Three friends and I have planned a trip to France in late March (Mar 17-25). Due to AA web fare special availability, we are flying into Brussels and looking at the following as an intinery:

Sunday - Arrive BRU @ Noon
Take Thalys train to Paris

Sunday through Thursday AM - Paris

Thursday afternoon through Saturday afternoon - Rent a car, drive to Normandy to see the D-Day beaches and Mont St-Michel.

Saturday & Sunday - Thalys train back to Brussels. Spend the day in Brussels.

Now a couple of questions:

1) For a flight arriving in Brussels at Noon. What time should we plan on catching the train to Paris? I am thinking 3pm should be sufficient.. any other ideas?

2) Any suggestions on decent places to stay in any of the three locations? We are not looking for world class accomodations, but some place clean, comfortable and not too expensive (up to $80-100/night for a double room)

3) Any other comments or suggestions on our planned itinery?

Thanks for everyone's help.. you guys have been great helps on a number of my past questions.

Greg

Since you have a car, I would highly recommend staying in a chambres d'hote (literally means "rooms of the host" - similar to a B&B but not as fancy (or expensive) as the U.S. version and not a converted empty nester's home like the old fashion U.K. ones) when in Normandie or anywhere rural in France to get a taste of French country life.

If any one you read and speak French, head to a book store when you get to Paris and peruse through the Routard 'Chambres et Tables en Campagne'. I've stayed in around 20 listed establishments and have been very satisfied 90% of the time. The rates usually run FFR200-250 for two person inc. a basic continenal breakfast, slightly less for some. Some plaves have own W.C./shower, others are shared facilities. Some places will offer a dinner (that you usually eat with the hosts and other guests) and is usually 3 or 4 courses with wine which runs about FFr60-80/head (a bargain for what you get).

Booking shouldn't be a problem even on the day of arrival that time of the year.

The 3pm train to Paris would be easy; there's a decent chance oyu could catch the 2pm train. When you take the train from BRU, stay on the train until the last stop, the Gare du Midi, which is where you catch the Thalys to Paris. You can check on train schedules from BRU at the Belgian RR web site, http://www.b-rail.be/ .

There are only 3 trillion hotels in Paris. A couple of reasonably-priced favorites:

- Hotel Ferrandi, on a quiet street in the left bank, a few minutes walk from Montparnasse and St Germain des Pres. This is a good choice if you'd like a low-key but interesting location, where you can enjoy lots of city walks.

- Libertel Caumartin, on the right bank between the Opera and Madeleine. A fantastic location if you want to be in the center of shopping, a 2-minute walk from half-dozen subway lines, and near a gazillion restaurants and movie theaters.

In Normandy, you might consider staying at Etretat. Although it's not the precise spot where the D-Day landings took place, it's not all that far away, and Etretat is a very pleasant town with lots of places to stay and eat. I haven't stayed there in several years, but Le Donjon was a decent, reasonably-priced hotel in spite of its name (Donjon=Dungeon).

If feasabile, I would store my bags at a locker at the train station and tour the medieval Grand Place in Brussels, and perhaps a small and cheap meal of Moules/Mussels at the many seafood restaurants on the nearby streets. That way, you can see the best things in Brussels! I think that this should take no more than a couple of hours.

[This message has been edited by DOC 2 BE (edited 01-23-2001).]

Greg, there are several motel-like places around Mont St. Michel. I was there two years ago, and we found a place for about $40. Formula Vert, I think was the name - rather like a Motel 6. When you said you were going to the D-Day Beaches, I presume that includes the American cemetary on the bluff overlooking Omaha Beach. If not, you must. It is a very moving experience. Also, if you have time (and I would try to fit some or all of these things in rather than Brussels - just personal opinion or while it pains me to say it, cut a little of the Paris time), go see the Bayeux Tapestry (if you have ANY interest in history at all) and Honfleur (very scenic), Rouen (see the cathedral Monet painted several times) and the ruined abbey at Jumiege (near Rouen). If you do a little reading about these places, I am certain you will agree with me. These are things one should do in Normandy, with a car, while Brussels is a major city you can visit easily. Take it from a Cub fan.

Oh and one more thing. Gas up before you head toward Mt. St. Michel! We almost ran out of gas because we couldn't find anything for miles. There are gas stations at Mt. St. Michel, however.



[This message has been edited by ILuvParis (edited 01-23-2001).]

Advice:
Make certain they drive through Chartres. The Cathedral has been cleaned up and is very nice.
While in Brittany stop and taste the ciders. There are many places to stay near Mont St. Michel.
Last summer while driving from Mont St. Michel to Normandy we avoided the autoroute and took the state roads that parralled it. We have a great time seeing the smaller towns, stopping in Lisieux, had a great lunch in a tiny village and my sons played fussball with the local mechanics.

I second the Bayeux Tapestry. We went during the lunch hour when it was least crowded. Afternoon tour buses had not arrived as yet -- they were eating lunch at that time, and morning tours had cleared out to go eat lunch. Of course, the French claim that William/Guillaume was the rightful inheritor of the English crown and that was partly due to the fact that Harold had sworn an oath to him earlier, but it still is a great piece of propaganda, as well as history!

Also, how many of you knew that Harold had just come from another battle wherein he had decisively defeated (and killed!) the fearsome King of Norway, who had been egged on by Harold's disinherited brother, to contest the English crown, as well. It was partly due to the fact that Harold's troops had been bloodied and somewhat exhausted by that previous battle, as well as it then being harvest time, that gave William an edge.

Who could blame William anyhow? He had to get a better title than the one that he was born with and which he was known by prior to the battle at Hastings. His earlier title?

Well, it was none other than "Guillaume le Batard" or in English "William the .......," and this had nothing to do with his personality!!

[This message has been edited by DOC 2 BE (edited 01-23-2001).]

I am not sure if he was that shameful of the title. I read somewhere that his father made some statement that he was quite proud of having fathered the "strong ......." that a maid had given him.

Harold's yeoman were just rather fatigued by having to march up from around London to Stamford Bridge near York, defeating the Norsemen, and having to march back down to Sussex to fight William. I think it was all within a week or two (unbelievable, I know).

I just knew that Terenz would add his great knowledge of military history to this thread!

Someday I have got to meet you! Did you study military history in school or is it just an avocation? As I noted somewhere else, I will scan your posts the next time I will be traveling near any battlefields, etc.!

However, I must disagree with you on one point. Regardless of what William's father thought of him, William, himself, was none too thrilled with the appellation. And who could blame him. In an era where Kings claimed a divine right to rule, and the Church was all powerful, being born out of wedlock was not exactly one's ticket to ANY Royal throne.

Another lesser known tidbit was that the individual who had ordered the Tapestry to be created was William's brother, I believe the Archbishop of Rouen (?). I do not know if he was, like his brother William, a ......., or whether he was William's half-brother. Supposedly it was English weavers who had created the tapestry which was ultimately hung in the Cathedral in Bayeux.

The History Channel often shows a very enlightening and humorous miniseries on the history of the Middle Ages, hosted by amateur Medieval Historian Terry Jones -- Yes, that Terry Jones of Monty Python fame (You know, the guy who is bare ... naked sitting and playing the piano). For an era that heretofore I thought was extremely dull, he makes it come to life with his dry humor.

Moreover, his miniseries on the Crusades is truly not to be missed!!!