Open the map and start planning the route.

Open the map and start planning the route.

 

We were supposed to go to France for our honeymoon. But in 1991 we just moved to Tucson a few months before the wedding and then with Desert Storm breaking out and warnings not to travel, we decided to wait. Who would have thought it would take 18 years to get here! Our daughter was doing an exchange program for ballet and that create the moment we needed to take. Let’s go to France and see her dance there! So we planned our trip and here it is!

We decided to start in Paris for 4 days, then on to Versaille for 2, drive to the Dordogne, 2 days, on to Foix to see our daughter, we decided to stay in Carcassonne and visit her from there overnight stay, the drive down to the Mediterranean and follow that along to Arles, 2 days there, then up into Provence, through there to Lyon, overnight, then into the Loire Valley 3 days, and back to Paris to the airport and home. A FANTASTIC route! It was perfect, everything. The only thing we would have done differently is spend one more day in Caracassone because that was an amazing place!

Air France, wow, talk about NO leg room. The man in front of me laid his seat all the way back into my lap. I could have given him a shave! It was so hard to sleep. With great relief we arrived at 6:10am in Paris!

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What do you do at 6:10am in Paris! Hint, DON’T take a nap!

Here are my top 5 travel hints!
1. Immediately adjust to the current time zone and you won’t have that exhaustion for the first 2 or 3 days.
2. Use ATM machines to get local cash. It saves you money in service charges and exchange rates.
3. Make sure you let your bank know you will be using your cards overseas. Otherwise, they may reject your purchases thinking it is fraudulent activity.
4. Go to your cell carrier before you leave and get the level of service you will need in the destination you are visiting. The number one theft today for travelers is theft through internet usage in public places like internet cafes. Get services that will help you avoid using public wifi.
5. Don’t overplan! Have a general plan with hotels in the spots you want to stop, but let the local culture, people, etc. give you ideas about what to see and do and take time to “live” in the area and not just travel through it.

Our first hotel, Paris, Marais district! It is walkable to most Paris hot spots, has good connection to the Metro, is filled with quaint cafes, incredible patisseries, and fascinating people watching. We stayed at Hotel St. Louis Marais. Quaint, small, but incredibly well located, clean, reasonably priced, it was perfect!

We dropped off our luggage, grabbed some breakfast and then headed out for to get the lay of the land. Whenever I get to a new city I walk to get a big picture view of what there is to see and do, how far things are, to see things that I want to visit that weren’t on my plan, and get acclimated. I recommend a “hop on hop off” to accomplish this. We weren’t so smart this time and we walked and walked and walked and the blisters started! Not a great way to start out. But still lots of fun.

 

Started at Notre-Dame, with a big yawn.

Started at Notre-Dame, with a big yawn.

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2. The Louvre

2. The Louvre

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3. Champs-Elysee

3. Champs-Elysee

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4. Arc de Triomphe

4. Arc de Triomphe

5. Walk back through the Tuileries.

5. Walk back through the Tuileries.

 

 

 

 

 

 

6. And the Pont Alexandre III

6. And the Pont Alexandre III

 

 

 

 

 

 

End on the Seine, looking up at the Eiffel Tower all lit up.

End on the Seine, looking up at the Eiffel Tower all lit up.

 

 

 

Day 2, let’s get a closer look. We returned to Champs Elyees because we saw these really cool car dealership showcases and we wanted to explore them. They were so much fun. A view into new cars, new technology, and beautiful cars.

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And check this out, the cutest little car.

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Lunch is a HUGE baguette filled with ham, tomatoes and butter. Yikes, how much weight will I gain on this trip?! Funny though, with all the walking and bread made with much better ingredients than bread made in the US, I gained 0 pounds on this trip!

On to climb the Arc de Triomphe.

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Commissioned by Napoleon, the Arc de Triomphe is in the center of 12 converging boulevards. A huge traffic circle! To get to it you go through underground walkways. I wouldn’t want to cross those streets any other way! There are 284 steps to the top and beautiful views of Paris once you get there.

Later, evening hours at the Musee d Orsay. Total immersion in the art of the Impressionists. Unbelievable collection.

Day 3, an exciting visit with our Turkish exchange student, his wife and baby. We were so excited to connect with him and his family. They are now living in north Switzerland right on the French border.

So lucky to connect with our "son" and his family.

So lucky to connect with our “son” and his family.

First up, the famous opera house. Spectacular!

First up, the famous opera house. Spectacular!

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After lunch, on to Montmartre. Quite a hike as the area is on a hilltop 420ft high. Once a haunt of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec it still has a bohemian feel. Place du Tertre is a bustling little neighborhood and one block from Sacre-Coeur. The views from the front of the church are magnificent. Paris from a whole new point of view.

420 ft. hike, straight up!

420 ft. hike, straight up!

Place du Tertre neighborhood.

Place du Tertre neighborhood.

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Sacre-Coeur

Sacre-Coeur

 

 

 

 

 

 

We ended our visit in Paris with the Eiffel Tower. The crowds were huge (get your tickets before you leave for your trip or book a “skip the line” tour. To avoid the crowds we took the stairs, 670 of them! A great way to get the real feel of the tower. If you don’t choose to climb the stairs you can take the elevator, no worries.

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There are mannequins along the way portraying the workers who maintain the tower.

There are mannequins along the way portraying the workers who maintain the tower.

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The elevator in case you don't want to climb the stairs.

The elevator in case you don’t want to climb the stairs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So this post doesn’t get long and boring, here is the rest of the trip via pictures and captions. Enjoy!

Versailles – Stayed at the Hotel Du Cheval Rouge, the old stables for Versailles. Walking distance to the palace. Our first day “the President was entertaining visitors” Versailles was closed except for the grounds. This was an unexpected good thing. You should leave one day for the grounds and one day for the palace and subsidiary buildings.

Versaille courtyard to entrance.

Versaille courtyard to entrance.

Grounds from the palace.

Grounds from the palace.

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Hall of mirrors.

Hall of mirrors.

Palace bedroom.

Grand Trianon Palace bedroom. I can see why Marie Antoinette preferred to stay here.

Trianon Palace bedroom. I can see why Marie Antoinette preferred to stay here.

The Queen's Hamlet.

The Queen’s Hamlet.

It was fun to get a bit of rest from walking and rent a boat. A much different persepective.

It was fun to get a bit of rest from walking and rent a boat. A much different persepective.

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The fountains were amazing!

The fountains were amazing!

Try and schedule your visit so you can see the fountains turned on.

Try and schedule your visit so you can see the fountains turned on.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On to Dordogne, we stayed at Chateau de la Fleunie. There I ate the best foie gras I ever had in my life!

Chateau de la Fleunie. Stay in a beautiful castle.

Chateau de la Fleunie. Stay in a beautiful castle.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We visited a littel town called Sarlat. There a fine merchant set us up by opening a bottle of wine, giving us cups, plastic silverware and with a sandwich in hand we rented a canoe and floated along the river looking at castles.

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On to Carcassonne with a little side trip to Foix to see our daughter dance ballet.

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Carcassonne was amazing! If you follow this route, spend more than an overnight there. It is a 13th century medieval city of towers, a cathedral, turrets, cobblestone streets, a huge fortress. The shops are crowded but you can wander throughout the walled city and find plenty of places where you can explore on your own.

Hotel du Chateau, Carcassonne

Hotel du Chateau, Carcassonne

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An entrance ramp into the city.

An entrance ramp into the city.

Driving back from Foix Carcassonne was all lit up and beautiful.

Driving back from Foix Carcassonne was all lit up and beautiful.

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Drove from Carcassonne to the Mediterranean Sea. We passed through quaint villages and beautiful landscapes. We followed the Med all the way to Arles.

We stopped in a lovely seaside town to have lunch.

We stopped in a lovely seaside town to have lunch.

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Next stop Arles, a city of Roman ruins and where Van Gogh painted Starry Night. Along with exploring the city itself, We explored south to the Camargue to see the horses and visit the beach. Then headed out and north into Provence.

 

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We looked around from Provence to Lyon, foodie capital of France!

We continued driving into the Loire Valley and visited the amazing castles there.

 

 

 

 

 

Then it was time to drive back to the airport and head home! Fantastic trip and the perfect loop through Southern France!

 

 

 

 

 

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