It’s been a while since we have been abroad and I think it’s safe to say that we are both getting restless. We want to explore the world, now! Do you recognize this feeling? The truth is that we have been quite stationary recently and it has a very good reason. Our little A saw her first glimpses of daylight a bit more than a month ago and we are currently adjusting to our new lives with three members of our family. That doesn’t mean that we are not planning new trips. We are looking at a lot of possibilities at the moment, but for our vacation, in the late summer, there is currently only one option being discussed – a journey to France and back.
We already asked our friends. Now it’s your turn as we are looking for your help. Have a look at our itinerary and tell us – what should we see and do during our trip?
Current Conditions
We will receive our new car in a few weeks, which we are really looking forward to. This will open several new possibilities when it comes to traveling. It also makes it a bit easier with little A, since we would like to stay away from crowded places such as airports and train stations because of her young age.
Current Plan – a Journey to France and Back
The current plan includes a car ride from our home in Stockholm to Northern France and back. Even though France is the final destination it is the journey that is the actual trip. We hope to see several new places as we plan to drive through Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg. The idea is to stay on the road for a total of three weeks.
Day 1: Heading South from Stockholm
Day one would include an early drive from Stockholm to Malmö in southern Sweden. From Malmö, we plan on taking the Finnlines ferry to Travemünde in Germany and then drive the last kilometers to Lübeck for a first stop.
Day 2: Lübeck, Germany
After a long first day of traveling, we hope to be able to enjoy a full day in Lübeck. We are talking about a day of no driving. Instead, we want to enjoy a day in this historic German city on the Baltic coast.
Day 3: Driving to the Netherlands
Time to hit the road and head west to the Netherlands. This is a new country for us and we are still considering where we should actually go. Nijmegen is currently the town we are considering, as it is on our way southwards and we wouldn’t need to drive through larger cities such as Amsterdam and Rotterdam.
Day 4: Nijmegen, the Netherlands
As mentioned, we are considering making our stop in the Netherlands in the town of Nijmegen. As with Lübeck, we really would like to split our driving days with days relaxing in a town and exploring the place on foot.To be fair, we don’t know much about Nijmegen, but it looks really lovely.
Day 5: Driving to Belgium
After a day in the Netherlands, we will continue south to Belgium. Maybe with a stop in Maastricht or elsewhere to see something along the road. Maastricht is an interesting option because of its history. You know, with the Treaty of Maastricht and all that. Currently, we plan our destination in Belgium to be Namur.
Day 6: Namur, Belgium
A new day of relaxing and enjoying yet another new town. Actually, a friend of ours recommended Namur after we told him that we’d like something slightly smaller than the main cities in Belgium.
Day 7: Arriving in France
If everything goes according to plan, one week after leaving Sweden we cross the border to France. The first French destination is probably Reims in the Champagne district.
Day 8: Reims, France
When in France…it’s time to enjoy the surroundings and the fantastic French atmosphere. Hopefully, we will find a place to taste some of the local champagne. Coffee, croissants, and fresh bread are also on the list.
Day 9: Still in France – Heading East
We plan to continue from Reims to Metz, also in Northern France. On the way, we will probably make a stop in Verdun for a dose of history before finding our way to Metz for a longer stop.
Day 10-17: Metz, France
Metz is where we plan to make a longer stop. Even though the town seems really interesting, we also hope to make a lot of day trips in the area. Staying for a week will give us some time to relax as well.
We are considering the following destinations for day trips:
- France
- Nancy
- Strasbourg
- Germany
- Saarbrücken
- Trier
- Luxembourg
- Ansembourg
- Echternach
- Luxembourg City
- Useldange
- Vianden
What do you think?
Day 18: Heading North
After a week in Metz, we will be heading back north. Here we have not yet decided where to go next. A two night stop in Germany is a part of our plan, but the question is where? The possibilities that we are considering include Wolfsburg and Kassel. But there are a lot of options.
Day 19: Somewhere in Germany
This is where we enjoy another day of relaxing after a long drive the day before. Here we will have to wait and see where our plans will take us. Will it be Wolfsburg, Kassel or somewhere else? Do you have any ideas?
Day 20: Back to the Nordics
After a short stop in Germany, we will continue back to the Nordics. This time we will drive through Denmark on our way home. The plan is that our destination for the day will be the town of Odense.
Day 21: Odense, Denmark
As you see, we will try to make sure that each day of driving will be followed by one day of relaxing. This last time it will most likely be in Odense on the Danish island of Fyn. The third city of Denmark is a new acquaintance to us, so it would be nice to experience it.
Day 22: Back Home
This will most likely be the longest drive on the whole trip and it will take us all the way back home. We will probably not make any more stops at this stage as my guess is that we just want to get back home to Stockholm and to our own bed. We will see if this is how the journey ends or if we extend it with one extra day. In any case, the result will be a three-week journey that will have taken us through seven countries and it’s currently estimated to be around 4.000 kilometers of driving.
Have you made a similar journey? Where did you stop?
Enjoy the trip, Jesper. I would love to see the photos and stories both of you make along the roads.. cheers..