Leely2

I know many will say to stay in Paris (I have 8 nights and an apartment in May), but it's not unusual for me to hop on a train and visit somewhere else on my city trips. For whatever reason, I prefer overnights to day trips.

My requirements: 2 hours or under by train. One or two "big" sights to see. My interests are history, architecture, art. A charming/pretty town. Someplace that feels distinct--from Paris. I've taken longer trips to the Languedoc, Provence and the Perigord. And I've been to Paris several times.

So I've come up with Amboise and Auxerre. I've never had a strong desire to go to the Loire but Amboise seems pretty easy and it has both a chateau and Clos Luce in town. On the other hand, I've always wanted to go to Burgundy so Auxerre is a draw. However, I'm likely to take a driving holiday dedicated to that region sometime in the future.

Advice, opinions, (gentle) criticisms? Many thanks.

Michael

Neither. I would go to Troyes for its cathedral, the old town and the tool museum (which is a museum of tools of the trade of the 19th century).

jrecm

Amboise! We took the train from Paris for a 2 night stay here and wished we had even more time. We spent an entire afternoon in Clos Luce with light drizzle, the benefit being no crowds. The manager of Clos Luce bought us coffee and gave us a lot of information about the park, the mansion, and museum of his inventions (replicas)
We found the town itself interesting. Amboise has numerous troglodytes along its main streets. The facades and gardens make them seem like built houses until you notice that they extend into the hillsides. We spent a lot of time talking with one of the owners.
We even enjoyed St. Denis Church which dates back to the time of St. Martin of Tours
There were some delicious bakeries in town for breakfast, fresh market produce for picnics and some excellent restaurants. There is a wonderful view of the Loire River.
We stayed at LeManoir Les Minimes which overlooks the Loire, a beautiful hotel!!!
Oh believe it or not, we ran out of time to see the chateau

ira

We very much liked a day in Auxerre.

Very pleasant town.

Have you considered Nancy?

Christina

I really think either would do, and I'd choose based on which attraction appeals to you the most. Neither one is remotely like Paris IMO, except they are French. Of course, I don't think any place is like Paris.

I don't think either city is tops in the pretty/charming category, actually, although they will do.

Sarastro

I always enjoy Auxerre. There are some wonderful restaurants and the town is a pleasure just to walk through.

http://www.ot-auxerre.fr/

I consider Amboise the tourist ghetto of the Loire Valley. If I were to venture that direction I should choose either Blois or central Tours, particularly around Place Plumereau and rue Colbert.

http://www.bloispaysdechambord.com/
http://www.ligeris.com/

However, my first choice for such a trip would be Chartres:

http://www.chartres-tourisme.com/

kerouac

Amboise is nice, but I definitely recommend Blois instead.

Leely2

Six Fodorites, six different opinions.

Thanks for the additional suggestions; I'll look into them.

Sarastro, why do you consider Amboise a "tourist ghetto"? I have enjoyed most towns I've visited in France, but it suddenly occurs to me that I usually travel in the off-season.

tootsie

I absolutely love Auxerre. Amboise is nice, certainly but Auxerre is totally charming. Too bad you're not driving. You could take a spin to Vezelay. What a wonderful experience.

Sarastro

At one time Amboise was a beautiful community. I have good friends who grew up and live there so I went often.

In recent years, the economic growth has been all about tourism. Jack Lang, a French Minister of Culture, was from this area (former Mayor of Blois actually) and through his influence an enormous amount of money was poured into the region around Amboise. An aquarium was built (no one is absolutely sure why), tourism was heavily promoted (10 - 20 years ago few American visitors to Paris ever went to the Loire Valley or had even heard of it) and a Loire Valley complete with châteaux was built in miniature - considered by many locals the epitome of tackiness and bad taste - a tourist trap.

Amboise was to change the most. Commerce shifted to tourist trinkets and overpriced restaurants (too expensive for the locals) popped up everywhere. The Château d'Amboise itself has largely been dismantled, the stone sold by a previous owner. This château in its present state is no longer consider as among the most architecturally significant in the Valley. The Clos Lucé has some interesting models of da Vinci in its basement but nothing of da Vinci remains, it makes great money simply on its association as da Vinci's final home.

Most of the hotels in and around Amboise (I should say all of the hotels but there was one) didn't exist 20 years ago. They have all been built for tourists.

Everything about this place now oozes tourism. I was shocked to find out they even charge to visit the Pagode (an old pagoda, all that is left of an old château).

It is for these reasons that I sadly call Amboise the tourist ghetto of the Loire Valley. But heck, if you're a real tourist, you probably love it.

Shanti

I enjoyed Auxerre and it meets your requirements - it's about 2 hours from Paris & has two major attractions (the cathedral & abbey) and then there's the attraction of the architecture of the town's buildings.

I visited the Loire Valley but chose not to go to Amboise as it didn't sound interesting to me so I can't really provide any info about it.

You might want to consider Troyes instead, however, just as Mike suggested. I liked it even more than I like Auxerre. Troyes also is about 2 hours from Paris & is easy to get to. It does have more than 2 major attractions - but you could limit yourself to just a couple of them. Unlike Auxerre or Amboise, Troyes has a lovely art museum as well as interesting architecture & history. It also has a museum (sorry, I'm blanking on the name) that consists of art and furniture taken from estates during the French Revolution so you might find that historically interesting.

Leely2

Another question, if I <i>did</i> end up choosing Auxerre and renting a car for a day to see Vezelay, would my best bet be to train to Montbard from Paris and then rent there? I'd really prefer not to drive in/out of Paris. I've only driven in France with a navigator (i.e., friend with me), and I'll be solo on this mission, so it makes me a bit anxious. I tend to get lost.

Sarastro

<b>Leely2</b> before you plan too far with the one day car rental idea, you might want to explore the costs (and the extra cost of picking it up at the train station).

I am unsure of what might be available in Auxerre but here is a list of car rental firms:

http://www.avis.com/
http://www.citer.com/
http://www.europcar.com/
http://www.ttcar.com/
http://www.hertz.com/
http://www.sixt.com/
http://www.ada.fr/
http://www.citycars.fr/
https://www.economycarrentals.com/

Amy40

Leely, just wondering about your choice. We may have the opportunity to stay in Auxerre for a day or two and I'd like to know if you did indeed visit. Thanks!

Leely2

Amy, I didn't end up doing any overnights or day trips because my Paris schedule turned out to be more booked than I had initially imagined. I hope you enjoy Auxerre if you do go. I'll get there someday.

nytraveler

Amboise is way more interesting than Auxerre. But - have you considered Strasbourg - which IMHO trumps both?

Amy40

I have been to Amboise, but the issue is that there is an apartment available in Auxerre (through friends) and then we will go deeper into Burgundy to visit another friend. Will keep Strasbourg in mind for next time.