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Post by mez on Nov 2, 2010 19:44:14 GMT -5
I need some help.
On my next trip, places I would really like to see are Mont St Michel, some of the Loire Valley and of course, Paris. Ideally MSM and LV will each involve an overnight stay to make the most of my visit. My preference is to take public transport but I realise a car would give me greater flexibility and I am prepared to hire one.
At this stage, I am definitely leaving London on Friday 13 May. I plan to leave France (Paris) either on the 24th or 25th May. I need to be in Paris from 22 May as I am planning to attend the French Open tennis tournament.
So, some questions...
1. Is it better to visit the Loire Valley on a weekday or weekend?
I can head straight here from London and spend Fri/Sat night in the area. My other option is to spend the weekend in Paris and on Monday take the train to the area (perhaps Tours?) and hire a car there.
2. How on earth do I fit in MSM in this scenario? Is driving from Tours (or other selected LV town) the best way in this instance?
3. Should I change my plan and try to reach MSM first and then head to the LV instead?
4. Is Paris the best place to start? Should I consider arriving in another town and starting the trip there?
Crys of shock aside, I am prepared to shave a day or two from Paris to do this trip. I am open to any other routes you recommend. Nothing for my trip to France is booked (transport or accommodation) so I have some flexibility to play around with.
Things I have considered/discounted:
- Day trips from Paris to LV are out. This is not my style of travel and frankly, sounds like torture
- Ferry from the UK to France (eg. Portsmouth to Caen). While I would consider it for the novelty, crossing times need me to start travel before the birds are up or to leave London one day earlier. Neither option is palatable
- Car rental is cheapest when returning to the same location. I assume I will be doing this unless I find a well-priced one-way drop off point.
Thank you,
Mez
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Post by sunshine817 on Nov 3, 2010 4:25:44 GMT -5
Hi, Mez -- as you've sussed out, MSM and the LV are different directions...BUT they can be combined into a multiple-day trip.
MSM is 3-1/2 hours by car from Paris, and definitely an overnight. You could get to Paris, and pick up the car at somewhere on the northwest side of Paris, then drive to MSM, stopping at Giverny the first day. Continue on toward MSM. Next day at the Mont, and stay at the Mont again.
Next morning, circle down to Fougeres, a spectacularly-restored medieval fortress just on the border of Bretagne. The first time I saw it, it was little more than organized piles of rubble - it's now almost completely rebuilt, and they've done a bangup job of it - there aren't even any "seams" of new stone to tell you what's been rebuilt.
On round that afternoon to the cathedral at Chartres.
Then go on round to the Loire for a day or two, then drop your car at Tours and take the train back into Paris. Most car rentals will allow a one-way drop within the same country, but ask to be certain.
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Post by mez on Nov 3, 2010 6:14:15 GMT -5
Thank you for the suggestions. I'll be plotting this trip on my map over the weekend.  Giverny is also on my list, so seeing it in your post is a welcome surprise. |
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Post by Anne on Nov 3, 2010 11:55:05 GMT -5
You should definetly try to avoid visiting the LV or the MSM or any other touristic place on a week-end.
In case you decide to go and/or come back from the LV by train, Tours is indeed the most central city and also the one with the best choice of trains. Be careful though, there is one station at Tours centre and another one at Tours-St Pierre des Corps. Some trains stop only at St Pierre des Corps, not Tours, and even though both stations are only a few kms away you would be in trouble if you had booked a car at the wrong station.
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Post by mez on Nov 3, 2010 18:23:18 GMT -5
You should definetly try to avoid visiting the LV or the MSM or any other touristic place on a week-end. Yes, I agree. I suppose I thought it would be easier just to keep moving once I left London. Decisions, decisions... |
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Post by phread on Nov 4, 2010 5:11:19 GMT -5
When we take visitors to Mont St Michel, we now stay at St Malo, which is a fun, bustling port town with great restaurants, impressive remparts and an interesting history.
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Post by mez on Dec 29, 2010 19:58:39 GMT -5
Hi everyone! I have had some time to think about this part of my trip and just want to run these plans past you all. I'd appreciate any help you can offer with my planning. Some general notes: - My plans do include travelling over the weekend - somewhat unavoidable, so I will need to make the best of it. - I am travelling in this direction as I want to be on MSM for high tide (May 15-21). I am open to other suggestions. - Does anyone have any car hire company recommendations? I will be collecting the car from Gare du Nord. Fri May 13 - Arrive from London via Eurostar around lunchtime. Collect rental car at Gare du Nord and head to Loire Valley for some chateau sight-seeing - Still looking for place to sleep for 2 nights. Must have car parking. Sat 14 MayLoire Valley chateaus and perhaps a bike ride/long walk Sun May 15- Morning: Loire Valley - Afternoon: Head to MSM. Stay overnight on MSM. As kitschy as it appears, I think I will regret not staying on MSM. Mon 16 May- Drive to Bayeaux - Spend day and one night here. I am still looking for a hotel with car parking facilities. Any recommendations welcome. I think Geordy and Shoesy stayed at one that fits the bill, but can't find it in my notes right now. Tues 17 May- Drive to Giverny and see Monet's gardens - Drive to Paris and return car - 1st day of Paris apartment rental. The keys will be sent to me, so I don't need to worry about having to meet an agency rep. An alternate plan is to spend an additional day in the Loire Valley. This would mean on Tues 17th, I would drive to Bayeaux, do all the things I want as a day trip and head into Paris in the late afternoon. I would remove Giverny and perhaps add this as a day trip to my Paris itinerary. Finally, nothing has been booked yet but I am keen to start doing so. |
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Post by geordy on Dec 30, 2010 7:38:49 GMT -5
We stayed at the Hotel Churchill in Bayeaux. There are a couple of photos I believe in Shoesy's report.
Fairly large parking lot right at the back of the hotel..actually you walk through it to get to the Tapestry, Cathedral, and the rest of the Olde Town..the hotel fronts on the main street of the new town,
As Central as you can get, sic and span, very nice!
I think staying the night at MSM would be cool too!
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Post by janetnj on Dec 30, 2010 9:08:14 GMT -5
Another option in Bayeux is the Hotel Lion d'Or. Friends who have gone to Bayeux several times recommended it to me, along with the Churchill. I believe it has parking. I ended up at a B&B because both were booked.
I think staying at MSM would be cool, too. It's so touristy during the day with all the buses. Once they leave, I think the atmosphere would be totally different.
Haven't been to the Loire Valley since 1990, so I'm sure others would have better recommendations. We stayed at a quaint inn (l'Auberge du Centre, forget the name of the town) with a restaurant and garden that was just so nice to relax in during the evening. And desserts with fresh frambroises. 20 years later it's still a great memory.
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Post by Anne on Dec 30, 2010 9:18:32 GMT -5
I can recommand Le Clos d'Amboise as a hotel in the Loire Valley since we spent a night there in our WWs Loire trip last spring. Very cute old provincial France place, with a lovely garden and even a small swimming pool for the end of the day if the weather is warm enough. Good value too. They have a garage too, although I remember that some people complained on TA that it was quite tight. We didn't see/use it since we were lucky enough to find a free parking place almost in front of the hotel (how I managed to insert our rental car into this place is another matter  ). Also the town of Amboise is extremely central to the best castles and a very cute town too, although that makes it quite touristy. If you'd prefer a more remote place, there are plenty of B&Bs in the countryside around, quite a few being converted manoirs or even castles. www.leclosamboise.com/UK.aspAs far as the car is concerned, I guess that all of the big international companies are more or less worth the same, so if I were you I would just check their price offers and choose the cheapest one. I don't know about the budget and/or smaller companies, but since you plan to cover quite much ground with that car, I think that you should stick to the reputed companies with lots of agencies all over France (Avis, Hertz, Europcar, ...). I must say that I admire you for planning to drive all the way through Paris traffic on your arrival, even more since you are used to driving on the "wrong" side of the road  . A friend of mine took a night visit of the MSM, the place being then lighted by a few torchs which she said gave the whole place a totally different and quite fascinating atmosphere. |
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Post by frenchmystiquetour on Dec 30, 2010 13:29:24 GMT -5
Mez - I think the itinerary you came up with is very reasonable and doable. I'm not much with hotel and car rentals but I might have a couple of tips to offer. First, there is nothing kitschy about spending the night on MSM. I had been there several times before spending my first overnight back in September and it is a completely different place at night when it is all lit up and the tourists are gone. Our hotel backed-up to the ramparts and we could walk out the back door right onto the ramparts. The hotels and restaurants are pricey but you are paying for the location. I've heard many people complain about windy, spiral staircases in the hotels being a problem for them but these are centuries old buildings and that's just the way things are. Hopefully windy stairs and having to bring your suitcase up and down isn't a problem for you. It didn't bother me in the least. I would recommend booking your room on the Mont as far in advance as possible. There's limited accommodation and much of it is booked months in advance.
When parking at The Mont I believe the parking lot for hotel guests is the closest one to the Mont. Check with your hotel so you can avoid being in a further lot and having to pay to park. My mind is failing me but I think hotel guests park for free. If I'm wrong about this someone can correct me. If you arrive late enough the parking attendants will be gone and you can park nice and close with no worries about paying.
On Sunday when you are leaving the Loire for MSM I think you would enjoy a stop in Fougères on your way (as Sunshine had mentioned). This depends on what you might be doing in the Loire in the morning and what time you have to be at The Mont and/or check-in to your hotel. But if you've got an extra couple hours to play with it merits the slight detour.
Another thing to keep in mind is that at this time of year days are getting long so sunset may not be till around 9:00+-, giving you lots of daylight to work with.
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Post by mez on Dec 30, 2010 17:28:16 GMT -5
Thank you, everyone. I do like it when a plan comes together. I will start the booking process soon. Another thing to keep in mind is that at this time of year days are getting long so sunset may not be till around 9:00+-, giving you lots of daylight to work with. The extended daylight was a key reason why I chose to travel in the spring this time. My usual preference is autumn - especially when the weather starts getting cooler. The trade off is the diminished daylight hours. You can't have everything. |
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Post by mez on Jan 4, 2011 9:25:56 GMT -5
OK, hotels are now booked for MSM and Bayeaux. Only need my Loire accom and car rental to go. I ended up booking the Mouton Blanc on MSM. It's reviews are on par with many of the other hotels, yet at over half the price! I also decided to go for the single in the Churchill hotel - it's only a night. Mind you, I probably should have asked for the OPF discount given the number of us that have stayed there already. The hard part is coming up...the Paris itinerary...so much to do, so little time. |
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Post by cigalechanta on Jan 4, 2011 11:05:32 GMT -5
After the day trippers leave the Mount, night closes in, MSM becomes masgical compared to the swarm of tourists
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kurgy
Junior Member
Posts: 67
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Post by kurgy on Jan 30, 2011 16:41:54 GMT -5
Hi Mez,
thanks for writing up which hotel you booked at - it was a great tip! We are staying for 2 nights 23/7-25/7.
Our trip is very slowly coming together too!
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Post by mez on Jan 30, 2011 23:29:42 GMT -5
Hi Mez, thanks for writing up which hotel you booked at - it was a great tip! We are staying for 2 nights 23/7-25/7. Our trip is very slowly coming together too! Ah, Kurgy, no need for the thanks...I am only following in the footsteps of all the OPFers before us.  Unlike you, I am starting to feel incredibly overwhelmed.  Please send some of your positive vibes my way!!! My trip is 7 weeks long and while I am set with transportation and accommodation for the most part, my itinerary planning has barely begun - all I seem to have is lists, lists and more lists. And I leave in a few short months - gulp! |
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kurgy
Junior Member
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Post by kurgy on Feb 1, 2011 8:52:41 GMT -5
Mez - where are u going for 7 weeks? back to france after this may trip?
oh i am feeling extremely overwhelmed - its all consuming! were just doing the accommodation bits and it really is beginning to feel like a full time job! im online constantly! i had to set up another email just for my travel enquiries, so i dont miss them.
we are likely to book villa concorde in the loire, its a bit expensive for my liking, but its the only one that has a separate bedroom, set more like an apt - which we need, otherwise we'll be sleeping at 7pm every night!
sending u heaps & heaps of positive vibes! i hope u escaped the sydney heat that all my friends were complaining about yesterday!
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Post by mez on Feb 1, 2011 17:06:58 GMT -5
Mez - where are u going for 7 weeks? back to france after this may trip? oh i am feeling extremely overwhelmed - its all consuming! were just doing the accommodation bits and it really is beginning to feel like a full time job! im online constantly! i had to set up another email just for my travel enquiries, so i dont miss them. we are likely to book villa concorde in the loire, its a bit expensive for my liking, but its the only one that has a separate bedroom, set more like an apt - which we need, otherwise we'll be sleeping at 7pm every night! sending u heaps & heaps of positive vibes! i hope u escaped the sydney heat that all my friends were complaining about yesterday! Oh, good. I feel better knowing I am not the only one felling lik eI am chained to the computer organising travel plans. Heavens yes, it's hot! Last night it was still over 30 deg at 2am. I did fall asleep with no trouble because I am just so exhausted. This morning I woke up feeling icky and sticky. I came to work early and I am not leaving until much later just to take advantage of the air con. ;D As for the travel, my 7 weeks takes me to Amsterdam, London/Bath, France (Paris & as per this thread), New York City and San Francisco. |
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kurgy
Junior Member
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Post by kurgy on Feb 1, 2011 21:26:53 GMT -5
Oh WOW! what a trip!
Have u found accommodation in San Francisco or NYC yet?
I can recommend some very basic, but extremely good value ones.
It gets really really humid here in Miami and temps got to 38! But most of the homes have central aircon, so its bearable if you dont go outside. Nowadays, if its 27C - I feel I need a cardigan!
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Post by mez on Feb 2, 2011 1:59:28 GMT -5
Have u found accommodation in San Francisco or NYC yet? I can recommend some very basic, but extremely good value ones. I do have hotels booked but they can all be cancelled if I find a great rate, so feel free to pass on the hotel info to me. Nowadays, if its 27C - I feel I need a cardigan! You have turned into a leightweight! |
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). 
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Please send some of your positive vibes my way!!! My trip is 7 weeks long and while I am set with transportation and accommodation for the most part, my itinerary planning has barely begun - all I seem to have is lists, lists and more lists. And I leave in a few short months - gulp!
hahahha