Europe trip tips/ help

[waverly]

I'm starting to get really anxious about our trip to Europe.  How to ride the subway in Paris, where to park our rental car, what should we do in Normandy?  Will there be any food available in Normandy on Easter?  I don't think I have started stressing yet about Amsterdam and Cologne.  What should I pack?  I have to work all weekend and have tomorrow off, so I was thinking about packing tomorrow.  We aren't leaving for another week.  

[erbear]

The subway is easy to navigate, except that it's really hard to get out sometimes since there are so many levels underground. Follow the "sortie" signs (that's the exit). I'm not sure about Normandy -- but I assume the guidebooks have some recs, and there will be food! Make a packing list and put your stuff in -- if you forget something, you can probably find it...it's France, not Mars . Have fun!

[waverly]

erbear, thank you. Both you and co-worker seemed to think something would be open on Easter, so that made me feel a little more calm.

We went to a national park on Christmas one year, and there was 1 restaurant open with a 2 hour wait and a grocery store about 1.5 hours away on our way home, so we ended up eating lunchables at about 4 pm for lunch and then making it to the rental house to eat dinner. When I studied abroad in Spain most things were closed on Sundays. There seemed to be a bit more open in the cities and 15 years later when we went.

[traveltheworld]

Paris subways are easy to navigate. Assuming that you aren't going to some remote region, something will be opened on Easter. I find there's literally food, and good food, everywhere in Europe.

For packing, I like to pack long skirts, shirts and cardigans. Easy to layer, comfy, and meet any clothing requirements for monasteries / churches.

[sdlaura]

DH and I had no issues with the Paris metro the last time we were there and rode it.
It’s just over the line from Normandy, but DH and I really loved the town of Saint-Malo - it’s really picturesque. It’s the town in the novel ‘All the Light We Cannot See’ if you’ve read that. We also had one of the best meals of our lives at Les Maisons de Bricourt, but that may be too fancy for kids.

Are you going to Mont St Michel?

[waverly]

Mar 21, 2024 22:18:51 GMT -5 sdlaura said:

DH and I had no issues with the Paris metro the last time we were there and rode it.
It’s just over the line from Normandy, but DH and I really loved the town of Saint-Malo - it’s really picturesque. It’s the town in the novel ‘All the Light We Cannot See’ if you’ve read that. We also had one of the best meals of our lives at Les Maisons de Bricourt, but that may be too fancy for kids.

Are you going to Mont St Michel?

We may drive there but are not staying in Mont St. Michel.

[sdlaura]

waverly we didn’t stay there either, but it’s a neat place!