We're arriving in Paris on Dec. 26 and are planning on visiting a friend in Montpellier on the 28th, then back to Paris from the 30th-2nd. It's our first trip to France and we're renting a car (hopefully with GPS) for the time that we're not actually in Paris. Our 1-1/2 year old daughter is coming along. What to do? See the Alps? Tour quaint villages? Normandy? Christmas markets? What's good at this time of year? Open to any suggestions. Thank you!
Posted by
southwest, Missouri, U.S.A.
1717 posts
Hello Rena. I recommend : read the travel guide book "Rick Steves' PARIS". It has information about a few day trips from Paris. Did you do sightseeing and walking in art galleries with your 1 - 1/2 year old child before ?
Posted by
Lodi, California, USA
149 posts
Hi Rena, You will be spending a great deal of time driving to Montpellier and back. There are many things to see along the way (castles, senic villages, natural scenery) and the motorway is marked with big brown signs indicating these. As you are from Minnesota, you will know how to drive in bad weather including snow, and that's a real possibility in December/January. You might consider the TGV train round-trip from Paris to the south, and then renting the car when you get there. Interesting places to visit in the south are Avignon, Pont du Gard, les Baux de Provence, Cote d'Azur. Have fun and enjoy France and the French people.
Posted by
US Pacific Northwest
10344 posts
Rena: It's almost 1000 miles of driving to drive from Paris to Montpellier and back to Paris. Driving from Paris to Montpellier will take you a full day even if you don't stop except for fuel, the full day would all be road time. And then another full day to drive back--2 full long and tiring days of just driving time with eyes riveted on the autoroute (freeway). And then, Normandy is in the opposite direction from Paris. I'm thinking this doesn't make sense for you, and suggest you take Charlie's advice about the high speed train.
Posted by
OP
Minneapolis
10 posts
Hi Ron-- Thanks for the reply. We haven't tried much tourism with our daughter yet but she's a very easy-going kid and we have the beloved child backpack going along, so hopefully we'll be able to see some museums and big sites. I'm a foodie and we also love the outdoors so if we don't get to do a lot of museums on this trip, it'll be okay.
Posted by
Bay Area
3551 posts
I suggest you slow down alittle first. Stay in Paris and enjoy this incredible city w/o a car! Paris is loaded with the best of almost everything. Ck RS guidebks
Posted by
OP
Minneapolis
10 posts
Ouch. That IS a lot of driving. The train costs about twice as much as a rental car but I guess when you figure in time lost it's not such a great deal. Here's a side question. We're spending 5 days in Rome prior to France. I've been looking into ways to get from Rome to Montpellier and then just taking the train into Paris after visiting our friend there. However, the Rome-Montpellier train is something like 19 hours. Are there any other options I'm not thinking about?
Posted by
US Pacific Northwest
10344 posts
Rena: Re your last post: Yup! In theory, flying is an alternative, but in a quick look I'm not seeing anything out of Rome that gets you any closer than Nice, it's still a 4 to 6 hour train ride from Nice to Montpellier, depending on which train you're able to catch. Here's the Europe low cost flights search website, so that you can do further research. http://www.flylc.com/directall-en.aspI haven't looked at the major airlines, even if you can do a major airline the airfares for your group may get expensive.
Posted by
southwest, Missouri, U.S.A.
1717 posts
Rena , an other good travel guide book on Paris is "PARIS smart guide" from INSIGHT GUIDES. Compiled by Michael Macaroon. Published by APA Publications. This book is small, light weight, not expensive to buy, well organized. It has good maps, many good small color photographs of all kinds of things in Paris, good assortment of recommended eateries, important telephone numbers and internet websites and addresses in Paris. I agree with the others here : ride in a railroad train for your long distance trip in France.
Posted by
OP
Minneapolis
10 posts
Kent-- I just found a flight from Rome to Nice for 92 Euros via the website you gave me. Thank you thank you!! That will get us to the right area. Now for things to do in South of France in December... will have to check out some of the others' suggestions.
Posted by
Denison, Texas, USA
51 posts
Rena,
If you end up in the Nice area, there is much to see and do. We loved the city, but we were there in April. If you take a train (about 10 minutes or so) over to Ville Franche sur Mer, you should eat at Le Nautic. Yummy!
Or another train trip to Grasse. Lovely! We visited the Fragonard perfume makers and it was wonderful. Try the Belle de Nuit ...
Or just stay in Nice and enjoy the Old Town area and the museums. Be sure to do the double-decker city tour bus as it gives a great overview of the area.
Man, I'm jealous! Have fun ...