# Considering a June trip to France & Belgium



## dreamin (Mar 18, 2013)

I am researching a tentative solo trip to Paris, Beaune, and Brussels....maybe 4-5 days in Paris and one week in each of the other two locations.  I'll be travelling by train as I do not want to rent a car.  I would be flying into Paris and out of Brussels.  I don't plan to see and do everything as I prefer to have a place to call home and then explore the local area, perhaps a day trip or two.  I did this last September when I visited London and Scotland and enjoyed it so much that now I want to return to experience more!  For Paris I've been looking at apartment rentals in arrondissements 9, 10, 11, and 12 (recommended by Trip Advisor).  Beaune and Brussels would likely be hotel stays.  Do these plans seem reasonable?  What has been your best experience for rentals in Paris.....vrbo, airbnb, or private agency?  This has to be a budget-conscious trip and will be my first time travelling to these areas.  I've spent hours and hours reading TA, TUG and tourism sites....there is just so much information out there.  I will be grateful for any comments or suggestions.


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## stmartinfan (Mar 18, 2013)

Your trip sounds wonderful!  We've rented apartments in several European cities and love that as an option.  I choose to rent through agencies that have an office in the city and have never had any problems.  For me, using an agency means I've got another set of eyes prescreening a unit for me, since the agencies don't want to represent a place that will damage their reputation.  I do extensive online research, comparing options from several agencies and against what I see on vrbo, just as a reference point.....Reading all the descriptions and renter comments helps me get a feel for an area and the price ranges I'm considering.  I don't usually end up with the cheapest place but I've been satisfied with the quality for price.  I also like that I'm met at the apartment by a person from the agency to explain the apartment, rather than the owner, both for convenience and safety.  And the agency is available if I have problems during my staff.  

Our last apartment was in the Marais area (don't remember what arr. number that is), and we found it convenient to the metro, quiet, and with shos, restaurants, etc., very available.


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## gwparchewsky (Mar 18, 2013)

*Paris*

Buy the museum pass. It allows you to skip the line-ups. Also the Metro pass.


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## Bill4728 (Mar 18, 2013)

gwparchewsky said:


> Buy the museum pass. It allows you to skip the line-ups. Also the Metro pass.


Great advice.

You can easily get a museum pass when you arrive by going one of the slower museums/visitor sites and getting the pass there. We spent 2 minutes at the Picasso museum getting a pass and saved an 45 minute wait at the orsay and a hour wait at the Louvre.  

The metro pass is a little different since it has start and stop days of the week. Rather than buy 5 days in a row, like you can do for the museum pass, you buy a week at a time but it must start on a Friday(??) so if your there Wed-Sunday you'd need two weekly passes and that wouldn't make sense. You may also need a passport size photo.   

Have a great trip!!


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## MaryH (Mar 19, 2013)

Dreamin, 

What kinds of size, budget are you looking for in Paris?

My sister used vrbo.com for Paris rental before and was happy with it but it was not inexpensive for a 2bdrm in the Marais.  It was $1600 for the week but the Euro was higher then.

Brussels Marriott at Grand Place sometimes come up on ebay auctions but it is usually good for weekend only.

if you are not set on exactly Beaune but that general area, Lyon is quite nice and have very good food.

Ibis / Accord group has some budget friendly hotels in France and Citadines have some apartment hotels.


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## PStreet1 (Mar 19, 2013)

I'd add time to Paris and subtract time from Brussels.  We love Paris and after spending about a month there (adding up time spent on various trips), we still haven't "done" Paris; I don't know that it's possible to "do" Paris.  We enjoyed Brussels, but after 3 days, we were ready to leave and did.

We've stayed in big hotels, "small hotels with a wishing well," "bed and breakfasts," and apartments in Paris, and been pleased with all for different reasons.  Our best spot, though, is a bed and breakfast in the penthouse apartment of a doctor in Paris.  The space we rented has a king sized bed, private bath, private sitting room outside the bedroom, and private balcony that runs the entire length of the apartment (and we had access to her study and computer).  There were sliding glass doors from the sitting area and bedroom to the balcony----and we had a completely unobstructed view of the Eiffel Tower; in fact, to keep out the lights at night, we had to close the drapes.  It's two blocks from the subway.  

I've had good luck finding spots with VRBO.com, homeaway.com, Venere.com, and booking.com.


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## Chrisky (Mar 19, 2013)

If it's this June you may be hard pressed to find an apt. in Paris that is reasonably priced.  All the good ones usually are rented quickly.
For Paris transportation, the Navigo pass is for one week period from Monday - Sunday.  But you can buy a booklet (carnet) of 10 tickets for about €12.90 to use on either the bus or metro.  http://www.vrbo.com/103254#rates
Don't know your budget but the above apt. has excellent reviews.


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## dreamin (Mar 24, 2013)

*I'm going to Paris!!!*

I booked my flight last night and I've made my Paris apartment reservation.  This is the tiny apartment where I'll be staying for the first week:

https://parisnicehome.com/en/bourbon-ile-saint-louis/

I understand that the location is good but can be touristy in the peak summer season.  The convenience of being able to walk many places is what attracted me to this area.  785 Euros for the week seemed reasonable.

Now I'm working on finding a place to stay in Beaune and Brugge (5 nights in each place) and then one night in Brussels.  And I'm trying to figure out the train system as I'll not have a car.  It's all very exciting!


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## Suebe (Mar 25, 2013)

dreamin said:


> I booked my flight last night and I've made my Paris apartment reservation.  This is the tiny apartment where I'll be staying for the first week:
> 
> https://parisnicehome.com/en/bourbon-ile-saint-louis/
> 
> ...



Have you checked on booking.com to see what they have available?  

Have been to both Beaune and Brugge.  We stayed in a chain hotel in Beaune overnight, which was within walking distance of the centre. There are a few of these budget hotels throughout France - Campanile, B&B, Premiere Classe, Etap, Ibis, Novotel.  Usually they are room only and you can pay extra for breakfast - basic but clean.  Some have their own restaurants whilst others just have a breakfast room.

We have only visited Brugge on day visits - it is well-worth visiting.

Never used the train system in France - it is supposed to be very efficient.  I think you can buy a pass to cover travel for a set number of days.

Sue


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## Laurie (Mar 25, 2013)

dreamin said:


> I booked my flight last night and I've made my Paris apartment reservation.  This is the tiny apartment where I'll be staying for the first week:
> 
> https://parisnicehome.com/en/bourbon-ile-saint-louis/
> 
> I understand that the location is good but can be touristy in the peak summer season.  The convenience of being able to walk many places is what attracted me to this area.  785 Euros for the week seemed reasonable.


The location is perfect IMO and it looks really lovely.  

Hope you'll post a report when you return, and let us know how you liked the apartment.  We booked a private tiny studio on Ile St Louis for our last trip, having stayed at Royal Regency the time before. The location was perfect but we didn't have a great experience with the accommodation itself for a number of reasons, so I wouldn't return not recommend it to others who come to TUG looking for in-town options. I'd like to add great rentals to my personal folder for future trips.

However I can recommend an unbelievably perfect rental in the medieval town of Dinan in Brittany - let me know if you're interested in considering an additional or alternative destination for your trip!


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## bevans (Mar 25, 2013)

You can go to Charles De Gaulle airport and catch the high speed rail (Thalys) to Midi Brussels train station (Zuidstation) which is about a 1 and a 1/4 hour ride to Brussels. Midi is central to Brussels and walking distance to the Grand Place and and the center of Brussels. We stayed at a nice hotel (Hotel A La Grande Cloche) located about 1/4 mile easy walk from Midi. The hotel allows an easy walk to downtown and easy walk back to the Midi station to catch a train to Brugge. Curt


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## x3 skier (Mar 25, 2013)

Five days in Brugge is about twice as much as I would be there. If I read right, I think you plan six days in Belgium. I would do two in Brugge, one in Ghent and three in Brussels. Or, base yourself in Brussels and take day trips to Brugge and Ghent and other areas around Brussels. There are many trains a day between Brugge, Ghent and Brussels. You could even take a looooonnnnnggggg day trip to London on the Eurostar from Brussels. 

Lots of European Train info at www.seat61.com

Cheers


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## Suebe (Mar 25, 2013)

x3 skier said:


> Five days in Brugge is about twice as much as I would be there. If I read right, I think you plan six days in Belgium. I would do two in Brugge, one in Ghent and three in Brussels. Or, base yourself in Brussels and take day trips to Brugge and Ghent and other areas around Brussels. There are many trains a day between Brugge, Ghent and Brussels. You could even take a looooonnnnnggggg day trip to London on the Eurostar from Brussels.
> 
> Lots of European Train info at www.seat61.com
> 
> Cheers



I would agree - two days in Brugges is enough to see all the sights canal trips, horse-drawn carriages, lace shops, chocolate shops and lots more.  Brussels is about an hour away by train and there is plenty to see and do there over 3 days.  Don't know if I would bother with Ghent (unless just for a day trip).

Sue  

Sue


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## dreamin (Mar 26, 2013)

I appreciate all the advice and information.  My goal was to pick a city or town as a base and do day trips from there (Brussels, Ghent, the coast maybe).  I decided on Brugges because it was a moderate sized city where I could easily walk to different places and the train station.  Brussels was more centrally located but much bigger in size.  I've reserved this apartment for 700 Euros for my last week:

http://www.lamaison-zenasni.be/kamers.asp?taal=en

I like the idea of shopping at the local stores and doing some of my own cooking (budget friendly as well as experiencing local lifestyle).  I'm hoping this apartment in Brugge will simplify things for me as I didn't want to have to move every 2 or 3 days.

Now I still need to decide where to stay for week 2.  More research needed!


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## MaryH (Mar 26, 2013)

So you have a reservation in Brugge for 1 week / 7 days?  I see it includes breakfast for 2 so it might be worth asking them by email since you are only 1, would they be willing to pack you a lunch for the 2nd breakfast?

Brugge is a very small city and I prefer Brussels personally. and even Brussels i have not spent a week there usually only 2-3 days.   If you stay in the city center in Brussels it is fairly compact and walkable and only a short walking distance to gare central which has trains to the airport and a lot of places.

Since a lot of your trains are in France check out
http://www.voyages-sncf.com/
http://www.voyages-sncf.com/promotion-train/multi/tgv-promo-mars
http://www.tgv-europe.com/en/


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## dreamin (Mar 26, 2013)

MaryH - The innkeeper reduced my daily rate by 20 Euros because their regular rates are based on 2 people.  It seems most European travellers prefer to stay 2 or 3 nights in one location and then move on.  I thought this would mean a lot of repacking and wasted time checking in/out of hotels or B&Bs.  Also, many apartments only rent by the week and this is why I got a more affordable rate. So maybe I'm going about this wrong, but now I am committed to this apartment in Brugges.  By the end of the week I might be tired of day trips by train!  However, when I travelled in Scotland last year, I did enjoy the attractions in the large cities but I really liked the time I spent in the countryside.  This is why I was planning to visit the villages in France and Belgium and try to avoid the big cities (except Paris, of course!).

I am staying in Brussels on my last day.  My flight leaves BRU at 11 am.  Do you advise that I stay near the airport?  I've read that the train only takes 20 minutes but are there often delays?  I could take a later train in the evening before my flight and stay at an airport hotel, but it could be awkward trying to visit Brussels with my luggage in hand.  

The last time I went to Europe, I was 18 with a backpack.  We spent 6 months there visiting mainly the big cities.  No agenda or itinerary.  Life was so much less complicated then!


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## x3 skier (Mar 26, 2013)

dreamin said:


> I am staying in Brussels on my last day.  My flight leaves BRU at 11 am.  Do you advise that I stay near the airport?  I've read that the train only takes 20 minutes but are there often delays?  I could take a later train in the evening before my flight and stay at an airport hotel, but it could be awkward trying to visit Brussels with my luggage in hand.



Every Euro Airport hotel I have used will let you drop your luggage if you can't check in early in the morning. If it were me, I would travel from Brugge to the the Brussels airport, drop off the bags (or check in) and then visit Brussels.

Why add another potential problem?

Cheers


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## MaryH (Mar 28, 2013)

Depends if you are a late night person or a early bird.  The time I stayed by the Brussels airport there was basically nothing around but the hotel.  Food at the hotel I was staying at was mediocre and I wished I was staying downtown instead.  

I usually stay downtown but tend to stay at a couple of days.  I litke the abiliity to walk around and go shopping for chocolates and to be able to stop by the hotel to drop off stuff.  Or nip out and get a coffee or some food...

Brussels was not a huge airport.  If you stay downtown I would do a walk from hotel to train station and maybe get a ticket the day before for the day you are leaving just in case you are rushed for time. 

I don't remember many delays but if you don't travel often, I would recommend aiming to get there around 2 hour before your flight.  

I can do 2-3 weeks trip with my rollaboard and my longchamp bag with my small laptop bag inside with some cloths or things I need to be more handy.   With that it is easy to walk a bit if I have to.


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## dreamin (Mar 30, 2013)

I've now reserved 4 nights in this apartment in Beaune, Burgundy. (a very reasonable 82 euros/night).  I'll be here between my week in Paris and week in Brugge.  I plan to rent a bike and see the vineyards and local villages.  

http://www.appart-de-lulu.fr/ 

Since I'm not a morning person, I like x3skier's recommendation to stay near the airport, drop off my luggage, and then go in to Brussels.  I'm going to try Priceline or Hotwire for a BRU hotel and then all my reservations will be done.

MaryH, I've never been able to manage a 2-3 week trip with just a carry-on but I'm determined to pack smarter this time.  That was the biggest problem I had in the UK....26" luggage to lug around.  This time it will be a 19" wheeled carry-on for sure.


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## pwrshift (Mar 30, 2013)

The forums http://slowtalk.com/groupee/forums/a/frm/f/3956056284 here are terrific.  Join free and ask these experienced budget travellers anything you need to know.

Brian


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## MaryH (Mar 31, 2013)

I use a 20 inch Briggs & Riley wheeled carry on that can be expanded (but it needs to be checked then) and typically have either a larger computer bag if I am traveling for work or a smaller computer bag.  I tend to have my Longchamp foldable bag (largest size) in my luggage as well.  I use it for day use sometimes and food shopping and could carry additional luggage/purchases if needed.  Good idea to pack a foldable bag such as a lightweight duffle just in case.

If you are in BRU on a weekend, no need to priceline since the hotels are pretty cheap then and you can choose exactly what you want.  If during the week, I would check priceline differenctial vs hotel prices and decide.


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## dreamin (May 27, 2013)

*Almost ready!*

My husband has decided, somewhat reluctantly, to join me on this adventure.  He's never been to Europe and I felt it was important that he experience this at least once.  Flights, apartment rentals, and major train tickets have been purchased.  Tour guide books of France & Belgium and a Paris map have been ordered and are on the way.  I'm buying some euros here to start us off.  I purchased money belts and borrowed my daughter's slash-proof purse to carry my camera gear.   Passports are current.  

Our day trips are undetermined at this point.  We'll research and plan as we go.  I did make train reservations for a very long day trip from Paris to Juno Beach in Normandy.  This is one thing my husband was very interested in doing.  We'll purchase Paris Museum passes when we arrive, as well as a carnet of metro tickets.  I still have to figure out how to get from CDG to our apartment on Ile St. Louis.  All of your comments, suggestions and links have been so helpful in planning this trip.

Am I forgetting anything??


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## x3 skier (May 27, 2013)

dreamin said:


> I still have to figure out how to get from CDG to our apartment on Ile St. Louis.
> 
> Am I forgetting anything??



Easiest way is to take the RER to Gare du Nord and then a taxi. The station for the RER is right at CDG unless they are working on the tracks and then they have shuttles to an appropriate station. There are buses as well but I found RER plus taxi the easiest although I have used the Metro from Gare du Nord. 

Phrase book if you don't speak French. 

Phone and SIM, iPad/tablet and aps.  (Less weight than a tour book.)

Cheers


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## Passepartout (May 27, 2013)

dreamin said:


> Am I forgetting anything??



Sure. But you aren't going to a 3rd world country and will find it there. Have fun. Eat out. Enjoy showing your DH a taste of Europe, but not so much that he won't want to go back to see more.

Jim


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## Pompey Family (May 27, 2013)

dreamin said:


> Am I forgetting anything??



Yes, watch out for the Roma gypsy's performing 'tricks' outside the major attractions.  There are stooges in the audience who make 'winning' the money look easy.  It's quite easy to spot the stooges though, they stand out a mile.


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## MaryH (May 27, 2013)

I would take RER to St. Michel - Notre Dame.  It is right next to Ile St. Louie.  I would then either walk or see if you can take a cab.  You might have to tip bigger
since it is a short trip so likely only a few euros.  When I take a short cab ride 5-6 Euros the taxi driver are less unfriendly when I tip a couple of extra euros.  Then charge for each bag over 2? so keep the small ones with you.

Other option I would consider to see a bit of the city would be to take opera bus for 10 Euros each and then take a cab likely around 10 Euros to Ile St. Louie.

If you are flying Air Canada, I think it gets in a 2C so it is a walk closer to 2E for the RER.  But be careful since they are often doing track maintenance first 2 weekends in the month.  I ran into issues in Oct, Jan and March.   If there is track maintenance, I would take the opera bus and a cab or even a cab whole way since it is likely to be 50-60 Euro and with the bus and cab you are already up to 30 Euros.  Did not think since I am used to traveling light but Jan with my sister, we should have taken a cab while we were travelling with luggage since she did not do well with the partial extra luggage and public transport between 2 hotels.

Best way to withdraw money is to use ATMs with your Canadian bank card providing they have interac.


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## Suebe (May 28, 2013)

Hope you enjoy your trip to Europe, but do be careful and keep your wits about you.

Unfortunately, these day, especially in the larger cities and tourist areas, there are groups of pick pockets around.  My friends and I were staying in Madrid for a few days and one friend had a camera and credit card taken from her bag when we were sitting in a square having a morning coffee  - we are still wondering how they did it with no one from our group seeing them!!!  Another time when we were having an evening meal at an outdoor restaurant, the waiter was telling men not to put their jackets on the back of the chair just in case.  We did see a suspicious looking character wandering round the various tables at the different restaurants.

Don't carry too much cash around, nor all your credit cards - use your safe if you have one - and just be aware.  

Sue


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## Jimster (May 30, 2013)

*considering*

At this point you better consider rather fast.


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## dreamin (Jul 1, 2013)

*Trip Report - France & Belgium, June 2013*

Just returned from our fantastic trip to Europe.  Started off with one week in Paris.  On arrival at CDG at 8 am, we bought a carnet of 10 tickets for the Metro and then took the RER to the centre of the city.  It was a bit of a challenge since we were so sleep-deprived but we managed just fine.  Our apartment wasn't anything fancy but the location on Ile-Saint-Louis was 5*.  I would definitely recommend Paris Nice Home as the manager was very good to deal with and the apartment was very clean and well equipped.  He manages many nicer apartments if you weren't on a limited budget as we were.  We walked everywhere, including the Eiffel Tower and the Arche de Triomphe.  The museum pass was a good investment and saved us considerable time by avoiding long lines to get in.  We also used the pass to visit the Palace of Versailles and can see why there was a French revolution!  One day we took the train to Juno Beach to visit the Canadian WW2 museum.  It was a long, 15 hour day but so worth it.  During our stay in Paris we didn't encounter any problem with pick-pockets or any other scams.  For a first visit to Paris, I think a one week stay was the right amount of time as there is so much to see and do.

Our apartment in Beaune was also perfect for us and highly recommended. The owner of the apartment, Flore, was the nicest person.  The highlight of our stay was renting bikes and biking for 25 km through the vineyards.  It was so scenic and peaceful.  We visited the Hotel Dieu museum and it was amazing. 

Brugges is extremely touristy but we enjoyed our week there.  We had an attic apartment that was about 1200 sq ft.  It was owned by an interior designer and contractor who maintained the rustic interior of this 16th century building.  We walked for hours exploring different areas of the city and were able to avoid hordes of tourists.  We also took 2 day trips by train....Ypres to see the new WW1 museum (extremely well done) and Oostende to visit the beaches on the north sea (way nicer than expected). 

For our last night, we took the train to Brussels and stayed at the Sandton Pillows, a small boutique hotel that was a 15 minute walk from the train station.   We found Brussels very confusing to navigate, very crowded, and the people very unwelcoming.  It was our least favourite experience.  We had no problem getting a train to the Brussels airport.

The weather was unseasonably cool with occasional showers but it was a good temperature for all the walking we did.  We each had a carry-on sized luggage and a small tote bag which made it so much easier to travel by train and metro.  Two of the apartments had a washer & dryer so it was convenient.  My reluctant husband enjoyed the trip immensely and wants to go to Italy next summer!

Thank you for all the helpful suggestions.  I now need help with one more thing.....I would like to edit the topic of this thread so that I can remove the word "considering".  I don't know how to do this!


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## MaryH (Jul 2, 2013)

Glad you and your husband enjoyed the trip.  Sound like you had fun.


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## Jimster (Jul 2, 2013)

*considering*

Send an email to the moderator to modify.


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## ronandjoan (Jul 6, 2013)

dreamin said:


> Our day trips are undetermined at this point.  We'll research and plan as we go.  I did make train reservations for a very long day trip from Paris to Juno Beach in Normandy.  This is one thing my husband was very interested in doing.  We'll purchase Paris Museum passes when we arrive, as well as a carnet of metro tickets.  I still have to figure out how to get from CDG to our apartment on Ile St. Louis.  All of your comments, suggestions and links have been so helpful in planning this trip.
> 
> Am I forgetting anything??



We, too, want to go to Normandy - to be there June 6th

Laurie had good ideas, anyone else?


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## Carol C (Jul 7, 2013)

ronandjoan said:


> We, too, want to go to Normandy - to be there June 6th
> 
> Laurie had good ideas, anyone else?



Joan, I didn't know you're planning a trip to France. You know I had to cancel my long-planned trip to be there during the 100th Tour de France...right now! I even had hard to get f.f. mile tix from ATL to Paris and back to ATL from Nice. I'm still crying the blues as I lost exchange fees & had to pay to redeposit Delta miles. Oh well...

Let me see if I can advise you on anything...hmmm, DO WHATEVER LAURIE SUGGESTS!


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## momeason (Jul 7, 2013)

This does not help much with a trip to Europe but I know as a Canadian, you can join the Evergreen Club and do some short hospitality stays during US/Canadian travels. We are enjoying it so far. It is for people over 50.
Great budget stretcher and you meet some great people who also love to travel. Some give you great tips and show you around if you wish.

Sherry


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