Hotels/cottages to stay in Normany

Want to go to Normandy with my husband and two sons (aged 9 and 10) at the end of August, early September. Have not been to Normandy before and wonder if anyone has any suggestions as to where to say - not a touristy area please!

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I assume you are talking about Lower Normandy. My favorite is La Ducrie. You can find reviews and links to it on this web site.

Another option is to search Logis de France for the towns you are visiting. Logis de France provides a booking servce for various local accomdations and restaurants.

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Normandie is pretty wide, where would you intend to go basically?

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We just got back from Normandy. We stayed at La Ferme du Pressoir with our 2 boys (10 and 8) They loved it. Great Location. Check out the reviews on this site.

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I stayed at a really beautiful country manor, Le Manoir de Juganville only 10 minutes from Utah beach, they have 3 large rooms, friendly family run establishment (B%26amp;B). The rooms, and in fact, the whole house is beautifully furnished with a large garden. Really the nicest place that I have have ever stayed in. try their website www.juganville.com

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I stayed at a really beautiful country manor, Le Manoir de Juganville only 10 minutes from Utah beach, they have 3 large rooms, friendly family run establishment (B%26amp;B). The rooms, and in fact, the whole house is beautifully furnished with a large garden. Really the nicest place that I have have ever stayed in. try their website www.juganville.com

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I stayed at a really beautiful country manor, Le Manoir de Juganville only 10 minutes from Utah beach, they have 3 large rooms, friendly family run establishment (B%26amp;B). The rooms, and in fact, the whole house is beautifully furnished with a large garden. Really the nicest place that I have have ever stayed in. try their website www.juganville.com

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I stayed at a really beautiful country manor, Le Manoir de Juganville only 10 minutes from Utah beach, they have 3 large rooms, friendly family run establishment (B%26amp;B). The rooms, and in fact, the whole house is beautifully furnished with a large garden. Really the nicest place that I have have ever stayed in. try their website www.juganville.com

nice in october

Hello,does anybody know about the nices weather in october? Is it possible to sweem.I meen the first part of october.

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October is one of many very fine months in Nice.

You see people on the beach and also in the water. No problem.

Put simple, the swimming comes to a practical end only shortly before X-mas. Then it picks up again sometime in May although there are of course always a few diehards trying the water also inbetween. Theres no particular reason to pick the first half of October.

Staying in Nice, visiting Aqua Splash, Antibes

Hi guys, we are staying quite near Nice railway station and would like to visit Aqua Splash in Antibes. Can anyone please advise on train travel tips / length of journey and if we can pay just to visit Aqua Splash and not the rest of Marineland. Also, approx train travel costs (2 adults and 1 child) and entrance fee. many thanks in advance

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For train schedules, go on the SNCF website (French page) and select the Mandelieu-Vintimille line to get your schedule. Return fare for the family should be somewhere around 25-30 euro.

http://www.ter-sncf.com/paca/Default.htm and select «Telechargement des fiches horaire» then the line you need.

As for Marineland info, I suggest you go on their site to get the info.

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I am pasting a reply I posted in another forum covering the same topic:

Info about tarifs etc is here:

http://www.marineland.fr/index.aspx

It%26#39;s 19 euros for adults and 16 for children just for the aquasplash although you can get combined tickets for other parts too. A couple of years ago I went to the Marineland bit with the sharks etc, quite enjoyed it.

Aquasplash opens at 10am, we took the 200 bus from Nice arrived 10:15 and nearly didn%26#39;t get a sunbed. try and get there before 10, run in and get a sun lounger in the shade, you won%26#39;t regret it.

The cafes on site are a bit over-priced and under quality (McDonalds type food mostly, but far worse) didn%26#39;t open until 11:45, I was desperate for a caffeine hit so had to go to cafe just outside (they stamp your hand) which was nice, recommmend you take a picnic or eat outside. Couldn%26#39;t take coffee into water area but had to drink in the picnic area just inside park. To be honest it was my idea of hell. My 10 year old daughter loved it but even though it was July, mid-week and not all French and Brits were on holiday, we queued 15-20 minutes each time for a 10 second slide or whatever. The wave machine was a bit lame and it was very hot, a concrete jungle. the only way I would go again is if the daughter took a friend to go on the rides and I could hide from the sun on a lounger with a book. If you want to do all the rides, then grab a %26#39;bouee%26#39; a blue inflatable ring and just keep going on the rides. When you have finished you must put the bouee back in the communal pen and then the next time you want one, they have all gone and you end up jostling with everyone else at the bottom of all the slides, hoping someone will have just finished with their inflatable. You are not allowed to hang onto your bouee, you will get told off if you take it to your sunlounger for a break so once you have one, keep going on the rides until you have had enough. There are a couple of rides that don%26#39;t need bouees plus the swimming pool. there is also toddlers pools and a really fast slide for older people, seemed like teenage lads mostly, where they shot out about 15 m from the bottom of this steep slide- you have to wear a helmet for this one, I just wonder how their swimwear stayed on!

Sorry if I sound negative, if it%26#39;s your thing, I am sure you will love it but I hope my tips will help you plan and enjoy the day a bit more. best wishes

In addition, as you are so close tot he station, then the train is your quickest and easiest option, it%26#39;s about 25 minutes and you get off at Biot train station, it%26#39;s a 5 minutes walk or less from there (just follow the families carrying bags with towels poking out) If you take the 200 bus, it stops outside the Biot train station.

If your child is toddler age, the gentle pools and suitable slides are in the far left top corner as you enter the pool area, so head off quickly in that direction if you want any hope of getting a lounger.

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hi there, thanks for your informative responses. I know what you mean re nightmare day but need to accommodate daughter ie alternative to a pebbly beach!!!

Can anyone recommend a restaurant near the Port/Mont Boron?

We are going to Nice on our holidays in Septmeber. We will be celebrating our first wedding anniversary over there.

Can anyone recommend a classy, upmarket restaurant?

Thanks.

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Palais Maeterlinck has a real nice one on its roof.

…azur.fr/page_en_1.html

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The best restaurant we found on our recent trip (last week in fact) was one called La Voglia at the western end of the Cours Saleya (where the flower market is during the day). It is only a few doors away from the Opera House.

It is primarily Italian but with a broad, upmarket, Med feel. I don%26#39;t think you can book there and there were queues every night so either get there early or expect to wait. It is very new (opened May this year I think) and there is a great bar next door also (Ma Nolan%26#39;s Irish bar) where you can get great cocktails for 3 euros 50 before 2100 hrs (2 euros more after 2100) There is seating on an attractive outdoor decking area at both places.

Prices at La Voglia are in the range of 5-8 euros for starters and 12-22 euros for mains. All desserts were 7 euros 50 if I remember rightly. The portions are good - I went for the Fried Mixed Fish (20 euros) and thought it was great. A great mixture of calamari, octopus, king prawns, sardines etc in a beautiful light batter.

You MUST try the profiteroles - 3 huge great ones they were filled with ice-cream and lots of choc sauce and cream presented on a large square, dinner sized, plate. MMmmmmm!!

My fiancee was raving about La Voglia when she returned from Nice in June so I had to try it for myself. Let%26#39;s say I was equally impressed!!

If you want an even better pizza though go to Massena Taverna on Rue Massena - for 9 or 10 euros you can get proper wood fired oven pizzas which are simply divine. Try and get a seat on the top balcony and watch everything going on below you. You can%26#39;t miss the place - it has a green frontage and the afore mentioned wood fire burning away just inside the entrance.

Have a good trip!!

Darren

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The Palais Maetterlinck will not be cheap!!

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They asked for a classy upmarket. That does not sound cheap to me.

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The Chantecler Restaurant in the Negresco hotel is wonderful and we never go to Nice without having a meal there. Their set menu is excellent and they offer a vegetarian set menu too. The service is magnificent and worth the price of the meal alone. People watching during your meal may reap rewards. You can wander the public rooms at will and the bar is a great place for a digestif.

transfer from cdg airport to bw lorette opera hotel. help!!!

I am travelling to Paris in December 2005 and have a few questions that if someone could help me will i would appreciate it very much.

i am unsure exactly how to get to my hotel from the airport. i obviouly use the RER from the airport but were do i transfer to use the metro system.

also is the metro in paris only in france or are instructions in english as well.

thanks

Gary Moore

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RER to Gare du Nord

Change to Metro Line 4, direction Porte de Clignancourt, get off at Barbes Rochechouart

Change to Metro Line 12, direction Marie d%26#39;Issy, get off at St Georges

- or -

RER to Gare du Nord

Taxi to hotel

(I recommend this method over the first since you are unfamiliar with the system)

- or -

You can avoid the train altogether and take Roissybus into Paris (lets off by the Opera), then take a taxi

You buy the 8Euro ticket on the bus from the driver (no need to find the RER station or stand in line to buy ticket)

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There are virtually no instructions to anything in France in English.

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i am going to try and use the metro to get to places like the eiffel tower and the louvre as this is the cheapest form of transport. with my very limited french is it possible.

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It may be finished by now but the last time I went through St. Georges, the station was closed for renovation.

I also recommend a taxi from Gare du Nord. With your luggage and all the stairs you will need to climb to change between lines, a 5 Euro taxi ride is worth the money.

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Millions of non-French-speaking visitors navigate the metro just fine, and so can you.

Read this %26quot;how to use the metro%26quot; document:

http://www.zpinaddict.com/parishtm/metro.htm

Paris Photo Tours?

Anyone used them or familiar with them?

They seem to have some nice tours, but I%26#39;ve heard about some of these tour companies that are cons.

If anyone has used them, please any info and costs would help?

Thanks

Ani

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I have not used Paris Photo Tours.

I am a professional photographer

and have talked to several people

who have taken their tours and

they were very pleased.

Put %26quot;Paris Photo Tours%26quot; in

the search box and you

should get some posts on

their tours.

If you go to the web

you should be able to

get info and costs

from their web site.

Need some help here?!

Ok..

I%26#39;ve done some research and some reading and so far this is what I%26#39;ve got...please feel free to tell me if it%26#39;s a good way to go about it being a first time Paris visitor on honeymoon...

I have 4 days in Paris...

One day we will do a day trip, maybe to Versailles,Provins or Crecy-la-Chapelle

Another day or two take the L%26#39;open tour and hop off and hop on for some sights (no museums)

Then another day, purchase the 3 day museum pass and explore some of them.

Sounds good?

Thanks!

Ani

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A three day museum pass might be a bit pricey if you are going to do either the Louvre or Orsay. A half day for each still wouldn%26#39;t give you great coverage.

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Why get a three day pass when you will ( according to your plan) only have two days to use it( since you have a day trip planned outside city and then anouther day with %26quot; no museums%26quot; ?

Your plan sounds fine, but since you don%26#39;t sound like you are determined to do alot of museums, just buy a regular admission and save money!

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Nice to see that you haven%26#39;t overplanned your

time. It is doable, try to sequence things

so you don%26#39;t end up backtracking.

Hop on, hop off bus is good; you might

decide ahead of time a few things you

want to see. As always, check the days

and times things are open.

And I hope you will find a favorite

cafe to just sit together and enjoy

the world go by.

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Thanks...

I think I need to do that next, sequence what we want to do and when...for that reason..no backtracking...

I get there on a Monday and I know some places are closed, some museums..so I thought maybe Monday do the hop off n on tour and Tuesday(while taking time to people watch at a sweet cafe) and Wed. maybe do the day trip out of the city and Thursday enjoy some of the museum...