Trip Report – Paris, Brittany and Normandy April 26-May 20

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Fitness Level: I was concerned traveling this time of year that I would not be in good enough shape to manage Paris or a tour. We had a horrible winter with snow late in to the spring and my local walking trail was not clear until March. I usually like to get in a 10 mile walk before I head out on vacation but that was just not going to happen. I did do some consistent 5-6 mile walks which turned out to be OK. The Road Scholar tour was rated at active which for them means 1-2 miles a day, so that’s a lot less than ~any~ of the Rick Steves tours I’ve done. I had fallen last year in London which impacted my trip, caused a Plantar Fasciitis flare and I wanted to prevent any foot problems this time. I was consistent all winter about wearing my Correct Toes toe spacers for foot strengthening and that worked well. I managed 7-10 miles most days in Paris with no problem. That made me so happy that I will consider doing a spring tour again!

Weather: When I landed at CDG on the AM of April 27 it was 33 degrees, according to the pilot. (And thank you Delta pilot who knew I can’t think in C’s but have to think in F’s!!) Yes, it was pretty darn chilly and windy as well! The last few days of the tour it was pretty warm and in fact capris would have been useful. After I left I noticed on the meteoParis FB page that it was a heat wave! Some rain throughout – I always have a waterproof jacket and umbrella. The only day it was really bad was an afternoon in Rouen and it did drive me inside. It was the day before we returned to Paris so I needed to re-organize my suitcase anyway.

Wardrobe: I started a thread here - https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/packing/capsule-wardrobe-paris-and-western-france-april-may - about my wardrobe. In reflecting, it worked pretty well. I did, ahem, wind up with 2 new scarves, lol!! I could probably have cut a SS tee shirt. I did not wear the black one much but it was so chilly in Paris I slept in it instead of my pjs which were not warm enough. Next time, yes, I will leave in the long sleeve shirt. I might consider packing capris instead of one of the long pants. I always pack a white tee shirt as it just seems so comfortable. This is the one I always have to wash the most often and I want to say I won’t bring white again but that is probably a lie, lol!!

Shoes: This winter I got Altra Lone Peak hiking boots to replace my old ones that just were not comfortable. These felt great and I went for the Lone Peak low cut shoe for this trip. Yes, it’s an athletic shoe. It is not as minimalist as many of the Altra’s are but it is a Zero Drop platform. It has a thick sole. They were WONDERFUL! I did not even have my other shoes out of the suitcase except to re-pack. The low cuts are not waterproof but they were fine for the amount of rain we were in. The tour guide showed up a couple of days in Hunter rain boots. We gave him a hard time but he was able to ward off the rain with them! One of his other pr of shoes were Pikolino boots – be still my heart. For socks I changed from Smartwool which I have worn the last couple of years to Injinji Toe Socks. I got blisters on my toes last year with the Smartwools and my Correct Toes. The Injinji’s worked really well but I did not have any non-toe socks and I really needed a break from always having stuff between my toes.

Pickpockets: Yes, I did get picked in Paris, likely on the Paris metro. Lesson learned. No harm done except some thief has my good hand lotion, lol!! https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/general-europe/oops-sort-of-pick-pocketed-on-paris-metro-yesterday I was consistent the rest of the trip with my carabiner use inside my purse and will work on a better system for my next trip.

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Security and Personal safety: I’m old. I live in a very small town in North Idaho where a traffic jam is a loaded log truck and 3 pickups. I try to have situational awareness but really, how good can that be when I am not used to what the local area feels like? (Loved Emma’s comments on this recently.) I did a lot of people watching from cafes and park benches and it seems to me that Parisians are going on with life as usual. I saw parents walking kids to school (normal) and picking them up in the afternoon. I saw Jr high age kids race down a pedestrian street to Amorino for after school ice cream and waffles and then sit in a group at the outside tables acting like kids anywhere (phones and giggles). I saw what appeared to be High School age kids gather on a main street to wait for the bus to school, then in the afternoon, they flooded the local bagel shop, lol. Waiters in sidewalk cafes nod and speak to locals as they pass. Security is tight at museums. The only museum I went to that didn’t have metal detectors was at Les Invalides and they had a bag search, then a soldier wanding everyone, including gray-haired, chunky American tourists. I’m OK with that. In Paris I saw lots of 4-member military foot patrols. At NO time did I feel any kind of threat or weirdness. I did pause as I walked over the Pont Alexandre III on a crowded Sunday afternoon to think about an escape route should something happen and yes, I did look in both directions before I walked out there. I spent a few hours with a friend at CDG as we dropped off one friend to head back home and met the other friend’s husband who was flying in. I wondered if that would feel weird but it did not. We walked ALL of pre-security 2E and walked the tunnel over to 2F (I think). We poked around in the M&S and had coffee at a Paul. No problem…except the darn taxi touts were out in force by the International arrival exit and kept bugging everyone. I took the TGV out to Quimper from Gare Montparnasse – again no problem but also no security at my particular platform. (I had seen that they were installing security barriers for some TGV trains). Once in Quimper and for the rest of the time in Brittany and most of Normandy, very little feeling that there is any kind of security threat. I did not see military patrols for 2 weeks – not until I got to Giverny and saw them on the Main Street. Here is my take – There WILL be another incident somewhere, some time but in the meanwhile do what the French are doing. Go to Paris. Go to France. Drink wine. Eat ice cream. Enjoy yourself.

Paris Walks: I have done a number of London Walks, and altho I have suggested Paris Walks to people had never had it work so I could do one. I did 2 this time. One was Franklin and Jefferson in Paris and Paris During the Occupation. Both were led by Brad who was excellent. I would recommend both but particularly the Occupation one. So interesting to see the hotel where the German Command stayed and have the rooms points out to you.

Road Scholar Tour: Brittany and Normandy: Distinctive Beauty, Proud Ways of Life

Overview: I specifically picked this tour because it went to Carnac and other Neolithic sights in Brittany. It was all I wanted it to be and more. This was truly a fantastic tour – great itinerary, unbelievably excellent guide, fun group. My main gripe with Road Scholar tours is that they don’t have Rick’s famous No Grumps rule which I think makes a huge difference. This tour was terrific though, no grumps! I think because it was a bit harder to get to the start that that weeds out some people who are higher maintenance. Road Scholar does provide transportation from airport to the 1st hotel if you book airfare thru them and also provides luggage handling in hotels. There were 21 of us on the tour plus the guide and bus driver, so a nice group. Road Scholar guides and drivers join the group like the Rick Steves guides/drivers do.

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Pre-tour: The first tour night was in Quimper. I always feel more confident if I arrive the day before so I took the train from Gare Montparnasse out to Quimper a day early. My train was actually stopped for over an hour in Vannes as there was a fire near the tracks that required them to cut power to the train while the firefighters worked. Of course, all the announcements were in rapid French and I understood nothing. The man sitting next to me explained what was happening, then after more delay he got off saying he had called his wife to come get him in Vannes. Time passed, more announcements, more people got off the train (in addition to the smoking contingent who had immediately leaped off and were chain smoking on the platform, lol!!). I asked a young man nearby if he spoke English and of course he did. He explained the company was putting on a bus to take people to intermediate stops but since I was going to Quimper (end of the line) to stay on board. He kept me updated which was very nice. We were about 1.5 hours late getting in to Quimper so I was glad I was a day ahead!

Quimper: 3 nights on tour here, plus my extra night. Loved this little town with lots of half-timbered houses and cute small gardens! There is a permanent market in Quimper but on Saturdays there is a Bio (organic) market as well. I enjoy wandering thru markets to see what the produce looks like even if I am not going to buy. The strawberries smelled wonderful! We had a local guide the first full day of the tour, so did the standard walking tour and museum tour. There was a recital at the cathedral some of us enjoyed. Very interesting cathedral with Nave that is not straight! It angles off to the left! The next day with the local guide we did a loop out to Pointe du Raz and back thru Locranon. Gorgeous scenery, interesting fishing villages, seaweed ovens, ancient sights ( Menez Dregan – use of fire pre 400,000BC!!), bilingual signs. We had performance by Breton musicians and dancers one night. The guide says he never knows how many will show up as every time they run the tour more dancers come. It was clear they were enjoying performing for us!

Vannes: 2 nights just outside the city wall. Stopped at Pont-Aven (Gauguin and other painters) on the way here, wow, what a cute village! Full day here was a short lecture by a Breton archeologist who then accompanied us to Locmariaquer and Carnac. With her we were able to go inside the stone area which has limited visitation during the tourist season. English tours go once a day I think, unless you are with an approved guide. Loved these sights and yes this was exactly what I was looking for.

Saint-Malo: I loved our 3 nights this town! I loved watching the huge tides ebb and flow, loved watching the little islets get isolated then have the paths out to them show up. I had a list of things to do here but did not get them all done. We stopped by Josselin Castle on the way here and had a quick stop at Dinan. There were a number of school tours in Dinan so it seemed crowded with lots of teenagers running around. One full day was going to Cancale (oysters) and Mont Saint-Michel. I’d been to MSM on the Rick Steves Paris and Heart of France tour where we spent the night. I didn’t much care for it then and hoped I would like it better this time. It was OK, but really to me, this is a sight that looks better from far off rather than up close. The other full day we spent doing a walking tour of Saint-Malo and a free afternoon.

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Caen: 3 nights here with 2 full days at D-Day Beaches. The guide diverted from the itinerary and added in a quick visit to Pegasus Bridge which was awesome. He also worked in a quick stop to Longue sur Mer (The Longest Day – the scene where the German looks out of his bunker and sees the whole Allied Fleet heading toward him. Was supposed to be at Longue sur Mer but actually was down the coast a bit.) Had visited Omaha and Pointe du Hoc before on the HOF tour. New was seeing Gold Beach, Arromanches and the remains of the Mulberry Harbor there. Went to the Caen Museum of Peace which was nice but again, tons of school groups, very crowded and I would prefer to spend time at the actual sites. We ended the first beach tour day with a visit to a cidre producer and had a tasting of apple juice, cidre (hard cider), an aperitif called Pommeau (similar to sherry but wow, so very good!) and Calvados. He is located near Point du Hoc and his apple orchard is in the area where the Advanced Landing Ground 6 was. (An ALG was a temporary air strip)

Rouen: 2 nights with a quick stop in Honfleur on the way. Nice harbor town but 6 or 7 river cruises were in port and even with just 120 people on each the town felt very crowded. Very interesting double nave church. Walking tour in Rouen and a free afternoon. What was really cool was that for dinner the guide gave us the meal vouchers French workers get and sent us on our way. That was fun!

Paris: Stopped in Giverny on the way back to Paris

Road Scholar hotels: City Center as much as they can. The one in Vannes was just outside the city wall but there were no other hotels that could really accommodate a tour group inside the wall. Saint-Malo was the nicest hotel – 1st hotel outside the gate, ocean front with a tremendous view of the water from the breakfast room. They do use chain hotels instead of family hotels, so had 3 Oceania, 2 Mercure and a Best Western.

Guide: This guide was fabulous. Masters degree in Archeology. Used to be a news reader for BBC in Ulan Bator among other things. I felt about him the way I have felt about many of my very favorite Rick Steves’ guides – which is that I would go on ~any~ tour he leads. Very bright, extremely well read, enormous depth of knowledge about Brittany, Normandy, customs, history, pre-history and for heaven’s sake, tide coefficients. Did various readings related to the sights we had seen including one from a book of interviews of German soldiers who were defending along the coast on DDay.

Local guides: Used the same system that Rick’s tours use. Local guides were wonderful, particularly the Quimper guide, the local archeology guide and the Rouen guide.

All in all this was a wonderful vacation! I love my time in Paris and really, really enjoyed Brittany and Normandy.

Thank you, Pam, for this report. I got a Road Scholar catalog today n the mail and have been flirting with the idea of "cheating" on RS by taking one of their tours. I, like you, am a little leery of being in a group which includes some who feel entitled. Also not certain about feeling included if traveling solo. Did you take a single supplement?

Laughing at cheating on Rick. Yes, I feel that way too.

Patricia, yes, I always do the single supplement. There were 2 women on my tour who did not pay the supplement and seemed to manage OK. All in all, there were 2 of us who paid the single supplement and 2 solo travelers who were matched.

I find traveling solo on either Rick or Road Scholar tours to work out fine. I do like the single supp as I usually need time away from the group, lol. I have been on a Road Scholar tour where there was one person that I absolutely could not have roomed with - she didn't bathe for 2 weeks!!! And yes, she was sharing with a stranger.

I've now done 8 each of Rick's and Road Scholar.

Thank you Pam. My husband and I arrived for the RS Paris Heart of France tour after spending three glorious weeks in Germany. Paris was not my favorite town. My favorite part of that tour was Normandy. I feel the same as you about Mt. St. Michel. RS does not really have a good tour that does the North of France justice. He needs to start a villages of Northern France. Thank you for all your comments. Your report is packed with information.

Great report, Pam! Thanks for taking the time to share it. Our two weeks in Paris have been much as you described - life as usual, as far as I can tell. We're taking the train to St-Malo tomorrow. So glad to read your positive reviews!

Welcome home, Pam. And thank you for posting another comprehensive, enjoyable and well-written trip report. It sounds like your tour was exactly what you hoped for and then some. I really love that part of France and would love to spend even more time there. The Standing Stones at Carnac have always fascinated me and although I have seen them, all we had with us was a guide book and I would have loved having an in depth tour with a guide to explain all. I agree with others that I wasn't wowed by MSM, although I found it's use as a prison and the logistics of providing for the monks who lived there fascinating! I haven't visited St. Malo but hope to do so some day soon. It sounds quite amazing. Thanks for sharing your trip with us. I always love reading your trip reports!

Pissarro, I hope you love the HOF tour. I really enjoyed taking it several years ago! I did like the DDay guide we had with that tour better than the specific DDay guide Road Scholar uses.

Nancy! Have a wonderful time in Saint-Malo! You two are much more experienced travelers than I but I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! I'll expect a discussion on Saint-Malo tide coefficients on your return. I wanted to get over to the 39-45 bunker site just out of the walls but didn't get there.

Thanks Andi! The archeologist really described a lot before and while we were on site. When we entered the gated area she led the way and Thomas, our guide was behind. He said they always have to be careful as people will try to attach themselves to the group so he was in charge of locking the gate. The archeologist said on one of her visits a woman cried and nearly threw herself on the ground when she realized she couldn't attach herself and also was not going to be allowed in. She hadn't done enough research to see that the official English tours only went once a day. They also said by Fall the paths around the stones are really trampled down and in sad shape.

Thanks for such a treasure trove of specific, varied and useful information. We are also looking at a couple Road Scholar itineraries related to WW locations.
The message I get from my Travel Guru Rick is " Travel!" Not " Take only my trips." Another one of the reasons we agree with and/ or support his company. I think Road Scholar also has an admirable history of both inception and vision. Your post will be very helpful as we plan 2018 travel. Thanks!

TravelingMom, I'd be interested to know what you decide on. I've looked at Rick's Belgium and Holland tour as it does a day with WWI sights.

While we were in Honfleur there was a Road Scholar river cruise docked there that I think had a focus on WWII sights. Our guide, Thomas, had gone over to chat with their guide after he took us on our walking tour and set us free.

Pam, great trip report! Enjoyed reading it and loved all the details. Thanks for posting.