Itinerary help needed - Paris then what?

Donna...you're going to get as many varied responses as there are people on this board.

Since you have "Best of Europe," you and your daughter should read it and decide where "you" want to go, not necessarily where others think you should go.

Europe is not that big and almost anywhere is accessible.

But I'll be the first to throw in an opinion--London and it's surrounding areas. My favorite place in Europe. And just over 2 hours by train. And add a couple of days in Bath with a side trip to the Cotswalds.

Wow.

That is like asking which snowflake would you chose over all others.

It would help to know if you like to just eat and BE there, would like to see history, chateau's, French countryside, wine regions, Medieval villages, battle sites from the large number available nearby, the homes of famous people, religious structures and sites. You really need to figure out all of that before we could possible suggest any one thing because our suggestions may not be what you find of interest.

Ok, no worries. If I could figure out how to close this thread I would.

With discount airlines all over the place, the sky's the limit ;)
If you're daring, go to Whichbudget, a search engine that's pretty comprehensive concerning discount airlines. Select "France" under "I want to fly from...." then "Paris." Pick one of the three airports listed, choose any country, and an entire list of discount airline destinations will show up. Go back and select the other airports for more destinations. Just a reminder that Paris "Beauvais" airport, used by Ryanair and a couple of other airlines, is actually northwest of Paris, requiring a 90 minute bus ride to reach.

For maximum thrills, I'd say Swiss Alps. Or the Italian cities.

For maximum logistical efficiency, and cost consciousness, not so much.

I love all of Europe but I'd recommend staying in France (keep it simple) and going to the Loire Valley...but you would have to rent a car. It's so easy to drive in France Donna, so easy. You don't ever have to go on freeways if you don't want to. We actually prefer the slower roads so we can drive through the charming towns and stop wherever we want to for bakeries :) and sightseeing and meals. Also, the Burgundy region is fantastic. We stayed in Beaune and loved it but others also recommend staying in Dijon. We also love Normandy but you need a car for Normandy and Burgundy. Like another poster suggested, we loved the Swiss Alps (we stayed in Muerren) and highly recommend it if you want to go somewhere else outside of France. No car needed there. One more thought if you're dead set against a car, Brugges is incredible. We rented bikes there (you can rent for 24 hrs if you want) and went everywhere by bike. Walking everywhere is easy too. There is so much to see and do there and you don't need a car. Another thought, for no car, is Venice. Venice is wonderful! So many great places, I could go on and on, but I'll stop here :) for now anyway.

Hi Donna,

I like Susan's suggestions--possibly Paris, Beaune, Lyon and somewhere in Provence (Arles, Aix, and/or Avignon.) I'd do it via train.