With Spring Break being our really big trip for the year nearly 6 months in the rear view window, I'm getting really jittery needing to pull the trigger on things for the 2019 Euro Trip. I had a fairly set plan and that's evaporating quickly.
Anyhoo, as it stands, The mood of my clan is go, go, go till the cruise which will provide a relative rest. They want to see as many places as feasible. I have always said this was an appetizer sampler plate where we will see what we like go back for more in the following years. I already know my wife will love Italy. As it stands, we'll fly into Manchester. I've planned a brief stop at SFOG, after leaving MEM around 6am before getting over to ATL for a evening hop across the pond on Virgin Atlantic. Supposed landing time 8:30am( my body clock will think it's 3am. I hope we all get couple hrs of napping in before landing because I know my crew will be incapable of sleep with being in England. I'll have two options, either one effects the days in London and I'll i'll have to pull the trigger soon as my apt rental pool there is getting shallower by the day. We'll either head to Blackpool and hit up Pleasure Beach for a few hours till it's time to head to Alton Tower's resort to check in and crash or head to Alton Tower's park straight away and hit the park whilst we wait for our hotel room check in. We'd likely get in as much as we can and this will be our day at Alton Towers.
If we go for Blackpool, well do a full day at Alton Tower the following day and drive a bit and spend the night at Stratford upon Avon. I may see if any plays at the Shakespere theater interest us. IF not, we'll leave Alton Towers and spend a couple of hours here and off for a Cotswold drive and a stop for lunch, then on for a late afternoon visit to Stonehenge and a night nearby. The next day the theme park junkie in me screams Paulton's before heading into London but the wife on the shoulder says backdoor the RAF Museum, ditch the car at Stanstead and head into London via rail/tube.
London will have at least two full days. One is what I call London Tower day, we'll tour the Tower and Bridge as early as possible, eat a late lunch and then head to the British Museum for however long we can stay. I'm sure we could spend an entire day there but... That evening after supper I'm sure we'll lose momma to rest and the kids and I will hit up the EYE and surrounding area or find someplace to explore like Oxford St. or market area. Day two will be the Changing of the Guards day, I hope to get in the Churchill War Rooms and Buckingham Palace tour as well. We may do the V&A. That depends of the museum interest of the clan, I'd love to hit up the Imperial War Museum. That evening I hope for a possible play at the Globe or modern fare in West End.
The next day depends on what we decide upon arrival. If we hit up Alton Towers first thing, we have another day in London. If not, ee are off to Disneyland Paris via the train and Chunnel. We'll be literally at the front gate around 2:30 pm. We'll use Disney's luggage service to deliver our bags to the on site hotel we decide to stay at. The New York conversion to Marvel will not be done and Sequoia's major pool refurb won't be done but I'm leaning there over the gosh awful expensive Disneyland PAris Hotel and their Cape Cod knock off. We will hit up the only park that Disney has that makes Hollywood Studios appear well thought out and competent. We'll ride the rides and eat at Chez Remy and depending on what we have accomplished and the operating hours, head to Disneyland and get the Fireworks out of the way that night. The next day is Disneyland and then we'll head into Paris that evening and do the Eiffel at night. The next day is the Louvre early, the kids we tire of art quickly so no more than2 to 3 hrs. We'll cruise the Seine, take in the Champs and the Arc, see Luxembourg Gardens, some trendy area and head to catacombs as late as we can(book it really early) and tour it. The next day we'll hit up D'Orsay, try to incorporate a short visit to Jardin D'acclimation to credit hound the new gerstlauer as we head to Versailles for the Afternoon.
Next day, pick up rental, pick up the rest at the hotel and head straight to Caen, hit the museum, head to the American Cemetary, Point du Hoc, Ste Mere Eglise, the Utah Beach Museum and head to close to Mont St. Michel for the night. Either visit at night or catch it at Sunrise the next day and head to Puy do Fou for a 11/2 days and two nights there. Yes, I know, no Bayeux Tapestry. The kids would be bored. That's a dish left to sample later on with just the Wife and I along with wine tasting and the Loire Valley. Can you say river cruise.
Then off to Spain either via Nantes or Bordeaux, all depends on flight times, I'm sure we'll stop at least at one winery. The daughter demands it as she's legal there.
I'll pick up later.