Paris trip and some down time in late June 2012 itinerary help needed

Hmm, well I have taken an 11 yr old and a 14 yr old to Paris ( and Rome and London ,) and my thoughts are that with 14 days( are you including travel days ,, so perhaps you mean 12 days) I would choose Paris and one other destination. You could fly into Paris, do 5-6 days there, then fly to Rome( or take Eurostar to London). I would choose one or two daytrips to do out of each city,, for instance, fly into Paris, 3-4 days of city sights, a daytrip to Versailles or Giverny, then off to Rome, I never got to Pompei,, and perhaps is a long daytrip, but both my kids really wanted to go there ( didn't have time), or you could take the train to Venice,, Really , there are so many options,, Amsterdam is close to Paris, or you could do the Normandy/Brittany coast and combine some sight seeing with some beach time( I am assuming this will be a summer trip). One of the best tips I have for you is to take the kids on a Fat Tire Bike tour while in Paris, seriously fun,, they have a great day trip to Monets Gardens,, look up their website, and yes, YOU can do it, the bikes are comfy cruiser types, and the biking is suitable for kids from 8 -10 yrs old to grannys in their 60-70s,, not strenuous at all. TheParis night bike tour is a great orientation,, and you don't have to prebook. They do them in London too.

How about taking the train from Paris to Amsterdam. In Amsterdam, rent bicycles and be like the locals. Great fun and you don't have to figure out the tram system. You can easily take day trips from Paris and from Amsterdam. Instead of adding a few days of down time at the end, why not just build it into your trip. Long picnic lunches in the parks, evenings at sidewalk cafes, lingering over dinner and people-watching.

Thanks so much for your fast reply. The bike tour is right up our alley. I think a stop at Normandy/Brittany coast would be a good break. Where would you recommend for some actual lying on the beach time for a day? Also, is it possible to do this by train?

Haven't even looked into Amsterdam! Thanks for the idea. Will start to read that forum now.

If you want to lie on the beach like the locals- there are beaches along the River Seine in Paris. Now thats a really different experience. Not sure if there one within sight of the Statue of Liberty copy. That would be a blast

The "beach" on the Seine is not set up in June. Its kind of gross anyways , you can't go in the water, its crowded, and the only cooling is from sprinklers meant for tots to run through. I remember enjoying a day on the beach in St Malo,, its a pretty place, I recall walking along a fortified wall,, eating mussels, then the beach,, but, as I recall beach was rocks instead of sand.. I was only 13 ,, and that was many, many decades ago,, so perhaps its different now, hope someone with more recent memories can chime in.. lol Joan,, check out the forums on tripadvisor.com, they have a seperate one for Normandy etc,, and they are very active,, so you will get some great ideas.

You could take the fast train to Avignon and get a car and explore Provence as well as the wonderful towns along the Mediterranean...lot of places for beach time there. Or if they like nature you could head to the Carmague, look for the flamingos and wild horses and visit the wonderful beach town there (I cannot remember the name, but it is popular, so you should be able to find it)

Segway rides will be to your teens liking, fun for you as well, meets under Eiffel tower with Company called Fat Bikes (I think) or consider an inexpensive flight to Nice, they also used to have a segway tour. Your husband will enjoy the beach. Could then train over to Cinque Terre and then stop over at Pisa, catch inexpensive flight back to paris. Or....inexpensive flight to Geneva, rent a car(tricky to me on getting out of Geneva), go to Annecy and then to Chamonix. Depends on how daring you wish to be.

Usually I am the one to say, slow down. But with 14 days I think you could reasonably visit three destinations, even four if you are nimble. You have many choices and it really is a matter of personal preference. Here is one itinerary that incorporates several of the suggestions made above. Fly into Amsterdam and spend several days. Rick Steves's suggestion to base yourself in Haarlem is not a bad one. Then take a train to Lille, in norther France, rent a car, and drive the rest of the way to Normandy. (Why not drive the whole way? Rental companies charge a huge fee to return a car in a different country.) The main tourist attractions in Normandy are the D-Day sites and Mt. St. Michel, but there are also less-historical beaches near Deauville and Trouville. Then drive to Paris, and fly home from there. That said, the Paris > Provence option has a lot in its favor, or even Paris > Burgundy > Provence. Great biking options in Burgundy too. Heck, SW France, with all the magnificent cave art, is within your grasp if you fly home from Toulouse or Bordeaux. You and your crew should read a few guidebooks and think about what is really interesting and compelling for you before you make a decision or buy any air tickets. Once you are clear on what you like, your itinerary choices will be easier.