Paris and Brittany, from Scotland

[ellawithaspecialnose]

Just cannot decide whether to fly or drive, with 3DC, can anyone help me with pros and cons, to decide?

Want to spend 2 or 3 days in Paris, then get a gite or campsite in Southern Brittany for probably 10 days (am dicing with the weather, I know, but don't want to go any further south!). Could drive overnight down to Portsmouth, ferry to Le Havre, then drive to Paris (but huge probs with secure parking, I'd imagine) - then have the car the whole time we're in Brittany to get around. Then could get ferry back from Roscoff-Plymouth and drive back up (another 8hrs ...)

Orrr ... fly to Paris, which would make the Paris days infinitely easier, I'm sure, then train out to Brittany, but then obv would be the problem of getting around in Brittany on a daily basis.

Any thoughts?

I would drive to Portsmouth. Get return ferry to Caen (you could get the overnight crossing having driven down during the day) - the drive to Paris is about 150 miles I think and from Southern Brittany to Caen is about 3.5 hours drive (overnight crossing again?).

Thanks, soprano - and where would you recommend parking in Paris??

Alternative though for you. You could fly from Edinburgh to La Rochelle (further south than Brittany so better weather) then get the TGV from La Rochelle to Paris and fly back to Scotland from Paris.

I would drive but that's because we like the freedom of the car once we are in France. We drive from just outside Glasgow to Folkestone and stay in the Holiday Inn overnight and get an early train and drive to where we are going to.

We went to Paris from Central Scotland last year.

We drove to Hull and got the overnight ferry to Zeebrugge (which the kids loved). It was just over 2 hours driving when we got to the other side - DH said it was an easy drive.

Driving was great in France, we just downloaded the French maps for our sat nav.

I don't think parking in Paris will be a huge problem, maybe just an expensive one! no different from wanting to park in central London, they have multi stories too. maybe you'd be as well to stay in a northern suburb and get the metro or rer in each day? no suggestions though I'm afraid except to point out the French aren't terribly good at family hotel rooms !

it's not a terrible drive but it's long on the way home regardless of your crossing. what I've done before is flown home with the kids and left dh to drive alone, winners all round with us!

Sleeper train to Kings Cross, then Eurostar from St. Pancreas to Paris Nord?

These are all good suggestions, thanks! Hull to Zeebrugge v interesting thought ...

As is La Rochelle flight ...

When we stopped over in Paris with the DC we hired an apartment which had it's own parking garage. I am always a little wary of leaving the car in public car parks overnight (although, when we have it's been okay!) - as it has all your 'stuff' in.

We had 3 DC with us - and it was great to have a bit of space. It had an outdoor terrace too, so we weren't indoors after a day sightseeing.

We travel from West Yorkshire, so not as long a drive as you, but long enough. I was seriously considering the Hull to Zeebrugge overnight crossing. It cuts out a LOT of driving. The cost and time could really be worth it.