Day trips from Paris... Rouen?
 

My husband, teen daughter, and myself hope to be in Paris the last week of March, 2014.

Husband and I have been before, for a full week, and this time, we want to see things we missed and show my daughter a few of the "highlights".

Originally, we were going to stay in Paris five nights and go to Avignon or Aix-en-Provence for five nights, but... My regular pet-sitter bailed on me. In light of possibly having to board our dog now, I'm probably shortening the overall trip, but extending our stay in Paris to a week. This is kinda-sorta up in the air, but as of now, I'm planning for a week based in Paris. (And yes, I have a hotel booked for the full week already.)

So, we were planning 3 to 4 full days in Paris, and a couple of day excursions, by train or tour bus.
Of the latter, haven't really found anything worthwhile...

One trip is definitely to Chartres, which we missed last time. That leaves another.

Fwiw, we have been to Versailles and were underwhelmed, not looking to go again. None of us are interested in seeing the Loire Valley castles.

I really love medieval architecture and history, and was wondering if Rouen was worth while for a day trip. Is it fairly straightforward to get to?

What about Giverny? I'm not a huge Monet fan, but it looks pretty. :) Will it be in late March though?

Just looking to see some of the surrounding area, but within one to two hours away by train...

Thank you in advance for your tips and suggestions.

I really love medieval architecture and history, and was wondering if Rouen was worth while for a day trip. Is it fairly straightforward to get to?>

Rouen is a typical large French city - fairly modern and only with pockets of medieval architecture outside of course of its famous cathedral.

I enjoyed a day trip to Provins which will fulfill your desire for medieval architecture that Rouen or Chartres or most larger French cities will not.

https://www.google.com/search?q=prov...=1600&bih=1074

Rouen is an easy train ride from Paris and would make a great daytrip. There are three notable Gothic churches in the central area, and lots of medieval buildings.

Another choice might be Provins, a smaller town that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, famed for its medieval fairs.

Look into both of these and, for more options, search through recent Fodor threads for one on daytrips from Paris.

For something different, you can go to Dijon for lunch. It's 1-1/2 hours by train from Gare de Lyon. Tickets are as low as €43/RT

Thank you both! I've heard of Provins but never looked it up... Looks like a nice outing.

I would think Rouen would be good if you like Medieval architecture so much, I think it is one of the best preserved Medieval cities in France (or Europe), or so I've read. Here is info on Medieval sites in Normandie, of course, you could go to Bayeux, also, and see that tapestry.
http://www.normandie-tourisme.fr/art...es-1194-2.html

I would NOT go to Giverny in March if you aren't even a big Monet fan. Obviously gardens are not going to be great in March, they aren't in the northern US, either. So if you are just going because you seen photos that are pretty, why bother, it won't look like that.

The gardens at Giverny do not open until April 1, so that eliminates one choice! I enjoyed wandering around Rouen. And it is easy to get to by train. I really enjoyed Chartres. I would recommend to time your visit to the Cathedral with one of the tours. I think they are by Malcolm Miller if I recall. Made the Cathedral come to life and enjoyed all of his stories. (My visit was a few years ago so I am not sure if the Malcolm MIller tours are still available.).

Rouen also has a nice museum with a good Impressionist wing.
Really, you can't board your dog for that length of time in order to maximize a trip to France!!
Truth be told, you and your daughter will fill up a week easily. "Maybe" one day trip.
Too bad about the Loire--it would be a nice day trip. Rather than Rouen, maybe Chartres? Nice town and great cathedral. Auvers sur Oise, for a Van Gogh "fix".
And a lunch in Dijon would be fun.

Has anyone here actually been to Rouen?

One inadequacy of France's motorway system is that the basic route from London to La France Profonde or most of Spain has a 30-mile motorway free gap around Rouen, and a recent idiot petrol tanker driver crashing into a flyover means you now have to go through Rouen rather than round it.

From a car in a hurry to get to the next overnight, the place looks as unprepossessing as Leicester. And the breathless prose on the Normandy website could describe practically any city in Europe (three Gothic churches, of themselves, hardly rate a detour if you've got dozens within a 15 minute drive of your front door)

How do its nice bits compare with, say, Salisbury? Or Lucca?

Actually, Gretchen, a family friend has agreed to stay in our house and watch the dog! That just happened this morning.
However, he will be gone at work for very long hours during the second week, the part of our trip we would have been in Provence. So, I'm still very much leaning toward just one full week based in Paris.
Part of it has to do with my daughter's school schedule too. She wasn't thrilled about missing school, even for a 2-3 days (yeah I know, my kid is weird!) and she's too young to leave home by herself! Or I'd leave her home with the dog...
I don't plan on dying anytime soon, so I will go to Provence some day, even if I have to hobble there in my old age. Hopefully, I will stay fit and that won't be the case, :). And I'm assuming it will still be there, waiting for me...

And thank you all for these day trip suggestions! Looking up places now, as I eat lunch.
What about Senlis and Chantilly? Anyone been there? This actually looks more appealing to me than Provins or Rouen.

I will look into Dijon as well...

The old quarter of Rouen is lovely, with its pedestrian area lined with half-timbered houses, the square where Jeanne d'Arc was burned at the stake, the grande horloge. It has some great restaurants as well.

Agree with StCirq.

Hard to find a more medieval centre than Troyes!

Has anyone here actually been to Rouen?



From a car in a hurry to get to the next overnight, the place looks as unprepossessing as Leicester. And the breathless prose on the Normandy website could describe practically any city in Europe (three Gothic churches, of themselves, hardly rate a detour if you've got dozens within a 15 minute drive of your front door)

How do its nice bits compare with, say, Salisbury? Or Lucca?>

No comparison IME of having been there several times - yes it like all French cities has a restored old quarter but overall the city just don't compare with a Lucca or Salisbury IME - not saying Rouen don't have some medieval architecture but not much of it IME as few large cities in France do, including Paris - at least in northern France - southern France lots do.

Actually, Rouen is quite famous for the amount of surviving medieval architecture.

It's been a while since I've been there so things must have been spruced it and with your characterization will take another and perhaps better look.

What about Reims? Has multiple UNESCO sites and that stuff with the bubbles...what's it called...oh!...champagne! It's an easy train ride from Paris.

https://www.google.com/search?q=roue...=1600&bih=1074

well these images of Rouen certainly support St Cirq's assertion!

Reims I am very very familiar with and it has little medieval architecture but a host of really nice sites, including the famous cathedral and Champagne Houses - visits to the daves and cellars are superb - some have works of art in them and you get to taste the bubbly at the end of the tour.

Reims would be an excellent day trip unless a really old looking town was your goal.

flanneruk: <i>Has anyone here actually been to Rouen?</i>

Yes, I went last May as a day trip. Rouen was really nice.

If Monet's garden is open - for others traveling after April 1 - you can do Rouen and Giverny (Vernon) together as an easy day trip by train. They are on roughly the same train line. I did this: train from Paris to Vernon, tourist bus (or long walk, or perhaps rented bike) from the Vernon station to Giverny, then train on the Rouen, train back to Paris in the evening.

I've been to Provins, Rouen, Chartres, Giverny, Senis, Chantilly and just about any of the other popular day trip destinations you could make from Paris as well as dozens of other less popular day trips. I might add Laon and Troyes to that list as well. Aside from Chantilly all the places I mentioned are great places as far as all things medieval are concerned and I don't think you'd go wrong with any of them. You can combine Chantilly and Senlis though since you'd take the train from Paris to Chantilly and then a bus to Senlis.

You can have a look at this thread to see my list of day trips from Paris and you'll find links to tourist office websites for each of these places as well as info about how to get there from Paris:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic....html#55016317

Yes, flanneruk, some of us have actually been to Rouen, just over a year ago we spent 4 nights enjoying the city. Check out: "Haute Normandie - Rouen, Monet’s Gardens, the Route of the Abbeys and the Alabaster Coast".

I've been to Rouen, Salisbury and Lucca. I'd put them in that order. Rouen is a city, with plenty to see in a day trip, especially to one interested in medieval buildings. Those Gothic churches are mind-blowing.

Salisbury is a nice small town with a notable cathedral and pleasant walks along the river/canal. Stonehenge is nearby but not in walking distance. I'm not a big fan of Stonehenge. Lucca makes a nice day trip. The walls are great; we rented bikes and rode around the top. We spent 4 or 5 nights based in Lucca. (It was a rest stop in the middle of a trip.) Got a little bored by the end.

Thank you, FrenchMystiqueTours.

You're welcome BumbleB6. :)

We went to Rouen last trip; we stayed overnight but I think it would be a nice day trip and the old center is well worth seeing. However, time your trip so that, unlike the two of us, you won't be there on a Monday morning when the cathedral is closed!!

I also like the idea of a day trip to Dijon! But Chartres with the Malcolm Miller tour would be at the top of my list.

We also stayed over in Chantilly; nice, but wouldn't go there before Rouen or Chartres.

Oh, we have already penciled in a separate day trip to Chartres. That's a given.

It seems Provins is only open on the weekends until March 30, so I'm not sure if we will make it there, as we leave on March 30 or 31.
Too bad, it looks like a really fun and interesting place.

I'll just mention that 2 day trips in a week in Paris may not be what you'll ultimately want to do-as in not being done with what to do in Paris. I would definitely play it by ear--if we have time we'll do X.

It seems Provins is only open on the weekends until March 30, so I'm not sure if we will make it there, as we leave on March 30 or 31.>

Provins is a city - there may be some single fort or something I don't know but I went there in late December and wandered around - the city or rather town never closes so not sure what you are talking about?

I think that might be a good plan, Gretchen.

PalenQ - yes, you're right, I suppose, we could just wander around and take photos, too.

I'm curious about Provins, too. It doesn't "close." It's a city. People live there. As in every place in France, some things by law must close on Sundays and/or Mondays, but entire cities don't ever close. Are you maybe confusing it with some attraction somewhere?

Ah, I meant some of the museums and attractions listed on the Provins tourism website. I remember reading this morning, that many were only open on weekends and school holidays during winter.

Or - am I confusing that info with the tourism office being closed ? Hmm. Let me check it again.

Ok, I was mistaken! Sorry.
The tourist office is closed during the week in winter.
However-
"The monuments and medieval fair town are open all year round." http://www.provins.net/index.php/the...st-office.html

Interesting post. Especially French's link to Trip Advisor.

Thanks once again FMT! Barbizon looks appealing if only I can find a English tourism website. Mary

The English page is rather useless, so you'll have to use it in French!

To get to Barbizon you'll need to take a taxi from Fontainebleau. Bus routes there are infrequent and go in a very roundabout way and it just takes too long by bus. I must admit it's been a while since I looked at the bus website but I remember that it just wasn't practical to get there by bus. If you call the tourist office in Barbizon or Fontainebleau they can probably assist you and perhaps they have better info about buses than what I found on the bus website.

auvers-sur-Oise is a great Paris suburb to train to if interested in Impressionists paintings - Van Gogh hung out here until shooting himself and slowly dying in his bed in the local Auberge - you can still see the bed and blood on it - Cezanne and others also held court here and the town has put up reproductions of their works right at the spot they did them.

The two times I've been there I've seem amateur artists sitting with canvas and easel at the exact same points - the local church, the cornfields where Van Gogh painted on of his last pictures with a dark sky with crows circling, some say forecasting his suicide.

van Gogh and brother Theo, i believe Theo, is buried in the local cemetery.

https://www.google.com/search?q=auve...=1600&bih=1074

I am becoming more intrigued. PalenQ that is exactly the French countryside I envision; artists sitting at their pallattes with wares for sale. I think we might rent a car and peruse the Fontenebleu barbizon area with an overnight