Help with France itinerary

Below is a rough itinerary for an 18-day drive through France next month. I've
listed the main sites we're thinking of visiting and a tentative hotel
choice for each night (in caps). If I've missed something spectacular (or if
something should be in the don't-bother category), I'd like to hear your
ideas.

I'd also welcome recommendations for different hotels/b&bs and for
moderately priced restaurants in the areas we're visiting. I'd especially
appreciate advice on how we might consolidate hotel nights. I've tried to
arrange it so we don't have to change hotels too often, but with the price
of tolls and gas, we'd also like to avoid too much backtracking.

Has anyone taken a hot-air balloon ride over the Loire Valley? The main
company is www.franceballoons.com, but they're also quite expensive (180,
225 or 230 euros per person, depending on which of their web pages you
consult). If you know of a reliable but more affordable company, please let
me know.

Finally, a packing question: I figure Normandy will still be sweater
weather, but I'm not sure about what clothes and outerwear we'll need for
late April in the south.

Thanks for your help.

4/17 -- Arrive CDG 8:20 am. & pick up rental car. Giverny, Rouen, Jumieges
Abbey.
HONFLEUR - Mercure Hotel
4/18 -- Pays d'Auge countryside, Ponte Audemer, Deauville, (Etretat?).
HONFLEUR - Mercure Hotel
4/19 -- Caen & Bayeux
BAYEUX - Hotel d'Argouges
4/20 - D-day beaches and cemeteries, Point du Hoc, St. Mere Eglise. Drive to
Mont St. Michel area.
MONT ST. MICHEL -- La Jacotiere
4/21 -- Mont St. Michel, St. Malo, Dinan. Drive to Loire Valley.
CHENONCEAU -- La Rosaraie
4/22 - Chenonceau, Chambord, maybe Cheverny chateaux. Hot-air balloon ride
over chateaux.
CHENONCEAU -- La Rosaraie
4/23 - Chinon, Montresor, wine tasting or wine cellar tour.
CHENONCEAU -- La Rosaraie
4/24 -- Oradour sur Glane, Sarlat, Beynac.
BEYNAC -- Residence Versailles
4/25 - Cenac market, Dordogne canoe trip, (Grotte de Font de Gaume?).
BEYNAC - Residence Versailles
4/26 -- (Rocamadour?), Grotte du Pech Merle, St. Cirque du Popeil,
(Cahors?), scenic route to Albi.
ALBI -- ???
4/27 -- Albi basilica, Lautrec museum, Carcassonne.
CAUNES-MINERVOIS or MINERVE -- ???
4/28 to 5/2 - Provence: Nimes, Arles, Avignon, Aix, Provence, Les Baux,
Camargue, Cassis, Luberon villages.
ST. REMY - Villa Glanum
5/3 - Ardeche Gorge, (Lyon?).
LYON/BRON - airport hotel (???).
5/4 - Noon flight back to USA

============
Karen Walker, Champaign IL www.prairienet.org/bridge

Wow
just arrived, no jetlag and directly to Honfleur by car ??

"Karen Walker" a écrit dans le message de news:
EMZSf.830970$x96.827119@attbi_s72...
Below is a rough itinerary for an 18-day drive through France next month.
I've listed the main sites we're thinking of visiting and a tentative
hotel choice for each night (in caps). If I've missed something
spectacular (or if something should be in the don't-bother category), I'd
like to hear your ideas.

I'd also welcome recommendations for different hotels/b&bs and for
moderately priced restaurants in the areas we're visiting. I'd especially
appreciate advice on how we might consolidate hotel nights. I've tried to
arrange it so we don't have to change hotels too often, but with the price
of tolls and gas, we'd also like to avoid too much backtracking.

Has anyone taken a hot-air balloon ride over the Loire Valley? The main
company is www.franceballoons.com, but they're also quite expensive (180,
225 or 230 euros per person, depending on which of their web pages you
consult). If you know of a reliable but more affordable company, please
let me know.

Finally, a packing question: I figure Normandy will still be sweater
weather, but I'm not sure about what clothes and outerwear we'll need for
late April in the south.

Thanks for your help.

4/17 -- Arrive CDG 8:20 am. & pick up rental car. Giverny, Rouen,
Jumieges Abbey.
HONFLEUR - Mercure Hotel
4/18 -- Pays d'Auge countryside, Ponte Audemer, Deauville, (Etretat?).
HONFLEUR - Mercure Hotel
4/19 -- Caen & Bayeux
BAYEUX - Hotel d'Argouges
4/20 - D-day beaches and cemeteries, Point du Hoc, St. Mere Eglise. Drive
to Mont St. Michel area.
MONT ST. MICHEL -- La Jacotiere
4/21 -- Mont St. Michel, St. Malo, Dinan. Drive to Loire Valley.
CHENONCEAU -- La Rosaraie
4/22 - Chenonceau, Chambord, maybe Cheverny chateaux. Hot-air balloon ride
over chateaux.
CHENONCEAU -- La Rosaraie
4/23 - Chinon, Montresor, wine tasting or wine cellar tour.
CHENONCEAU -- La Rosaraie
4/24 -- Oradour sur Glane, Sarlat, Beynac.
BEYNAC -- Residence Versailles
4/25 - Cenac market, Dordogne canoe trip, (Grotte de Font de Gaume?).
BEYNAC - Residence Versailles
4/26 -- (Rocamadour?), Grotte du Pech Merle, St. Cirque du Popeil,
(Cahors?), scenic route to Albi.
ALBI -- ???
4/27 -- Albi basilica, Lautrec museum, Carcassonne.
CAUNES-MINERVOIS or MINERVE -- ???
4/28 to 5/2 - Provence: Nimes, Arles, Avignon, Aix, Provence, Les Baux,
Camargue, Cassis, Luberon villages.
ST. REMY - Villa Glanum
5/3 - Ardeche Gorge, (Lyon?).
LYON/BRON - airport hotel (???).
5/4 - Noon flight back to USA

============
Karen Walker, Champaign IL www.prairienet.org/bridge

"Runge" wrote in message
...
Wow
just arrived, no jetlag and directly to Honfleur by car ??

My guidebook says it's a 2.5-hour drive, and we planned to break that up
with a "laid-back" stop at Monet's gardens in Giverny and maybe a stop in
Rouen for lunch. I don't usually feel any jet lag until pretty late in the
day after a trans-Atlantic flight, but if the CDG-Honfleur drive is more
difficult and/or longer than I've estimated, perhaps we should stay the
first night in Rouen?

If you can drive to Rouen, you can drive to Honfleur...
Most difficult would be to get from CDG to the right road out of Paris,
maybe you'll use a GPS ?
If you land at 8.20 am, then you'll be in your car roughly around 10...take
your time as there will be lots of cars before that, except if it's a
sunday.
I would take the N104 north and not go on the A1/A3 towards Paris.
No other comment on your itinerary, except that it can be warm some days, it
will rain a lot and down south you will meet some 20 degrees C.
So you'll need a good variety of clothes, meaning in the evenings it could
be a little chilly.


"Karen Walker" a écrit dans le message de news:
eK_Sf.831065$x96.402643@attbi_s72...
"Runge" wrote in message
...
Wow
just arrived, no jetlag and directly to Honfleur by car ??

My guidebook says it's a 2.5-hour drive, and we planned to break that up
with a "laid-back" stop at Monet's gardens in Giverny and maybe a stop in
Rouen for lunch. I don't usually feel any jet lag until pretty late in
the day after a trans-Atlantic flight, but if the CDG-Honfleur drive is
more difficult and/or longer than I've estimated, perhaps we should stay
the first night in Rouen?

On Sat, 18 Mar 2006 21:13:46 GMT, "Karen Walker"
wrote:

"Runge" wrote in message
. ..
Wow
just arrived, no jetlag and directly to Honfleur by car ??

My guidebook says it's a 2.5-hour drive, and we planned to break that up
with a "laid-back" stop at Monet's gardens in Giverny and maybe a stop in
Rouen for lunch. I don't usually feel any jet lag until pretty late in the
day after a trans-Atlantic flight, but if the CDG-Honfleur drive is more
difficult and/or longer than I've estimated, perhaps we should stay the
first night in Rouen?


Expect to get lost in Rouen. Nice town, but confusing to drive around,
and to find the right road out again! If you decide to stay there
overnight, try the Mercure Rouen Centre, nice hotel, great location,
and a most interesting parking underneath, undoubtably the most
difficult to get in to and out of that I have ever encountered.
--==++AJC++==--

On Sat, 18 Mar 2006 21:13:46 GMT, "Karen Walker" wrote:
eK_Sf.831065$x96.402643@attbi_s72

"Runge" wrote in message
. ..
Wow
just arrived, no jetlag and directly to Honfleur by car ??

My guidebook says it's a 2.5-hour drive, and we planned to break that up
with a "laid-back" stop at Monet's gardens in Giverny and maybe a stop in
Rouen for lunch. I don't usually feel any jet lag until pretty late in the
day after a trans-Atlantic flight, but if the CDG-Honfleur drive is more
difficult and/or longer than I've estimated, perhaps we should stay the
first night in Rouen?

If you do, try to take at least a few minutes to see L'Eglise Ste-Jeanne d'Arc.
It's a visual knock-out. http://clarke.zipsonic.com/2001FR/html/a245.html.


(change Arabic number to Roman numeral to email)

"Runge" wrote in
:

Wow
just arrived, no jetlag and directly to Honfleur by car ??


It depends on the day, I have encountered some pretty hefty traffic headed
to Honfleur from Paris.








--
Joseph Coulter
Cruises and Vacations
http://www.josephcoulter.com/

She should not drive through Paris, as she is already north east of the
capital, drive west and once past the capital reach for the right road.

"Joseph Coulter" a écrit dans le message
de news: 6...
"Runge" wrote in
:

Wow
just arrived, no jetlag and directly to Honfleur by car ??


It depends on the day, I have encountered some pretty hefty traffic headed
to Honfleur from Paris.








--
Joseph Coulter
Cruises and Vacations
http://www.josephcoulter.com/

"Karen Walker" wrote in
news:EMZSf.830970$x96.827119@attbi_s72:

Below is a rough itinerary for an 18-day drive through France next
month. I've listed the main sites we're thinking of visiting and a
tentative hotel choice for each night (in caps). If I've missed
something spectacular (or if something should be in the don't-bother
category), I'd like to hear your ideas.

I'd also welcome recommendations for different hotels/b&bs and for
moderately priced restaurants in the areas we're visiting. I'd
especially appreciate advice on how we might consolidate hotel nights.
I've tried to arrange it so we don't have to change hotels too often,
but with the price of tolls and gas, we'd also like to avoid too much
backtracking.

Has anyone taken a hot-air balloon ride over the Loire Valley? The
main company is www.franceballoons.com, but they're also quite
expensive (180, 225 or 230 euros per person, depending on which of
their web pages you consult). If you know of a reliable but more
affordable company, please let me know.

Finally, a packing question: I figure Normandy will still be sweater
weather, but I'm not sure about what clothes and outerwear we'll need
for late April in the south.

Thanks for your help.

4/17 -- Arrive CDG 8:20 am. & pick up rental car. Giverny, Rouen,
Jumieges Abbey.
HONFLEUR - Mercure Hotel
You will be beat, the Mercure isn't the fanciest but it is farirly clsoe
to the old port It is not out of the question for the day in Bayeux I
would stay the extra night.
4/18 -- Pays d'Auge countryside, Ponte Audemer, Deauville, (Etretat?).
HONFLEUR - Mercure Hotel
4/19 -- Caen & Bayeux
BAYEUX - Hotel d'Argouges
4/20 - D-day beaches and cemeteries, Point du Hoc, St. Mere Eglise.
Drive to Mont St. Michel area.
MONT ST. MICHEL -- La Jacotiere
4/21 -- Mont St. Michel, St. Malo, Dinan. Drive to Loire Valley.
CHENONCEAU -- La Rosaraie
4/22 - Chenonceau, Chambord, maybe Cheverny chateaux. Hot-air balloon
ride over chateaux.
CHENONCEAU -- La Rosaraie
La Bonlabourer at least to eat but I would stay there if possible
4/23 - Chinon, Montresor, wine tasting or wine cellar tour.
CHENONCEAU -- La Rosaraie
4/24 -- Oradour sur Glane, Sarlat, Beynac.
BEYNAC -- Residence Versailles
4/25 - Cenac market, Dordogne canoe trip, (Grotte de Font de Gaume?).
BEYNAC - Residence Versailles
4/26 -- (Rocamadour?), Grotte du Pech Merle, St. Cirque du Popeil,
(Cahors?), scenic route to Albi.
ALBI -- ???
Stay at the Mercure great views and decent accomodations with parking.
4/27 -- Albi basilica, Lautrec museum, Carcassonne.
CAUNES-MINERVOIS or MINERVE -- ???
4/28 to 5/2 - Provence: Nimes, Arles, Avignon, Aix, Provence, Les
Baux, Camargue, Cassis, Luberon villages.

ST. REMY - Villa Glanum
5/3 - Ardeche Gorge, (Lyon?).
LYON/BRON - airport hotel (???).
5/4 - Noon flight back to USA

Karen you will be exhausted but you are looking for pretty much the
whole enchilada I would do the Camargue, adn St Maries but think about
cutting Aix Luberon and Cassis unless you stay a night a Aix (Paul
Cezzane is nice - I ndon't really push Mercures as a rule, but you are
going where there are some nice ones the Paul C in Aix is a charmer.

============
Karen Walker, Champaign IL www.prairienet.org/bridge






--
Joseph Coulter
Cruises and Vacations
http://www.josephcoulter.com/

On Sat, 18 Mar 2006 20:08:04 GMT, "Karen Walker" wrote:
EMZSf.830970$x96.827119@attbi_s72


4/24 -- Oradour sur Glane, Sarlat, Beynac.
BEYNAC -- Residence Versailles
4/25 - Cenac market, Dordogne canoe trip, (Grotte de Font de Gaume?).
BEYNAC - Residence Versailles
4/26 -- (Rocamadour?), Grotte du Pech Merle, St. Cirque du Popeil,
(Cahors?), scenic route to Albi.

We stayed at Residence Versailles last year and had a wonderful time. Francoise
makes her own jams and jellies for the breakfast table. You're going to love
watching the sun set while sipping a glass of wine on the balcony... oh, wait,
this will be April... maybe not. Ask Jean-Claude to tell you about the two
girls from California who thought they could 'do the Dordogne' without a car...

Do you have reservations for Font de Gaume? You must have reservations in
advance; the best way is via FAX unless you are quite fluent in French; their
answering machine speaks only French.

Between Les Eyzies and Montignac plan to spend a morning or afternoon at La
Roque St Christophe. This 55,000-year-old cliff-dwelling looks like some giant
used an oversized ice cream scoop to take a horizontal strip right out of the
rock face. It's pretty impressive. The exhibits chronicling its uses through
the ages are well done.


(change Arabic number to Roman numeral to email)