I just came to realise that noone mentioned Rouen as a Schengen port of entry. Landing fee is 10 €. I have no idea what the taxi ride to the city would cost, but it is at some distance from the airport.
Do not know whether that would be within your range, Colm.
Rouen is marginal. It’s right on my self imposed fuel limit. I’d do it with a tail wind, but anything else, I’d stop in the UK.
But if Rouen is a place worth seeing, then stopping in the UK isn’t such a hardship 
It would also take me close to your suggested hallow cliffs at Le Havre for a flyby
To be honest, Calais was simply a “splash and dash”. Clear customs and refuel, and move on. I’d not really considered staying there, or any other “splash and dash” location overnight, but you guys are making me think about it now. I’ve used Calais previous, and had no real delays.
The war stuff doesn’t really hold any interest for me, but I like the sound of your suggestions of Reims & Strasbourg. (Lille I’ve been to before, but admittedly only for a few hours). I shall do some reading on Reims & Strasbourg and discuss with my co-pilots.
Belgium presents some problems for me, as I understand they require a mode S transponder for entry into any controlled or military airspace under VFR. I’ve only got mode C, and the map in Belgium looks very red! The last time I tried to pick a route through Belgium avoiding both, the route ended up looking like a child’s maze puzzle game in 3 D 
Anyone have any suggestions for Germany? Say from around 49N and north of there?
Don’t be daunted by Belgian airspace. Especially in the weekends, when the military are not normally active. Do not forget that a lot of the red airspace is military, and only activated per Notam. Surely PocketFMS must show as much?
My own flying is mostly in the weekends, and I am totally disallowed entry in controlled airspace, yet I tour most of the country. On Monday to Friday, I would recommend you remain above 4500’ , to be controlled. The controllers will very kindly and ably help you avoid closed airspace, should there be any need.
As for the mode S requirement, honestly I had never heard of it, but that may also be because it cannot be an issue for me anyway. But I feel sure that the controllers won’t mind, just like I hear reported about Holland.
Regarding Germany: the river Mosel is studded with beautiful scenery and nice airfields. Consider Koblenz, with a reputed Greek restaurant, Traben-Trarbach on top of a hill surrounded on three sides by the river (but it’s a stiff walk down to the village, and the climb back is worse), or Idar Oberstein which has a long tradition of working gemstones; and the airport is famous for the radio operator doubling as the cook, so that you can order your lunch from downwind and it will be waiting for you by the time you’ve landed and parked.
PS it is a long time since I was in Rouen, but in my memory it perfectly fits Philipp’s requirement “overall architecture, scenery and atmosphere”.
From EIWT
So Caen and Deauville are about the same distance as Calais without the nuclear plant, and would allow you to log a new A/D and see new landscapes. Deauville landing fees are higher than (the sum of) Cherbourg, Caen and Calais.
Flying Cherbourg – the Seine estuary – Rouen and following the Seine river to LFPT is quite scenic, and you can visit Paris if you have not done so previously.
From LFPT there is a narrow corridor North of De-Gaulle in a straight line between PON and CTL VORs for your flight to Reims.
From Reims you could fly the Ardennes to Liège to get a taste of Belgian fries, Belgian waffles and Belgian beer, and from Liège over to Germany through the Düsseldorf TMA. Or you could continue East to Strasbourg.
@Patrick may have some suggestions for Germany… especially the Düsseldorf/Paderborn area
