Hi, We would like to travel to France and Switzerland to see Normandy, Paris, Chamonix and hike in the French and Swiss Alps. And possibly fitting in a train ride in Switzerland. We are open to renting a car and taking trains. Any suggestions on how to organize the trip? We will plan for abut 15 days. Thanks...
Posted by
US Pacific Northwest
10344 posts
That's an itinerary we don't often see here. Paris, Normandy and the Swiss Alps make a good trip. The addition of Chamonix complicates things a bit.
So one decision is whether you want to see two parts of the Alps, or just one; if one, you might want to strongly consider the Berner Oberland - Lauterbrunnen Valley area, this is closest to the border with France and is spectacular (think Yosemite on Steroids).
Another decision is whether to fly into Paris and out of one of the Swiss cities; or whether you want to make a circle, starting and ending in Paris.
Normandy is to the north of Paris; then you have to come back through Paris to get to Chamonix or Switzerland. You can't reach the D-Day Beaches by train. You can get as close as Bayeux by train, then connect with one of the tours or rent a car.
The rest of the itinerary can be done by either train or car.
Suggest you think about this and then get back to us with your thoughts so far.