RS - Best of Eastern France

For high altitudes, layers are the way to go. Buy one set of warm, breathable base layers. Also, don't forget a pair of good sunglasses.

McLau,
I definitely think days in Paris before the tour will be great, one, to help you over jet lag and two, there are so many things to see in Paris. I think you will need two days to see Normandy. If you do any touring there of the beaches, etc., you will be hard pressed to see the main sights in one day. Transportation is another issue. If Normandy is a must, I would spend at least one night. Others will have their own take on this.
Enjoy your tour, it’s lovely to be making plans!

We did 5 days with a base in Paris including a day at Versailles by train and a day small van tour to Normandy beaches and Bayeux in May 2018. Originally we were going to take the train to Bayeux from Paris early to catch a tour of the beaches from the train station with Overlord Tours then jump on train that evening back to a Paris but the strike prevented us from doing a train so we had to go with plan B. A lot in a day but if important to you I would highly recommend. Also we used Fat Tire Tours to get in to the Eiffel Tower without waiting in a line and for the Louvre. Would recommend as well.

For Pont du Gard , Avignon is slightly closer than Arles. It is a wonderful site to visit. We drove there from Avignon, not far.

I don't think I'd count on much of the Notre Dame being open

Normandy is not a convenient day trip from Paris so skip it. I suggest buying Rick Steves’ Paris guidebook (not the Pocket guide) and taking his self-guided walking tours. To be honest, I would suggest a week in Paris if you can.
A good rule of thumb is to wear layers when going into the mountains. I would also pack a lightweight rain coat and umbrella.
You can take a direct train from Aix-en-Provence to Avignon (30-minutes). If you go to Arles, it’ll take longer and require a connection.

Thank you for everyone's insight and suggestions. Much appreciated!

Is that 4 full days in Paris after your day of arrival? The first day is usually a bit of a blur.

You can wander over to the cathedral of Notre Dame and view whatever is going on, from a suitable distance, but only from the outside due the fire some time ago.

The Eiffel Tower is another story. Seeing it from the outside is the impressive bit, in my opinion best from Trocadero (but watch out for the junk sellers, by the dozen pre-covid). Do you want to also go up? Stairs or elevators? In the before-times there were long queues and tickets in advance were not always easy to come by. Do you want to have a meal at the top?

4 days can pass very quickly, perhaps too quickly to consider a day trip out of town, and definitely the best way to visit Normandy, if you mean the area of the D-Day invasion, is to be staying there and then taking an organized tour. If you are considering a tour from Paris there are some available by some of the best guides. You can take a very early morning train to Bayeux where they will collect you and show you some areas in a short tour and then put you back on a train which will get you back into Paris quite late. Not the best way to do it, and by no means comprehensive, but perhaps better than nothing for you. There are also more plebeian main stream bus tours from Paris to some of the D-Day beaches and catching a stop at Giverny on the way back. In my opinion that is far too much to try to cram in.

If heading to Normandy in June be sure to be aware of the dates. The anniversary times around the 6th will be very very busy.

Nigel,

I might extend the stay in Paris as other travellers suggested. Thank you very much for the detailed and helpful information. It is very much appreciated!!

Hi McLau, we did this tour a few years ago, great choice 👍 It’s a good idea to spend some time in Paris before the tour, there’s lots to see and do. I don’t think you have time to do Normandy.

Be prepared for changing weather conditions. Our day in Chamonix was beautiful but the following day it was raining and snowing. By the time we reached Vaison-la-Romaine it was 90 degrees, I had to buy a pair of “souvenir” shorts! So, plan to dress in layers. I don’t think you need a winter coat, but a fleece and light waterproof jacket would be a good idea.

We had some great food on this tour! Savory buckwheat crepes (galettes) in Colmar, best Nicoise salad ever for lunch in Beaune, and a terrific group dinner in Chamonix (Le Comptoir des Alpes). The wineries and tastings were also a lot of fun. Hope you enjoy your trip!

We took this tour in 2018 and loved it. You’ve gotten lots of good tips, but I would like to add that at the time we went the RS guidebook recommended an outdoor store in Chamonix. I was worried about weather but didn’t want to haul heavy stuff. The store was exceptionally well-stocked and very reasonably priced. We had layers but got a few things there. If my memory is correct, it was close to the laundromat which we used as well.

Bonjour, McLau. I am also on the Best of Eastern France tour - May 29, 2022 departure. Will be a redo of a cancelled 2020 trip. I had plenty of time last year to study (obsess, actually) about Paris and decided to increase my pre-tour stay in Paris to at least 7-10 days. So much to see and do in the city center! I will skip Versailles, Giverney, other sights and save them for another time. As they say -- Never say Adieu (goodbye) to Paris....say Au revoir (til we meet again).

Will probably also take the train to Reims on Friday afternoon, as there are a couple of champagne houses I want to visit in addition to what's on the tour and they are closed on Sundays. When the tour ends in Aix I will also spend 4-5 nights there relaxing at a hotel with a pool and spa to recover from the tour. Then take TGV to CDG and overnight there before a morning flight home. I thought Pont du Gard was included on the tour but I checked the itinerary and it is not mentioned. Hmmm..... Haven't booked hotels or additional tours yet. I'm keeping an eye on flight prices and will fill in my itinerary once flights are booked. Prices will be a challenge.

Thanks to everyone for your comments on the tour. I am so looking forward to it!

---Linda

Donna/Patty/GimmeGrench:

Thank you for the suggestions and experiences. All your enthusiasm and knowledge have made me even more excited about the trip next June! Much appreciate all of your input!!

We have been to Chamonix before. I will just bring my down vest when we go back on this tour in May. We plan to be in Europe for about 4 weeks total, but will just get to Reims early (from the east), and take the train into Paris for a day trip. Neither one of us is a fan of large, crowded cities😆

We were in Normandy on June 5th and it was FREEZING cold and rainy that day. I was bundled up in a coat, scarf, hat and gloves....you never know what you are going to get, pack accordingly!