My hubby and I from sunny south africa are planning to bring our two girls (11/14years) to France in mid June 2006 . We will cross from Dover to Calais and plan to take 4 days to get to Paris where we would then like to board a barge for a weeks trip in the Burgundy area. I am a detail freak when planning a trip and want to make sure we stay in the quaintest/most traditional towns and accomodation so that my girls can experience the true culture of the country. I dont know the Northern part of France at all and wondered if anyone could recommend a route from Calais toward Paris . The quainter/smaller the places the better. I am a %26#39;foodi%26#39; aswell so real traditional type eating is a priority. Lastly if anyone can recommend a barge as well there are so many to choose from. As a traveller my only priority is clean /homely/traditional accomodation and food. (I have to admit I do like a touch of luxury in that!)Hope someone can help. Cheers
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If you want your girls to experience the true cdulture of the country then try and make your trip longer, a week and 4 days is not very long. Also consider renting a gite and staying in a small town for a couple of weeks and doing day trips to sites.
Just google or search for %26quot; french gites%26quot; .
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Hi I would not take a ferry or hovercraft, we used the tunnel on the way to france and the %26quot;high speed%26quot; hovercraft on the way back. The hovercraft once moving takes about the same time as the train but the waiting and boarding delay of the ferry makes the ferry system 4 times longer than the tunnel, go tunnel. My advice for the time you have is go straight to Paris it should only take you a couple of hours. be prepared to be lost in the city when you first arrive and enjoy it, being lost was fun and you end up seeing more of Paris. When you get your barrings find your hotel, hoefully you have chosen a hotel close to the eifel tower. we stayed at novohotel eifel tower I highly recommend it for it%26#39;s location and fine rooms. It faces the Seine and is only a 5 minute walk to the eifel tower. We used the opening bus tour it was excellent and we saw all the sights, there is a bus stop just before the eifel tower. I would spend 4 - 5 of your days in Paris and then head for the coast we stayed in a little town called wissant which is only 20 min. south of Calais the drive from Calais to Wissant along the D940 is breathtaking, I have think it is one of the most beautiful places on the planet. Great beach, neat ruins, awesome restruants. I agree with above try and rent a cottage by the beach if possible.
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I don%26#39;t know anything about Northern France, but I am acquainted with traveling with teenage girls. I took my 15 and 17-year-old daughters to Paris, the Frenh Riviera, and into Italy this June. One thing I did that made me a hero in their eyes, was to get on this site and elsewhere on the internet to scope out clothes shops that cater to their age group that I could afford.
So, there we were, walking down the Champs Elysees and we came upon (by design, not by chance - not that they knew that!) a store on the list. I casually said, %26quot;Hey guys, you want to see if you can find something in this shop?%26quot; Needless to say, I came away much higher in their estimation after that.
Promod has several stores, one of which is on the Champs Elysees - junior-type clothes, reasonably priced, spaghetti-strap tops 9.99 euros, layered ruffled skirts that are all the rage - 29 up to 45 euros. Not much different than home.
Etam is another one. I know they have a store in the Latin Quarter and in Nice.
I went to the websites for both and got their locations, and with Promod, I was able to browse their merchandise and prices.
Also, my girls loved staying near the Eiffel Tower. Our hotel was around the corner from the Ecole Militaire metro stop near Invalides. This was their favorite section of town. They said it was so Parisian. They also enjoyed the Latin Quarter. Yes, it%26#39;s touristy, but my girls liked that part about it. What can you say - they%26#39;re kids.
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Down the coast to Normandy? Depending on interest, there are some nice beaches, pretty towns, good seafood along the way, or staight down a newish motorway towards Rouen.
In Normandy, my children loved the Bayeux tapestry, which is like an embroidered cartoon (avoid the introductory displays, if you can - the tapestry speaks for itself).
It%26#39;s also the home of Camembert cheese and Calvados brandy, so plenty of food opportunities!
The tourist board site (in English) is http://www.normandy-tourism.org/gb/index.asp
It%26#39;s not far back into Paris at the end of the trip.
I can%26#39;t help with barges, but we%26#39;re going back to Burgundy in a couple of weeks - another good place for food ;-)
Incidentally, we always use the ferry - it%26#39;s a nice break for a meal on board and you really get the feeling of travel as you see the White Cliffs receding and the coast of France getting closer. Just an alternative point of view.
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Don%26#39;t miss Beaune and Dijon in Burgundy. I would say for Paris the Latin quarter would be better to walk around with kids, you can walk to the Cathedral, to the Louvre etc...while if you stay near the Eiffel tower you will only be able to walk to the tower. I love the Eiffel tower but as for living in an area i prefer the Latin quarter, more lively.
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