powellretired

We are frequent travelers to France. A friend suggested a day trip from Paris to Chantilly re churches, etc.

Could you describe how we would get there--what train station, time involved, things to see, etc.

We go to Paris in mid-October.

Thanks.

Anthony

flanneruk

Forgive me for being tart. But how on earth can you have been travelling frequently to France without stumbling over references to:

- Chantilly racecourse (have you never looked at a PMU list in a bar?)
- the Chateau
- les Tres Riches Heures du Duc de Berri (who did you think the Rue de Berri was named after?)
- Chantilly Lace (alright: that WAS the Big Bopper).

And surely you've seen departure boards at Chatelet for RER Line D (45 mins to Chantilly)

Just get on the RER and go there. Can't say I noticed too many interesting churches - but the horses were lovely.

vedette

To say nothing of Creme Chantilly, what we Americans call whipped cream. All of it is made in a giant factory in Chantilly, then shipped to restaurant supply houses all over France by railway tank cars. Don't know if the factory offers tours, but if you ask around the town, or at the tourist office, I am sure you will get some info.

Cimbrone

It was many years ago, but we combined a trip to Chantilly with the half-timbered, medieval town of Senlis. The chateau at Chantilly is lovely, rivaling some of the Loire chateaux. It has an extensive park that's pretty as well. There is a bus that goes between Chantilly and Senlis, or there was then at least. Perhaps someone can confirm.

Cimbrone

check out

http://www.paris.org/Kiosque/mar02/c...ly.senlis.html

As of 2002 there was a bus still running between Chantilly and Senlis. I suspect it is still running. According to this article, the trains to Chantilly leave from the Gare de Nord.

Neopolitan

How many of you are old enough to remember -- "This is the Big Bopper speaking. . ."Chantilly Lace had a pretty face. . ."?

vedette

Well, I think it was "chantilly lace and a pretty face." And a pony tail hangin' down. A wiggle in the walk and a giggle in the walk makes the world go 'round.

Big Bopper died in the plane crash with Buddy Holly.

vedette

Oops. "Giggle in the talk."

Neopolitan

'oh, baby, you KNOW what I like. . ."

nessundorma

I lived in Paris for six months and, apart from the Bopper, I never heard of Chantilly or the racecourse (and wouldn't have cared if I did) and what is a PMU list in a bar?

Even if you've heard of the whipped cream, it doesn't seem like a reason to go to a town.

Neopolitan

I'm amazed that people aren't familiar with Cantilly. Maybe it's because it's pronounced "Shawn-tee" and the name never clicked?
It has a grand chateau and gardens, and a fantastic stables and horse academy, not to mention the famous race track. Chantilly is known as the horse racing capital of France, but it's the famous chateau which gets the most attention.

Take a look: Does this ring a bell?

http://www.chateaudechantilly.com/index_en.html

gabrieltraian

While my wife and I were in Paris, we took a day trip to Chantilly.

It was one of the most beautiful castles that we visited around Paris.
While there, you can go around to a small village on the castle grounds, where they first made the Chantilly cream (whipped cream).

Did you see teh movie Vatel with Gerard Depardieu? It has scenes filmed at the castle. When we were there, there was a special exhibition on Vatel, the Kitchen Master, or something like this.

The gardens at the castle were made by the famous Andre Le Notre, same like at Vaux Le Vicomte, Versailles, Compiegne, etc.

In fact, the three grand masters who first developed Vaux Le Vicomte have their statues at Chantilly, Charles Le Brun - paintings and decorations, Le Vaux - the architect, Le Notre - the master gardener.

THe castle still belongs to the same family of Bourbon to whom it belonged from the 17th century, when Bourbon Prince Conde (accent on "e&quot lived.

You might want to read about my visit to Chantilly in my trip report (Art, Culture and Jim Morrison), here

http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...p;tid=34823211

sssteve

Been there, done that.

We spent a long weekend at a chateau (I don't rememebr the name)in Chantilly. We enjoyed the area very much. From there, we took a 30 minute train ride to paris for a day trip.

Neopolitan

Was this the place, sssteve? The name often comes up when people are looking for a great place to stay near CDG for one night -- it's 20 minutes away.

http://www.chateaudemontvillargenne.com/index.htm

Christina

It is an easy day trip by train as it's not far, and I really enjoyed the trip. I only visited the chateau and the surrounding gardens, which are lovely. However, I don't think there is any church of note to see in that town. It is known for the horses, racetrack, and the chateau, that's all.

Really, I don't think most people are hanging out Chatelet reading the RER board and memorizing the places, nor looking at PMU lists in bars. I've done neither of those, but just have known of Chantilly from history or reading about Paris and what is nearby, I guess. Of course from the lace, also, but men probably wouldn't know that. I don't think it has anything to do with how the name is pronounced in France since that wouldn't affect reading about it or hearing about it in the US where they don't pronounce it that way.

No church is even mentioned as worth a visit in a guidebook I have on day trips. I just took the train from gare du Nord myself.

Travelnut

Are you sure they didn't mean &quot;Chartres&quot;..? now <i>that's</i> a church!

sssteve

Yes, Neapolitan - that's the place.

We enjoyed it very much...

hopingtotravel

Aside from making me want to stay up and listen to 50's music now.... I have to ask whether Chantilly was in the Audrey Hepburn film 'Funny Face'.

I think Waylon gave up his seat on the plane to the Big Bopper.

LarryJ

It is very easy to get to Chantilly from Paris. You can take the RER from Gare Lyon, Chatelet or Gare Nord. It takes about 30 minutes. From the train station at Chantilly you can still take a bus to Sanlis. I did it yesterday Saturday 9-23-06. When you get off the bus at Sanlis in front of the train station take a good look at this station as it is one of the most beautiful little train stations you will ever see. The railroad no longer runs through Sanlis thus you must take the bus from Chantilly. The bus trip takes about 20 minutes.

Larry J

Neopolitan

Yes, hopingtotravel, Chantilly was in Funny Face. Isn't Google amazing. Who would have ever looked under the website of the US Embassy in Paris to find this information?

&quot;FUNNY FACE
1957
Director: Stanley Donen.
Cast: Audrey Hepburn, Fred Astaire, Kay Thompson, Michel Auclair.
Location: Paris (various locations, including: the Eiffel Tower; the Louvre Museum; the Bateaux-Mouche on the Seine; the Flower Market); various locations in the Paris vicinity.
Notes: Filmed on location in and around Paris. Several scenes were filmed in Coye-la-For&ecirc;t and Chantilly (Oise).&quot;