cmm6797

We will be in Paris this summer for 11 days (not including travel days). We have 2 kids, ages 11 and 14. As this is the first time that our kids have been to Europe we are hoping not to rush from one sight-seeing destination to another, which is why we'll be there for 11 days. One of those days we may visit Fontainebleu.

We thought it might be fun to do a day trip, via train, outside of Paris and are looking for suggestions. Brussels? Provence? Provence would be the farthest we'd be willing to travel in one day, and even that may be too rushed. I'm looking for any feedback from those who have done that in a day trip.

A day trip may be spontaneous…should we then expect much higher ticket prices for a last-minute purchase? Ideally, how far in advance would we purchase tickets?

For those of you who have spent time in Paris with kids, do you think we can easily fill our 11 days in Paris, with no need to leave? (That's kind of what I'm thinking.)

We've booked an apartment for the duration of our stay so staying in another area overnight isn't an option.

Thanks in advance.

bettyloo

I spent a week in Paris last summer with my 12 year old daughter and we had plenty to keep us busy. We did two day trips, one to Disney (she made an argument I couldn't say no to) and to the big cat park which is about 20 min outside of Paris. The name of it is escaping me right now, but if you're interested I'll look it up. A little difficult to get to, but we had the hotel call arrange to have a taxi meet us at the bus stop in the town where it's located and it was fine. Very cool big cat sanctuary.

Seamus

If I were to spend 11 days with family anywhere a must-do trip would be to the liquor store. ;-)

Seriously, do you have Versailles on your itinerary? It is not that far at all and makes for a lovely day trip. Depending on when you will be there check out some of the spectacles http://www.chateauversailles-spectac...tions-packages

jgg

We did a week in Paris when our kids were 10 and 13. While there is a ton to do in Paris, I think with 11 days that it would be nice to have a daytrip or two. We didn't make it to Versailles as the time of year when we were going there wouldn't be much to see in the gardens and we wanted to be able to see that, so we decided to save it for a return trip. We did do Normandy as a day trip and we all really loved it. We booked it with Paris-Trip.com. Our driver/guide picked us up from our apt early in the morning. We were able to see quite a lot and our kids who were one year younger than yours really appreciated it as well. We did the private tour which was a bit spendy - but there are other group tours you can do, and you can take the train from Paris to Normandy as well.

Here is a link to my trip report along with pictures that you may find helpful:
http://www.fromhometoroam.com/2012/05/a-week-in-paris/

330east

Giverny?
Chartres?

FrenchMystiqueTours

If you want to go to anyplace that requires a reservation for train tickets (all TGV trains and many Intercités trains) you'll need to buy them 3 months in advance to get the cheapest ticket prices.
The cheapest train tickets are going to be the local trains (TER trains) near Paris that have fixed prices so you don't need to buy tickets in advance and you can also wait for the best weather day to do a day trip.

Here is a brief list that summarizes many of the most popular day trips from Paris (within an hour and a half by train). With the exception of Reims, Troyes and Rouen I haven't included places that require advance train ticket purchase to get the cheapest train ticket prices. The rest of the destinations are all local trains with fixed prices. There are certainly many other day trips you could also do but this list covers most of the biggies:

Provins (an authentic walled medieval town): http://www.provins.net/
Trains depart from Gare de l'Est. Use www.transilien.com for train schedules. Train ticket is Mobilis Pass zones 1-5.
__________________________________________________ ________________________

Château of Chantilly (wonderful fairytale château, famous art collection): http://www.chateaudechantilly.com/fr/
http://www.chantilly-tourisme.com/
Trains depart from Gare du Nord and arrive at Chantilly-Gouvieux. Use http://en.voyages-sncf.com/en/ for train schedules and prices.
__________________________________________________ __________________________

Senlis (beautiful small medieval town can be combined with a visit to Chantilly):
http://www.senlis-tourisme.fr/gb/accueil-senlis.php
Take train to Chantilly (see above). Take bus number 15 from Chantilly to Senlis. Bus schedules here: http://www.oise-mobilite.fr/index.asp
__________________________________________________ ___________________________

Reims (champagne tours, great historic cathedral, museums):
http://www.reims-tourisme.com/
Take TGV train from Gare de l'Est. Use http://en.voyages-sncf.com/en/ for train schedules and prices. Train tickets cheapest if purchased 3 months in advance.
__________________________________________________ ____________________________

Epernay (champagne tours): http://www.ot-epernay.fr/
Trains depart from from Gare de l'Est. Use http://en.voyages-sncf.com/en/ for train schedules and prices.
__________________________________________________ ____________________________

Fontainebleau (former royal town with famous château):
http://www.musee-chateau-fontainebleau.fr/
http://www.fontainebleau-tourisme.com/
http://www.uk.fontainebleau-tourisme.com/
Trains depart from Gare de Lyon arrive at Fontainebleau-Avon. Take Bus A from train station to château. Use www.transilien.com for train schedules. Train ticket is Mobilis Pass zones 1-5.
__________________________________________________ ___________________________

Versailles (obvious):
http://en.chateauversailles.fr/homepage
http://www.versailles-tourisme.com/en/accueil.html
There are several possible ways to get here by train from Paris. Easiest (least confusing) is to take RER C from Paris to Versailles Rive-Gauche. Use www.ratp.fr for train info.
__________________________________________________ ____________________________

Château of Vaux-le-Vicomte (the château after which Louis XIV based his garden renovations for Versailles and IMO one of the most elegant château in France):
http://www.vaux-le-vicomte.com/
http://www.vaux-le-vicomte.com/en/useful-information
Trains depart from Gare de Lyon and arrive in Melun. Use www.transilien.com for train schedules. Train ticket is Mobilis Pass zones 1-5. Take taxi from Melun to château or in high season use the shuttle bus from Melun to château. See 2nd link above for further transport info.
__________________________________________________ ____________________________

Rouen (small city, lots to do, wonderful cathedral, medieval old center): http://www.rouentourisme.com/
Trains depart from Gare Saint-Lazare. Use http://en.voyages-sncf.com/en/ for train schedules. Tickets cheapest if purchased 3 months in advance. Last minute tickets cost 22.80€ each way (45.60€ round trip).
__________________________________________________ ___________________________

Giverny (Monet's house and gardens):
http://fondation-monet.com/en/
http://giverny.org/giverny/
http://giverny.org/gardens/index.htm
http://www.vernon-visite.org/index.shtml
Trains depart from Gare Saint-Lazare and arrive in Vernon. Use http://en.voyages-sncf.com/en/ for train schedules and prices. Look at links above for info about shuttle bus to Giverny, or walking or renting a bike.
__________________________________________________ ____________________________

Chartres (the famous cathedral and wonderful old medieval town):
http://www.chartres-tourisme.com/en
http://www.discover-chartres.com/

Malcolm Miller Cathedral Tours:

Daily tours of Chartres Cathedral from Easter until late October are at 12 noon and 2.45 p.m. Not on Sundays, and during the winter occasionally or on request.

E-mail address is [email protected].

Trains depart from Gare Montparnasse. Use http://en.voyages-sncf.com/en/ for train schedules and prices.
__________________________________________________ ______________________________

Compiègne (château with museums, wonderful old town. Can be combined with a visit to the château of Pierrefonds): http://www.compiegne-tourisme.fr/
Trains depart from Gare du Nord. Use http://en.voyages-sncf.com/en/ for train schedules and prices.
__________________________________________________ _________________________

Château of Pierrefonds (Magnificent fairytale looking château. Reconstructed in the 19th century but magnificent nonetheless. Can be combined with a visit to Compiègne):
http://www.pierrefonds.monuments-nationaux.fr/
http://www.pierrefonds-tourisme.net/
http://www.compiegne-tourisme.fr/Le-...errefonds.html
Take train to Compiegne (see above). There are shuttle buses from Compiegne to Pierrefonds but they are infrequent. Use www.oise-mobilite.fr for bus info. Easiest means of access is taxi from Compiegne to Pierrefonds. The tourist office in Compiegne will assist with taxi service.
__________________________________________________ ____________________________

Troyes (lovely small medieval city):
http://www.tourisme-troyes.com/
Trains depart from Gare de l'Est. Use http://en.voyages-sncf.com/en/ for train schedules and prices.
__________________________________________________ ____________________________

Auxerre (lovely small medieval city):
http://www.ot-auxerre.fr/
http://www.burgundy-tourism.com/page...erre-1034.html
Trains depart from Gare de Lyon. Use http://en.voyages-sncf.com/en/ for train schedules and prices.
__________________________________________________ ____________________________

Laon (medieval hilltop town with a spectacular cathedral): http://www.tourisme-paysdelaon.com/
Trains depart from Gare du Nord. Use http://en.voyages-sncf.com/en/ for train schedules and prices.
__________________________________________________ _____________________________

Crépy-en-Valois (charming little medieval town with 12th century châteaux, abbey ruin, quaint streets, nice park)
http://www.valois-tourisme.fr/
Trains depart from Gare du Nord. Use http://en.voyages-sncf.com/en/ for train schedules and prices.
__________________________________________________ _____________________________

Crécy-la-Chapelle (small charming renowned artists village):

http://www.cc-payscrecois.fr/Crecy-la-Chapelle,203.html
Trains depart from Gare de l'Est. Transfer at Esbly to the next train for Crécy. Use www.transilien.com for train schedules. Train ticket is Mobilis Pass zones 1-5.
__________________________________________________ ___________________________

Moret-sur-Loing (charming walled medieval village/artists village):
http://www.ville-moret-sur-loing.fr/rubrique.php?id=189
http://www.msl-tourisme.fr/index.php/francais/accueil
Trains depart from Gare de Lyon and arrive at Moret-Veneux-les-Sablons. Use www.transilien.com for train schedules. Train ticket is Mobilis Pass zones 1-5.
__________________________________________________ ___________________________

Auvers-sur-Oise (Van Gogh and other impressionist art history):
http://www.auvers-sur-oise.com/heading/heading899.html
Trains depart from either Gare Saint-Lazare or Gare du Nord. Use www.transilien.com for train schedules and prices.
__________________________________________________ ___________________________

Rueil-Malmaison (château of the Empress Josephine and a nice old downtown. On the RER A line and could be combined with a visit to Saint-Germain-en-Laye):
http://www.chateau-malmaison.fr/
http://www.rueil-tourisme.com/
Take RER A to La Défense and then bus 258 to Château de Malmaison. Also possible to take RER A to Rueil-Malmaison and then walk 1.5km to 2km to old downtown and then to château. Bus number 144 also available from RER station to get to downtown then walk to château. Use www.ratp.fr for transport info.
__________________________________________________ ____________________________

Saint-Germain-en-Laye (former royal town with a wonderful château now home to the national museum of archaeology. On the RER A line and could be combined with a visit to Malmaison):
http://www.ot-saintgermainenlaye.fr/en/
http://www.saintgermainenlaye.fr/en/...ulture/musees/
Take RER A from Paris to Saint-Germain-en-Laye. Use www.ratp.fr for train info.
__________________________________________________ __________________________

Barbizon (famous artists village, can be combined with Fontainebleau):
http://www.barbizon-tourisme.fr/
Trains depart from Gare de Lyon and arrive in Fontainebleau-Avon. Use www.transilien.com for train schedules. Train ticket is Mobilis Pass zones 1-5. It is necessary to take a taxi from Fontainebleau to Barbizon.
__________________________________________________ ___________________________

IMPORTANT NOTE: When using the http://en.voyages-sncf.com/en/ website here are a few tips. When entering Paris as your arrival or departure point you will notice a drop down menu appears when you start to type the word ''paris''. Select ''Paris (all stations – FR)'' and this will automatically bring up the correct train station in Paris for your journey. Be sure to uncheck the box marked ''Direct Trains'' to see all options.

If you are redirected to the RailEurope then try again and select ''Antarctic'' as your ticket collection country to avoid being redirected to the RailEurope website. The RailEurope website usually doesn't show all the trains and shows higher ticket prices. Be sure to also look at other ticket purchase options. If you are having troubles with the SNCF website you can try using a new ticket selling website called www.capitainetrain.com. You can also use the German rail site www.bahn.de for schedules but it will not give train ticket prices.

These are the most popular day trips and all are worthwhile but there are many other less popular and equally worthy day trips. I could easily list a couple dozen more but only if what's on this list doesn't interest you. A good guide book for the Île-de-France region should give you more ideas.

You'll need to take a train from Paris to do these day trips. For info on trains in Paris and the nearby suburbs (métro and RER trains and those TER trains that operate within zone 5) use the website www.ratp.fr. Use the interactive map on this website to plan your trip: http://www.ratp.fr/plan-interactif/carteidf.php?lang=uk. Parts of this website are in French so you can use an English language companion site www.vianavigo.com. You can also use www.transilien.com for métro and RER trains and those TER trains that are part of the Transilien network. Some TER trains on the Transilien network go beyond zone zone 5. It's a personal choice as to whether you prefer using the RATP or Transilien website.

A great website to learn about the Paris métro/bus/RER network is www.parisbytrain.com.

For trains that go further beyond the Île-de-France and outside of the Transilien network use the website http://en.voyages-sncf.com/en/ A great website to learn about trains in France (and Europe) is www.seat61.com if you have any train questions/problems.

Paris and many of the places nearby in Île-de-France are divided into zones, numbered 1 through 5. Paris is in zone 1 and areas outside Paris are in zones 2 through 5. Some of the destinations I mentioned are in zone 5 (Provins, Fontainebleau, Moret-sur-Loing, Vaux-le-Vicomte, Crécy-la-Chapelle, Barbizon). For these journeys it will be more cost effective to buy a one day Mobilis pass for 16.10€ for zones 1 through 5. This will be cheaper than the point to point tickets round trip. Plus, this pass is good for unlimited travel on all public trains and buses for one day in zones 1-5. Buy it first thing in the morning before your first métro ride and it gets you to your train station, your round trip tickets, any buses you need to use at your destination and any traveling you'll do in Paris when you return. Before you use the ticket make sure to write your name and the date on the ticket. You can buy these passes from the ticket machines in métro/RER stations. The machines have an English language option. If so, look for the one day Mobilis pass option. When you get to the screen that lists your zones to choose from press zone 1 and then press zone 5. You can also buy them at any ticket counter. They are good for 60 days so you can buy it in advance if you want to be prepared. It's not valid until you write your name and date on it and validate the ticket on your first métro/RER trip or at the train station. If you buy the ticket at a main line train station before boarding a train be sure to stick it in the machine that validates tickets and it will punch your ticket.

purcells5

We were in Paris a couple of months ago with our kids (8, 10, 12) and went to Versailles and it was a trip highlight for all of us. That said, we were there in winter so there were no crowds at all which was wonderful (as a group we are not good at queues!).

The rest of the time we just stayed in Paris and still have a list of a thousand things we didn't get to do!

swandav2000

Hi cmm6797,

I strongly, strongly, **strongly** recommend a day on the bikes in the countryside outside of Paris. You have enough time there that doing this won't take away significantly from your city sight-seeing, and it's a wonderful way to broaden/expand your French experience.

Last October, I took a bike tour with French Mystique Tours (who posted above and modestly and correctly didn't advertise his own business). It was the absolute highlight of my 10-night stay in Paris. If you go to his website, you can see that he offers long or short bike trips, and he's very happy to tailor a trip just for your abilities.

Here's his website:

http://www.frenchmystiquetours.com/

Let me say that Bruce covers everything! He'll coordinate with you to select the best weather-day for the trip, he'll get your input on the lunch he'll bring, and he'll help you with any other problems you may have for the day.

Here is a link to Trip Advisor user reviews of his tours:

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

Have fun as you plan!

s

KTtravel

Soe great suggestions here, frenchmystique!

KTtravel

Oops, that should read "some."

brendonb29

Roeun, Giverny, Honfleur, Fountainbleau, Versailles, Etretat, Caen, Bayeux, D-Day beaches, St. Lo.

Gretchen

I think Brendon covered the good possibilities. I am not a fan of Versailles if one is in Paris a short time, but your time is good,and can handle some day trips. Provence is NOT a day trip!!
I would make plans (as in having the navigating in your mind) for maybe two trips, and after a day or so orientation, plan when.
I would also really recommend you hire Michael Osman for at least 2 days of Paris guiding. He is a wonderful teacher--for adults and children. He's an artist himself and his introductions to the Louvre and Orsay are truly good.
Of Brendon's ideas, and another's experience with a day to the D-Day beaches, I'd choose Versailles and the DDay tour.

FrenchMystiqueTours

Honfleur and Etretat have no train stations and require a bus transfer after taking a train to a connecting place. I think the public transport to these two places makes them less logistically feasible as day trips than other places. Although Honfleur is only about a 25 minute bus ride from Deauvile/Trouville you still have to match train and bus schedules and buses may not be frequent. Deauville/Trouville would be a nice option for a day at the beach.

To get to Etretat you have to go to Le Havre and the bus is almost an hour ride from there, if you can match train and bus schedules.

Saint-Lô is a 3 hour train ride from Paris.

All three of these places (as well as Caen, Bayeux/D-Day beaches, Rouen) would require advance train ticket purchase to get the cheapest prices, although there are bus tours from Paris to the D-Day sites.

CarrieAnn40

London? You would need to pre-book tickets on Eurostar well in advance to get good rates. One advantage is that London is an hour behind Paris so the 07.13 train gets you into London St Pancras at 08.30.

cmm6797

Thank you all for the wonderful suggestions. I'll take some time to digest and do a bit more research. My husband was very interested in getting to Normandy so that may take priority. I wasn't sure how interesting it would be to the kids though.

rncheryl

Bookmarking for all these wonderful suggestions

Gretchen

The museums on Normandy are full of memorabilia of the war. Be sure to see Arromanches. And the water is always interesting to the kids.
Get the Michelin Green guide to Normandy.

StCirq

No one is going to tell you about their daytrip to Provence, because the idea is completely crazed. Even on the fastest trains, it's just under 3 hours each way to and from Avignon. Do you have maps and guidebooks? Provence deserves a week at least.

I think 11 days in Paris with a few daytrips is perfect. If you choose Normandy or the Loire Valley, though, I would advise making it an overnight - those two are very hurried daytrips.

FWIW, when my two were about 6 and 9, they happily spent a good 4 hours in the Mémorial Museum in Caen and loved everything about Normandy.

AJPeabody

How about some stuff that will appeal to your tweens? Rather than another old building with furniture and velvet drapery or another museum full of pictures, how about something, well, different?

May I suggest a trip along the Canal St Martin combined with the Cite des Sciences et de l'Industrie? Add in a picnic, maybe? Or do the science museum (the largest in Europe) with the canal ride afterwards to rest the feet?

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic...de_France.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cit%C3%...'Industrie

Then there is the Chateau de Chantilly, a relatively easy trip from Paris. They have horses, in a horse show. It's great!

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

And, in Paris, don't miss the Centre Pompidou, including the nearby fountain with Niki de Saint Phalle mobile sculptures.

https://www.google.com/search?q=niki...w=1600&bih=837

brendonb29

There is a carnival in the Tuiliries Gardens which I really enjoyed. Plenty of rides and games to keep you tweens happy and good travelers. Also I stopped inside the Disney Store on the Champs Eleyse. Also Disneyland Paris is an option.