Bordeaux and Paris post cruise out of Barcelona

[NCteacherlovescruising]

I think we’ve decided to fly to Bordeaux from Barcelona after our cruise in June. Yes, I’m planning several months out!  
 

@marazul Suggested the following over in the the Spain forum. 

 

If all you want is Bordeaux, the minimum would be one full day for Bordeaux and a wine tour to the wineries in the Médoc area (yes, that includes Margaux). You need a second day for a tour to St Emilion which is a fabulous medieval town with a long wine tradition. It is surrounded by wonderful wineries (Pomerol for one). That also gives you three nights in Bordeaux to try fabulous restaurants and drink wonderful wines. It is best to fly to Paris from Barcelona. Then high-speed TGV train to Bordeaux or fly if you want to go there first.

 

It would be a shame not to see the Loire Valley castles which are half way between Bordeaux and Paris. That's why I suggested driving from one to the other.

 

You can take the train from Paris to Bordeaux ( two hours direct on a TGV train). Rent a car at the Bordeaux train station and drive towards Angers or Tours to start your tour of the Loire Valley. Return the car at the Chartres train staion. Train to Paris is one hour. Or train to airport if you do this at the end of your trip.

 

There are hundreds of hotels in Paris. Look at a map and find hotels between Notre Dame and the Eiffel tower on either side of the river.  Come back here for comments before you book.

 

BTW- don't miss going to Versailles when you are in Paris. Easily accessible by train or taxi.

 

—————————————————————————

At the moment we’re thinking of 3 nights in Bordeaux followed by 2 nights in Paris. I know you suggested flying to Paris first but we can get a direct flight to Charlotte from Paris so we’d like to end there. 
 

I'm thinking one day touring Bordeaux, including a visit to the wine museum, one day with a tour of the Margaux area (most likely with a driver since we’ll be drinking wine) and perhaps one day in St Emilion. I have found some B&B’s that are inexpensive and look nice in Bordeaux. 
 

We’re undecided if we would want to rent a car to drive to Paris to see the castles along the way or just take the train so we can get there quickly to have more time to see Paris. It may come down to the castles or Versailles. If you had to choose between the two, which would you do and why?  With such a tight schedule in Paris, what should we prioritize? Obviously we wouldn’t go to Paris without seeing the Eiffel Tower and I really want to do a dinner cruise along the Seine River. I know you said not to do the dinner cruise but it looks amazing!  We aren’t into art, but I can’t imagine a trip to Paris without going to the Louvre. I’d also like to see Notre Dame. I don’t know that we have time for all this in just two days though. (As we recall we fit a ton into Rome because we went all day every day! ) Finding a place to stay here has been more challenging but I will continue searching. It’s expensive, hence why only two days and not 3. We’re trying to keep this vacay on the cheaper side after the amazing vacation we just had that hit the bank account hard!  
 

We're open to any and all suggestions, especially as we’re in the first stage of planning. Looks like tickets will open for return flights home in about 9 days. Once we book those we could start booking accommodations. 

 

[marazul]

@NCteacherlovescruising

I thought there were no direct flights BCN-BOD, but Vueling has a direct flight.  Vueling is the European branch of Iberia.  This simplifies your plans. Fly to Bordeaux and then decide whether to rent a car or take the TGV to Paris.

http://www.vueling.com/en

Do not miss St Emilion. You could squeeze in a half day tour.

https://www.saint-emilion-tourisme.com/en/

 

All the sights in Paris are fairly close together.  You can go to the Louvre and then walk over a short distance to Notre Dame. Also stop at the Sainte Chapelle along the way. It is a jewel. You can see the Eiffel tower from everywhere, but you may want to go up.  If you get tickets, you can see all three in one day. Busy day, but...

 

Also get tickets to Versailles.  The best and quickest way to get there is by taxi (30 euros?). It will leave you right at the entrance. The train (TER) takes longer and it involves waiting and walking. 

https://en.chateauversailles.fr/

 

You will have to figure out the Loire castles. If you can add another day, go for it. However, they really deserve at least two days. Next trip?

Edited July 20 by marazul

[NCteacherlovescruising]

6 minutes ago, marazul said:

@NCteacherlovescruising

I thought there were no direct flights BCN-BOD, but Vueling has a direct flight.  Vueling is the European branch of Iberia.  This simplifies your plans. Fly to Bordeaux and then decide whether to rent a car or take the TGV to Paris.

http://www.vueling.com/en

Do not miss St Emilion. You could squeeze in a half day tour.

https://www.saint-emilion-tourisme.com/en/

 

Yeah, we had found direct flights to Bordeaux. We do plan to go to St. Emilion too. 

6 minutes ago, marazul said:

All the sights in Paris are fairly close together.  You can go to the Louvre and then walk over a short distance to Notre Dame. You can see the Eiffel tower from everywhere, but you may want to go up.  If you get tickets, you can see all three in one day. Busy day, but...

 

I didn’t realize everything was close together there. It looks so huge and spread out. I don’t know that we’ll go up the tower, I’m scared of heights. But I would like to get close enough to have pics with it. 

6 minutes ago, marazul said:

Also get tickets to Versailles.  The best and quickest way to get there is by taxi (30 euros?). It will leave you right at the entrance. The train (TER) takes longer and it involves waiting and walking. 

https://en.chateauversailles.fr/

 

You will have to figure out the Loire castles. If you can add another day, go for it. However, they really deserve at least two days. Next trip?

So you would prioritize Versailles over the castles?  
 

Do you like to stay in VRBOs or hotels in Paris?  

[marazul]

17 minutes ago, NCteacherlovescruising said:

So you would prioritize Versailles over the castles?  

If you are only planning on two days in Paris you have no choice. If you stay another day, you could even find a day trip that takes you to a couple of the castles. But this is not ideal. It is 2.5-3 hours one way. The best is a couple of days in the Loire Valley so you can see more without the drive from and to Paris.

 

There are elevators in the tower. And good restaurants there. One is the Jules Verne perfect for excellent food and a romantic evening. (Splurge.)

https://www.toureiffel.paris/en

 

We always stay in hotels. Many reasons. One of them is that the hotel will hold your bags until check in time. I have known people that wasted most of a day sitting at a cafe with their bags until the VRBO apartment was available.  The only way to prevent that is by renting the apartment for the previous night so you can go in when you arrive in the morning. 

[NCteacherlovescruising]

47 minutes ago, marazul said:

If you are only planning on two days in Paris you have no choice. If you stay another day, you could even find a day trip that takes you to a couple of the castles. But this is not ideal. It is 2.5-3 hours one way. The best is a couple of days in the Loire Valley so you can see more without the drive from and to Paris.

 

If we did the castles, we would do them on the way there and do the other stuff on the second day, skipping the palace. 

47 minutes ago, marazul said:

There are elevators in the tower. And good restaurants there. One is the Jules Verne perfect for excellent food and a romantic evening. (Splurge.)

https://www.toureiffel.paris/en

 

 

Oh. I bet that’s a major splurge!  
 

47 minutes ago, marazul said:

We always stay in hotels. Many reasons. One of them is that the hotel will hold your bags until check in time. I have known people that wasted most of a day sitting at a cafe with their bags until the VRBO apartment was available.  The only way to prevent that is by renting the apartment for the previous night so you can go in when you arrive in the morning. 

I hadn’t thought of that. It’s a good reason to do so. The prices didn’t seem much different in Paris. In Bordeaux the B&B’s were much cheaper. Although, if we did the castles on the way there we wouldn’t get there till late anyway. 

[marazul]

21 minutes ago, NCteacherlovescruising said:

If we did the castles, we would do them on the way there and do the other stuff on the second day, skipping the palace. 

 

I hadn’t thought of that. It’s a good reason to do so. The prices didn’t seem much different in Paris. In Bordeaux the B&B’s were much cheaper. Although, if we did the castles on the way there we wouldn’t get there till late anyway. 

The castles are wonderful. If you only do two, go to Chenonceau and Chambord. If you add one more, pick Blois or Amboise. (The Vanderbilts copied the exterior staircase of Blois in the Biltmore Estate.) Or, stop in Chartres to see the Cathedral. Try to do an overnight in that area so you are not rushing around. Amboise makes a lot of sense for a stop over and it has a lovely old town around the castle. 

 

[NCteacherlovescruising]

Three potential hotels:  

 

https://maisonsaintonge.com

https://www.hoteldesgrandsvoyageurs.com/?_gl=1*3xf18n*_gcl_au*MTQ3MDQzOTY2Mi4xNzIxNTA5NjY5*_ga*MTQwMDU4MzUyOS4xNzIxNTA5NjMw*_ga_2KHP02HQQL*MTcyMTUxNzAwNC4yLjAuMTcyMTUxNzAwNS41OS4wLjA.

https://dauphine-st-germain.com

 

Thoughts?

[marazul]

24 minutes ago, NCteacherlovescruising said:

Three potential hotels:  

 

https://maisonsaintonge.com

https://www.hoteldesgrandsvoyageurs.com/?_gl=1*3xf18n*_gcl_au*MTQ3MDQzOTY2Mi4xNzIxNTA5NjY5*_ga*MTQwMDU4MzUyOS4xNzIxNTA5NjMw*_ga_2KHP02HQQL*MTcyMTUxNzAwNC4yLjAuMTcyMTUxNzAwNS41OS4wLjA.

https://dauphine-st-germain.com

 

Thoughts?

I don't know any of them, but the last one is in a perfect location. The other two are too far from the attractions you want to see in your short time in Paris.

Close to the river and close to Notre Dame is ideal. 

Edited July 20 by marazul

[NCteacherlovescruising]

4 minutes ago, marazul said:

I don't know any of them, but the last one is in a perfect location. The other two are too far from the attractions you want to see in your short time in Paris.

Ok, thanks. I thought they were all in the same area. Shows you what I know!  lol 

[marazul]

Just now, NCteacherlovescruising said:

Ok, thanks. I thought they were all in the same area. Shows you what I know!  lol 

Put them in Google maps and look at walking directions to Pont Neuf. This one is 5 minutes away. Don't know anything about quality, but location works.

[NCteacherlovescruising]

15 minutes ago, marazul said:

Put them in Google maps and look at walking directions to Pont Neuf. This one is 5 minutes away. Don't know anything about quality, but location works.

It’s 4.5/5 on TA, but only a 3* hotel. The other two are 4*. 

Edited July 21 by NCteacherlovescruising

[NCteacherlovescruising]

5 minutes ago, NCteacherlovescruising said:

It’s 4.5/5 on TA, but only a 3* hotel. The other two are 4*. 

Oh!  And I see what you mean about the other two. 

[Milhouse]

We're actually flying into Paris this August for a few days in between the Olympics and Paralympics before heading to Rotterdam to hop on our cruise which takes us to Le Verdon Sur Mer but marketed as Bordeaux.  We've been to Paris before so we're doing a mix of a few common attractions, past fav's, and new things.  And since Le Verdon is pretty far from Bordeaux, we're likely going to save it for future land trip (TBD tho).

 

This is many years ago but we kind of took the train from Barcelona to Paris.  It's not a completely fair comparison because there was a train strike in Spain so we have to bus it Montpellier to jump on the TGV.  And then the TGV was delayed getting into Paris because of debris on the lines.  Even without those issue, it would have been a long trip.  With limited time, I'd probably want to fly.  

 

We have taken Vueling once from Rome to Barcelona post cruise.  Although leg room was limited, for a short flight I think it's fine.  I'd only warn that with low cost carriers (LCC's) in general, I'm always wary of delays and cancellations.  (FWIW, our flight with Vueling was delayed by an hour.)

 

With limited time in Paris, I'd say just quickly hit a selection of the big attractions and plan a longer trip/stay in the future.  There are so many fantastic neighbourhoods.  If mobile, I'd agree that some attractions are reasonable walking between them but in the summer, the sun/heat can be a drain.  Our last visit was during late June during a bit of a heat wave and we melted. 

 

If you can afford to allocate a day, Versailles really is a fantastic attraction IMO, if not just the palace but the grounds also.  If going in the summer, also try to plan for sun protection.  

[9265359]

3 hours ago, Milhouse said:

I'd only warn that with low cost carriers (LCC's) in general, I'm always wary of delays and cancellations.  (FWIW, our flight with Vueling was delayed by an hour.)

 

Frankly I have been delayed far more often with 'Full Cost Carriers' than I have with 'Low Cost Carriers' (and as Vueling is part of IAG and often codeshares its flights with BA, is it a LCC...).

 

Within Europe even Low Cost Carriers are legally required to pay compensation for flight delays over three hours the same as Full Cost Carriers, and that compensation is quite punitive - €250 for flights up to 1500km (most flights within Europe), €400 between 1500 and 3500, and €600 if over 3500 plus a liability for accommodation and food if the delay is extended - and so if you have been selling your seats for €20 and have to pay out €250 because you are late...

[NCteacherlovescruising]

5 hours ago, Milhouse said:

We're actually flying into Paris this August for a few days in between the Olympics and Paralympics before heading to Rotterdam to hop on our cruise which takes us to Le Verdon Sur Mer but marketed as Bordeaux.  We've been to Paris before so we're doing a mix of a few common attractions, past fav's, and new things.  And since Le Verdon is pretty far from Bordeaux, we're likely going to save it for future land trip (TBD tho).

 

 

Enjoy your trip!

 

5 hours ago, Milhouse said:

This is many years ago but we kind of took the train from Barcelona to Paris.  It's not a completely fair comparison because there was a train strike in Spain so we have to bus it Montpellier to jump on the TGV.  And then the TGV was delayed getting into Paris because of debris on the lines.  Even without those issue, it would have been a long trip.  With limited time, I'd probably want to fly.  

 

 

We will be flying from Barcelona to Bordeaux.  We will take the train from Bordeaux to Paris. 
 

5 hours ago, Milhouse said:

We have taken Vueling once from Rome to Barcelona post cruise.  Although leg room was limited, for a short flight I think it's fine.  I'd only warn that with low cost carriers (LCC's) in general, I'm always wary of delays and cancellations.  (FWIW, our flight with Vueling was delayed by an hour.)

 

 

We were delayed on our leg from Venice to Chicago which caused us to miss our connecting flight home to Charlotte. We ended up spending the night in the airport thinking we had a 7AM flight, but it was delayed till 12:50. This was all with AA. 
 

5 hours ago, Milhouse said:

With limited time in Paris, I'd say just quickly hit a selection of the big attractions and plan a longer trip/stay in the future.  There are so many fantastic neighbourhoods.  If mobile, I'd agree that some attractions are reasonable walking between them but in the summer, the sun/heat can be a drain.  Our last visit was during late June during a bit of a heat wave and we melted. 

 

 

Paris has never been on my bucket list so I’d be surprised if we ever return. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure we will love it it’s just not a must see for me. I’m think we could visit the Lourve, Notre Dame, the Effie Tour and then finish our day with a cruise along the Seine River. We could go to Versailles the other day. This is assuming we catch an early flight to Paris. 
 

5 hours ago, Milhouse said:

If you can afford to allocate a day, Versailles really is a fantastic attraction IMO, if not just the palace but the grounds also.  If going in the summer, also try to plan for sun protection.  

 

We will plan a day here and just walk around the city once we return. We just spent three weeks in Europe so we’re well aware of the sun and heat. I have to admit, the only time we used any sunscreen was on our beach and boat days. We both tan easily. 
 

2 hours ago, 9265359 said:

 

Frankly I have been delayed far more often with 'Full Cost Carriers' than I have with 'Low Cost Carriers' (and as Vueling is part of IAG and often codeshares its flights with BA, is it a LCC...).

 

Within Europe even Low Cost Carriers are legally required to pay compensation for flight delays over three hours the same as Full Cost Carriers, and that compensation is quite punitive - €250 for flights up to 1500km (most flights within Europe), €400 between 1500 and 3500, and €600 if over 3500 plus a liability for accommodation and food if the delay is extended - and so if you have been selling your seats for €20 and have to pay out €250 because you are late...

As I mentioned above, AA’s delay on our flight from Venice to O’Hare made us miss our connecting flight home and we spent the night in the airport. AA customer service told me they didn’t have to compensate us because she said the law I showed her on my phone wasn’t in effect yet. The one Biden supposedly passed. 

[Hlitner]

I am a big fan of having a rental car in Europe and have done a lot of driving in France.  There are all kinds of options for both rental cars and leased cars (which can be a good idea if you need a car more than 3 weeks).  Since renting in one country (such as Spain) and dropping in another country (such as France) can be difficult and very expensive, we do often suggest that folks work out a driving itinerary that has them picking up and dropping within the same country.  If one does want to pick-up and drop in different countries, a lease (often handled through Peugeot and Citroen) may often be the best option.

 

My advice to the OP is that if Bordeaux, Loire and ultimately Paris are on your wanted agenda, than a rental car makes life easier and will let you see a lot of France that would just be a blur on a fast train.  Visiting various chateaus, wineries, small villages, etc. can only be done with a car or tour.  Using public transit in rural France is not a good option.

 

What does require some extra planning is where (and when) to drop a rental car if going to Paris.  I do not like to drive in Paris (especially in the inside reconcilements) but it can sometimes be a necessary evil.  In the past, we have dropped and picked-up cars in central Paris.  I do not like to keep a car, while in Paris, since parking can be a hassle (and also very expensive).  The good news is that GPS and working smartphones do make life much easier for those of us who do a lot of driving in Europe.  My old Michelin map book for France, which weighs several pounds, now stays at home!  We rely on our phones (we have T-Mobile so our phones work everywhere without additional fees) and sometimes carry a simply paper map as a back-up.

 

Hank

[NCteacherlovescruising]

13 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

I am a big fan of having a rental car in Europe and have done a lot of driving in France.  There are all kinds of options for both rental cars and leased cars (which can be a good idea if you need a car more than 3 weeks).  Since renting in one country (such as Spain) and dropping in another country (such as France) can be difficult and very expensive, we do often suggest that folks work out a driving itinerary that has them picking up and dropping within the same country.  If one does want to pick-up and drop in different countries, a lease (often handled through Peugeot and Citroen) may often be the best option.

 

My advice to the OP is that if Bordeaux, Loire and ultimately Paris are on your wanted agenda, than a rental car makes life easier and will let you see a lot of France that would just be a blur on a fast train.  Visiting various chateaus, wineries, small villages, etc. can only be done with a car or tour.  Using public transit in rural France is not a good option.

 

What does require some extra planning is where (and when) to drop a rental car if going to Paris.  I do not like to drive in Paris (especially in the inside reconcilements) but it can sometimes be a necessary evil.  In the past, we have dropped and picked-up cars in central Paris.  I do not like to keep a car, while in Paris, since parking can be a hassle (and also very expensive).  The good news is that GPS and working smartphones do make life much easier for those of us who do a lot of driving in Europe.  My old Michelin map book for France, which weighs several pounds, now stays at home!  We rely on our phones (we have T-Mobile so our phones work everywhere without additional fees) and sometimes carry a simply paper map as a back-up.

 

Hank

If we rented a car in France, we would do so while in Bordeaux.  I don't know if it's a good idea for dh to drive to the vineyards since he would be sampling wine.  I assume their drinking and driving laws are similar to ours.  I wouldn't want him to land in a French prison!  So, perhaps just to go from Bordeaux to Paris, visiting a couple castles along the way.  We had planned on skipping this and only staying 2 nights in Paris, but after revisiting the flights from Bordeaux to Paris, we wouldn't get there until evening so the first "day" is lost.  I figure we might as well drive and enjoy the day.  That is dependent on dh adding an extra night in Paris though, which he seems agreeable to under the circumstances.  Back to Bordeaux, we have discussed hiring someone to take us to the vineyards, either a private driver or small group tour.  And most likely a group tour for St. Emilion, unless we decide to drive there.  Although I think I read somewhere that we can take a train there.  Not sure.  I've been researching so many different things in France the past couple of days that I'm mixing things up.  The hotel search has been difficult!  @edinburgher linked an older thread on hotels for @oceansandseas that seems very helpful!  

 

We did use our GPS in Italy quite a bit this summer, especially in Rome.  We had to pay $80 per line with Verizon for a month, but it worked quite well and was worth it.  The only time we had issues with it was in Naples, but we forgot to turn off Surfshark.  Not sure if that was the issue or if the local carrier was down, but we got lost there.  

[Hlitner]

You raise a point about drinking/driving and the European standards are even tougher than most places here in the USA.  I have driven to wineries, and do "taste" wines, but as painful as it may be, do avoid drinking any of the wine.  DW and I usually factor in the location of where we will stay, with where we want to dine.  Many times we try to stay within walking distance of our dining places so I can enjoy wine at dinner.  In some parts of France, such as the Loire, there are some fantastic chateau/hotels that also have excellent restaurants (some with Michelin stars).  If we need to go further than walking distance we use public transit, uber or a taxi to get us back to our hotel.   

 

Reading your comment about Verizon ($80 per month extra) brings me back to T-Mobile.  We had ATT when we met a few crew members on a HAL cruise who told us of the wonders of T-Mobile for those who do a lot of international travel.  We switched carriers and my entire monthly cell bill (for unlimited everything) is less than $80 month (for two lines).  Unlike most other providers, T-Mobile does not have an extra fee for data/text in most countries of the world (phone is 25 cents a min).

 

Hank

[NCteacherlovescruising]

7 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

You raise a point about drinking/driving and the European standards are even tougher than most places here in the USA.  I have driven to wineries, and do "taste" wines, but as painful as it may be, do avoid drinking any of the wine.  DW and I usually factor in the location of where we will stay, with where we want to dine.  Many times we try to stay within walking distance of our dining places so I can enjoy wine at dinner.  In some parts of France, such as the Loire, there are some fantastic chateau/hotels that also have excellent restaurants (some with Michelin stars).  If we need to go further than walking distance we use public transit, uber or a taxi to get us back to our hotel.   

 

He's going to want to drink the wine!  

 

7 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

Reading your comment about Verizon ($80 per month extra) brings me back to T-Mobile.  We had ATT when we met a few crew members on a HAL cruise who told us of the wonders of T-Mobile for those who do a lot of international travel.  We switched carriers and my entire monthly cell bill (for unlimited everything) is less than $80 month (for two lines).  Unlike most other providers, T-Mobile does not have an extra fee for data/text in most countries of the world (phone is 25 cents a min).

 

Hank

We don't do a lot of international travel.  Until this year, our idea of vacation was taking a cruise to the Caribbean.  

[Hlitner]

13 minutes ago, NCteacherlovescruising said:

 

He's going to want to drink the wine!  

 

We don't do a lot of international travel.  Until this year, our idea of vacation was taking a cruise to the Caribbean.  

We started our travel life with Caribbean cruises (and some land trips).  Now, more than 50 years later and having traveled to far more than 100 countries, we still enjoy the Caribbean (and return at least once a year).   When we started going to the Caribbean, places like St Thomas and St Maarten where the best ports.  Now, DW does not even want to get off the ship in St Thomas which is an island that has lost much of its charm due to overtourism.  If we do want to take a cruise and actually enjoy Caribbean ports, we try to book small (under 1000 passenger) luxury ships that go to places like Guadeloupe, St Barts, etc.  Fortunately, there are still some Caribbean ports that do not welcome the monster/mega ships and think that 30,000+ cruisers (on a single day) is a good thing.

 

Hank

[NCteacherlovescruising]

2 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

We started our travel life with Caribbean cruises (and some land trips).  Now, more than 50 years later and having traveled to far more than 100 countries, we still enjoy the Caribbean (and return at least once a year).   When we started going to the Caribbean, places like St Thomas and St Maarten where the best ports.  Now, DW does not even want to get off the ship in St Thomas which is an island that has lost much of its charm due to overtourism.  If we do want to take a cruise and actually enjoy Caribbean ports, we try to book small (under 1000 passenger) luxury ships that go to places like Guadeloupe, St Barts, etc.  Fortunately, there are still some Caribbean ports that do not welcome the monster/mega ships and think that 30,000+ cruisers (on a single day) is a good thing.

 

Hank

We always get off the ship in every port, but I love a beautiful beach.  There was one we stayed on the ship, and it was amazing having it practically to ourselves!  Neither of us recall which port it was though.  Perhaps Bahamas.  We have yet to take a small ship.  

[marazul]

@NCteacherlovescruising

I never answered your question about which one is best, Versailles or the Loire castles. I can't answer that. Which is the most beautiful Southern city, Savannah or Charleston? We could argue about it for ages.

 

However, if you are taking this trip, do it justice.  Stay an extra day in Paris so you can go to Versailles.  To continue the Southern analogies, the Biltmore Estate is the (very) poor man's Versailles. 'Nough said. Do book on their website (see above). 

 

And I agree with Hank (@Hlitner) in many things. Don't keep the car in Paris.  Return it either in Paris or, as I suggested before, in the train station in Chartres and take a train in and then taxi to your hotel. And think small ship some time in the future. And we also have T-Mobile for unlimited text and data all over the world. 

 

BTW - train from Bordeaux to St Emilion is not that convenient.  For you a small tour may be best so you don't have to drive. Same for the Medoc side vineyards. Many times they have entry to vineyards you might not be able to just drop in.

 

[NCteacherlovescruising]

27 minutes ago, marazul said:

@NCteacherlovescruising

I never answered your question about which one is best, Versailles or the Loire castles. I can't answer that. Which is the most beautiful Southern city, Savannah or Charleston? We could argue about it for ages.

 

 

So true!  They are both special and beautiful!

 

27 minutes ago, marazul said:

However, if you are taking this trip, do it justice.  Stay an extra day in Paris so you can go to Versailles.  To continue the Southern analogies, the Biltmore Estate is the (very) poor man's Versailles. 'Nough said. Do book on their website (see above). 

 

 

He has agreed to an extra night in Paris once I pointed out the flights there don’t arrive to early evening. Now we’re considering renting a car to drive to the castles from Bordeaux and wouldn’t arrive that much later. Where was it you said to turn the rental in if we do this?  

27 minutes ago, marazul said:

And I agree with Hank (@Hlitner) in many things. Don't keep the car in Paris.  Return it either in Paris or, as I suggested before, in the train station in Chartres and take a train in and then taxi to your hotel. And think small ship some time in the future. And we also have T-Mobile for unlimited text and data all over the world. 

 

We have no intentions of keeping the car in Paris!  We like to be chauffeured around on vacation. I see the answer to my question above. Which would be easier?  Driving it to Paris to turn in or to Chartres, then train and taxi?  
 

27 minutes ago, marazul said:

BTW - train from Bordeaux to St Emilion is not that convenient.  For you a small tour may be best so you don't have to drive. Same for the Medoc side vineyards. Many times they have entry to vineyards you might not be able to just drop in.

 

We like easy so small group tours may be what we want. I just hate not having the flexibility to wonder off and look at shops and such. 

[9265359]

3 hours ago, NCteacherlovescruising said:

As I mentioned above, AA’s delay on our flight from Venice to O’Hare made us miss our connecting flight home and we spent the night in the airport. AA customer service told me they didn’t have to compensate us because she said the law I showed her on my phone wasn’t in effect yet.

 

EU Regulation 261/2004 (Regulation - 261/2004 - EN - Flight Compensation Regulation - EUR-Lex (europa.eu)) applies to all airlines that are leaving the EU to any destination not just EU airlines to EU destinations

(it only applies to EU airlines when arriving in the EU).

 

If you were delayed arriving by more than three hours then AA (American Airlines?) owe you €600 each - Air passenger rights - Your Europe (europa.eu)

 

1 hour ago, Hlitner said:

You raise a point about drinking/driving and the European standards are even tougher than most places here in the USA.

 

The drink drive limits in France is 0.05%, so lower than the USA which I believe is 0.08% and the penalty is generally a fine.

 

However... if you exceed 0.08% the penalty is the car being seized, a fine up to €4,500, and up to two years in prison.

[marazul]

You are right. AA had to compensate us when they canceled our flight from Lisbon. Nothing to fo with US regulations. They have to comply wit EU rules.