itspat

We will be arriving from Naples and have 4 full days after that. Leaving from Paris. We have seen most of the tourist sites in Paris, and our only reason for ending there is more of a personal nature - no agenda, and we're comfortable just grabbing quick and easy but delicious food and drink, or having some fondue, or a small cafe/bistro with people watching. We can spend all 4 days there without regret or stress, but I thought it might be nice for my spouse to see a place not seen before. No more than 1-2 days, because as I said, we need some personal and "downtime" in Paris at the end before we fly home.

Possibilities:
1. Bruges
2. Ghent
3. Amsterdam
4. Strasbourg or some other good base in France other than Lyon, which we've already been to

Key factors would be:
1. Frequent and relatively easy trains to/from Paris- don't mind doing this in 1 day if we can - just to get bird's-eye view of the place
2. Direct flight from Naples? Or just get to Paris first and decide from there?
3. Walkable, picturesque - possibly bikes but would need to be tolerant of slow and clumsy bikers!
4. The more central the train station to the "sights", the better

If you had 1-2 days outside of Paris, and were willing to leave France, where would you go and why?

PalenQ

I would go to any of the above except Gent - Gent is nice but in no league with Bruges, Amsterdam or Strsbourg - but if you want something off the main tourist path Gent could be sweet - but a largish city without the citywide charm of a Bruges.

Bruges is the smallest of those and easily managed and so so romantic - to me the nicest old-world city north of the Alps - 2.5 hours by train from Paris with one change of trains, either in Brussels or Lille depending on what route you take.

Bruges is also the closet to Paris timewise (along with Gent) and is eminently walkable or bikable - tons of bikes here - city biking is rather dangerous with all the other bikers rushing about but a bike ride to Damme, Bruges' old port and with some of the same old Flemish facades and warehouses that line Bruges' canals - just a few miles and on bike paths - following a main canal most of the way.

How about London - just over 2 hours away by Eurostar train!

For train info I always spotlight these IMO superb info-laden sites: www.seat61.com - good info on discounted tickets you can nab if you book REALLY early - like months but much cheaper than full fare often; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com.

Could fly from Naples to Brussels or Lille (France) - just a short train ride from Bruges.

Strasbourg is to me one of the most underrated cities around and could be a joy but IME nothing compares with Bruges. In the past I took over 1,000 bikers thru Bruges and on the whole trip that was by far the most favorite city - some even came back there after the trip was over.

You can't go wrong with any however.

flpab

I read a book last year centered around Compiegne. I now want to go there. My husband and I thought two nights in Paris and two here. We are going to rent bikes, the trails through the forest look great.


http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractio...e_Picardy.html

Sassafrass

I like the higher energy vibe of Ghent, but it is a city. Bruges, OTOH, is totally charming, especially at night, and for what you want, that would likely be my choice. It would be great if you could fly into Brussels and take the train to Bruges, spend a night or two, then train to Paris. Bruges is small, walkable and the train station in Bruges is close. You could actually walk, but there is a shuttle bus and plenty of taxis. Streets are cobbled, so riding takes some getting used to, but you can rent bikes and bike along the canals, hike to windmills, even catch a train (about 10 or 15 minutes) to the beach for a couple of hours. The little city center is magical at night.

Another suggestion for a place in France to consider, but one very different from Paris - Perouges just outside of Lyon. If you could get a flight from Naples to Lyon, grab a taxi to Perouges, spend a night and wander the next day, then train to Paris, that would also be charming and romantic.

Look at some images of both.

I would definitely not go to Paris first. I would choose a place relatively close to another city with an airport that you could go from Naples.

kja

Another vote for Bruges!

HappyTrvlr

I vote for Amsterdam or Strasbourg, easy transfer by train, totally different from Paris.

cocofromdijon

Was in Bruges exactly 2 weeks ago and loved it, very pretty small town.

sandralist

Depending on your tolerance for hordes of tourists and coaches, Bruges may or may not be your idea of a great European destination.

cocofromdijon

Sandra is right about crowds, if you can avoid going on a week end you'll be fine. From the train station to the historic centre the streets were very quiet (on a Friday).

denisea

I would use Strasbourg as a base to visit the towns in Alsace. The train from Strasbourg is a breeze. Although, if you have visited many of the towns near Paris, you might consider going to Paris and day tripping by train from there (Giverny, Reims, Chartres, Barbizon,etc...).

PalenQ

Central Bruges has crowds but they tend to stick to the Market Square and lace shops in the tourist schlock lanes around it - wander a few blocks away and surprisingly there can be few tourists - like along the old quais of the former port.

CanadianRNinDublin

Another vote for Amsterdam. We did Pairs and Amsterdam 2 years ago and it was a great combination. The train is about 4 hrs and you are right in the heart of the city. It is a very walkable place, good food, great beer. You can rent bikes if that's what you want, but probably not necessary. They have great museums (Rijksmuseum, Van Gough, Anne Frank House etc), you can do a canal tour, check out the red light district, shopping, or just hang out and watch the boats go by.

kerouac

Strasbourg and Lille are both excellent cities that are quite different architecturally from Paris but still busy and full of people.

Lille has the added advantage of being less than one hour from Paris by TGV.

Christina

I wouldn't go to/from Amsterdam just for 1-2 days myself, too much cost and time expenditure. If the train is four hours, obviously that's about half of one day right there, waking time. I might go to someplace in Belgium or France, most likely. I've done Brussels in that time frame, as well as many cities in France -- Reims, Angers, Strasbourg, Nancy, Dijon, Caen/Bayeux in Normandy, etc. Of course Lyon but you've been there. I think Bruges could work if you haven't been there, also.

FrenchMystiqueTours

Well certainly you can leave Paris but know that for any TGV and Intercités train travel you need to buy tickets up to 3 months or more in advance to get the cheapest prices. Another option not mentioned is to stay in Paris and do any number of very easy day trips that won't require advance train ticket purchase and which are also very cheap when compared to the cost of TGV and Intercités trains or flights, not to mention the ease of logistics in not having to change hotels and move luggage. Have a look at the thread below to see a list of most of the well known day trips you could take from Paris. If you do want to change locations then many, if not most, of the destinations can also be used for getaways of a few days. Compiègne was mentioned earlier and that would make an excellent base for a few days of exploring outwards from there.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic....html#66017674

itspat

This was exactly the type of info I was looking for, thank you!

Narrowed it down to Bruges (depending on the train situation), or Strasbourg area, or perhaps one of the other regions of France mentioned above where we haven't been (okay, maybe not as narrowed down as I'd like to think...)

Amsterdam, I think, would have been fun - for me to revisit Anne Frank's House, the Van Gogh museum, walk the canals and enjoy the atmosphere, and for my spouse to see it for the first time, but I agree it's a lot. On my last trip through Amsterdam Schipol, I was with a friend and we did the 5 hour city tour from the airport (both of us having already been to the city but not wanting to stay in the airport for a huge layover) - it was pricey and brief, but entertaining nonetheless (much of it was from the bus, but we did get to go in the Frank house), and the transfer in/out of Schipol was seamless. I thought that it was worth it for me. But yes again, even if the train prices aren't prohibitive, it would make for a VERY long day.

PalenQ

Add another awesome city to the list - Nancy not as far as Strasbourg along the TGV-Est high-speed line - a gorgeous city set apart from IMO many rather blah large French cities (like Orleans where I lived on and off for some year) - quicker getting there = more time to see it! Its town square - the Place Stanslaus is perhaps the prettiest town square in France - at least ones I've seen and one of the largest in Europe all lovingly surrounded by stunning architecture.

PalenQ

https://www.google.com/search?q=nanc...=1600&bih=1075

Oh some images of Nancy and the Place Stanlsaus (sp?)1

itspat

I've been thinking... I have an amateur interest in Joan of Arc... I've read a little bit about Orleans, Domremy, etc, wondering if there are any other quaint towns that come to mind as a good day trip. Easy access to Paris and some ability to get out and enjoy walks about town and some opportunities for meals would be important.

Thanks for all the great suggestions so far.

kja

Rouen? Lots to see, IMO, and some great food.