I will be going with my husband to Paris for a business trip. We will have 4 days total and would like to take one day trip outside of the city. We have been to Versailles so would like to do Normandy, wine country, or Mont St Michel. My husband loves history but is open to anything. We realize whatever we do will be a long day, but we are willing to do it. Any thoughts? Thanks!

In researching ST Michel I have come to the conclusion that it too far away to do as a day trip. So we will plan to go when we can spend at least one night.

We did the Normandy beaches with Parisvision. It was a long day but we loved it. It really deserves more than a day too, but is more doable than Mont St Michel.

Take a look at the Parisvision website. Although they are not cheap, they are worth it for the convenience. Especially for those of us with limited time in Paris.

We used them and Cityrama for trips to Brugges, Champagne country and the Loire Valley. All of these daytrips were great.

Are there any particular aspects of 'history' that appeals to your husband? Knowing that might generate some specific suggestions...

You might consider:

Giverny and Monet's gardens
Strasbourg (high speed train)
Loire chateaux (car rental or bus tour)
Mont St Michel is not good due to the difficulty of there and back and the fact that what you want to see is not "there" 24 hours a day and timing is key
Normandy can be done by bus but is VERY rushed

My niece and her husband kept their room in Paris while they went to Mont St Michel. They stayed overnight on the mont.

We liked Fontainebleau Palace.
http://images.google.com/images?hl=e...ed=0CEUQsAQwCw

If you rent a car there are the chateaus in the Loire Valley.

The village of Vezelay and the cathedral.
http://www.sacred-destinations.com/france/vezelay.htm

http://www.guedelon.fr/ We enjoyed going to the site where they are building a medieval castle according to plans from th 13th century and using the methods used at that time.

Also, in the area of the csstle they make a lot of pottery because of the soil that is good for pottery. We purchased pottery from a lady in the country who had a sign out.

We liked Fontainebleau Palace.
http://images.google.com/images?hl=e...ed=0CEUQsAQwCw

Let me introduce you to:
www.tinyurl.com

Stu Dudley

If you haven't been-my vote for an overnight trip would be Chartres. And no visit to the cathedral would be complete without taking Malcolm Miller's tour if you are there at the right time of year. Here is a link with his info:

http://www.diocese-chartres.com/cath...tes/guieng.htm

And for wine country a trip to Beaune could be great-especially if you are foodies. Will you be driving or taking the train-that would make a difference in terms of where I might go.

Thank you all so much! I have lots to look into now!

Giverny would be my choice if the time of year is right. It is fabulous in the summer, but I am not sure how it would be in the rest of the year. You did not say what season you would be going

It makes a long day, but it is possible to see a bit of the Normandy beaches and Mont St. Michel in one day, renting a car in Paris, as we did several years ago. It does not of course do full justice to any of this, but it does give you a quick taste of these well-known Normandy sites. For more, see my trip report at http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...rip-report.cfm

There is a wonderful book, "An Hour from Paris" by Annabel Simms. We got our copy from Amazon. We used during a week near Paris last March and found ourselves overloaded with wonderful day trips. None of them required more than two hours or round trip travel time, all of it relaxed on public transportation.

On a Sunday, in the fortress town of Provins, we saw a moving memorial ceremony, had a wonderful meal in a restaurant where we met some delightful families, and then fell in with the local Harley-Davidson club who insisted in taking us back to the train station via sidecars.

Unless you are willing to spend a night away from the city, I think these trips are far more relaxing than going as far as Normandy, however wonderful or moving those destinations may be.

If you are prepared for a long day, think of something completely different via TGV.

Brussels (1h20m), Lyon (around 2hrs), London (2hr15m), Nimes/Montpellier/Marseille (around 3hrs), Geneva or Amsterdam (3h20m).

Booked in advance, there are some bargains to be had and we regularly book Nimes - Paris day returns for around €50 which is cheaper than the autoroute tolls !

Booking for early March here ( http://www.raileurope.co.uk) the cheapest Paris-Nimes return ticket is £41, Brussels £46, London £100 and Lyon £43.


Peter

What about a day in Reims? You can travel by train in less than an hour and visit the beautiful cathedral then have a fabulous lunch at Boyer les Crayeres. Then spend your afternoon on a tour of Veuve Clicquot or one of the other champagne houses and still be back in Paris for dinner (if you have an appetite after lunch or any money left!)

If you just want a nice day out of Paris try Meaux..... Brie de Meaux and Pommeray mustard. 45 min sncf Gare L'Est (I think).Been twice. Lots of history walking, walled city, and Church. Don't miss out on the green peppercorn mustard.Can't find it outside the region.

Another suggestion for the book, "An Hour from Paris" by Annabel Simms. This guide is excellent!