Retromobile and Bugatti Mulhouse Museum Q's | FerrariChat

Retromobile and Bugatti Mulhouse Museum Q's

Discussion in 'Europe' started by luvair, Nov 25, 2014.

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  1. luvair

    luvair Formula 3
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    Jun 4, 2005
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    In early Feb, I plan to travel to Bienvenue sur le site de Retromobile, le salon de la voiture ancienne in Paris, and then to the Bugatti Museum in Mulhouse.

    1) From Paris, do you recommend driving, or taking the TGV to Mulhouse?

    2) If rented a car from Paris to Mulhouse, any recommended stops that are automotive/transportation related?

    3) If take the TGV, does it stop near Mulhouse and I just hire a taxi, or another train to take me there?

    I suspect to fly back to the US from Mulhouse; its best to travel back to Orly or Charles de Gaulle?

    TIA.
     
  2. Jacky_F40

    Jacky_F40 Karting

    Mar 6, 2007
    202
    Audincourt (FRANCE)
    Hi!

    1) I think TGV is the best way, but take your tickets early! (Available 2 months before the date with "Prem's" ticket for about 20€. (Taking the ticket the day of journey could cost 150€, if still available!)

    2) Paris To Mulhouse is about 6h of drive! (TGV: 2h40)

    3) Mulhouse is the Terminus of the TGV line, so you will find Taxi of course

    The Airport of Basel/Mulhouse should purpose you some flights to US.
     
  3. Simon

    Simon Moderator
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  4. luvair

    luvair Formula 3
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    Jacky and Simon,

    Thank you very much for the informative responses. Any suggestions where to stay in Mulhouse? If found couple of places ~ 1 km from museum.
     
  5. Simon

    Simon Moderator
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    Mulhouse is not a very pretty part of the world IMHO. If you want to spend the night somewhere, I would suggest taking the time to drive an hour or 2 further. Schwarzwald or further north in Alsace for example.

    A bit further and you would be at the N'ring or the Mercedes museum in Stuttgart.


     
  6. luvair

    luvair Formula 3
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    Simon,

    Decide to fly into Charles de Gualle and then directly take TGV to Mulhouse. With timing, will need to stay in Mulhouse at least one night. By chance, you familiar with this place?
    Mercure Mulhouse Centre

    Mercure Mulhouse Centre (Mulhouse, France) - Free Wifi, Room Service & Pet Friendly - Hotel Reviews - TripAdvisor

    Or thought for alternative in Mulhouse?

    Many thanks.
     
  7. Jacky_F40

    Jacky_F40 Karting

    Mar 6, 2007
    202
    Audincourt (FRANCE)
  8. luvair

    luvair Formula 3
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    Jacky and Simon,

    Colmar is lovely after doing a web search. If only 20km from Mulhouse, its the way way to go. Plus could always take TGV from Colmar back to Paris. I will look into a hotel there. Many thanks for your communications, they certainly educated me.
     
  9. Simon

    Simon Moderator
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    Worth paying a taxi to take you there (and back to Mulhouse if necessary) IMHO.

    Enjoy your trip.
     
  10. luvair

    luvair Formula 3
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    All the information you gentlemen provided is very helpful. I've been doing more research, and seems to me, its best to fly directly into Basel from JFK. Then either rent a car, taxi, maybe train to Colmar. Then drive or take train to Mulhouse. After visiting the museum, drive back to Colmar, or go directly to Basil to drop off car, and take TGV to Paris. Or fly from Basel to Orly.

    For me, I am trying to make this simple, and willing to spend money for convenience and enjoyment, rather than making more connections than required.

    If think I am missing something, please let me know. Many thanks!
     
  11. Jacky_F40

    Jacky_F40 Karting

    Mar 6, 2007
    202
    Audincourt (FRANCE)
    It sounds a good program ;)
     
  12. menoy

    menoy F1 Rookie

    Mar 12, 2005
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    Ditto on the 'not so pretty' part for Mulhouse - stayed one night there this year in a cheap B&B hotel (which was fine itself if on a budget), but did not dare leave the hotel for fear of safety. The whole city centre looked shady - had we not found a closed / CCTV'ed parking in the opposite building, we would have cancelled our reservation and driven elsewhere.

    As far as other things to see. If transportation is your thing, there is also the Cite du Train in Mulhouse - a (you guessed it) train museum. If you have the time, perhaps rent a car and drive through the Ballons des Vogues national park? Some beautiful roads there, although not quite sure what the weather will be like in February.
     
  13. PoleApart

    PoleApart Formula 3

    Sep 28, 2005
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    I really recommend doing the train museum too. They have stuff like Bugatti designed aerodynamic trains, lots of steam locos and cool stuff in general. Otherwise apart from Colmar if you have time and a car this castle north of Colmar is pretty awesome EN - HK (en)
     
  14. luvair

    luvair Formula 3
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    Thank you all, very kind to take the time with your experiences. I had no clue about Mulhouse environment, especially in the evening.

    PoloApart:

    Appreciate reinforcing about the train museum, I am an enthusiastic with historical and modern trains.
     
  15. nerofer

    nerofer F1 World Champ

    Mar 26, 2011
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    FRANCE
    A few more info, if I may :

    As already said, Mulhouse being some kind of (ex) industrial city is indeed not very touristic, and the prettiest part of Alsace is indeed north of Mulhouse; Colmar is a good choice (43 kms from Comar to Mulhouse would be about 45 euros by Taxi, outside Sundays – more expensive). You should not forget Strasbourg, which everyone staying in Alsace for more than two days should visit; it is about 60 kms north of Colmar, more or less an hour by train, and the train arrives dead in the center of Strasbourg, which can be visited by foot.

    I’m surprised that no-one has said a word about the weather yet: February in Alsace can be “quite cold”.
    Let’s say that the temperature usually hovers “around the freezing point”, so you should expect “about plus 2 to 3° c” during the day and “about minus 2 to 3°c” during the night, but depending on the years some of the winters see colder temperatures in February: minus 10°c during the day can happen. It is not the place to enter into a debate about “global warming” and its effects, but let’s say that the weather has become less predictable than in the past, so everything is possible.
    And you should expect a rather good probability of snow also; not certain, but probable. This is important, should you intend to drive.

    Rgds
     
  16. Jacky_F40

    Jacky_F40 Karting

    Mar 6, 2007
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    Exactly! You're right.
    We're used to cold winter, and rent a car could be a problem. But using train or taxi should be ok.
     
  17. nerofer

    nerofer F1 World Champ

    Mar 26, 2011
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    Well yes, I have some fond memories of February under the snow in Alsace, mostly in Bas-Rhin as for myself:
    - it snowed for most days during February 1984;
    - it snowed also in January and February 2004...
    - last time I went to the "marchés de Noel" in Colmar in December 2012, it has snowed also the days before, and I was driving one of my 328s; and it was so cold on the Interstate that the oil temperature needle never moved from the minimum graduation...
    So yes it snows in winter in Alsace, and yes it can be quite cold.

    Rgds
     
  18. luvair

    luvair Formula 3
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    Thought me something else.

    I did plan to rent a car at Basel, but don't necessary want hassle of too much snow in unfamiliar roads. So will play it by ear with weather and just take the wonderful public transportation you have in Europe, and/or a taxis. Thank you.
     
  19. nerofer

    nerofer F1 World Champ

    Mar 26, 2011
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    Just a few other ideas, if I may:
    As for RETROMOBILE:
    - DO NOT WAIT TO BE AT THE RETROMOBILE GATE to buy your ticket; buy it before going there, on the net or in any of the "agencies" that are selling these (for instance the FNAC) it will avoid you queues...
    - Be aware that at retromobile, all persons present will be photographing almost anything (cars, etc...) even if they do not have any special interest for these, this due to digital photography: in the past, with argentic film, you took care to choose your pics not to waste film, but not anymore.
    As Retromobile attendance is usually high, it can be quite crowded, at some period of the day, it may be rather difficult to simply see the cars! Plan your visit in advance and ask those who have already attended what they consider the best moment of the day to visit.

    (living exactly five minutes by foot from the main Retromobile hall when I am in Paris, I usually buy my ticket in advance and visit on the Sunday morning just at the opening of the gate, so that gives me one hour of peaceful, quite visit with access to the cars; and I never eat there on the spot, but at home; and not in the restaurants around Porte de Versailles without a reservation beforehand...)

    Rgds
     
  20. luvair

    luvair Formula 3
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    Nerofer,

    Read your Sunday opening reference. Seems Retromobile starts on Wednesday, not Sunday this year.
    http://en.retromobile.com/

    Am I missing anything for Sunday?

    Thank you.
     
  21. nerofer

    nerofer F1 World Champ

    Mar 26, 2011
    11,968
    FRANCE
    If my memory is correct, it usally opened in the middle of one week to the middle of the next one, which made 6 or 7 days (?) and the Sunday morning just at the opening (usually 9 o'clock) is the quitest period for a visit, this for about an hour.

    It seems shorter this year, only four days; the 8th is Sunday indeed, so it will close at the end of the Sunday. It means that it will probably still be quite on the first hour of the Sunday morning, which is when I probably would visit, because my main interest is looking at the cars; should one visit mainly for buying parts, books, memorabilia, etc...the most interesting pieces will probably have been sold before Sunday.

    Rgds
     
  22. gimmea250swb

    gimmea250swb Formula Junior
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    Mar 8, 2007
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    Not to complicate your decisions, but if you're interested in smaller towns Kaysersberg adn Riquewihr are very close to Colamr. Look them up.

    Nerofer, thank you for your suggestion - I'll be there for the first time this year. I just moved to Paris a few months ago.
     

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