Paris and Countryside

I am going to France next year and would like to stay for a week in Paris and the countryside (am

open to suggestions on the regions).

We are travelling with our 10 year old son so would like to have a pool in Paris and countryside and

we want to be in self-contained apartments.

I would be grateful for suggestions,we are travelling

in August.Thank-you.

|||

a week in Paris AND a week in the country, or a week divided between the two?

What does everyone enjoy doing?

Do you have access to a guidebook that might help you at least narrow down the choices?

Driving or public transportation?

How far do you want to travel to/from Paris (depends heavily on the answer to the prior question).

Would you consider an independant house/cottage?

Budget?

Sorry, but there%26#39;s a lot of area in the term %26quot;countryside%26quot; -- help us narrow the focus and we can be of much more help.

|||

We would like to spend a week in Paris and then

at least a week in maybe Bordeaux or Lyon.

Haven%26#39;t been there so am open to ideas of where

to go in rural France. Would be driving and the

reason for the pool is for our son.

We would like to just enjoy life eating,drinking

and taking in the sights just as we did in Italy

a few years ago.

Cheers

|||

A pool in Paris is going to be difficult at best -- you%26#39;d be better off to find a self-catering flat, and then find a public pool for a few hours. Not impossible, but you%26#39;ll pay dearly for the privilege.

Bordeaux and surrounding area is lovely -- you might also want to consider Normandy or the Loire -- beautiful areas with plenty of things to do with kids.

Just for reference, Bordeaux is about a 6-hour drive from Paris (the Loire is 2-3 hours, Normandy 3-4, depending on where you go). Alternately, you could rely on public transportation in Paris, take the train to somewhere near by your gite, and then rent a car and drive from there. (Not having a car in Paris is an asset, as public transportation is far easier and much cheaper than driving and parking.)

You don%26#39;t say what time of year you%26#39;ll be visiting -- that will greatly affect pool availability (and desirability!).

Have a look through TripAdvisor, or a guidebook, and see which area appeals to your interests.