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Currently in Village D'ile de France

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Second day of our two week stay and it's great to be in familiar surroundings.

One word of caution, the outdoor pool is very cold. Jump in and your breath is taken away. After 5 minutes your blood temperature cools and you become used to it however it's only filled with foolhardy northern Europeans who insist on getting in the pool as it's August and they're on holiday. Spoke to the manager last night who said they had tried heating it previously but it was costing 200 Euros a day so they stopped.

France is also very expensive at the moment, the grocery shopping on the first day came to 200 Euros! Granted I bought 10 bottles of wine but they were the only items cheaper than the UK.

Anyone who has any questions whilst we're here just ask.
 
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Are you going to go to Paris? I know thee is a train stop nearby, what do you think of going to Paris as a sort of big day trip? What is there to do locally?
 

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Provins

Hope you are driving to Provins.
I want to say it was about a 45-minute drive from the Marriott.

Enjoyed it so much, we went there two days!
 
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Are you going to go to Paris? I know thee is a train stop nearby, what do you think of going to Paris as a sort of big day trip? What is there to do locally?

We're planning our trip to Paris as we speak. The train station at Disneyland takes approx. 35 minutes to the centre of Paris and leaves every 6 to 30 minutes depending on the time of day. We were planning on going tomorrow as the forecast is for thundery showers and we've been recommended the science museum and aquarium as good places to visit with young children. Of course there is the obligatory Eiffel Tower visit but the kids don't want to go up it(?). With the train running so frequently we can return to our villa without having to rent a room in Paris. I'd like to visit the Louvre and indulge in some gorgeous French cooking however hotdogs and crepes will probably be the order of the day and I'll leave the Louvre for another time.

Today we visited the Parc Des Felines which is a nature reserve devoted to big cats (and small) from around the world. It was a very easy and peaceful 25 minute drive through the countryside from the Marriott. It's also close to the medieval town of Provins which we intend to visit as there are regular medieval jousts and other shows put on in the historic town.

And then there's Parc Asterix somewhere within the fortnight!
 

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Have you visited the Walt Disney Studios park? Or do you have plans to? We're thinking of a trip to Disneyland Paris within the next year or so, but are wondering about the studios park. My husband and I went to the Disneyland Paris park about 12 years ago, but at that time the studios park didn't exist. I'm just curious to see what others think of it and if it would be good for kids under age 10.

Thanks!
 
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Have you visited the Walt Disney Studios park? Or do you have plans to?
Thanks!

Hi CapriciousC,

We've been to Disneyland Paris on three occasions and they all included both parks. The first time our children were 4 and 2 and there was plenty to keep them occupied. Our eldest loves cars so the stuntshow absolutely blew him away and also the Cars ride thrilled him no end. Our youngest was more than happy to be occupied by the characters that wandered around.

The studios park was noticeably less busy than the main park even though there was plenty to keep people occupied. We've normally bought passport annuel for everyone and visited over several days. On every visit we've gone to both parks on the same day as they're next door to each other and easily interchangeable.

As magical as Disneyland is the prospect of going in the midst of school holidays feels me with such dread that we're avoiding it this year. As it is, the kids are having so much fun at the Marriott that they've not even asked about Disneyland.....I'm hoping it stays that way!

We've been in April, October and September. April was the quietest although the wettest and queuing for 1/2 an hour to board the Dumbo ride gives some measure of what to expect if you decide to visit during the school holidays.
 

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Hi CapriciousC,

We've been to Disneyland Paris on three occasions and they all included both parks. The first time our children were 4 and 2 and there was plenty to keep them occupied. Our eldest loves cars so the stuntshow absolutely blew him away and also the Cars ride thrilled him no end. Our youngest was more than happy to be occupied by the characters that wandered around.

The studios park was noticeably less busy than the main park even though there was plenty to keep people occupied. We've normally bought passport annuel for everyone and visited over several days. On every visit we've gone to both parks on the same day as they're next door to each other and easily interchangeable.

As magical as Disneyland is the prospect of going in the midst of school holidays feels me with such dread that we're avoiding it this year. As it is, the kids are having so much fun at the Marriott that they've not even asked about Disneyland.....I'm hoping it stays that way!

We've been in April, October and September. April was the quietest although the wettest and queuing for 1/2 an hour to board the Dumbo ride gives some measure of what to expect if you decide to visit during the school holidays.

Thanks for the information! For reference, when does the summer holiday for schoolchildren typically begin in England? Do you know when it begins in France? Our daughter's school ends the last week of May, so I'm wondering if early June would be less crowded than midsummer (she actually starts back to school next week, so I'm wondering if school holidays in the US start earlier and end earlier than in Europe).

I'm glad to hear that there's so much to do at the Marriott - that's definitely where we would want to stay!
 
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Thanks for the information! For reference, when does the summer holiday for schoolchildren typically begin in England? Do you know when it begins in France? Our daughter's school ends the last week of May, so I'm wondering if early June would be less crowded than midsummer

In England the summer holidays start at the end of July and finish at the beginning of September. In France they're staggered but typically start in early July and finish at the beginning of September. June would be an ideal time to visit although I'd look towards the end of the month in order to maximise your chance of good weather.
 

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We're planning our trip to Paris as we speak. The train station at Disneyland takes approx. 35 minutes to the centre of Paris and leaves every 6 to 30 minutes depending on the time of day......

Of course there is the obligatory Eiffel Tower visit but the kids don't want to go up it(?). With the train running so frequently we can return to our villa without having to rent a room in Paris. I'd like to visit the Louvre and indulge in some gorgeous French cooking however hotdogs and crepes will probably be the order of the day and I'll leave the Louvre for another time.

You don't say the age of your children, but I think there are lots of things that could interest them in the Louvre on a rainy day. There is a very cool Egyptian wing with lots of mummies and ancient Egyptian artifacts. Interesting sculptures all over the place (venus de milo, winged victory). Kids will also like the Greek, Roman, Babylonian antiquities. You can always play the famous "strike the same pose & I will take a picture of you together" game. Or, "Check out everything in this room & tell me your favorite thing & why". Big, big plus is that kids under 18 are FREE. My daughter's other favorite Paris museum when she was young was the Beauborg (Centre Pompidou). They have some wild, crazy, fun, modern art there -- your kids will love it. Plus, not crowded like the Louvre.

Eiffel Tower. My kids didn't want to go up it either. We said fine "we'll just go look". Once we got there, they just HAD to go up to observation deck. Then, when they found out, you could pay extra & go up to the very, very tip top. Well, no surprise -- they had to do that, too. But I would definitely try to save that for a non-rainy day.

My kids also loved the Notre Dame, especially going up & seeing the gargoyles at the top. Remind them of the Disney movie "Hunchback of Notre Dame". They also have fond memories of the Greek restaurant row on the Left Bank, not far away from there. Just beyond Shakespeare & Co? It's a little windy pedestrian street, and it's littered with broken plates from all the shouting of "O-pa" & plate breaking. Plus, plenty of good cheap eats, kebabs,street food & snacks can be found in the maze of tiny pedestrian-only streets. That section is just to the left of the big statue/fountain on Boulevard St. Michel.

Also, how many Euros for the train ride back-and-forth between the Marriott & Paris? Paris was so expensive 10 years ago, I can't even imagine how expensive it must be now. Pack some snacks & sandwiches to take into the city with you. I remember paying about 10 euros/each for small dry ham & cheese on baguette sandwiches (40 euros for the 4 of us), and we had to eat them sitting on the sidewalk.

Enjoy your trip. It sounds heavenly!

--- Rene
 

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Our boys LOVED the bike tour we took last August.

At the time our boys were 7 and 10.

We arranged a "private family tour" with bike about tours.

They gave us these cool "bicycle built for two bikes" and a guide took us on all kinds of side streets. We made a lot of photo stops. The guide took us to a deli where we got take out and had a picnic on the grass of the Louvre.

I don't remember the exact cost, but it was "reasonable" by Paris standards. We saw other bike tours with 30+ in a group and were so glad we choose what we did. Later found out bike about tours was rated number one on Trip Advisor.

We actually did the Eiffel Tower in the rain. We had bought "timed" tickets (which I highly recommend after seeing the "other" line). A summer shower appeared while we were at the top... and it hung over Paris for a long time. We knew there was no way to get down and walk to any restaurant ... so we stopped on the mid-level and asked if there were any tables available at the 58 Bistro (supposedly the mid-priced restaurant). Apparently because of the rain, someone did not show up for their reservation, so they gave the table to us. Let me just say, it was the most expensive meal we had in France. Two kids meals (kids got cakes in the shape of the Eiffel Tower!)... my wife ordered the prix-fix dinner and I ordered a salad. I was afraid to convert the price to dollars when I got the bill! The food was good. Not worth what we paid. But under the circumstances I would do it again. After dinner, we got some absolutely beautiful pictures!!! HOWEVER-- we had not planned on the rain and the long dinner. We
MISSED the last train to the Disneyland station. Our train stopped two stops before Disneyland. We had to call the Marriott on some nice person's cell phone and they sent a cab. Turned into an expensive day!
 
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Just got back from Paris. Tip one, if you're driving to the train station (Marne La Vallee Chessy) I would recommend picking up the train from Val D'Europe station. It's the next one along the line from Marne La Vallee and the beauty is that you can park in the Val D'Europe for free rather than pay 20 Euro's at Marne La Vallee.

Two adult and two children tickets came to 48 Euro's, very pricy for a 30 minute journey!

We visited the Eiffel Tower first but didn't go up it, kids didn't want to and I had no real desire plus the queues were horrendous. There is a website somewhere where you can buy pre-paid tickets and you can jump the queue considerably. I did consider it before we came over but I thought the queue's wouldn't be too bad!

We then visited the aquarium by the Trocadero. We bought tickets online and saved about 25 euro's. It's not a big place and the things that fill the time were the movies shown on various cinema screens. These were fine although they're obviously in French and our 6 & 4 year olds weren't particularly patient with subtitles therefore our visit was complete in less than an hour.

Lunch was taken at a reasonably priced restaurant however our 6 year old's hotdog comprised of a cheese covered frankfurter in a foot long baguette that even I would have struggled to complete. The salad nicoise and entrecote bearnaise were pleasant enough however the 69 euro bill wasn't!

Yes France is expensive and I knew that before we came however this year seems to be prohibitively so. We're three days into a two week stay and we've already spent about £400. Personally I think our children are probably too young to fully appreciate Paris (and New York, London etc). Right now they're splashing about in the pool and they're the happiest they've been all day. I'm equally happy to lounge with them and enjoy the cheap wine for which I'm regretting not driving my own car over so that I could stock up.

Next year looks like it'll be Spain, the money stretches much further despite France being better for sunbathing. I can tolerate lying in the sun all day in France whereas Spain becomes too oppressive after a while.
 

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.... you can park in the Val D'Europe for free rather than pay 20 Euro's at Marne La Vallee.

Two adult and two children tickets came to 48 Euro's, very pricy for a 30 minute journey!

20 Euros to park + 48 Euros for RER tickets --- OUCH! I feel your pain.

We had exchanged through I.I. to the Royal Regency in Vincennes, which is at the very, very end of Metro Line 1 in the 12th arrondisement. It was a dump 10 years ago, but now I see that the ability to take the metro over the RER was probably a big cost savings for our family. Plus, no issues with being in the city too late as the metro system runs very late. Still, I didn't like that Royal Regency was so far out that we could not come back for lunch or dinner, then take the metro back in for evening activities in Paris. It was a good 30 minute walk from the timeshare to the Metro, or sometimes a fairly long wait for the bus.

I told myself that if there was ever a next time, we would just rent someplace right inside Paris from vrbo.com or one of the other websites. The ability to eat/cook in your unit could have saved us several hundred dollars. We ate a lot of really bad food at sky-prices in Paris! But I still wish I could go back. Paris is a really special place. Like Venice. Amazing & magical!

Enjoy your French vacation and make sure to tell us of your adventures, so those of us stuck at home can live vicariously through you (without the expense!)

--- Rene
 

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Next year looks like it'll be Spain, the money stretches much further despite France being better for sunbathing. I can tolerate lying in the sun all day in France whereas Spain becomes too oppressive after a while.

Next year try Marriott Son Antem in Majorca - not so hot as southern Spain and some great beaches within a short car trip and the villa pools are very children friendly - as are the hotel and SPA pools.
 
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Next year try Marriott Son Antem in Majorca - not so hot as southern Spain and some great beaches within a short car trip and the villa pools are very children friendly - as are the hotel and SPA pools.

We love Son Antem. It was fantastic having your own little pool to share with a couple of your neighbours and to have a barbecue in your own piece of garden, I fondly recall grilling a mass of dirt cheap king prawns washed down with even cheaper wine in the evening sun, fantastic. Disagree with you on the heat though, last time I was there it was baking and without the benefit of a sea breeze it meant a lot of time spent under the parasol. We did go to Es Trenc but made the mistake of going on a Sunday. Cue every Mallorcan heading there as well. The kids (and me) loved Aqualand and it's one of their fondest memories

I honestly can't pick between Playa Andaluza or Son Antem (i haven't been to Marbella although my wife has) and I would be more than happy to trade into any of the Spanish resorts.
 

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In England the summer holidays start at the end of July and finish at the beginning of September. In France they're staggered but typically start in early July and finish at the beginning of September. June would be an ideal time to visit although I'd look towards the end of the month in order to maximise your chance of good weather.

Thank you so much for the information! I truly do appreciate it :)

Hope you enjoy the remainder of your holiday!
 
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A word of advice....... don't sleep with your windows open here. We have all been ravaged by mosquitos overnight. I was not a pleasant sight this morning lounging by the pool with a multitude of what look like boils on my arms and back. I managed to swat 11 this morning and the windows remain firmly shut with the air con on (as much as I dislike it).
 

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We're planning our trip to Paris as we speak. The train station at Disneyland takes approx. 35 minutes to the centre of Paris and leaves every 6 to 30 minutes depending on the time of day. We were planning on going tomorrow as the forecast is for thundery showers and we've been recommended the science museum and aquarium as good places to visit with young children. Of course there is the obligatory Eiffel Tower visit but the kids don't want to go up it(?). With the train running so frequently we can return to our villa without having to rent a room in Paris. I'd like to visit the Louvre and indulge in some gorgeous French cooking however hotdogs and crepes will probably be the order of the day and I'll leave the Louvre for another time.

Today we visited the Parc Des Felines which is a nature reserve devoted to big cats (and small) from around the world. It was a very easy and peaceful 25 minute drive through the countryside from the Marriott. It's also close to the medieval town of Provins which we intend to visit as there are regular medieval jousts and other shows put on in the historic town.

And then there's Parc Asterix somewhere within the fortnight!

I wish I had known you were going. We own at IDF and have for 5 years, but I have been travelling the region a 57 times over the last 20 years. My kids have grown up with the parks and are 6 and 8. So I would have loved to advised as there were quite a few things I think you missed some tricks on. Too late for you, but maybe this will help others.

the aquarium is only ok, if you are itnerested in aquariums and are coming from the UK, there are two better options. There is a good (not awesome, but good) sea life centre in the Val De Europe. It is cheaper than going into Paris and everything is done in English as well as French. If you want to be blown away by an aquarium however, I recommend the one in Bolougne, on the way up to the crossing, or on your way down to Marriott. Nautiscaa easily competes with world class aquariums such as the Monterey Bay Aquarium in California and beats all the aquariums in Britain (I think I have been to them all).

for a rainy day in Paris, while Cite de Science is good, my kids adore the Louvre and the Orsay as well. Pompidou centre can be fun too. Every kid is different, but mine love museums.

Looking forward to reading the rest. To me Provins is a must for first time visitors and also, Parc Asterix is a lot of fun!
 
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Have you visited the Walt Disney Studios park? Or do you have plans to? We're thinking of a trip to Disneyland Paris within the next year or so, but are wondering about the studios park. My husband and I went to the Disneyland Paris park about 12 years ago, but at that time the studios park didn't exist. I'm just curious to see what others think of it and if it would be good for kids under age 10.

Thanks!

Have you been to the Disney Hollywood Studios in walt Disney world? Then you know what to expect. My kids love WDSP. The meet and greets with the characters are less mobbed than in disneyland for starters. Having lunch with a life size dancing Remy from Ratatoule is also high up their loves. The Animagique Black light show is excellent (if you watched America's Got Talent last year with Defying Gravity, imagine that with Disney characters). The Stunt show is excellent (the one in Florida is an exact copy). And my kids love Cinemagique (a tribute to the cinama) it is a lovely film with special effects that is very clever and won international acclaim for good reason. Also the Art of Animation can be fun, and a real eye opener to the different cultures of europe and how amazing the art of Disney is.

Also as much as I do not like the tackiness of toy story Playland, the Cars Ride, or the Magic Carpets, the kids seem to love them. And the Crush Coaster is lots of fun, but I would only recommend it to seasoned riders (my kids 1st tried it last year when they were 5 and 7, but they have been on family coasters across the globe). Stitch Live is excellent for all ages and unique to Paris and HK (not in the states, it is like Turtle Talk with Crush but better IMHO). We also have Playhouse Disney, the Tram Tour, Rock and Roller Coaster and Tower of Tower - all better versions than Florida IMHO.

Also the old Stars and Cars parade that used to be in Florida is now in WDSP, but they have added a show to it.

And lastly, we have Armageddon Special effects stage - I love it and am in the minority. It scares the hell out of my kids, which makes me laugh. Lol.

So I do think there is a lot on offer. Would I go to IDF just for WDSP? No. But as a part of the experience, absolutely.
 

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Hi CapriciousC,

As magical as Disneyland is the prospect of going in the midst of school holidays feels me with such dread that we're avoiding it this year. As it is, the kids are having so much fun at the Marriott that they've not even asked about Disneyland.....I'm hoping it stays that way!

We've been in April, October and September. April was the quietest although the wettest and queuing for 1/2 an hour to board the Dumbo ride gives some measure of what to expect if you decide to visit during the school holidays.

Oh, you missed out, except for the weekends, the parks are quieter in August than they are in the April or October School holidays. And they are open until 11pm/midnight - offering more entertainment, the Fantillusion night time parade (this year is rumoured to be it's last run) and fireworks.

What we do is buy Dream Annual passes as they give you access to Extra Magic Hours. We tend to go early and enjoy the park until lunch time, then come back to the resort and go swimming/kids club/have a nap and then go in after dinner and enjoy the evening. It is fantastic that way. You missed out on something special. It is now my fav time to go.
 

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I'm glad to hear that there's so much to do at the Marriott - that's definitely where we would want to stay!

there is lots to do, check some of my older threads:

Disneyland
Walt Disney Studios
Park Asterix
Val D Europe and the aquarium
Cheese and Wine markets in the local village
The Louis Braille museum (inventor of this blind reading system) is 2 miles from the villas
The wild Animal Park
Provins (a UNESCO heritage site and must do)
Rheims (where all the French kings were coronated and also home of the champagne wineries of Piper Heideseck, Tattinger and many others, Dom Peringnon and others are in nearby Epernay)
Paris - Notre Dame, Montmartre, Eiffel Tower, Champs Eleysee, Louvre, Orsay, Catacombes, Defence, Jim Morrison's and Sartre's graves, Napolean's tomb etc.
Chantilly - amazing horse museum, also wher much of the inspiration for walt Disney's Sleeping Beauty came from - the book Le Duc de Berry is there.
Fountainbleu
Veaux le Vicompte (inspiration for Versailles)
Versailles is doable
Pierrefonds (three musketeers type castle)
Compiegne (Napoleans fav home is there)
The armistace Wagon where the WWI cease fire was had.
Giverney Monet Gardens (though they are recreated at Marriott anyway)
There is also Barbizon - the impressionist artist commune

Further afield - Arass and Vimy - WWI trenches and underground caves, WWI museum at the Somme.

3-4 hours - the Normandy Landing beaches.

So there are a few ideas, and I think I probably left a few more out.
 

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Just got back from Paris. Tip one, if you're driving to the train station (Marne La Vallee Chessy) I would recommend picking up the train from Val D'Europe station. It's the next one along the line from Marne La Vallee and the beauty is that you can park in the Val D'Europe for free rather than pay 20 Euro's at Marne La Vallee.

Two adult and two children tickets came to 48 Euro's, very pricy for a 30 minute journey!

Another tip, if you are planning to go to DLP for a day or two, you can buy an annual pass for as little as 99 euro. This includes free parking. We park at DL and then take the train. Parking is free at Val D Europe, but the spaces near the station are targets for break ins. Or the bus is 2.50 although, dependent on the pass you get into Paris, is included. So if you have a Paris visite pass, the bus is free, and it runs until about 3am.
 
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Yes France is expensive and I knew that before we came however this year seems to be prohibitively so. We're three days into a two week stay and we've already spent about £400. Personally I think our children are probably too young to fully appreciate Paris (and New York, London etc). Right now they're splashing about in the pool and they're the happiest they've been all day. I'm equally happy to lounge with them and enjoy the cheap wine for which I'm regretting not driving my own car over so that I could stock up.

Next year looks like it'll be Spain, the money stretches much further despite France being better for sunbathing. I can tolerate lying in the sun all day in France whereas Spain becomes too oppressive after a while.

Welcome to the Eurozone and also modern inflation I am afraid. In the last 12 months we have been to Spain, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Belgium and Holland. Overall, we found the cost of fuel, food and drink to be comparable in them all. Spain is no longer a cheap option. Also I work in London a lot, and there is not a huge difference between London and Paris pricing (except soft drinks, they are cheaper in the UK)
 

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Just got back from Paris. Tip one, if you're driving to the train station (Marne La Vallee Chessy) I would recommend picking up the train from Val D'Europe station. It's the next one along the line from Marne La Vallee and the beauty is that you can park in the Val D'Europe for free rather than pay 20 Euro's at Marne La Vallee.

Two adult and two children tickets came to 48 Euro's, very pricy for a 30 minute journey!

We visited the Eiffel Tower first but didn't go up it, kids didn't want to and I had no real desire plus the queues were horrendous. There is a website somewhere where you can buy pre-paid tickets and you can jump the queue considerably. I did consider it before we came over but I thought the queue's wouldn't be too bad!

We then visited the aquarium by the Trocadero. We bought tickets online and saved about 25 euro's. It's not a big place and the things that fill the time were the movies shown on various cinema screens. These were fine although they're obviously in French and our 6 & 4 year olds weren't particularly patient with subtitles therefore our visit was complete in less than an hour.

Lunch was taken at a reasonably priced restaurant however our 6 year old's hotdog comprised of a cheese covered frankfurter in a foot long baguette that even I would have struggled to complete. The salad nicoise and entrecote bearnaise were pleasant enough however the 69 euro bill wasn't!

Yes France is expensive and I knew that before we came however this year seems to be prohibitively so. We're three days into a two week stay and we've already spent about £400. Personally I think our children are probably too young to fully appreciate Paris (and New York, London etc). Right now they're splashing about in the pool and they're the happiest they've been all day. I'm equally happy to lounge with them and enjoy the cheap wine for which I'm regretting not driving my own car over so that I could stock up.

Next year looks like it'll be Spain, the money stretches much further despite France being better for sunbathing. I can tolerate lying in the sun all day in France whereas Spain becomes too oppressive after a while.

This gave me quite a chuckle as I was in London twice this summer to visit new granddaughter. OUCH, UK is pricey , especially when changing US $. Is the pound exchange to Euro equally horrible? As much as we Americans complain about costs rising, things here are a bargain compared to what they cost "across the pond" and on the continent.

Still and all, traveling abroad still ranks high on my bucket list :)
BTW, grandbaby with parents in tow have returned stateside from a wonderful 1 year stint overseas :)
 

davewasbaloo

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20 Euros to park + 48 Euros for RER tickets --- OUCH! I feel your pain.

again, by European standards, that is not bad. We live 40 miles north of London (MVCI is about 25 miles East of Paris). We pay £12 (14 euro, $18) to park for the day at our local station. And to take my kids into London at the beginning of the school holidays (we went to see Shrek the Musical, excellent BTW), the train fare was £60 (66 Euro, $90). They are the costs associated with large European cities and it works out about the same price as driving in and paying 40 euros to park for the day.
 
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