France Help!

[mocobo]

Hello
Me and my 3 friends are planning to go backpacking through the Czech Republic (mainly Prague), Germany (we are still debating on the cities in Germany), France, and London the summer of 2009. We need help with France. We have narrowed down the list of cities to Strasbourg, Colmar, Nice, Avignon, Marseille, and Paris. We are thinking about spending 2 weeks in France.
We are interested in the architecture, museums/history, and the nightlife. Which cities would be best for interests and practical in 2 weeks? Thanks!

[Eagle]

mocobo, Welcome! I have a few comments regarding your questions on France.

For a start, with only two weeks to spend in France my preference would be to drop Marseille unless there's something specific you want to see there. You might want to meet with your friends to prioritize the remaining cities so there's some agreement (that way no one will be disappointed).

I would probably reduce the list to four cities, given that Paris needs at least 5-6 days, especially if you want to make a side trip to Versailles. With the destinations in the south, you'll have to allow adequate travel time as well. It's difficult to work out the travel details until you know which order you'll be visiting the cities.

Since you indicated that you're interested in "architecture, museums/history", you'll have lots to keep busy with in Paris. As you'll probably want to visit the Louvre, I'd suggest limiting your visit to the Denon Wing (Mona Lisa, Venus di Milo), as it would take an enormous amount of time to also visit the Sully and Richelieu wings. One of my favourites is the Musee d'Orsay - an elegant old building (former train station) and an incredible collection of impressionist art! One very important point to mention (based on my own experiences) is to try and "pace yourselves" with the museums, art galleries, etc. If you try and visit too many places too quickly, it will all start to become a "blur".

If you plan on visiting several Museums and other sites in Paris (ie: hiking up the 284 stairs to the top of the Arc de Triomphe), a Paris Museum Pass would be a really good idea.

Of course, you'll want to visit the Eiffel Tower also. If you want to travel to the mid point or top of the Tower, be prepared to queue! I found the Red Bus tours a good way to get a good idea of the "layout" of the major sites fairly quickly, and as I recall the ticket also includes a ticket (or a reduced price) for a cruise on the Seine. If you want a really unusual and unique travel experience, you might consider Paris Segway Tours. It's a bit expensive but a LOT of fun!

Hopefully the others will have some comments for you as well.

Good luck with your planning!