A new adventure

Fellow ENA's --- a new adventure on the horizon.

We are headed to London for a few days and then off to the Britanny Coast for 10 days. We will be doing the WWII/Normandy area for a few days and then traveling down the coast by car.

Anyone have any "must see" advice?

Safe travels, Mhowe!!! I have nothing to add, just wanted to tell you to have fun!!

A great way to see London is on the river and it is a great sight, day or night. The tour bus is quite good fun and you can hop on and off, checking out each sight. Lots of nice Italian food at affordable prices.

Brittany is very picturesque but as someone once told me "nobody goes there for the weather". Yes you can get steak, etc but there's loads of great fish and seafood. I recommend mussels in white wine and sardines. Maybe not for everyone but I like browsing in rockpools. If it's rainy, there's loads of churches, usually with a nautical theme. I don't know if you're on a tour but I would recommend a hire car if not. Driving is NOTHING like Paris or London and you hardly notice the rush hour. You can drive round the coast, stop off for each beach and just look for somewhere to eat when you're hungry.

Thanks both of you!

Man w/ Dog ----we were already pointed towards a river boat cruise on the Thames --- probably at night.

We are going to rent a car --- we are both foodies, and history buffs. His palate is more adventurous than mine, but I am game for new attempts. We certainly aren't going for the beaches this time of year, but since it is off season ---- we are making few reservations and being more "spontaneous".

I put that in quotes because I am running up ideas on my ipad and will surely have it with me. This "seat of the pants" travel is how he wanted to do it!

Easy to do if you're going on a spontaneous day trip.... Not so much when you're visiting another country!

Easy to do if you're going on a spontaneous day trip.... Not so much when you're visiting another country!

No kidding! We will buy plane tickets and figure out the one hotel in London. I have booked a room for 2 nights in Normandy, which we will get after we land from the ferry. Ferry doesn't need advance booking, though car rental would be a good idea.

I told him we could "wing" this one (as I planned out the last one). It is another test of me being able to "let go" of the outcome and believe. Urrrp.

Thanks both of you!

 

Man w/ Dog ----we were already pointed towards a river boat cruise on the Thames --- probably at night.

 

We are going to rent a car --- we are both foodies, and history buffs. His palate is more adventurous than mine, but I am game for new attempts. We certainly aren't going for the beaches this time of year, but since it is off season ---- we are making few reservations and being more "spontaneous".

 

I put that in quotes because I am running up ideas on my ipad and will surely have it with me. This "seat of the pants" travel is how he wanted to do it!

Don't drive in London unless you are VERY confident and patient. The tube is usually quicker and cheaper. The coast in Brittany is well worth looking at in autumn, even if raincoats are more appropriate than swimwear. There's not lots of big attractions, like London and Paris but there's lots of little places to stop off for a few minutes/half an hour. There's a few castles about, most of them ruined but still worth looking at.

No, no ----- No driving in London. Cab, Bus, Underground or hoofing it. Then taking the train to Portsmouth, and the ferry to Caen.

Thanks MWdog, that is kinda what we thought. Just wandering about after doing the Normandy beaches (his dad was in 4 campaigns in WWII). Will definitely pack my wellingtons!

I've never been there beyond a brief trip into the heart of London, but enjoy! It sounds like fantastic fun. Bring a brawlie or two of course. Cab or the tube is the way to go at least in London. I did try to drive in London before I took the rental back and flagged a cab. Too much like driving in NYC plus yeah the whole remember this is opposite land from America is very rough to do. LOL

Driving outside of London should be easier though once you get out of the main city. Anyways that's what I found in most of the parts of Europe I visited before.

Have fun.

Thanks PP --- I, personally, am not driving anywhere! I have an eye problem that hasn't cleared up, so while I can navigate (and I suspect anything will be easier than the Greek alphabet), I am not getting behind the wheel.

We will only be driving in France --- and as it is the coast, I think we will be ok. He has experience driving internationally in Germany, France and Italy.

We aren't leaving for 3 weeks --- so if anyone has more ideas, keep 'em coming.

We watched an Anthony Bourdain show about Britanny and will be going to one of the restaurants.

Forgot to say that it's great to hear about your adventure. There's so much doom and gloom on here with break-ups and the like. It's not that I'm unsympathetic, maybe I'm TOO sympathetic: I just remember how wretchedly awful I felt when it was my turn.

It's nice to hear some good news!

Forgot to say that it's great to hear about your adventure. There's so much doom and gloom on here with break-ups and the like. It's not that I'm unsympathetic, maybe I'm TOO sympathetic: I just remember how wretchedly awful I felt when it was my turn.

 

It's nice to hear some good news!

Thank you!

I figured I would avail myself of the travel forum. I got good info on Greece, a few PM'd me with insider knowledge.

I also figured it might be useful to see that post-reconciliation "stories" exist and are healthy and happy relationships!

I've been to London 5 times and I love it there. You can do the usual touristy stuff of ride the Millennium Eye, visit Westminster Abbey etc go see Buckingham Palace and Kensington Palace. Take a Jack the Ripper evening tour, they are cheap and so entertaining, there's also ghost walks. All include stops at local pubs along the way It's not possible to get bored in London. There's Trafalgar Square, boat rides on the Thames, all museums are free. Google for discount tickets to things. Also the HOHO bus - hop on hop off, usually good for a weekend, and you can tour the whole city! Dont forget the changing of the guard!

I'm jealous!!! Would LOVE to see some WW2 stuff.....man

Anyways, if I was to go to England I would certainly visit a) medevil castles and b) go to Anfield or see any football (aka soccer) game.

I'm jealous!!! Would LOVE to see some WW2 stuff.....man

 

Anyways, if I was to go to England I would certainly visit a) medevil castles and b) go to Anfield or see any football (aka soccer) game.

Thanks for the ideas...yes, we are fortunate to have the time and money to check this off the bucket list. It is amazing how many people we have talked to that have been to Normandy, if only for a day trip from England.

Here's to the Greatest Generation

Go to Fortnum and Mason's. It's pricey but I've always enjoyed going and it's the best tea you'll ever have, complete with finger sandwiches, scones, and marmalade in a classic British afternoon tea setting. I love the decor and comfy couches.

Have a great time!!!

I was in London too long (and too Young) ago to remember and give an informative advices.

About Normandy... That should be interesting. Omaha, Utah beaches I assume? Its all feasible withing the two days you plan on staying. If you know some basic French people will help no doubt about That. Anyway the tourists area of Normandy have people with at least a minimum level of English even moreso if their work is related to WW2 beaches and cimetaries though to be honest you can do those by yourselves. Plenty of museums too. Pegasus Bridge. Use your hotel wifi in order to catch everything worth visiting for the trip. Deauville and Cabourg are beautiful cities. Also, This area aint crowded at all at This time of year. Not Much traffic and driving should be quiet.

October in Normandy... Cool and wet. Its like London weather.

The Mummies in the British Museum were amazing.

We saw them over 25 years ago, and my 32 yr old Son still comments on them.

Enjoy your trip, MHowe! You'll have a lovely time. Brittany is one of my favourite parts of France and holds a lot of memories for me.

We are playing dualing iPads every night, figuring out what we want to see and do (and where to eat).

Looks like 3 days in London --- the Museum, the Eye, the Tower, Westminster, Herrods, a evening cruise on the Thames.

Bayeux, Caen, Normandy --- about 3 days.

Day trip to Paris.

Day or two to the Loire Valley as it is harvest season and boyfriend is an ex vintner

Exploration of the nooks and crannies of the Britanny coast.

Getting very psyched!

I don't think it's a realistic idea to make a day trip to Paris from either Normandy or Brittany. It's at least 2 hours driving (at the absolute minimum, one-way) from anywhere you're planning on being, without taking into account traffic, especially as you go into Paris, and the time you'll spend parking the car, etc ... It's going to be a long day with not a lot of time spent actually visiting the city. It doesn't really seem worth it to me.

Normandy is beautiful and you can spent several days just visiting the WWII sites, which are beautiful and very moving. I'd probably spend more time exploring the area rather than trying to fit in Paris, unless you have several days to spend there.

I would have thought November would be too late to see any harvest action in French vineyards. Usually everything is completely wrapped up by the end of October.

In Brittany, I love the Île de Ré and the Île d'Oléron, which are lovely, traditional, still wild in many places, and devoid of almost any tourists outside of the summer (though keep in mind that Oct 17th to Nov 2nd is a vacation for all French schools, which means many of the highlights and tourist sites will be populated by families at that time of year). And of course, you can't miss the Mont Saint Michel.

Enjoy, France is a beautiful country.

Thanks Sophie...it looks like we might take the train into Paris for 2 days. It's all still pretty fluid.

We'll almost meet mid-Atlantic, MHowe! I am travelling to U.S.A. (Washington D.C.) next month. Looking forward to the visit. Yes, been there before, but quite a few years ago.

We'll almost meet mid-Atlantic, MHowe! I am travelling to U.S.A. (Washington D.C.) next month. Looking forward to the visit. Yes, been there before, but quite a few years ago.

A week in DC is on our "domestic" bucket list. He hasn't been since he was a kid --- I have never been except for business and had no time to play tourist.

There's a lot to see! Enjoy.