What day trips do you recommend from Paris and what is the best way to plan for those? Is there a company to use or would you hire a driver?

This is such a general question. Why should anyone take the time to answer without a little more information? Surely you know something about Paris and what is near it. Have you heard of Versailles? Do you want to see it? What are you interested in? Castles, Cathedrals, art, wine, horses, rivers, anything? Please give us a little bit of what you are looking for, and a bit of background. Have you been to Paris before? How long and when will you be there. Time of year even makes a difference. Have you done even a bit of research so you can give us a starting point of what looks interesting to you? Entire books are filled with this subject. We're willing to help, but how many books do we need to write?<BR><BR>Please note, everyone, I have not been the least bit rude. I'm just trying to be helpful, but asking for help if we are to be helpful.

Day trips depend on what your interests are. There is Monet's Giverny by group or your own by train (home, garden and American Impressionist Museum); Auvers sur Oise, north of Paris, by train for its Van Gogh connection; Versailles or the other royal homes, again by tour or train on your own. Everyone seems to agree that Chartres is a "do see" by train. Some of the bus tours will take you to the coast.

If you do a search (put "day trip" in quotes and select France as subject), you will find several recent threads with a lot of information, esp. #25 and #30.

I have an excellent guidebook at home that is on daytrips in and out of Paris. I bought it in the '80s, and I am in my office right now so I can't check the title for you. Maybe you can find it on Amazon. It gives ideas and then tells you how to get to each place.<BR><BR>I would highly recommend Giverny -- Monet's house -- but it is only open during certain times of the year (closed in winter months, for sure.) Versailles is a must. I would also recommend a day trip to Chartres, and perhaps, if you have time, a trip to Fontainebleau.

CJ- I would appreciate it tons if you would look up the title and send it to me... it's sounds like what I am looking for.<BR><BR>Also, I will try the recommended search on day trips.

Reams have been written on this subject. Do a search on Versailles, Fontainebleau, Rambouillet, Chartre, Rouen, Vernon(Giverny), Vaux-le-Vicomte,<BR>Normandy, etc.