Tour docs for Paris & Provence arrived this afternoon, so I guess the trip is on! La Belle France, here we come! I am so excited!!!

Wonderful news, Caitie!
I wish you a fabulous time. What's the first thing you are going to do on your free time in Paris?

KW: Hmmm, let's see...I haven't given that any thought. Any suggestions? I wish I knew in advance what optionals we would be doing so as not to overlap. We're arriving a day early and we'll be at La Defense. We'll probably check in and then take the Metro into town and let the kids explore a bit. This will be our daughter-in-law's first trip to France so she is beside herself with anticipation.

Caitie ~ Great news after your earlier concerns How lovely to share your D.I.L.'s 1st time thrill of seeing France.

quote:

Originally posted by Caitie:
Tour docs for Paris & Provence arrived this afternoon, so I guess the trip is on! La Belle France, here we come! I am so excited!!!

Well done Caitie, you should be excited.

I hope you enjoy sharing your beautiful France with your family. I am blessed with a wonderful DIL so I can image your anticipation.

Caitie,

Have a ball !!!

Good to get those docs, Caitie, and I know you'll have a marvellous time.

Brenda

I'll try my VERY best to enjoy it! Thanks.

Hi Caitie
So glad you got your docs and are full of the excitement of going. I stayed at the Renaissance La Defense for my last 2 nights in Paris after my Wonderful France trip. It is an exceptionally nice hotel. The best of our whole trip. However, we found the breakfasts to be the most basic compared to the other hotels. Lots to eat just not the choice of the other hotels.

Somewhere I have a card with a # for computer access for the Renaissance- they have 3 or 4 computers in the lobby. Cost is 1hr 12E or 24hrs for 24E. The 24 hrs is cumulative so it does not run out in 24hrs clock time. It is good for a year. I will find my card this weekend and give you my access code then you can type away from Paris. Many people used it from our group but I still had about 12 hrs time on it when I left Paris. How can I get this number to you privately?

I had looked at Paris and provence and would have chosen it but the starting date didn't work with my other tours. You are doing alot of the same places as I did on my tour. I think you have read my tour tale though.

Hope it is great for you.
sandy

I'm sure you don't have to try too hard.

Have a good time.

quote:

Hi Caitie
So glad you got your docs and are full of the excitement of going. I stayed at the Renaissance La Defense for my last 2 nights in Paris after my Wonderful France trip. It is an exceptionally nice hotel. The best of our whole trip. However, we found the breakfasts to be the most basic compared to the other hotels. Lots to eat just not the choice of the other hotels.

Somewhere I have a card with a # for computer access for the Renaissance- they have 3 or 4 computers in the lobby. Cost is 1hr 12E or 24hrs for 24E. The 24 hrs is cumulative so it does not run out in 24hrs clock time. It is good for a year. I will find my card this weekend and give you my access code then you can type away from Paris. Many people used it from our group but I still had about 12 hrs time on it when I left Paris. How can I get this number to you privately?

I had looked at Paris and provence and would have chosen it but the starting date didn't work with my other tours. You are doing alot of the same places as I did on my tour. I think you have read my tour tale though.

Hope it is great for you.

Sandry: How very generous of you. What a perfectly lovely gesture! Thank you! I will give you my email address: Kismet_kismet@msn.com.

Pullman La Defense is a hotel we have stayed at twice before and it is very nice indeed. I actually quite like that location, too, because it feels very safe and there's a Metro and a mall right there. I'm looking forward to staying there agin. It certainly beats the Holiday Inn Pantin La Villette, which is where P&P tour stayed when we did this itinerary three years ago.
Ahh, France. I just NEVER get tired of it!

Wishing you a fabulous return to a great destination! Won't the comfort level of familiarity so help with the max in enjoyment and reduction in stress! Bon Voyage!

Hi, Caitie. I do envy you. I thought the cooking trip would have given you your fix for a bit,but it's hard to get enough of Paris, isn't it? I was there in March and want to go back real soon. It'll have to be on my dime, though. My university is discouraging faculty from taking students to Europe for our various study abroad trips right now. Between the hotel in the sixth (Aviatic), which I had recommended based on past experiences, and other costs due to the Euro/Dollar exchange, the school trip was quite expensive. So now, the travel office feels we should do less in Europe and get to know developing countries and/or cities in South American better.

I just noticed your note about Egypt vs. Turkey. My only experience of Turkey thus far is limited to cruise ship stops. But I highly recommend Egypt, which we did over Christmas holiday, the time period you mentioned. Some days were quite hot;some cooler. It was just right. We went on the Insight 13-day trip, which included the seven-night Nile cruise. That was probably the most amazing trip. I liked it better than I liked China, which, of course, isn't your everyday travel experience either.

Vivian

Roxy: Thanks! Yes, I'm counting on it.
Newsgirl: Good to see you again! I've missed your posts.
The language/cooking school stint was so much fun that I want to do it again, but the school is moving to another location that will necessitate having a car for the weekends when no meals are provided and students must fend for themselves. I need to either overcome my nervousness about driving in Europe or develop a Plan B for transportation.
You might like South America. Brazil is very interesting. I have always meant to go back there but never got around to it.
I haven't booked any travel yet for next year. I was thinking Egypt or Turkey but then I had a glimpse of Wales and Roxy brought back stories of Scandinavia...so now I'm completely undecided! You were in Scandinavia not too long ago, weren't you?

Caitie, have a wonderful trip. France is great. I can't wait to go back there.