Louise_LS

Gretchen, thanks. How do I check which service goes directly out from the CDG airport that links directly to the next destination I am going to?

How far out is Amsterdam from CDG airport? I am thinking of going to the loire valley but there are so many cities there that I am getting blurry eyed. My friend told me there is a direct train service to Angurs from CDG.

Louise_LS

Think I better decide on the extra 3 nights in order to book the accommodation before I worry about the day trips out of paris.

Which is the best easy to go & get to destination from CDG airport directly and yet can reach paris central directly as well?

Thanks a lot!!

Louise_LS

Loire or Amsterdam?

If Loire, where should I base my 3nights stay in - angurs or tours?

Thanks!

FrenchMystiqueTours

Asking about Amsterdam vs. Loire is an apples and oranges question as neither is better than the other so only you can decide which is better.

If you go to the Loire and you won't rent a car then Tours is the place to stay as it is the transport hub of the region and also has the best central location in that area. You can also do the mini-bus tours offered by the tourist office in Tours that will combine visits to châteaux and wineries.

Have a look at this thread and it will have info about the mini-bus tours I mentioned, how you can get around that region by train and bus, and a link that will provide info about the notable towns and châteaux you can visit:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic....html#56423293

FrenchMystiqueTours

And here's some info about getting the train from CDG to Tours. I think the easiest website for you to use to check train schedules and prices and buy tickets will be www.capitainetrain.com. Tickets will be cheapest if purchased around the time they go on sale, 90 days in advance. Last minute ticket purchase is the most expensive. Use the same website to buy your ticket back to Paris.

You'll see in the link I provided previously that if basing in Tours you'll want to stay in the old downtown in/near Place Plumereau. This is near the train station called "Tours Centre" so when checking train schedules you want to make sure your train arrives in Tours Centre. Trains from CDG will go to the station Saint-Pierre-des-Corps where you'll transfer to another train to make the brief 5-7 minute journey to Tours Centre. You'll find there are only trains every two to four hours from CDG to Tours Centre, on weekdays around 8h15, 10h15, 14h10, 16h20 and 18h10 and the journey will take around 2 hours.

Gretchen

FMT is always a great source of information. If it were I going--you have your extra days. NO doubt--I'd go from CDG to Provence directly, rent a car, stay for 3-4 days as I suggested above, come back to Paris. In a way, you have preserved at least one day by going directly "somewhere"..
As for your question--how do I find out where I can go directly from CDG--I think you REALLY need to decide WHERE you want to go and then find out.
The Loire is of course iconically interesting with its endless stream of chateaux. And that can (for me) become mindlessly much the same--chateau after chateau. Provence is endlessly different in a small amount of area very accessible in a smallish amount of time. Take your choice or mix and match!!
You can be in Provence in 3 hours from CDG, and immersed in an exotic and captivating part of France. AND back to Paris in the same 3 hours to central city and ready to go.

maxima

To go to Amsterdam you can take a train from CDG airport to Brussels and then change trains for a train to Amsterdam... it will take about 3 hours 45 minutes for the entire train ride, or you can take a train from the airport to Paris and get a train to Amsterdam (Thalys the fast train) which also has a stop in Brussels. The Paris-Amsterdam train takes 3 hours.

Instead of spending 3 plus hours getting to Amsterdam, I would go to Tours. As FMT writes you can get a train at the airport to Tours, and transfer to a Tours Centre train. Take the bus tours to the chateaus, and explore a bit of the old part of Tours as well. The train from Tours to Paris takes a little more than an hour.

The Loire Valley is well worth visiting and limiting your time traveling to and from places will be easier on you and your child.

dwdvagamundo

Louise LS--we're planning to go to the Loire in the fall and base in Amboise. But we will have a car. Looks like you can take the train directly there from Austerlitz or Montparnasse stations in about 90 minutes, but don't know about more local trains.

lyndad2

Just got back from Paris (Apr 14-23). Stayed near the Arc de Triomphe. At concierge's suggestion, we reserved a taxi for a 8:20 pickup and was in front of the Palace at 8:45. Since we had our museum passes, we got in the security line immediately and started the tour shortly after 9, ahead of h masses of group tours. We then had the rest of the day to explore the gardens, Trianon, Hamlet, etc. The Taxi was 35E out and 45E back, but the savings in time and hassle with trains was worth it for two people. As others have suggested, take advantage of a sunny day (and definitely get the museum pass on a day within you pass days)

TPAYT

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