SuperDave's Adventures in Eastern France's Wine Country COMPLETE!! 6/13 - Page 31 - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
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Sorry it's all over but at least you had a good travel day! Looking forward to your wrap up!
Glad that you've enjoyed it and look forward to sharing another TR soon!
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October 6, 2017-Enjoying an amazing dinner at Victoria & Albert's with PP's Dot and Drew
My TR from my most recent trip is now underway. Includes: Universal Studios Florida, Disney World and Sea World Orlando Trifecta TR -Updated December 10th! TR is now COMPLETED!
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I'm not a big fan of connecting flights and I avoid them if I can, even if a direct one costs a bit more! My first trip to Europe in 1995 took me from JFK to London's Gatwick to Lyon, France and to Rome! That was an interesting way on my first experience with international travel!
Isn't there a thread on the board, that once you complete your first trip report and post the link for it, that you'll receive some extra benefits here? I remember coming across this, but can't seem to locate it. Just one post away from completion of my first TR!
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October 6, 2017-Enjoying an amazing dinner at Victoria & Albert's with PP's Dot and Drew
My TR from my most recent trip is now underway. Includes: Universal Studios Florida, Disney World and Sea World Orlando Trifecta TR -Updated December 10th! TR is now COMPLETED!
Isn't there a thread on the board, that once you complete your first trip report and post the link for it, that you'll receive some extra benefits here? I remember coming across this, but can't seem to locate it. Just one post away from completion of my first TR!
October 6, 2017-Enjoying an amazing dinner at Victoria & Albert's with PP's Dot and Drew
My TR from my most recent trip is now underway. Includes: Universal Studios Florida, Disney World and Sea World Orlando Trifecta TR -Updated December 10th! TR is now COMPLETED!
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Sounds like the trip home went smoothly and hassle free!
Yes it was so, fortunately!
Thanks to you, I'm much obliged for my thread update. So glad we have you here as you're such a positive contributor!
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October 6, 2017-Enjoying an amazing dinner at Victoria & Albert's with PP's Dot and Drew
My TR from my most recent trip is now underway. Includes: Universal Studios Florida, Disney World and Sea World Orlando Trifecta TR -Updated December 10th! TR is now COMPLETED!
Last edited by SuperDave; 06-11-2014 at 11:27 AM..
This was quite a trip and one I don’t have any regrets about in any way. Two weeks in Eastern France....how can you beat that! I know some here are against the thing of taking a tour, but I think it is fine if you pick the right one with a good operator. Finding one that aims for travelers rather than tourists, is the way to go. I received it with this Rick Steves’ tour. That is his philosophy! It is also why, it is up to you to get to the beginning of the tour location as they will not be waiting at the airport to pick you up. This makes travel much more fun and independent.
Here’s a bit more on this from Rick himself on his website:
I couldn’t agree with him more and the key is to make things happen while you’re traveling, by immersing yourself in the local culture and make yourself a transplanted European for a while (or wherever you may be). Explore as much as possible so you learn and become more familiar with a particular destination and that includes dining at spots popular with the locals and trying local specialties. You won’t regret it, even if you may not like some of the cuisine.
Overall, it was such a great trip and glad I had the opportunity to do it. Doing a two night pre-stay in Paris was a good choice as it gets your trip going to explore on your own a bit before the tour and get over the jet lag. Didn’t do a lot of site seeing in Paris, but explored mostly on foot the center of the city as I wanted to explore this area as it had been a number of years since I was in Paris. I really enjoyed the cuisine here, the wine class and dinner at O-Chateau with other travelers and meeting a couple of Americans at the famous Parisian café, Deux Magots for a fun evening.
Oversleeping a bit on my departure day for the beginning of my Rick Steves’ tour in Reims was not the way I wanted it to begin, but it wound up working out fine as I got into Reims from Paris by high speed TGV train at a good time. Just loved this trip on the TGV, even though it was only a 45 minute journey.
The tour itself was a lot of fun as we had a great and intimate group of 14 of us. We got to know each other from the beginning and seemed to enjoy each other’s company. Our tour director Toni was fantastic and knew her stuff so well without any problems happening. Everything was well planned and there was plenty of time on our own during the course of the trip. Some tours rush you around and guide you by the hand. I don’t want any of that as is why a Rick Steves’ tour is for travelers and not tourists. I always like plenty of free time on these tours to explore different areas as well as dining options on my own too. A good mix of this is what made it a great tour!
It was thirteen nights of fun, exploring, good food and wine and culture. We started in Reims (Champagne region) and then, Colmar (Alsace), Beaune (Burgundy), Chamonix (French Alps, Haute Savoie), Vaison La Romaine (Provence) and Marseille (Provence-Alpes-Cote D’Azur). There were also numerous day stops for exploring towns, lunch stops and wine tastings. Saw and immersed ourselves in so much of Eastern France in two weeks time. It would be tough to do this much on your own, but if you're familiar with the regions, perhaps it can be done. A lot of it has to do with travel and traffic as well as planning cultural stops with some that may not be open as well as weather related situations.
Some of my favorites:
Meals
With Group: Hotel in Provence with dinner outside in the beautiful courtyard
On My Own: In Colmar at JY’s outside along the canal in Petite Venise
Wine Tastings:
In Provence at Domaine de Mourchon. The meal was great downstairs in winery by the wine vats. Too bad it was raining as we would have had this great lunch outside in the countryside with such great scenery.
Stays:
Loved so many of our stays but the ones I liked best were:
Colmar Just so beautiful with its’ architecture, use of colors and Petite Venise
Chamonix. How can you top seeing the French Alps from the balcony outside your room!
Vaison La Romaine Just a classic hilltop Provencial town with so many well preserved buildings with narrow and steep streets here. Especially in the Upper Town!
Beaune: Just a great feel to this town with the food and wine and a great walking town
Day Stops
Quite a few of these, but enjoyed:
Keysersburg with the Chateau and a great lunch in this Alsacian town
In The Alsace: Walking through the vineyards with a local guide, telling us the history and being so passionate about the vineyards and wine production and appreciation
Douaumont and the World War I memorial
Outside of Beaune and the wine visit to Chateau de Rully, meeting a real Count and having lunch outside with local specialties
Annecy A great cruise on Lake Annecy with beautiful views of lush homes and the French Alps in the distance. Also a great lunch outside with local fish from the lake for myself.
Orange in Provence and it’s Roman Amphitheatre with it’s back wall fully intact
Aix en Provence A busy town but just liked this town with it’s expensive shops, cafes and boulevards.
Hotels:
All of our hotels were nice, but some were better than others.
The hotel in Reims had a very large bathroom which was so beautiful with its granite shower stall walls and vanity.
In Chamonix the view from my balcony of the French Alps and the rushing river below with the grey color of the water from clay.
Beaune for a lovely courtyard at a small family run hotel, where a few of us enjoyed a fair amount of local wine before dinner one afternoon.
Vaison La Romaine Just a beautiful and historic hotel. The two solo travelers (myself and Jill) were located in a separate building. There was a lovely and historic and well appointed sitting room outside of our doors.
Other Stuff and Various Sights
Reims Notre Dame Cathedral light show on the first night and a visit inside the next day.
Champagne tasting and visiting the cool damp Champagne cellars
Colmar
The whole town being so beautiful with it’s architecture, use of colors and German influence in this Alsacian town. Could not get over how amazing the Petite Venise part of Colmar was with the buildings and canals. Loved the cafes here as well.
Unterlinden Museum with its’ mosaics, paintings, artifacts and the Altarpiece.
Beaune
Arrival in town with a great lunch on my own down in the basement of Les Chevaliers and enjoying Oeufs Meurette (poached eggs in red wine sauce)!
Visit to Hotel Dieu and the hospice rooms and the mosaics
Musee du Vin An interesting place with many historic artifacts used in wine production and consumption. It was a little bit sparse in some of the presentations, but good overall.
Cafe sitting at night, enjoying the scenery and plenty of people watching!
Chamonix The French Alps. Riding in a cable car to over 12,000 feet and taking in the great views down below, surrounding area and Mount Blanc. You just can’t top the views of nature! It was even snowing up here for a bit on the 13th of May!
Glaciers and Ice Cave. Short trip on a cog wheel train up to the glaciers and viewing the beauty of these glaciers and making the long walk down and (most regrettably) up to and from the ice cave.
Vaison La Romaine, Provence
Visiting the Roman Ruins with so much history and seeing some of the old dwellings
Marseilles Notre Dame de la Garde Cathedral with it’s spectacular views of Marseilles and the Cote d’Azur from way up here. Although, there was nothing spectacular about the bus ride down and having to move that small car on the corner!
So, this was such a great trip and was able to experience so many different things regarding the culture, towns, exploring, cuisine and wine. It’s a memory now and so glad I have this TR as a keepsake to relive this trip as much as possible!
I would certainly do another one of these tours again and most certainly a Rick Steves’ tour, just don’t know when or where it will be, along with a pre-stay, just as long as I don’t have to move another car!
Also, please note in my thread title that this TR is now completed!...which ever moderator reads this first, so you can update it!
Now time to begin my Spring Trip to WDW TR. The biggest problem will be my contemplating and coming up with a good thread title!
Any suggestions for a March 29-April 4 trip? Criteria being: parks, dining, food and wine, lounges at night, Riverside amd F&G Festival, escaping the cold and snowy Northeast! Just asking as I can't come up with the appropriate title as of yet! Will think about this more in the morning and hope to get going on it shortly!
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October 6, 2017-Enjoying an amazing dinner at Victoria & Albert's with PP's Dot and Drew
My TR from my most recent trip is now underway. Includes: Universal Studios Florida, Disney World and Sea World Orlando Trifecta TR -Updated December 10th! TR is now COMPLETED!
Last edited by SuperDave; 06-13-2014 at 09:45 PM..
Great wrap-up to a wonderful trip. Thanks for sharing it with us.
I'm going to be no help with a trip report title - it's early, as we're heading out to get out flight to the Isle of Man shortly, so I'm not exactly in a creative mood...
Registered Message Board Members save 30% off PassPorter guidebooks! When you register you'll have access to a discount coupon good for 30% off the list price of PassPorter books in our online store.
Great wrap-up to a wonderful trip. Thanks for sharing it with us.
I'm going to be no help with a trip report title - it's early, as we're heading out to get out flight to the Isle of Man shortly, so I'm not exactly in a creative mood...
So glad you enjoyed my TR as it was so much fun and got to see, do and experience so many wonderful things in France!
I'll come up with something for the title!
__________________
October 6, 2017-Enjoying an amazing dinner at Victoria & Albert's with PP's Dot and Drew
My TR from my most recent trip is now underway. Includes: Universal Studios Florida, Disney World and Sea World Orlando Trifecta TR -Updated December 10th! TR is now COMPLETED!
Great wrap up! Thanks so much for taking us along for the ride!
Glad you enjoyed it as it was well worth doing, even though it took some time!
__________________
October 6, 2017-Enjoying an amazing dinner at Victoria & Albert's with PP's Dot and Drew
My TR from my most recent trip is now underway. Includes: Universal Studios Florida, Disney World and Sea World Orlando Trifecta TR -Updated December 10th! TR is now COMPLETED!
I like all the details in your trip wrap up. Thanks so much for letting us explore France with you for the two weeks.
Glad you enjoyed the TR as I did writing it and sharing it with all of you! I thought, providing a lot of my trip details would be a good way to wrap the whole thing up!
Now on to my WDW TR, which I hope to get starting on soon!
__________________
October 6, 2017-Enjoying an amazing dinner at Victoria & Albert's with PP's Dot and Drew
My TR from my most recent trip is now underway. Includes: Universal Studios Florida, Disney World and Sea World Orlando Trifecta TR -Updated December 10th! TR is now COMPLETED!
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Pixie Dust
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My first trip to Europe in 1995 took me from JFK to London's Gatwick to Lyon, France and to Rome! 
That was an interesting way on my first experience with international travel! 
I remember coming across this, but can't seem to locate it. Just one post away from completion of my first TR! 
I know some here are against the thing of taking a tour, but I think it is fine if you pick the right one with a good operator. Finding one that aims for travelers rather than tourists, is the way to go. I received it with this Rick Steves’ tour. That is his philosophy! 
It is also why, it is up to you to get to the beginning of the tour location as they will not be waiting at the airport to pick you up. 
This makes travel much more fun and independent. 
a bit on my departure day for the beginning of my Rick Steves’ tour in Reims was not the way I wanted it to begin, but it wound up working out fine as I got into Reims from Paris by high speed TGV train at a good time. Just loved this trip on the TGV, even though it was only a 45 minute journey.
It was even snowing up here for a bit on the 13th of May! 
Just asking as I can't come up with the appropriate title as of yet! 
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