My Way France, before, during, and after the RS tour

Bayeux France day 2: cool weather in the morning with low 80's in the afternoon. Went into town, grabbed a chocolate croissant and went to the tapestry museum before the crowds arrived. The museum highlights the 70 yard long tapestry telling the story of the battle of Hastings in 1066 where William (duke of Normandy) overcomes king Harold to become the king of England. It was busy but I viewed the tapestry from the back of the hallway avoiding everyone gathering up close.
On to the Bayeux Cathedral for some impressive architecture.
Went down to the main street where there was a open air market with meat, produce along with clothing and souvenirs. A large group of school children from England were terrorizing the street merchants by swarming around the display tables asking too many questions. Grabbed a ham & cheese sandwich at the grocery store for an early lunch by the Aure river.
Walked to the Battle of Normandy Memorial Museum which had many great displays showing the multifaceted battle plans on D-day. Impressive displays and an interesting movie highlighting the fierce fighting needed to wrestle control of the region from the Germans. Walked a little further to the British Military cemetery where over 4000 soldiers were laid to rest.
Back to my hotel for a break then into town to do more exploring along the Aure river. I had a beer at a nice river cafe, and later a pizza Normandy with mushrooms, sausage and various cheeses. It was good but was too much food! Called it an early night, back to my hotel. Tomorrow I am scheduled for the all day Band of Brothers tour with Overlord.

Bayeux France day 3: Beautiful weather for taking the Overlord All day Band of Brothers D-day tour. These were the locations we visited. Longues-sur-Mer Battery – Omaha Beach – American Cemetery of Colleville – Pointe du Hoc.
AFTERNOON: Sainte-Mère-Eglise – Sainte-Mère-Eglise Airborne paratrooper Museum – Crash of the C47 # 66 at Beuzeville-au-Plain – Marmion’s farm – Brecourt Manor – Angoville-au-Plain – Drop Zone D – Carentan.

Very good guided tour, visiting the sights gives you a clear understanding of the difficulty and scale of the invasion that occurred over 30-40? miles of beaches. The American cemetery was very moving, just after we arrived a group of school children assembled by the monument. The recorded star spangled banner song was played followed by rifle salute, then taps. 9387 head stones spread over the enormous well maintained grounds.
Long day but well worth it, we arrived back in Bayeux just before 6pm. Stopped at the Hôtel Reine Mathilde restaurant nearby for a cheese mushroom omelet with french fries, salad and of course a beer. Apple crisp with ice cream for desert. Tomorrow I take the train back to Paris.

France day 4 Bayeux to Paris. Spent a few more hours in Bayeux. Went back to the tapistry museum to see the 2nd floor exhibits I missed the 1st day. Found the park Place Charles de Gaulle where Charles de Gaulle gave a rousing speech June 14th, 1944 after Bayeux celebrated liberation. Took the train back to Paris around noon.

I used the Citymapper app on my android phone for the first time. After downloading Paris, I put in my start location and destination, and it gives you various options for different subway lines, or buses etc. It shows where to walk to the subway entrance, which numbered subway line and the final destination so you get on the correct platform and of course which stop to get off on.
Exit the subway and walk to the Hotel Apollinaire which has 3 subway stations nearby. Hot in Paris today 95F, tomorrow maybe will hit 100F. After checking in, and a quick shower, left the hotel and headed down the block and around the corner to find some spicy Arrabbiata pasta at a crazy busy Italian restaurant La Manifattura.
Ciao for now

France day 5: Paris. It's hot hot hot here, 100F today. Left the hotel early, rode the subway to the Citie stop to see Notre Dame. Most of the structure is hidden by scaffolding during the restoration efforts.
Listened to the RS audio around Notre Dame and the left bank area, then did a 1 hour boat tour on the Seine river. Saw many great sites along the way. Had a nice Chef salad for lunch at Au Vieux Châtelet along with my first "Monaco" beer which apparently has lemonade soda and grenadine added, very tasty on a hot day.
Subway back to hide out in my air conditioned hotel for the afternoon. Went out later for dinner, had some ravioli at the American Stand Italiano, fast service, pretty good food. The beer was cold. Cheers

France day 6: What a difference a day makes weather wise. Thunder and rain early this morning and much cooler temperatures. Subway to Montmarte below the Sacré-Cœur (Sacred Heart) Basilica that is located on a high point in Paris. Rode the funicular up to arrive during the Sunday church service. I'm not the most religious person but was very moved by the choir performance.
Subway again to the Pompidue centre art gallery to see some works from my favorite artist Vassily Kandinsky. Nice to see his original work. Great city views from the 5th floor terrace. Grabbed a sandwich for a quick lunch.
Back on the subway to the Avenue des Champs-Élysées for my long walk to the Arc de Triomphe. The Arc de Triomphe honors those who fought and died during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. I almost died by collision with a Ferrari crossing the round about street. Note: Hey dummy, there is a safer underground entrance. Got a ticket down below and then climbed the 280 steps up a narrow circular staircase Beautiful views and a nice cool breeze.
Another subway ride to the Place de la Concorde where the famous executions of King Louis XVI, and Marie Antoinette occurred during the French revolution in 1793, formerly called the Place de la Révolution. Walked to the Tuileries Garden but decided to come back as my feet were done. Had another Monaco beer to recharge my batteries before the subway back to my hotel.
Long day but nice with the cooler temperatures. Tomorrow, the Eiffel tower. Au revoir for now

France day 7: More Paris took the subway to visit the Père Lachaise Cemetery where Jim Morrison of the Doors rock band is entombed. Used GPS to find him, then GPS helped me get out of this huge cemetery

I found the bus # 69 route for a budget tour that loops through Paris. The bus driver had other ideas and this "quick" trip into Paris went south after many construction delays along with the driver stopping for 2 breaks where everyone got off the bus and had to transfer.
Another bus/driver got me to the Louvre to view the glass pyramid and the museum buildings. I decided to skip the famous art museums in Paris and spend more time seeing the city.
Went to the Tuileries garden filled with many people enjoying the cooler weather. Had a baguette sandwich and beer then headed back on the subway to my hotel for a break.

My Eiffel tower tour began at 9pm so I left at 6:30pm, back on the subway. Wandered around the Eiffel tower grounds and gardens then walked several blocks and located the Fat Tire tour office. 14 of us were taking the " skip the line summit" tour.
Walked to the tower then rode the elevator to the 1st level, then continued on to the 2nd level to enjoy the 360 degree sunset views of Paris with a cool breeze. After many photos our guide cut us loose and gave us tickets to take the summit elevators to the top. Stunning views at the summit from the enclosed platform and the upper exposed platform. The 2nd level and summit were packed full of tourists looking to get the best views.
After surviving the crowds rode the elevator back down to the 2nd level. Took the stairs down through the structure to the 1st level, on the way down shot a video of one of the elevators arriving. Found the cafe and had a Croque Monsieur sandwich and a beer for my 11pm dinner. Took the stairs down to the bottom and then returned on the subway to arrive at my hotel around midnight. Cheers

Thanks Scott. I am planning a trip in this area for spring, so am following.

France day 8: Paris
Meeting our RS My Way France group tonight at 5PM.
Did a covid self test this morning and tested negative, life is good.
I went to the Musée des Arts et Métiers, which was full of interesting scientific discoveries and the development of these technologies over the past few centuries. No photos, too many exhibits to document and a little too nerdy.

Met my Rick Steves tour group at 5pm but before we meet our guide checks our CDC card vaccination dates and our negative Covid test results. Nice coincidence, this tour includes Steve and Carol who were on the My Way Spain tour I did in 2018. We all sit down with appropriate spacing but many of us don't have masks on. Our RS guide says we all need to have masks on when inside, and when on the bus. She expects us to follow the rules we agreed to while going on this tour. Some of the group are slow to put their masks on, but eventually everyone complies. Our guide takes us out for an orientation walk in our neighborhood. After the orientation, several in the group head out in search for dinner. June 21st is Summer solstice, and in Paris they have Fête de la musique, a musical celebration with many outdoor bands and concerts. I am a bit sleep deprived and my intestinal fortitude isn't 100% tonight, so I head back to the hotel to catch up on my sleep.
France Day 9:
Last full day in Paris. Wandered around an outdoor market on the main street around the corner from our hotel. Fresh produce, meat, fish and some stinky cheese, ooh la la
Subway to Rue Cler which is a "famous" pedestrian street with restaurants, shops with an open air market feel. Ok, been there, done that, moving on. Another subway ride to Place des Vosges, one of the oldest squares in Paris. The screaming school children don't seem to care.

A quick two stop subway ride to the Pantheon. Beautiful dome and building, apparently there are 81 important French people buried here. Moving on, a short walk to Luxembourg garden park for a fancy salad and Monaco beer in a garden cafe. Sitting next to me an older lady talks non stop the entire time with her poor friend nodding. What is the French phrase for "put a cork in it" lady!
Rain is coming, back to the hotel for now. Went out at later to have dinner with friends Steve and Carol. We find a restaurant close to our hotel with outdoor seating, Le plomb du cantal Jolivet. The 3 of us had huge salads that were full of unique ingredients. Next to me someone ordered a big blob of melted cheese, poured down from above down onto their plate, wow, my heart skipped a beat. Back to the hotel, we go to the Loire valley tomorrow morning.

France day 10: We leave Paris and head to the Loire river valley for two nights at Amboise. We stop at Chambord which is the largest château in the Loire Valley. It was built for Francis I, as a hunting lodge. Leonardo da Vinci may have influenced the design, specifically the double spiral staircase.
The chateau has 440 rooms, 282 fireplaces, and 84 staircases. Four rectangular hallways on each floor are in the shape of a cross. Many of the rooms have unique art displays, but many rooms are empty, they must have had a really big garage sale. It is undergoing an exterior structural restoration so many sets of scaffolding are present.
The château is surrounded by a 13,000 acre wooded park and game reserve with red deer, and enclosed by a 20 mile wall.
After a quick walk through the chateau and a brief walk around the perimeter grounds I find a cool resting place at one of the outdoor cafes. A bowl of fresh fruit with some fresh cream is a welcomed treat along with a Monaco beer that refreshes my spirit.
Our bus takes us to Amboise, then we go on another orientation walk around the city center, then I have another dinner with friends Steve and Carol. Tagliatelle pasta with vegetables which was very good. A storm rolls through after dinner but we walk across the bridge to an island for a drink at the Shakers cafe. A nice cool night overlooking the view of the beautiful lighted Château d'Amboise. Eventually we arrive back at the hotel around 11pm.

France day 11: Amboise. A short bus ride to The Chateau de Chenonceau that was built across the river Cher. Here is a bit of its history plagiarized from the internet.

"Records of Château de Chenonceau can be traced back to the 11th century, but the real story begins in the 1512, when Thomas Bohier acquired the then-small fortress and his wife, Katherine Briconnet, oversaw its transformation into the grand Renaissance-style castle we know it as today. The property was integrated into the Royal Estate to pay off debts owed to the monarchy.
King Henry II decided not to gift the castle to his wife Queen Catherine de Medici and instead gave it to his mistress, Diane de Poitiers. Once King Henry II died in 1559, queen Catherine de Medici dismissed de Poitiers from the estate and began to use the château to run the kingdom of France and host some of the country's most lavish parties. "

Our group arrived when the grounds opened and avoided the crowds. It was a little daunting finding all the rooms available to view, but the map was helpful and you had to just keep turning left and right and going up and down the staircases. The kitchen rooms were full of copper pots and many utensils which was very interesting to explore. I wandered outside around the beautiful grounds with many gardens and displays. There was a wine cellar along with a display room of the military hospital setup for World War I. The weather provided high clouds with the sun breaking through on occasion which made for some great photos. Had lunch at the cafe then headed back to the bus.
Back to Amboise, after a short break I went up to Leonardo DaVinci's residence Chateau du Clos Lucé where he spent his final 3 years.

More plagiarized content:
"King Francis I offered Leonardo the title of Premier Painter and Engineer and Architect to the King. Leonardo then moved to France to work for the French monarchy, never to return to Italy. He lived in the Chateau du Clos Lucé in the town of Amboise near the summer palace of the king. Here he focused on scientific studies until his death on May 2, 1519"

Interesting exhibits showing his bedroom, kitchen, and his workshops. Leonardo's residence sits on enormous park like grounds with some full size replicas of his inventions, making for a good place to learn some important history. A popular spot for school field trips with many groups of children in attendance.
Our tour group is having a happy hour later this evening, Tomorrow a bus to Lyon. Over and out

France day 12: We leave early for a long bus ride to Lyon
Our RS tour manager is from Paris and this is her first "My way France" tour. We hope she doesn't leave our group kicking and screaming and head back to Paris. This tour involves the equivalent of herding cats who often are hungry.
Our RS guide takes us out for an orientation tour of the city center, normally 20min but she goes all out and takes us over the bridge and thru the woods to grandmas house (kidding). We venture into the old town area which has narrow walkways packed tight with tourists. Some of our group decides to stay in the old town for dinner but I head back to the hotel.
I run into Steve, and Carol so we head out for a drink or maybe food but on the way a nasty storm rolls in with high winds and heavy rain. We dive into a small bar to escape the downpour and get some drinks and some tasty french bar food. Made it back to the hotel without getting soaked.

France 13 days: Lyon is a big city, kind of a miniature Paris but has two rivers flowing through it the Rhône and Saône. It is full of life and activity, with several large plazas for people to hang out, reminds me of Madrid, Spain.
Walked over the Bonapart bridge and rode the funicular up to La Basilique Notre Dame de Fourvière which was preparing for Sunday services. Went to the Roman museum and theater. The museum was full of many interesting artifacts unearthed from the Lyon area. The 2nd century theater has added a modern stage to provide a space for performances in the 21st century.

Rode the subway out to the Musée Lumière which highlights the ground breaking work of Louis and Auguste Lumiere who were pioneers in creating photographs and moving pictures in the late 1800's.
Arrived back and found the river boat tour just leaving, grabbed one of the last seats on the top deck. A few minutes later saw 3 couples from my tour walk down the ramp to the boat and climb on board. Came downstairs later to surprise the group, they start a rumor that I must be a CIA agent who is tracking their movements.
We all head back to the hotel. Tomorrow we head to Annecy, but we may first stop at Chamonix in the French Alps.

France day 14/15 Chamonix, Annecy:

We leave Lyon and head to Chamonix in the french alps hoping to find some sunshine to ride up to Aiguille du Midi. The mountain is over 12,000 feet high, but most of us decline to ride up due to light rain and cloud cover.
The group wanders around this cute ski resort town and have some lunch. In the afternoon we head to Annecy. We explored Annecy last evening and all day today.
Some of our group take a boat ride around the lake on a nice cool day. Annecy is a very quaint town with a beautiful river flowing through it. Many, many pedestrian streets weaving here and there over bridges. The narrow lanes are lined with shops, bars, restaurants and too many ice cream (glace) parlors. Tomorrow we head to Point du gard and Avignon.

France day 16/17: This morning some bad news, our guide informs us that one lady tested positive, so she and her husband are off the tour. We went from 19 people to 17 overnight, luckily no one else is positive.

We leave Annecy headed to Avignon but first stop at Pont du Gard, an ancient Roman aqueduct bridge built in the first century AD to carry water over 31 miles to the Roman colony of Nimes.
It is a hot day 90+ so I skip the museum and cross over the bridge for some amazing views. I grab a sandwich and ice cream at the cafe. The river below makes for a nice swimming hole for the locals and for a few tourists, we dip our feet in after lunch.
Walk up a little higher to see the top of the aqueduct then head back to retreat into the air conditioned museum. Back on the bus at 3:30 then arrive in Avignon around 4 and check in to the hotel Bristol. Avignon is also hot over 90 and very humid so I skip the orientation walk and cool off with a quick shower and a cold beer.
1st world problems crop up, the hotel air conditioning is not working well and most of us get a little grumpy about our warm rooms. I get a small recirculating fan from the hotel staff which helps immensely. I wander outside after it cools off, and not feeling very hungry grab a chicken sandwich from McDonald's, which was a surprisingly good sandwich.

Next morning with cooler weather, I wander up the street to the Palace of the Popes.

Insert some plagiarized content" In 1309 a French pope was elected (Pope Clément V). His Holiness decided that dangerous Italy was no place for a pope, so he moved the whole operation to Avignon for a secure rule under a supportive French king. The Catholic Church literally bought Avignon and built the Palace of the Popes, where the popes resided until 1403."

There is a beautiful raised garden area above the palace that is huge with stunning views that I explore with several other tour members. I leave the group and stop back at the hotel. Later I wander through the many narrow lanes to find via GPS, the Les Halles, an enclosed shopping market with garden wall. Inside I find lots of fresh produce, meat, fish and more stinky cheese. Have lunch at a place behind the market, another great Cesar's salad and beer.
Take another break back at my hotel then I head out for my final sightseeing adventure and take a boat across to the island for a cool stroll on the other side of the river. I walk back over a bridge down river and head back to our hotel. Our group has another happy hour in the park nearby, life is good. Au revoir

France days 18/19: Nice.

The tourists are coming, the tourists are coming, oh hell, too late they are here, and I am one of them.

We arrive in Nice, drop our luggage at the hotel Aston La Scala, a swanky joint with rooftop bar and swimming pool which is way above my pay grade. We go out for an orientation walk to see the old town (Vieux Nice) area and visit the flower market area where we sample some socca from a street vendor. Our guide releases us to wander around and some of the group find a place for lunch at the Restaurant la Claire Fontaine across from the Cathédrale Sainte-Réparate de Nice. I notice our very young waiter has a look of terror on his face, he confides in me that this is his first day at work, I apologize in advance for the large group of Americans. Our group ordered salad Niçoise, Caesar salads, pizza, and some fish entrées along with some glace desert. Some in the group have order problems, Caesar salad sounds a lot like seafood salad, our 1st day on the job waiter scrambles to make corrections. We head back to the hotel to check in, I start exploring the hotel and head to the 7th floor, and find a restaurant then walk up to the roof. During the afternoon our rooftop pool area is covered with sun worshipers but later as the sun goes down, the area is transformed into a thumping disco that operates late into the night assuming you made reservations.

I go down by the waterfront, then move into the old town area to be amazed at the number of people and restaurants packed full on a busy Friday night. Wander the streets but end up eating dinner again at la Claire Fontaine, have a nice spicy Arrabbiata pasta dish. Later I head toward the Castle of Nice for some evening views, as I climb up many winding stairs I hear a band playing. Eventually I make my way near the top and stumble upon a carnival like fair with reggae band and many people enjoying the music, food and drinks which was a nice treat. I climb a little higher and take many photos from this great view point, I head back to the hotel for some needed sleep.

Saturday morning another couple on the tour tested positive for Covid, the day before the end of the tour, not a big deal at this point but officially we are down to 15. Our RS guide indicates only 7 may attend the farewell dinner, and after consulting with the small group, canceled the dinner tonight. Our guide is a little concerned as she tested positive during her first tour in April, and she begins another RS tour next week.

Moving on today, Steve and Carol lead us across the old town to find the stop for bus #100, the first bus is full, but another one comes by soon enough. We ride it to the nearby town of Villefranche-sur-Mer and then hop off the bus to find the Tourist office. We wander around the hillside streets and waterfront area, looking for shade and a place for cool drink. Go over to the public beach and dip our toes in the Mediterranean, and then come back to the waterfront area to have a late lunch at Le Cosmo.
After lunch we walk back up the hill and hop on bus #15 which has only a few passengers along with a well working air conditioner to give us a cool ride back to Nice. I take a break at my hotel from the heat, then head out later for dinner and eventually call it a night.
Tomorrow morning I will check out of our tour hotel. Cheers

France day 20, 21. Nice, Monaco
Sunday morning at breakfast we say our goodbyes to our RS tour manager and the remaining tour members.
My friends Steve and Carol are taking the bus #100 to Monaco so I join them as unofficial photographer and GPS map reader to keep us on course and we find the bus #100 going to Monaco. The main and only reason in my opinion for taking bus #100 would be for the scenic views along the way on the lower corniche road. Because we are going to Monaco, we need to buy a ticket Azur from the bus driver. Only much later I realized I bought 2 Azur tickets ($1.50 Euro each), because I showed the bus driver my index finger with thumb sticking out. oops!

We arrive in Monaco and walk down through a lovely garden above the Monte Carlo Casino. They allow us regular tourists inside for a peak and to use their fancy toilets for $1 euro. It costs $17 euro to enter the casino and you may need some appropriate clothing, but we skip the gambling and walk down by the harbor and grab some sandwiches. We walk down the street that makes up part of the F1 race course near the harbor.
My friends head for the palace, I head for the oceanographic museum. Late in the afternoon I take the bus #100 back to Nice, unfortunately I am not on the 100X express bus because it doesn't run on weekends, 38 stops later in a packed hot bus, I am finally back in Nice. Grab my stored luggage and then check into my new hotel close by. A quick shower and then into the old town area for another pasta dinner before crashing back at the hotel.

Monday, I take the tram and walk a bit to see the Russian Cathedral. Grab a sandwich around the corner and eat in the nice park next to the cathedral. Then back to the hotel to avoid the afternoon heat. Venture out around 5pm, and take the Tram to the Nice-Ville train station, buy my ticket to Monaco, go down under the tracks then back up on the correct platform just in time to jump on the train. I want to visit Monaco again to check out the Palace and walk part of the Formula 1 (F1) race course. The train is the way to go, air conditioned comfort, two decks, 22min from Nice to Monaco for $4.20 euro. 2 trains per hour. I bought the tickets from the machine in the Nice_Ville station using my credit card. The only tricky part is getting on the right platform, ask one of the station attendants for help.

Leave the train station then hop on #2 bus to travel around Monaco for a budget sightseeing tour. After looping around the city, get off by the Palace and wander the grounds for some photos and souvenir shopping and sample the ice cream (glace). Back on the bus to the casino and see many exotic cars, some driving down the F1 street course. I follow on foot down the twisty hairpin turn by the Fairmont hotel and down to the tunnel entrance. Walk through the tunnel before coming out by the marina full of expensive yachts. The area is also full of unique alternative power boats and teams competing in the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge.

It is getting late so I take the #2 bus up the hill, then walk back to the train station and arrive back in Nice around 10pm.
Tomorrow night I will be staying at an airport hotel for my early morning flight back home. Cheers

France day 22, Check out of the hotel in Nice, get on the Tram 2 heading west to the airport Terminal 2.
Half way there, in my tram car, I notice 4 people from my RS tour headed to the airport.
We arrive at Terminal 2 and say our final goodbyes. A little bad news, my "airport" hotel is not really "next" to the airport but is a 20min walk.
Luckily there is a huge shopping mall next to the hotel that is a stones throw from the beach. I take a brief dip at the beach before heading back to try the hotel pool. Cool baby! Later I grab dinner at one of the beach side restaurants and then back to my hotel.
Taxi is waiting for me at 4:30AM, drops me off at Terminal 2, KLM/Air France check in counter is busy but not too bad. Check my bag and get my boarding pass, then grab a chocolate croissant and coffee and get through security. Flight leaves on time and we arrive at Amsterdam (AMS), go through passport check, 30 min later I am through. I have a 4.5 hour layover, so plenty of time to eat and relax. Board my non stop flight to Portland, which leaves on time. Arrive at PDX and quickly through passport control with Global Entry, 30min later, back home. Over and out

I enjoyed reading your report! Sounds like a great trip.

Great report, thanks -- and this is the first I've heard of a Monaco beer, and I think it sounds better than a Michelada by far.

Wonderful report! You certainly packed a lot into your days and it sounds like a wonderful trip!

Terrific Trip Report! What a fun time you had! I could not have seen all that in the heat!

Thanks so much for taking the time to post! I've not done a My Way but they look interesting!

Apparently, Monaco is the only place on your trip where you haven't had a monaco beer !

That said, this drink was not invented in Monaco, its name comes from the white and red colors of lemonade and grenadine which are the colors of the Monaco flag.

If you don't put lemonade, it becomes a "Tango"

And if you replace the grenadine with mint it's called a Valse (waltz)

And now I'm thirsty!

Scott, very good trip report. Thanks for taking the time to share

Thanks for posting your trip report. It was fun reading it and traveling along with you.

Thanks for taking the time to do this report. We just did the My Way Italy tour and are now considering the My Way France tour, so your comments are very helpful. I guess we’ll have to try the Monaco beer next trip to France.

Thanks so much for the report. I think this is the first My Way France tour report I’ve ever seen. This tour is on my must do list for 2023.

I’ve taken note of many of the details from your report, but I’ve got a couple additional questions to fill in some gaps:

• what were the tour hotel names in Paris, Amboise, Lyon and Annecy?
• Opinions, pros/cons on the tour hotels?
• Approx how much time was spent at the Chambord chateau stop?
• The Chamonix stop seemed out of order compared to the tour description. Was it a group consensus to all go to Chamonix on the way to Annecy, rather than an optional day trip to Chamonix on day 2 of Annecy?

Enjoyed your report and re-living our recent trip to Paris & Bayeux. I’m also wondering if you are the Scott that has been in the CWSocial/East San Fran zoom travel group?

galliegirlie
I’ve got a couple additional questions to fill in some gaps:
what were the tour hotel names in Paris, Amboise, Lyon and Annecy?

Paris: Hotel Apollinaire, nice hotel, 24 hour front desk staff was very nice, modern room with good A/C and mini fridge, nice breakfast, close to 3 subway stops, and many restaurants, farmers market around the corner.

Amboise Hotel Chaptal, great location, cute living room with small bar, beer on tap, nice breakfast, room a little dated, no elevator, no mini fridge but good A/C, only real complaint: lousy lumpy mattress in my room.

Lyon: Mercure Lyon Centre Plaza Republique, great location, very nice hotel with good A/C, modern room, nice breakfast, bar with beer on tap, two elevators.

Annecy: Allobroges Park Hotel, great location, close to bus/train station, easy walk into town, entry area with living room, small bar, good breakfast, nice modern room, no mini fridge, good A/C
>Opinions, pros/cons on the tour hotels?
The Avignon Hotel Bristol was a nice hotel, great location, modern room although the bathroom in my single room a little small. The main complaints from myself and other tour members were related to the weak A/C systems in our rooms. Our RS guide indicated the room A/C systems were limited to 23C which should have been more than adequate but somehow many of the rooms still felt warm, stuffy, and humid compared to the cooler hotel hallways. The A/C systems in some of the rooms may need some maintenance. A small fan supplied by the hotel made a big difference in my room, many people ended up opening their window during the night to cool off. I realize that part of the RS tour mantra is "rooms that may be noisy, may not have A/C, no elevators etc" but when it is 85-95F outside, you really welcome and look forward to a cool air conditioned hotel room after being out all day in the sun with high temps.

Approx how much time was spent at the Chambord chateau stop?
2.5 to 3 hours if memory serves me
The Chamonix stop seemed out of order compared to the tour description. Was it a group consensus to all go to Chamonix on >the way to Annecy, rather than an optional day trip to Chamonix on day 2 of Annecy?
The weather in Chamonix was deteriorating over the next two days, light rain with clouds. The RS guide suggested we go there on the way to Annecy instead of going the next day which had worse weather forecast, the group agreed.

Thanks Scott!

Thanks for the great trip report!

I really enjoyed reading your trip report.

I bookmarked your report for future reference as this tour is on my list. Enjoyed reading it, thanks!

By the way, before my RS Paris and the Heart of France tour in 2014, I too made the mistake of taking the Roissy bus from the CDG airport to the Opera stop. It was a Saturday afternoon and everyone was jamming the sidewalks and I in a foggy jet lagged condition could not find the train station. Finally a kind young man walking with his child hailed a taxi for me. Ever since that experience, I have taken a taxi from the airport to the hotel on my trips. I decided the extra money was worth it.

"in a rolling sauna machine"....how accurate of a description, reminds me of the numerous train rides in Germany in the 1970s and '80s, plus the crowded regional trains in France in the late 1990s. Of course, all these rides were part of the summer trips when A/C was unknown.

Thanks for this enlightening and detailed report on France....sounds typical Paris, the way I knew it too in June/July, hot, noisy, crowded, hectic, traffic coming at you in all directions, or so it seems...lovely memories. My hotel room never came with A/C unless one wanted to pay extra for that.

Scott, I am so loving this trip report. I’m not done yet but I had to zip down to the bottom to comment.

So you recommend Monaco beer? We usually drink wine, bur do enjoy beer, especially when the weather is hot.

Can’t wait to go back up and follow your trip. Thank you so much.

Still not done, but it’s bedtime. I love love love those wonderful French salads. Did you ever discover the bakery sandwiches? Fantastique!

Great report. I won’t need to do this tour as I have already been to these places but it was fun to see it again through your eyes.

Scott, thank you for making this effort, very much appreciate the report.

Scott, what a fantastic report. I am looking forward to this tour. We will be taking My Way France 4 Oct - 16 Oct 22. I have copied and pasted much of your information for future reference. So helpful.

Again thanks,

Scott, we are on the same tour later this summer, neither of us speak french, given your experience with this tour, will that be a big problem for us ? Thx for any reaction.

Thanks for your comments.
You don't need to be fluent in French during the my way tour. But as Rick Steves recommends, try to learn a few simple words and phrases in French. French residents on this forum will likely add their suggestions or tips.

As stated in many guide books, very important thing to do every single time you interact with someone, whether it be hotel staff, waiter or waitress, grocery store cashier, buying a croissant, you should first say Bonjour during the day and Bonsoir in the evening. You can be more correct? with Bonjour Monsieur or Bonjour Madame. Sometimes they will respond with Bonjour Monsieur but many times just Bonjour. It becomes a habit after awhile, you will say it so often without thinking although sometimes I would forget to switch to saying Bonsoir in the evening.

You can survive with these phrases, s'il vous plaît to say please (if you please), Merci , thank you. Pardon or Excusez-moi is good to use before asking if they speak English.
Vous parlez Anglais (formal?) or Parlez vous Anglais (informal?) "do you speak English".

The cities you are visiting are full of tourists so most hotels and restaurants will have staff that speak some English and other languages. Hand gestures will work as well.

Many restaurants will have menus listing both french and English but Google translate along with the camera on your phone can help figure out french menu items. Watch and listen to other french tourists or locals to figure out how to do things like ask for a table at a restaurant. For me usually as simple as standing near the front entrance and holding up 1 or 2 fingers and then point to where you want to sit.

I usually would order my drink and food at the same time to speed up getting my food, but I don't know if that is poor etiquette in France. I would point to the item(s) on the menu to show the waiter to avoid mistakes, but be open to getting food that may surprise you. Getting on a bus?, keep it simple, say Monaco and hold up one finger, then give them the money to buy your ticket. Sometimes holding up your index finger will get you two bus tickets, oops. Don't try asking the bus driver some long winded questions in English, they need to get everyone on quickly and get moving to the next stop. In some cases there was an assistant outside the bus at the stop to answer questions. Good luck, and have fun!

Scott, once again very much appreciate your input and counsel. We have traveled throughout western Europe but this is our first significant trip to France. Your comments will allow me to prepare accordingly and also anticipate situations that we will be confronted with during our tour. It really helps to reduce the ambiguity and replace it with some clarity. Thanks again, happy travels.

I was very excited to read your thourogh trip report as we are doing this trip starting September 13. Was your guide Vero? I've been one of her patrons the past couple of years as she did video tours through Paris and then Tours before returning as a RS guide. I feel like I know her, so hoping she leads our trip.

Inviting report, Scott. Bravo and thank you.

Hand gestures: one is a thumb up with closed fist,. Two is thumb and index.

Limonade in France is not lemonade but a carbonated lemon drink, akin to a lemon-lime soda. You can order it on draft in most cafés. So your Monacos were lemon soda water, beer, and grenadine syrup. I’ve never had the ones with syrup, but beer and limonade mixed is called a panaché, radler in German. I make them in the US with sprite and bland beer like Bud. So you can buy some grenadine and continue your vacation.
A flavorful beer doesn’t work. I can’t wait to
Adding grenadine or mint is on my to-do list. Merci Scott et jolui.

A lemonade is citron pressé, translated squeezed lemon.

It’s normal practice to order drink and food at the same time, so you were on target.

Marie Altman was our RS tour "manager", apparently they don't refer to them as guides on the My way Tours.

Thanks Bets for your details, clarifications and local perspective.

I enjoyed your detailed report!
I’m wondering if the lady in the Luxembourg Gardens has “put a cork in it “ yet......

Great report. I am doing the same tour on Sept 6th. When you did the boat ride on the Seine in Paris did you just show up and get in line or did you have to book ahead?

I did not buy the Seine river boat ticket ahead of time, Saturday morning I was doing a walking tour of Notre Dame and the left bank, ended up at Pont Neuf around 12:30PM, walked down from the bridge and bought a ticket for the 1:30 departure. The tour is 1 hour, they show 14 departures staring at 10:45AM, last one at 10:15PM (22:15) More info here https://www.vedettesdupontneuf.com/home/

Great trip report! We are doing this tour next year and I am curious about your experience at the Hotel Aston la Scala in Nice. It has many negative reviews as of late which I find concerning.