Two weeks in France

Paris, Burgundy, Provence is a good bit of travel for a family of five over 14 days. The day trips may be a bit much. You might want a car in Burgundy, and certainly in Provence. If you all travel well and you like to drive, you could drive through northern Burgundy, maybe visiting Guedelon if you like that sort of thing and spending the night in Vezeley or one of the small towns of the Serien valley. Otherwise base yourself in Beaune, which is a much smaller friendlier place than Dijon (which you can visit). The train trip from Paris is a breeze. Similarly in Provence base yourself in one place and take day trips. One big money saver, if it works for you, would be to rent a place. Rentals typically run from weekend to weekend and you are traveling at high season, so if this interests you act fast. Figure out the sights you'd like to see and base yourself near them. You can visit Aix from St. Remy but I'd hate to plan a series of day trips to the Rhone valley from Aix, which is out on the edge of things. Avignon makes a poor base if you have a car (which you should). It's too big. For your trip home, there is an airport in Marseilles, about an hour or so from the Rhone area, but there are also some direct trains to Charles deGaulle from Avignon. If you arrange for an afternoon return flight you can take the train and avoid the need for a last night waiting around in Paris.

Is that $250 for lodging and food only? No ground transportation? No entrances to museums or other sights or events for the family? My husband and I have developed a trip pattern based on $180 - $200 per person for everything except airfare. We do not travel at the top of the food chain, but this cost has been consistent for the past 4 years. I think your budget is well shy of the need, particularly considering that you may have to get more than one room for a family of five. It might be better and cheaper to pick only one area in addition to Paris, stay there and rent a car to explore. Flying open-jaw into or out of Paris and perhaps into or out of Nice would save some time. Renting an apartment in Paris and somewhere else would probably be much more comfortable for everyone than all that moving around. Google Maps, Directions is good to see how far apart the various locations you mention are from each other. The DB website is the best to see train routes, how many changes there might be and how long it will take. You can't purchase tickets for French trains there but you can click on a map that shows the route(s). The French train website will give you the costs for any route you decide on. If you decide to get train tickets, try to get them early and be sure to say you are from Great Britain to get the cheapest fare. These are all suggestions to help you decide whether or not your budget is large enough.

Thank you very much! I'm realizing the budget was off but had thought 200 for lodging and 250 for the day. I'm looking into vacation in Paris.com for an apartment. Really appreciate you taking the time to answer!

Hey Adam, Would it be a better idea to skip Provence and split the time between Paris and Beaune? or would it be even better to stay in Paris all 14 days and take day trips to Chartres, Rouen, Reims, and Beaune? Any thoughts on Strasbourg? Are there any other places that you would more highly recommend? France is all new to me and we will be traveling back in the future. Trying to plan this trip smartly. Thanks so much for your help!

I'd agree with others that your budget is probably inadequate for five people, even if some of them are young children. I'd also suggest you limit yourself to two areas, like Paris and Burgundy, to reduce travel costs and packing/unpacking. Rouen, Reims, and Chartres could all be day trips from Paris. An apartment would be a good option for a family, lets you have some meals "at home," lets people keep different hours, lets you spread out more yet be more together than two or three hotel rooms. We've done well with homeaway.com, and others have recommended other websites for apartments. Search this board for "Paris apartments" or such and you'll find a lot of discussion. To get off the beaten path outside Paris, rent a car and explore -- probably cheaper and certainly easier than trains or buses for a family.

Britt, if I were to skip anything it would be Burgundy. Provence has so many wonderful things to see, including many pretty small towns. Of course the interests of your family should govern, however! So the answer to your question probably lies in a guidebook or two, and your own priorities. That said, I think you could fit in 2 nights, maybe 3, in Beaune between Paris and Provence if you like. It might be at the cost of some of the day trips. But are the kids really going to like Reims? Perhaps you and yours should focus a bit more on what you want to do in Paris, and how many day trips you really would like to take while there. Also consider that a family of 5 can split up for an afternoon or a day.

It's totally subjective, but I would do either the whole time in Paris (we've stayed a whole month many times, never run out of fun things to do) in an apartment with lots of day trips... Vaux-le-Vicomte, Fontainbleau, Giverny, etc. Or, Paris and one other area, also in an apartment. I agree with Adam that Provence might offer more but we did love Burgundy. While in Paris, don't miss the Luxembourg Gardens, you and your kids will really enjoy it. Maybe even an apt nearby would be a good idea with kids.

What exactly are the ages of your children? What are they interested in? And how do you plan on getting around? Renting a car will really cut into your budget, but train tickets and public transportation for 5 can add up fast! I've been travling all over France with my 3 kids. The cost of a night's lodging varies widely. We almost always stay in places with a family room, although lately we've become more comfortable staying in two rooms. We've stayed for as little as 80€/night for all five of us - including breakfast - at a youth hostel in Reims that had a private room for 5. We've also paid 150€/night to get a family room at a B&B in Normandy. Renting an apartment can be economical, but doing lots of long day trips cuts into that economy, and tires kids out. For 14 days, you're going to have to cut down on what you want to see. I'd say to pick maybe 3 areas. Based on my experience, I'd give a thumbs up to Beaune/Dijon and suggest spending some time in the whole Normandy area (and not just Rouen). Reims was only so-so for my kids (but the Verdun WWI battlefiends were a pleasant surprise). Chartres is a yawn, honestly. Have you considered the Loire Valley? Very family friendly. Heading south will take more time and money, but could be a nice respite. The whole of what you do will also depend on whether you want to plan some real vacation time(swimming, sleeping in) as well, or want to keep going for the whole time. If you nail down the areas, I can give you some specific recommendations for things with kids. The regular guide books don't always take into account what a 12yo is going to like.

Thank you everyone! You really have been so helpful. Things are starting to come together. Again, thanks for your responses!