Hi Everyone,
I'll be in France Sept with hubby and 4-yr-old in 3.5 weeks. The following is my planned itinerary for the first 4 days:
Day 1: Arrive in CDG (DeGaulle airport) late morning and PU car; Rouen; Honfleur; Check into Bayuex hotel; See Bayuex tapestry
Day 2: See D-Day sites (perhaps BattleBus), and Bayuex tapestry; Check into Mont St Michel Hotel; Do evening tour (We will be in the area around the Fall equinox I saw on some websites that there could be flooding. Is this the case for only the Spring Equinox? If there will be flooding at the Mont what should I do to prepare?)
Day 3: Tour Mont St. Michel or drive to Carnac/megaliths on way to Loire Valley; Take 2 Loire Valley tours today (Loire Valley and see Chateau de Chambord in Orleans; Chateau de Chenonceau in Blois; and Chateau de Usse in Touraine)
Day 4: Maybe take 1 more Loire Valley tour; Drive to Paris, return car, and take TGV train overnight from Paris Austerlitz station to Nice.
I’ve shortened my post due to space and will place other questions on separate post. The next days we will do Nice, Lourdes, and Paris. Any advice on first 4 days would help. Thanks so much!
Posted by
Odessa, FL, USA
99 posts
You'd better book Battlebus ASAP. We were scheduled to be in France this week and had to postpone until October due to illness. We cancelled our American Experience tour and tried to re-book it for our new dates. Battlebus was almost completely booked for the two weeks we are traveling in October, so we were only able to get the one-day American Highlights tour.
Posted by
NYC, USA
219 posts
Lyn, I think the flooding you saw in the Mt St Michel pictures could have been taken at high tide. I believe the equinoxes affect the tides by only about a few feet. For a definite answer call the hotel. What a great trip. It's a shame you can't add another 3 or 4 days. You're visiting some really great areas not just for history but also for cheese, wine, and restaurants. I'm glad you're going to see the Bayeux tapestry. It is a magnificient piece of historical art. For your next trip, you must visit Hastings, England where the Battle of Hastings occurred. The battle is depicted in the tapestry. Have a great vacation!
Posted by
Danville, VT
12040 posts
If you stay one of the Mont's hotels, you'll have access to a parking lot located on higher ground. The lot for daytrippers floods at high tide, but for overnight guests, your car will be safe.
My only comment on your Loire trip- 3 chateaux in one day might be a bit ambitious. I don't have a map of the area in front of me, but the chateaux are spread out over a very large area. Driving times can be considerable.
Posted by
Southern California
5 posts
HI Susan,
I just found out that BattleBus is only 12 and older so we won’t be able to do it with our son, but thank you for the tip. We will make sure we reserve early on our next trip. You said you postponed due to illness. I hope you or your loved one is doing better.
Posted by
Southern California
5 posts
Hi Jeannine, I’ll make sure to call the hotel to find out about possible flooding. Good idea. I hope Hastings, England will be in our future. I’m sure after viewing the tapestry, it will be a must do.
Posted by
Southern California
5 posts
Tom, Thanks for the info: “The lot for day-trippers floods at high tide, but for overnight guests, your car will be safe.” Again I will make sure with the hotel. And I think we will stick to 1-2 chateaus the first day and possible one the next day.
Posted by
Southern California
5 posts
Kent, I’m going to need to pull up Michelin site to get the drive times between those cities. But it really helps to know when it gets dark. Thanks for that! Perhaps we make a stop at Rouen for lunch, drive through Honfleur, and do dinner in Bayeux. We’ll save the tapestry for the next day since it opens at 9:30 and closes at 6. But I’ll have to do more planning for the D-day beaches since we will not be using BattleBus.
So much to do so little time! I’m sure I’ll have to cut-out some sites in our itinerary. We’ll just have to come back to France!
Posted by
Odessa, FL, USA
99 posts
Hi Lyn,
Thanks. Yes, my husband's had a stomach bug for the past three weeks (he's finally on the mend) so we didn't want to go to France when he couldn't fully enjoy the food and wine. We were very lucky that we could change our plans with little extra cost.
Posted by
victoria, Canada
11507 posts
Your trip sounds wonderful, but rather tiring with a small child. You haven't left much room for jet lag in there.
Since you have a car you can wing it a it and change plans as you go. Have fun and remember you can always go back again!