My husband and I just signed up for the Eastern France tour. The only bad part is that our tour isn't until September 17th of next year. This will be our 4th RS tour, but I have to ask if anyone has any special tips.
Happy Thanksgiving to all!
Posted by
Kansas, United States
1078 posts
Two best days of a traveler's life:
1) The day you sign up for a RS trip
2) The day the final payment is made
We're signed up for Greece in May, I hope you have a great time!
Posted by
Land of La
8664 posts
Yes,
1.) Add days prior or following the tour. Read the RS France guide and decide where you want to spend the time.
2.) If you have a favorite airline(s) sign up for travel alerts. Hopefully, you'll snag a great airfare.
3.) Keep scanning websites for great airfare and book when you see one.
4.) Practice and become proficient with some elementary French words and phrases.
I love knowing I have something too look forward to trip wise. I view it as a special reward. Makes me smile.
Posted by
Rick Steves' Europe
16893 posts
The tour now ends in Aix-en-Provence (previously was in Marseille), which has a better value mix of hotel options. If you have the time, then I encourage you to add a day for a day trip to Marseille by local train (30-45 minutes each way). Get an early start; a few trains depart between 9:00 and 10:00, but then there's a break in service until 11:40. From Marseille, you can take a scenic boat ride to view the Calenques. Or with more time, you could move on and stay at Cassis. This region is covered in Rick's Provence & French Riviera book, not the France book.
Posted by
Ohio
2128 posts
Hi Janet, you just signed up for a great vacation. We did this tour at the end of May 2015 and really enjoyed it.
Tip 1 - pack clothing that can be layered because you will want to be prepared for all different kinds of weather on this tour. On our trip, the temperatures in the French Alps ranged from 30 degrees at the top of the mountains to 50 degrees in town. I was comfortable wearing a T-shirt, fleece, and rain jacket. Some of our tour members brought hats, scarves, and gloves but I didn't think that was necessary (I live in Ohio so we're used to cooler temperatures).
The day we left Chamonix (June 2), it was raining and cold. By lunchtime we were in Provence where the weather was sunny and in the high 90s. Quite a difference! I hadn't packed shorts but bought some as a "souvenir".
Tip 2 - we flew in to Paris and spent a week there before the tour started. It's an easy train ride to Reims (purchase tickets 90 days in advance for the best price).
Tip 3 - we arrived in Reims a few hours early and visited the Surrender Museum. It's not part of the tour but well worth it.
Tip 4 - consider flying "open jaw" - flying in to Paris and returning home from Marseilles or Nice.
Hope you enjoy this tour as much as we did. Bon voyage!
Posted by
Pleasant Hill, Ca
234 posts
We did this tour at the same time of year in 2014. We got to Rheims a day early and visited Mumm. Also saw the evening light show at the cathedral. Both great. Prior to this we visited Paris and Normandy. Enjoy the harvest season.