France Itinerary feedback

I highly recommend going to Mont Saint Michel. The abbey and church are lovely, the audio tour available is very informative. Get there early to avoid the crowds. We stayed at Amboise and loved it even the little tourist shops were fun. Bon Voyage,
Marilyn

I wouldn't cut out days in Paris... there is always more to do there! Check out le Marais - walk in the Bois de Boulogne - wander Pere Lachaise cemetary - marvel at the glory of Notre Dame - check out the local artistic funkyness of Saint Merry - shop along the Rue de Rivoli and in Les Halles - have a pint with Scottish ex-pats at the Highlander (steps from Pont Neuf), enjoy a really reasonably priced plateau des fruits de mer at le Franklin in Passy - have a romantic dinner at Au Petite Suisse (founded in 1797!) - grab a chair a Luxembourg Gardens and watch the people - stroll the Tuileries and have an excellent cafe creme at Cafe Diane... whew.

Sorry - website is being atrociously vexing today... Wanted also to say that two days in the Loire Valley seems like too short particulary if you're heading north from Paris for an overnight in Bayeaux, and then heading south. Maybe cut out Caen/Bayeaux in favor of a little more time in the Loire Valley, Tours, and a day or so in Burgundy. They're in basically the same diection - which is a better use of your time, I think.

What time of year are you going? That will make a difference in terms of how much daylight you will have for sightseeing. I am counting 10 days of time before you fly home. Rather than cut a day in Paris, I don't think you have enough time there. There is so much to see, and in your 3 days there you plan to spend one in Versailles. On day 5 it appears you plan to travel to Normandy AND see the D-Day sites on the one day. You should know that if you plan to do a tour you will need to spend the night BEFORE the tour in Normandy. I understand the desire to see and do as much as possible, but I think you are spreading yourself too thin. In 10 days I would spend it in Paris, Normandy and Loire (including MSM) OR Paris and a couple of other areas that are not too spread apart. Don't underestimate the time it takes to travel from area to area. I would plan to spend your last night in Paris or somewhere else near the airport. You will need to be at CDG 3 hours before your flight. As you suggested, you can always start your trip in Normandy (or wherever else) and end it in Paris. Have a great trip! Planning is half the fun!!

I agree with the prior posters; you're trying to fit in too many destinations. I would add a day to each of your current locations. And yes, if it was me, I would put all of the Paris days at the end of the trip. I think I'm in the minority, but I didn't love Burgundy. It's great for people who love Burgundy wine (I like it, but not love it), but there are other places in France that, IMHO, are more beautiful and have a bigger variety of things to do. All that being said, I would definitely choose the Dordogne over Burgundy. I would choose the Dordogne over Normandy and the Loire Valley, too, but that's because I prefer the older castles found in the Dordogne, the prehistoric sites, the food (I love foie gras) and I just plain think it's a beautiful part of France! Problem with doing a city tour (bus, I assume you mean) or river cruise on your arrival day is that you're more likely to suffer from jet lag if you're sitting down. Save that for another day, and do something that involves the outdoors and physical activity, such as visiting Notre Dame (including climbing the towers).

I also usually prefer doing the big City all at the end (Paris, London). There is a completely different pace, you can do all your shopping, ;last minute things, heavy sightseeing. Also a lot less stressful to be close/convenient to the departure airport on the last night. I would agree with those who vote for doordogne over Burgundy (unless you are going for the wine). If you do Burgundy it is convenient to tag a day in Rheims (Champagne) at the end of Birgundy (by car). Is that "remis" are did i misunderstand

Ben, cut back. Your trip will be so much more fun with one less region in the mix. I love Burgundy. Leave it out and you've got a sweet 9 days: 4 in Paris, with day trip if you like, 3 in Normandy, including MSM, and 2 in the Loire. (Sorry, but your arrival and departure days do not count.) Another variation: Paris, Loire & Burgundy, in whatever order you prefer. Paris, Alsace, & Burgundy are in reach. Awkward but feasible: Paris-Loire-Dordogne, flying home from Toulouse. These are all great destinations, but you should avoid a "grass must be greener" itinerary that underestimates both the value of the places you have already take the trouble to visit and the cost in time and energy of going someplace else.

Thank you all for your great suggestions. I think ending with Paris a really good idea. I knew I was being a bit ambitious for our timeframe....I'm lobbying for a longer trip! :) We are thinking about going May/June timeframe or September. It is hard to choose which regions to hit. I am a big history guy and my wife is a big food/wine lover. I'm sure we can get both just about any region of France. And we will probably enjoy it more without rushing everywhere. It was hard to judge how long it would take to get from Mt St Michel across the county by train through the Loire. It looks like the train service radiates out from Paris really nicely to get to main regions, but the east west service was harder to judge from the books we looked at. Thanks again. We might have more questions after some more planning!

Ben, Adam nailed it. Here's my suggestion: land at CDG, them take the train straight out from the terminal to Normandy. Spend the night, then visit the DDay sights on day 2 (and day 1, if there's one nearby). Are you adverse to renting a car? The car would allow you to maximize your ability to get around in such a tight time frame, and allow you to really make the most of the available accommodation choices (ie great B&Bs that are just outside the town centers). Pick-up the car early on day 2 (wherever you choose to be as a base in Normandy). You can drive from Normandy towards Brittany and Mont Saint Michel. So on day 3, or 4, I would head to the Loire Valley, via Mont Saint-Michel (overnight nearby, heading south - NOT on the island). Then head down to the Loire Valley. Based in Amboise or near Blois, I would spend 3 nights in the Loire Valley. I would choose to visit the Chambord Chateau instead of Versailles. I would then drop off the car in Chartres (quick visit of the Cathedral) and train it back to Paris (1 hour trip) for the remaining nights. Make sure, though, that you have left yourself at least 3 full days in Paris at the end...

Here's more food for thought (sorry it's not the delicious French kind of food) on Burgundy: The area is rich with Medieval history and a much closer drive than Dordogne. When it comes to history, I think it's a little bit better than the Loire (although I love the Loire and it's chateaux quite a bit.) The Abbeye de Fontenay, Semur-en-Auxious (With it's free museum that is kinda like a museum of a museums since I don't think it's been updated in about 60 years), Guèdelon (the medieval castle under construction) are all within an hour of Dijon and Beaune. So much to do/see there. The wine is secondary IMO. I think the advice of ending in PAris is a good one. Start out at Normady, head to the Loire, take in Guèdelon on your way to Beaune/Dijon, and then the Abbeye and Semur on your way to Paris and you would have a very good, doable itinerary without spending tons of time traveling. And plan on going to the Dordogne for your next trip. Definitely.

Ben, I'd stay in Bayeux for the Normandy leg of your trip. Wonderful town, be sure to see the Bayeux Tapestry. Stay at the Hotel d'Argouges. Have a lovely trip.

I totally agree with Diane's itinerary. It's perfect. I would stick with Normandy, Loire and Paris. You can never have enough time in Paris. And I agree with Grier... stay in Bayeux, and the Hotel D'Argouges especially, which we love! The WWII museum in Bayeux was the best one of all imo. And my 2 cents, we liked Burgundy much more than the Dordogne.