however, but many things to get her attention -- the castles, the markets, etc.
Posted by
Boston
4132 posts
I feel for your dilemma! Only thing is, you are as likely to have bad weather in Nice (or anywhere else) that time of year.
So maybe you want to think about what you'd do in each place if the weather is rotten.
Option 3 would be a LOT of driving. I don't know about your family, but that would not be for us! Still you could make it more manageable by flying home from Toulouse. Or take the TGV to Angouleme and drive to Sarlat, ending in Tolouse.
Posted by
Chicago
2876 posts
With a full week your original plan is absolutely fine, the only change I'd make is to add a day in Provence and subtract one in Nice - but that's just personal preference.
Why worry about the weather? Bring a rain jacket and a sweater, if it rains you can easily buy an umbrella over there. Weather won't stop you from having fun. (I thought Minnesotans never worried about weather!)