My son is moving to London April 2009. My husband and I are planning on visiting him in early July and going to Paris as well. Unfortunately my spouse has to go back to work but I am a teacher in the USA thus I have the whole summer off. A female friend is going to meet me in Europe and I was thinking that she should meet me in Paris then she and I can go to the French Riviera. We are 55 years old and might have her 25 year old daughter tagging along.
How far is it from Paris to the French Riviera? How would we get there ? What is there to see ? We are def. beach people here in the USA that is why I was thinking of seeing France%26#39;s beaches. Can you recommend any good hotels?
Any information would be greatly appreciated.
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Hi -
You need to get a couple of decent guide books and both you and your friend should read them, making your wish lists as you go along. The tag along daughter should read one as well.
Once you%26#39;ve done some reading, you%26#39;ll have an idea of the places and things that most interest you.
A good resource to have beside a regular guide book is Rick Steves%26#39; Paris Through the Back Door. It does a great job of guiding a reader through the process of planning a trip to Europe, so you forget nothing.
BTW, if you don%26#39;t yet have a US passport, do it now. If you do have one, check it today to ensure that it will still be valid when you wish to travel. There isn%26#39;t a lot of time between now and when you travel to deal with a passport, so be prepared to use a courier service to get it for you. It%26#39;s much the most time-effective way to get your documents.
You need to do enough research to develop some parameters for this trip. The forum%26#39;s posters are very generous with the time and their knowledge, but they aren%26#39;t trip planners, on demand.
If you have difficulty finding the guide books in a local bookstore, you can order them from www.amazon.com. The Rick Steves book, you can order directly from him, and if you do that, also order his European Railway Map. You%26#39;ll be able to get a feel for the relative locations of the various cities in France, and the rest of Europe as well, and you%26#39;ll see where the various railway routes are located. It%26#39;s a good thing to own. Get it at: www.ricksteves.com
Do not go off half cocked and buy some rail pass or other on the premise that it will save you loads of money. It probably will save you none, and you%26#39;ll be irritated all through your trip. There%26#39;s always lots of time to buy one if it seems that there is a pass that will be useful. Rick Steves sells all the passes, and from him they are only a day away with FedEx, so there%26#39;s no rush, yet.
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Thank you for your advice. We all have passports and they haven%26#39;t expired.
My sister has been to England 4 times, Paris, Italy and Spain once. I know she has different guide books. I will ask her today for them.
When I first arrive, I will be in London then take the train to Paris. We haven%26#39;t worked out all the details, still in the planning stages. I was thinking that once my spouse leaves Paris, I could stay there and my friend could meet me there. That is why I was wondering how far is it from Paris to the south of France and how would we get there.
If you have any other suggestions of what to see and do in Paris and the surrounding area, I am open for it. My hubby and I will only be able to have 2 days in Paris. I am sure there is more to see and do just there.
These are all ideas I am kicking around in my head.
I am open to all suggestions.
Thanks.
Mary Ann
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You could drive, taking your time over several days and ending up somewhere like Nice. You could take the TGV (very fast train) probably as far as Nice without changing and taking a number of hours, or you could get off at Avignon, sightsee around Provence and end up at the coast. Or you could fly to the south.
Beaches in France are different and interesting. Mostly they are private and you pay to hire a sunbed and umbrella inside an enclosure. There are public sections but they do not have the nice facilities. Some hotels own their own so if you are staying at a hotel you might get the beach free or discounted.
The sand tends to be pebbles or fairly grainy, not soft and white in most places. There is little in the way of surf. People hire pedal boats etc. You have the advantage of pretty and interesting towns behind much of the beach and villages inland that can be visited by bus or train.
This is what it looked like at Menton, where we stayed a few days.
nickbooth.id.au/Images/…Menton.jpg
nickbooth.id.au/Images/…197Menton-Beach.jpg
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Loved those photos....that is what I expected from other photos I have seen.
I am not sure what we will do. My friend is away this week and won%26#39;t be back until the 19th. I don%26#39;t know if she would want to travel to southern France.
These are just some ideas that I have been thinking of. I have never been to Europe at all. My friend was to England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland two years ago. My hubby has been to Germany and the Netherlands on business. Our son is being stationed in England with the US Air Force as a JAG lawyer.
Now is finally my time to travel. I have sent my sons to Europe and I have never been.
Maybe we%26#39;ll just stay in Paris. I am sure there is a lot to see there.
Thank you for all your help. I truly appreciate it.
I see you are from Australia .....that must be a long flight to Europe.....
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Yes, 19-23 hours in the air. We make the most of it when we go.
Provence is probably my favourite region in France but I can do without the beaches. There is plenty to occupy yourself in Paris, however, and numerous side trips you can take in just a day, like to Versailles, Chartres, Giverny (Monet%26#39;s garden and house)Some people even get as far as the Loire and the chateaux if they use a TGV and then hire a car.
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