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We fly into Paris on July 23 and then fly back to the US on August 13. We are actually going to be in the south by Pau visiting family. At some point, we want to spend some time in Paris seeing what we can. I know the normal things; the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, etc, but want to see other unknown sites that are uniquely Paris. If you have any ideas, I would love to hear them. Our budget is somewhat flexible, but we do have to make sure that things do not get out of hand.
Traveling from Paris to Pau. should we use the train, which I think is about $117 per person each way, or rent an economical car for the entire time we are there and just drive down? Without collision, I found a Opal to rent from Avis for about $700. We will be meeting up with others and sight seeing, but thought we might be able to rent scooters instead. I dunno...any thoughts?
Shamelessly lifted from a website:
In August, the French traditionally take their holidays. So you may find some shops particularly closed for the first half of August. Northern France tends to migrate south from mid July and Bastille Day to mid-August. The advantages are that attractions have longer opening hours and can be quieter than July. The South of France is very busy indeed, particularly on beaches. And throughout France you'll find lots of festivals and events.
you may want to visit Paris before August.
when the times comes to go south... yes, rent a car and stop where you like.
If you were travelling to the Riviera, I would take the train because it's quick to get there from Paris and the Riviera is easily traversed via public transportation. But Pau is in the much less densely-populated southwestern corner of the country, where you will definitely want a car in order to sightsee. The distance between attractions (not to mention the rugged terrain of, say, the Pyrenees) makes scooters a less practical option. Besides, I imagine that you will get pretty restless in Pau after a short while and want to see other places.
Also in the vicinity of Pau, you will almost certainly want to see the Basque seaside town of Saint-Jean-de-Luz, as well as the great sandy beaches stretching northwards towards Bordeaux (many French insist that these beaches are superior to those on the Mediterranean coast). The Dune du Pyla, the highest sand dune in Europe, is a highlight of the region.
Pau is not in the Riviera--it's over towards the Pyrenees, near the Spanish border.
Did I say otherwise?
"If you were travelling to the Riviera, I would take the train because it's quick to get there from Paris and the Riviera is easily traversed via public transportation. But Pau is in the much less densely-populated southwestern corner of the country"
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