sunnygardens

Because of low season airfares I booked a flight to Paris. I have only 7 days. I've been to Paris before.

I'm a writer and what I'm really looking for (now that I have given it some thoughts after impulsively booking the flight!)is somewhere different, somewhere French and quiet and charming to just relax and write while also seeing a few interesting things.

Yes, I've done some research. Yes, my budget is low.

However, I thought I'd bring this to the travel talk forum for suggestions of a place which has some interesting sights and things to do but is peaceful.

artlover

How about Giverny? If you're a Monet fan, you can visit his house and gardens and there's a museum of other Impressionists nearby and walking around that area is lovely. Not sure about inexpensive, though.

richardab

I think the vineyards of the Alsace region are perfect, sip a glass of wine and reflect!

minimn

If you look at vrbo.com and check out reference number 14930, there is an inexpensive place to rent ($400 for the week)in the village of Carrieres, near Paris. It looks quiet and peaceful but you still have the opportunity to take the train into Paris if you desire. I've considered this before for an inexpensive location and something different but always ended up staying in Paris. Good luck with your search!
Peg

cigalechanta

In Giverny, you have Monet's House anf Garden, The Anciente Hotel Baudy museum and restaurant where the American painters lived and the American Museum. I don't know the rates this year, but the wonderful Hotel Jardin de Giverny is only steps away from all this with excellant food.

cf5657

Why don't you find a place in the Loire Valley? It's not to far from Paris and it can be very charming. You should be able to find some budget places to stay depending on which city you go to. It's a lot more peaceful than Paris is. You could also stay in Versailles. Once you get away from the Palace, the town/city is very quaint and French. I just don't understand why we can't have 2-3 hour lunches in the US like they have there.

ira

topping

Giselle

I'm curious to what Paris and French experts have to say about this question, too. I believe the Monet house and Gardens are closed after season.

Sunnygardens, if you are still there, do you have a car? If not, I suppose the town would need to be on the train line.

AisleSeat

Close to Paris???? I live in Seattle and we think of Portland as close. It is a 3 hour drive. About the same amount of time it would take you to reach a whole lot of the UK or Europe. Your options are wide open. Picdk a country, pick a hamlet.

ira

Hi sunny,

You might want to consider
http://www.ville-st-germain-en-laye.fr/en/index.html

hopingtotravel

AisleSeat - we live near Anchorage and think of Seattle as close! It's all relative. (love weekends at Inn at the Market)

dln

Sunnygardens, why do you want to be close to Paris? If you get the PREM fares on the TGV, you can travel as far away as Provence (as peaceful and scenic as you'd want a place to be) for €50 roundtrip, in less than three hours. Or Brittany to be by the seaside, or any number of other charming regions in Paris.

klondike

Hey, hopingtotravel, hi from a fellow-
Alaskan! We do have a different perspective on distance, don't we?! Ha-Ha-Ha!

So you're looking for quiet and charming, sunnygardens...besides Giverny, there is Moret-sur-Loing south of Paris though in the winter it maybe wouldn't be as lovely as the painters portray it. I also like Beauvais, Chartres and Reims for their lovely cathedrals. If you really want to get away from the crowds you might look into a smaller town in the Loire, like Blere, just a few kilometres from Amboise. I also agree with dln, you don't need to limit yourself now with the prems on SNCF trains. For further away, my vote would be La Rochelle on the Atlantic. Vitre, Morlaix. or Guingamp(sp?) in Britanny. Or as has already been suggested, one of the small wine towns in Alsace-Lorraine.

flygirl

I'd opt for Normandy - all of France is steeped in history - but this area seems (to me) to have it closer to the surface (apart from Paris that is).

plus it's sure to be v. quiet in winter - and nothing like long walks on a desolate beach to get the thought processes going!