I took a vacation to visit several towns and cities across Europe that I had read about and always wanted to visit. Paris had always been on my wish list, so my plan was to include several other destinations to round out a desperately needed vacation.
I wanted to drive from place to place where I could take my time and experience the locations at my own pace. So I planned a 12-day trip that included my wish list, starting from the southern side of France eastward to Italy and north through Switzerland, Germany, and ending in Paris.
The trip started by flying from New York to Nice where I rented a car and drove the short 14 miles to Monaco. I stayed at the Hotel Metropole Monte Carlo for two nights and watched the Changing of the Guard at the Prince’s Palace.
I drove east from Monaco along the French Riviera into Italy, which was surprisingly a short distance. It was so cool to experience it from the driver’s seat dealing with Italian road signs, directions, places, and menus. It’s really interesting to translate languages on the fly.
I drove to the town of Savona, Italy, which is on the Italian Riviera and between the Ligurian Sea and the Ligurian Alps.
My route headed 245 miles northwest through the Alps toward Geneva, Switzerland. Interestingly, tunnels go through most of the mountains instead of over them, with the highways running along the valleys. I did take a few secondary roads over the mountains with a lot of switchbacks and interesting grades.
I drove through Geneva and Lake Geneva and on to Lausanne, on the north side of the lake, and checked in to my hotel, Chateau d’Ouchy for the night. After a great dinner overlooking the lake, I headed back to the hotel.
My next stop was Alsace Lorraine, which sits on the border of France and Germany. The history of its changing hands from France to Germany several times is interesting.
Next was on to Paris, where I turned in my rental car. No need to have one there as traffic is confusing and there is more than enough public transportation. I stayed at the L’Hotel Paris located at 13, Rue des Beaux-Arts, just a short walk from the Seine.
I toured the Musee d’Louver, the Eiffel Tower, Cathedral de Notre-Dame de Paris, great restaurants, and Le Marais. Walking around several of the arrondissements, it was great checking out the wine and coffee cafes along the streets.
What a great vacation. I have visited Paris several times and still haven’t seen everything yet, so stay tuned. My trip wrapped up and I headed back home to Atlanta.
