By Train in Ile de France

By Train

Many sights can be reached by train from Paris. Both regional and mainline (Le Mans-bound) trains leave Gare Montparnasse for Chartres (50-70 minutes); the former also stop at Versailles, Rambouillet, and Maintenon. Gare Montparnasse is also the terminal for the suburban trains that stop at Montfort-L'Amaury, the nearest station to Thoiry (35 minutes).

Some mainline trains from Gare St-Lazare stop at Mantes-la-Jolie (30 minutes) and Vernon (50 minutes) on their way to Rouen and Le Havre. Suburban trains leave the Gare du Nord for L'Isle-Adam (50 minutes). Chantilly is on the main northbound line from Gare du Nord (the trip takes 25-40 minutes), and Senlis can be reached by bus from Chantilly. Fontainebleau -- or, rather, neighboring Avon, 2 km (1 1/2 mi) away (there is frequent bus service) -- is 45 minutes from Gare de Lyon. To reach Vaux-le-Vicomte, head first for Melun, then take a taxi or local bus (in summer a shuttle service); to reach Giverny, rail it to Vernon, then use the taxi or local bus.

St-Germain-en-Laye is a terminal of the RER-A (commuter train) that tunnels through Paris (main stations at Étoile, Auber, Les Halles, and Gare de Lyon). The RER-A also accesses Maisons-Laffitte and, at the other end, the station for Disneyland Paris (called Marne-la-Vallée-Chessy), within 100 yards of the entrance to both the theme park and Disney Village. Journey time is around 40 minutes, and trains operate every 10-30 minutes, depending on the time of day. The handiest of Versailles's three train stations is the one reached by the RER-C line (main stations at Austerlitz, St-Michel, Invalides, and Champ-de-Mars); the trip takes 30-40 minutes. Special forfait tickets, combining travel and admission, are available for several regional tourist destinations (including Versailles, Fontainebleau, and Auvers-sur-Oise). A mainline TGV (Trains à Grande Vitesse) station links Disneyland to Lille, Lyon, Brussels, and London (via Lille and the Channel Tunnel).

Train Information

Gare SNCF Fontainbleau (1 pl. François Mitterand. 03-80-43-16-34). Gare SNCF Versailles (Cour de la Gare. 03-80-43-16-34). SNCF (36-35 (EUR .34 per minute). idf.sncf.fr/GB). TGV (www.tgv.com).