auvers-sur-oise from Paris
Feb 15th, 2004, 10:52 AM
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auvers-sur-oise from Paris
In March I'll be in Paris and am thinking about a day trip to Auvers-sur-oise. Anyone done that lately that can answer a few questions. From the sncf website it looks like there are frequent trains from Gare du Nord, that require a brief change in St Ouen. It looks pretty easy to do and that the whole trip takes between 1 and 1 and a half hours (depending on which train you take). Is this right? I've heard you can also get there on the RER. How does that work? Is that any faster/cheaper than taking the train from gare du nord?
What about the town itself? I know most people go there to see the sites van Gogh painted, but is there much of a town itself? About how long would you want to stay there - is a couple of hours enough? And what about the Impressionist museum that's in a chateau there?
Thanks
What about the town itself? I know most people go there to see the sites van Gogh painted, but is there much of a town itself? About how long would you want to stay there - is a couple of hours enough? And what about the Impressionist museum that's in a chateau there?
Thanks
Feb 15th, 2004, 11:47 AM
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I've never been there, but there was a NYTimes travel section article about it last year. Unlike other articles, travel articles remain accessible for free long after a week is up. You might want to read tht article. If you can't find it, I can try to find it for you, but I think you'll find it. I saved it...somewhere. It looks like a trip I will want to take one of these days.
Feb 15th, 2004, 12:00 PM
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I think it's easier to take the RER than find the proper SNCF train at Gare du Nord, but I don't know if the price differs or not. I'm sure it wouldn't be that expensive, in any case. I suspect the price may be about the same but you do have to transfer at Pontoise to take a lightrail suburban train to Auvers rather than the regular RER train going there. I remember there were also trains into Gare du Nord from Pontoise, as well as the RER C line back to Invalides or wherever you want to go, so I would have thought the change was at Pontoise, not St-Ouen, but maybe they have two routes.
It takes about that long either way.
The town itself has an excellent website with a walking tour and all kinds of info on what there is to do. No, I don't think a couple hours is enough -- the main sites might be to see the places Van Gogh painted, like the church, see the cemetery where he is bured, see the Van Gogh museum, and then the chateau. It takes longer than a couple hours to do all that, as well as walk between them all.
The chateau has a very nice Impressionist multimedia presentation, really well-done and enjoyable.
There are actually a few more things to do there, if you want, the web site describes them (like the Absinthe Museum). I made a whole day of it myself, although not an overly long day. It is a very small town, but quite a nice one to walk around.
It takes about that long either way.
The town itself has an excellent website with a walking tour and all kinds of info on what there is to do. No, I don't think a couple hours is enough -- the main sites might be to see the places Van Gogh painted, like the church, see the cemetery where he is bured, see the Van Gogh museum, and then the chateau. It takes longer than a couple hours to do all that, as well as walk between them all.
The chateau has a very nice Impressionist multimedia presentation, really well-done and enjoyable.
There are actually a few more things to do there, if you want, the web site describes them (like the Absinthe Museum). I made a whole day of it myself, although not an overly long day. It is a very small town, but quite a nice one to walk around.
Feb 16th, 2004, 04:41 AM
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Thanks cmt, the article was great - plus I found many more interesting articles. For some reason I never bothered going to their archives but there were many great articles. So thanks.
Christina - I see on the auvers website that it also says to take the train to Pontoise and change there but when I went to the sncf site it gave only listings from Gare du Nord to St Ouen to Auvers. When you do the RER to Pontoise method do you have to get seperate tickets once you get to Pontoise? Is it just a small train station there (in other words not to hard to figure out)? That does probably sound easier than bothering with Gare du Nord. Maybe once I get to Paris I can find a schedule. Do you know how frequently those trains run?
I found several web sites but not one with a walking tour. Maybe the offical web site is out of service now becasue it is just one page - doesn't go anywhere. That seems seem wierd to bother having a one page web site. I'll try it again next week. But so far everything I've read mentions the half dozen or so of the sites that van gogh painted and that's it. No mention of any shops, other places, etc. Well except that chateau with the impressionist exhibit which I've read mixed reviews of.
So am I correct in assuming that if I'm interested in van gogh and want to see a tiny little country village then go to auvers, but if I want a more medevial town to explore for a few hours I should go somewhere else (like Provins or Troyes). Thanks
Christina - I see on the auvers website that it also says to take the train to Pontoise and change there but when I went to the sncf site it gave only listings from Gare du Nord to St Ouen to Auvers. When you do the RER to Pontoise method do you have to get seperate tickets once you get to Pontoise? Is it just a small train station there (in other words not to hard to figure out)? That does probably sound easier than bothering with Gare du Nord. Maybe once I get to Paris I can find a schedule. Do you know how frequently those trains run?
I found several web sites but not one with a walking tour. Maybe the offical web site is out of service now becasue it is just one page - doesn't go anywhere. That seems seem wierd to bother having a one page web site. I'll try it again next week. But so far everything I've read mentions the half dozen or so of the sites that van gogh painted and that's it. No mention of any shops, other places, etc. Well except that chateau with the impressionist exhibit which I've read mixed reviews of.
So am I correct in assuming that if I'm interested in van gogh and want to see a tiny little country village then go to auvers, but if I want a more medevial town to explore for a few hours I should go somewhere else (like Provins or Troyes). Thanks
Feb 16th, 2004, 04:51 AM
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I liked the Van Gogh museum; it was maybe slightly hokey, and contains NO original art. The one other (American) adult I was with did NOT like it, and ditto about half the (American kids). I think that most of the French kids' moms (acting as additional chaperones) did like it. We went there straight by bus, so I cannot comment on train/public transport access.
That nytimes article appeared at http://query.nytimes.com/search/arti...urope%2fFrance
Best wishes,
Rex
That nytimes article appeared at http://query.nytimes.com/search/arti...urope%2fFrance
Best wishes,
Rex
Feb 19th, 2004, 03:03 PM
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Isabel, I don't know why SNCF doesn't mention the other route. Perhaps that RER line is not run by SNCF (some aren't), but they still should because it is easier. I myself tried to take the train from Gare du Nord (and I was familiar with their trains and know French fairly well) and gave up after a while and left because I couldn't ever figure out where to get the train and could not communicate well enough with the "info" people (nor they me) to explain exactly where to go to get it. It's not that easy for those small suburban trains to find the right one, get the right ticket, and get on it -- at least, it wasn't for me.
The RER is easy, and if you leave from Invalides (where I did), I think it works out well. If you ask for a ticket to Auvers from Invalides, they should offer you this special deal discount ticket -- you get the RT train ticket plus the chateau entry for reduced price, about the same price as only the railfare or something. It wasn't much, maybe $10 or so? I don't recall. I think that ticket is for the full journey from INvalides to Auvers-sur-Oise, so you don't need another ticket.
The Pontoise station is really small, there are train times listed on a board on the wall and they will say "Auvers-sur-Oise" and the quay number (there are maybe 3 quays). It's only 1/2 hr or so from that station. They aren't as frequent as you'd like, I just went up there at a reasonable time figuring they'd be common and I think I had to wait 45 min, but that wasn't too bad. I think I got there around 10:00-10:30am. I know I got to Auvers and I think I did the Van Gogh museum, then had lunch, then did the chateau and walked around. It is a very small village so lots closes up around lunchtime, but there are several good small places to eat on the main street from the train station you pass to go to the Van Gogh museum.
There was no "layover" coming back, there are lots of train going from Pontoise to Invalides or Gare du Nord in late afternoon. Some directions may tell you go transfer at one station before Pontoise, but I would recommend you just go to Pontoise. It is less confusing and the train to Auvers starts there anyway, so you'll get the seat you want and there won't be any confusion, and you wouldn't save any time by getting off at the stop before there and waiting for the train to come from Pontoise.
The web site is:
http://www.auvers-sur-oise.com
I think you have to go to the French section, not the English, and you'll find plenty of info. If you do, you see buttons at the top for various types of info. I think you want "La Ville" and "Tourisme". If you click on tourisme, you can find info on things to do (sites, musees, monuments) and if you click on "itineraire", you'll see walking tour maps. These maps are excellent and you should use them anyway to see relation of train station to tourism office to museum, etc. YOu can go to the tourism office first for more info and maps in English when you are there.
Maybe you can't read the info, but the maps should be helpful. Map no. 1 shows route from the station to the tourism office down Gen. de Gaulle street past the City Hall. This is the main street and you'll find places to eat. The Van Gogh museum is next to the tourism office. That map then shows a picturesque walk by the church and park and to the cemetery. That is the main walk you'll want, probably.
The Van Gogh Museum is quite nice, but it's not a major fine arts museums with holdings and lots of paintings, that isn't what it is. It's a museum about his life and place he lived, that's all. I can't imagine why one wouldn't like it as there isn't much to like or dislike -- it's where he lived, so you can see a couple rooms, and you can browse the bookstore (which has some nice books and gifts). It doesn't take that long to see it. Maybe Rex's companions didn't know much about where they were going or why, and blamed it for not being like the major art museum in Amsterdam or something.
Yes, Provins would be better for Medieval buildings.
The RER is easy, and if you leave from Invalides (where I did), I think it works out well. If you ask for a ticket to Auvers from Invalides, they should offer you this special deal discount ticket -- you get the RT train ticket plus the chateau entry for reduced price, about the same price as only the railfare or something. It wasn't much, maybe $10 or so? I don't recall. I think that ticket is for the full journey from INvalides to Auvers-sur-Oise, so you don't need another ticket.
The Pontoise station is really small, there are train times listed on a board on the wall and they will say "Auvers-sur-Oise" and the quay number (there are maybe 3 quays). It's only 1/2 hr or so from that station. They aren't as frequent as you'd like, I just went up there at a reasonable time figuring they'd be common and I think I had to wait 45 min, but that wasn't too bad. I think I got there around 10:00-10:30am. I know I got to Auvers and I think I did the Van Gogh museum, then had lunch, then did the chateau and walked around. It is a very small village so lots closes up around lunchtime, but there are several good small places to eat on the main street from the train station you pass to go to the Van Gogh museum.
There was no "layover" coming back, there are lots of train going from Pontoise to Invalides or Gare du Nord in late afternoon. Some directions may tell you go transfer at one station before Pontoise, but I would recommend you just go to Pontoise. It is less confusing and the train to Auvers starts there anyway, so you'll get the seat you want and there won't be any confusion, and you wouldn't save any time by getting off at the stop before there and waiting for the train to come from Pontoise.
The web site is:
http://www.auvers-sur-oise.com
I think you have to go to the French section, not the English, and you'll find plenty of info. If you do, you see buttons at the top for various types of info. I think you want "La Ville" and "Tourisme". If you click on tourisme, you can find info on things to do (sites, musees, monuments) and if you click on "itineraire", you'll see walking tour maps. These maps are excellent and you should use them anyway to see relation of train station to tourism office to museum, etc. YOu can go to the tourism office first for more info and maps in English when you are there.
Maybe you can't read the info, but the maps should be helpful. Map no. 1 shows route from the station to the tourism office down Gen. de Gaulle street past the City Hall. This is the main street and you'll find places to eat. The Van Gogh museum is next to the tourism office. That map then shows a picturesque walk by the church and park and to the cemetery. That is the main walk you'll want, probably.
The Van Gogh Museum is quite nice, but it's not a major fine arts museums with holdings and lots of paintings, that isn't what it is. It's a museum about his life and place he lived, that's all. I can't imagine why one wouldn't like it as there isn't much to like or dislike -- it's where he lived, so you can see a couple rooms, and you can browse the bookstore (which has some nice books and gifts). It doesn't take that long to see it. Maybe Rex's companions didn't know much about where they were going or why, and blamed it for not being like the major art museum in Amsterdam or something.
Yes, Provins would be better for Medieval buildings.
Feb 19th, 2004, 06:01 PM
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We really enjoyed the presentation at the Auvers Chateau. Following from my daytrip file, text by Jo.
"The Trip Back to the Time of the Impressionists, in the elegant Auvers château, is one of France's most imaginative and innovative museums. You'll receive a set of infrared headphones (English available), with commentary that guides you past various tableaux illustrating life in the Impressionist era, and although there are no Impressionist originals, 500 reproductions pop up on screens interspersed between the tableaux. Some of the special effects - talking mirrors, computerized cabaret dancing girls, and a simulated train ride past Impressionist landscapes - are worthy of Disney at its best."
Here?s the chateau URL:
http://www.chateau-auvers.fr/english/Sommaire.htm
"The Trip Back to the Time of the Impressionists, in the elegant Auvers château, is one of France's most imaginative and innovative museums. You'll receive a set of infrared headphones (English available), with commentary that guides you past various tableaux illustrating life in the Impressionist era, and although there are no Impressionist originals, 500 reproductions pop up on screens interspersed between the tableaux. Some of the special effects - talking mirrors, computerized cabaret dancing girls, and a simulated train ride past Impressionist landscapes - are worthy of Disney at its best."
Here?s the chateau URL:
http://www.chateau-auvers.fr/english/Sommaire.htm
