We've found a lovely sounding gite in Riquewihr, near Colmar. In order to make getting across to the continent affordable, we're booking through a company that cuts the price greatly of the Channel tunnel shuttle if you also book a Kyriad or Campanile hotel for at least one night. So we plan to leave the UK on a Thursday, take 2 days getting to the gite, and another 2 days getting back to the UK.

We'll spend our first night in Bruges at a Campanile. But we want to find our own places of rhe next 3 nights. My idea at the moment is to drive from Bruges to Trier, see Trier but stay in Saarburg south of it. Not sure where yet though, but it looks like a nice town.

My brother, who lived in Zweibrucken for 3 years while in the army, and went back to Trier and the area last year, says we should then drive to our gites via Zweibrucken, which looks interesting as it takes us through the Parc des Vosges du Nord.

Then a week in Alsace. Strasbourg, the wine road, Colmar (I'm trying to find out about a canal boat trip through Colmar), etc. All suggestions welcome.

Then 2 nights going back, trying to get to Calais around 3 on the Monday so we can shop before going through the tunnel. I'm not sure our route, but I'm thinking of heading over to Burgunday and seeing Vezelay. Any ideas of a good route heading that way to Calais from Colmar? Places to stay? Things to see? Best way to get around Paris?

Thanks.

Our itinerary will be:

July 25 Bruges

July 26 Trier area

July 27-Aug 3 Alsace

Aug 3-4 Burgundy

So if anyone is in any of those areas at those times, let us know!

Doug Weller Birmingham, England http://www.ramtops.demon.co.uk