Day Trips from PARIS.
 

I want to take a good, fun day trip from Paris while I am there in November. I am willing to take a train anywhere up to about 2.5 hours away or rent a car and drive. I want a place with good food, nice sights, great shops and atmosphere. What do you think?

(please don't suggest Versailles)

Tours might be a good town and then you could visit some of the Loire Valley and its beautiful chateaux. I don't remember how long from Paris, but it didn't seem that long.

If you're interested in the Loire Valley, this thread should be useful:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/pgMessa...p;tid=34519959

I did a superfast half-day trip. I took a 7am train to Tours, joined a tour, and was back in Paris shortly after 2pm.

By the way, for French readers, there's a new book out from Michelin called "45 idées de week-end aux environs de Paris."

I picked up a copy on my recent trip to Paris. It should be very useful.

Link from amazon.fr:

http://www.amazon.fr/exec/obidos/ASI...795701-8552245

You might want to look into Rouen... it's supposed to be a really neat medieval town. I believe Joan of Arc was burned at the stake there.

Lovely!

You might consider the beautiful city of Angers. You could take an early morning TGV from Montparnasse in Paris to Angers in less two hours and the train station in Angers is within walking distance of the Chateau de Angers and next to the chateau is the old part of the city that is very interesting. Also within walking distance are a couple of beautiful gardens. Take a late train back to Paris.

would those gardens be beautiful in November?

I'm not sure you can get everything you are looking for in one place, but here are three suggestions:

Barbizon and Fontainebleau: good food, nice sights, atmosphere but no great shops that I can recall.

Chartres: nice sights and atmosphere, no great shops that I can recall, and perhaps I was unlucky in my choice of restaurant.

Loire Valley chateaux: nice sights and atmosphere, no great shops, not sure about good food. (I must have eaten but I have no recollection of it. And I would suggest doing it by car and avoiding Tours...)

Normandy could also be an option - take the train to Caen and then a tour of the D-Day sites from there....or just take a full day tour from Paris. There are a lot of options for you: Rouen, Tours, Chartres, Giverney, LeMans, Brugges, Honfleur, etc etc. Depends on your interest: history, castles, art...

Hi Richard,

Look into Dijon, Beaune, Bordeaux.

I'll second Angers -- but don't miss the Jean Lurçat tapestries -- there may be public transportation there, or take a taxi. Both the tapestries and the building are worth the effot.

I am planning to go to Rouen for my Paris day trip in about ten days. There is quite a bit of info on the bonjourparis.com discussion board including a walking tour.
Enjoy,
Mara

Chantilly.

The palace and grounds are magnificent, and the food is superb. Driving is the best way to get there, because the train station isn't very close.

http://www.chateaudechantilly.com

Rouen - did that a couple of years ago; only 45 min. from Paris and fills a day. Great cathedrals, old town, walk by the Seine, small museums. Steinbicker France Day Trips has a very good walking tour. I loved this day out.

Another vote for Angers. And to answer Richarddab, yes, the gardens WILL be beautiful, even in November! The Jardin des Plantes is meticulously maintained with special plantings for each season. There are also several all-season plantings and some interesting sculptures.
Re restaurants, near the main square (the Place Ralliement, excuse the incorrect spelling) has several cafes and our favorite restaurant is near there (across from the Maison Adam, the timbered building shown in so many post cards) is the Restaurant Castel Boeuf (again, excuse any spelling mistakes, I'm not home) which has GREAT lunch specials...a to die for appetizer buffet (everything made from scratch and absolutely delicious) and excellent daily specials. Nice house wines, too.
The Jean Lurçat tapestries weren't my thing, but I enjoyed seeing them and the building was attractive. For a day trip, I would see the chateau, wander the medieval section around the chateau, have lunch, wander through the Jardin des Plantes, have a late afternoon drink somewhere, and then catch an early evening TGV back to Paris.

I would say Rennes in Britanny...and if you have a car..you even go to Sant-Malo, Dinard and all that area...it is near the sea( not Rennes)and it is wonderful!!!

Another vote for Rouen here. We did that as a day trip and it proved nearly perfect. About a one hour train ride. city is infinitely walkable, has lots of sights, provides a nice medieval contrast to Paris--also nice contrast in terms of size. Found good food without any problem. Recommend it highly.

I have a daytrip file to e amil.

send me it