I remebered using a book called "Daytrips France" for just this purpose and googled it. It's online!

http://books.google.com/books?id=kOh...age&q=&f=false

It is a great resource.

Lutetia and zoecat - thanks so much for that info on Provins, very helpful.

AJPeabody - thanks to the link for that book. I found another book by same author for Germany when I was researching a trip there and found the book to be pretty useful. Just checked on Amazon and the guy has written many similar books. The older version of this one on France is available used for $2. What a find.

If you don't mind taking a 90 minute train ride from Gare Montparnasse, you can visit the city of Angers, at the western end of the Loire Valley. The Gare St. Laud train station is a convenient 10 walk from the Chateau d' Angers. Angers has a enough to see and do to keep you entertained for a day. One of my favorite provincial French cities..

Or even better just book a tour of the Loire Valley and chateaux from Paris.
I am SO not a fan of Versailles unless you have unlimited time in France.

And don't forget that Giverny closes the end of October.

We absolutely loved our day trip to Luxembourg City -- just over 2 hrs on train. <i>It's a whole 'nother country!</i>

On our last Paris adventure we did day trips to Provins, Reims, and Dijon. Each was lovely in its own way.

Wow, what great information!! Thanks everyone for sharing. This is our 3rd Paris trip so have seen alot already. I guess we really need to think now of what to pack, this trip is coming up fast