topping

How about some good old threads, about actual questions, back up to the top.<BR>

Ron

Our favorite day trip so far has been to Vaux-le-Vicomte.<BR><BR>On our recent trip [thanks to Jo] we enjoyed an excursion to Auvers-sur-Oise.<BR>This is the village where Van Gogh spent the last years of his life. The multimedia impressionist show at the Auvers Chateau is really something to see and alone is worth the trip.<BR><BR>I have a Paris day trip file.

Patrick

I'm glad I didn't see this post before our trip this summer. We decided one day in Paris to go to Chantilly. We simply took the metro to Gare de Nord and took a train directly to Chantilly, not knowing there was any other option. It couldn't have been easier. We talked with a local commuter on the train who walked us from the station about two blocks and pointed the way through the woods for the "short-cut" walking to the chateaux. You actually cross the race track or circle it that way. We ended up spending all day there, with a delightful lunch outside in the little "hamlet" on the chateux grounds. We did the boat trip on the waterways, toured the castle (tour only in French, but we could pick up printed English translations in each room), and spent all afternoon in the wonderful stables, seeing the horse training exhibition and touring the many exhibits -- I believe it is the largest museum in Europe (the world?) dedicated to horses. Fascinating. It's a pretty good walk from the train station to the Chateux, but we did it both ways, through the woods going, and through the town coming back. A superb day trip!

randy

You could take a one day trip to Angers via the TGV from Montparnasse. The Ch&acirc;teau of Angers is only three or four blocks from the train station. While at the ch&acirc;teau you can also see the Tapestry of the Apocalypse. The old part of the city is next to the ch&acirc;teau and it is pleasant to just walk the streets. Angers is a beautiful city with a lot of nice stores to brouse. There are also some very nice gardens. Jardion des Plantes centre des congr&egrave;s, was beautiful and I would recommed seeing it.