lisa

My fourth trip to France, his first. I have already been to Versailles, Giverny, Chartres, and Tours (saw Villandry, Azay-le-Rideau, and Chenonceau). We'll be staying in Paris for 8 full days & nights during late May-early June and would like advice on 2 or 3 daytrips that are within 1-2 hours from Paris by train. We will not have a car so would prefer places that are accessible by train (or train + short taxi ride). We like beautiful scenery, castles, cathedrals, ruins, walking, vineyards, good food and wine (especially white), art, history, gardens, shopping for locally-made items, etc. Considering Lyon, Rouen, Dijon, Blois (Chambord? other chateaux?), Fontainebleau, Chantilly, and Vaux-le-Vicomte. <BR><BR>Which of these would you recommend most highly and which would you give a miss this time? Are there other places you would particularly recommend? Are there any medieval walled villages or quaint little hilltowns that are easily accessible by train from Paris?<BR><BR>Thanks in advance.

Rex

Thumbs up for Chantilly (though I don't know about getting there by public transportation). It is the easiest/closest - - so tour companies might be an affordable option if train, etc are not as convenient as you would like.<BR><BR>Best wishes,<BR><BR>Rex<BR>

Bob Brown

My vote for a chateau near Paris is Vaux le Vicomte. Gorgeous, incredible.<BR>It is near enough that Fontainebleau could be seen on the same trip, although you will get saturated I think.<BR><BR>Fontainebleau is a slice of pure history. It was, as you know, Napoleon's primary residence when he was not attending a war and the "hunting lodge" or many French kings.<BR><BR>I cannot comment on Dijon or Rouen because I have not been there.<BR>Chantilly is a worthy candidate, too.<BR><BR>But to me everything pales a little in comparison with Vaux le Vicomte. It is a masterwork of the integration of art and decorating, archictecture and engineering and landscaping and horticulure thanks to Charles le Brun, Andre le Notre, and Louis le Vau -- the designers and architects of a well known palace near the town of Versailles.<BR><BR>While Versailles strikes me as an excessive display of grandeur that only money could buy, but an edifice that does not realize the level of artistic integration as achieved at Vaux-le-Vicomte, and I see the heavy, jealous hand of Louis in the design of Versailles, Vaux-le-Vicomte is the consummate work of well funded artisans left to exercise their own genius. Forquet was too successful, however, because the accomplishment of Vaux struck the tetchy Louis where he had a big "ouchy", right in his pompous ego. So what else to do but put Forquet in jail for life, take his furniture, and commandeer the geniuses that built Vaux and put them work with an even bigger budget to build a grander edifice. <BR><BR>I am not sure I can agree with the method of funding either palace, but if one can put aside those feelings, and look at Vaux-le-Vicomte as a the integrated culmination of the work of its 3 creators, a visit there it is indeed quite an experience.<BR>

Julie

I agree with Vaux le Vicomte. It's terrific. I leave on Sunday for a week in Paris and we're planning one day to Rouen. It's only an hour train ride. It's a wonderful city with lots to see, yet not so much that you'd feel cheated to only spend a day there. It also has the feel of a city rather than just an out of town tourist site. I'll let you know how it goes when I return in early March. My plans and reading suggest that it will be a perfect day trip and from a previous visit I know it's a great place.

Harriett

On our too-short (4-day) trip to Paris last month, we spent Sunday taking the train to Bayeux (2 hrs each way) - saw the Bayeux Tapestry, then took a 4.5 hour tour of the Normandy battlefields and landing sites. I understand from others that Bayeux itself is worth a day or two and I could see how it would be . . . the D-Day tour was well worth the train trip, and the American Cemetery is incredibly beautiful. This wouldn't have been my first choice for a one-day tour necessarily, but I planned it for my husband and son, and we all enjoyed it. Unfortunately, we've never timed our visits to coincide with the months Giverny is open, so that's next on my list!

Paul

Another strong vote for Vaux-le-Vicomte. The others are fine but Vaux is special.

Mark

I'm sorry I can't be of help -- just wanted to say thanks for asking this question, because I'd like to know the same thing. We're heading to Paris for 8 days in May -- our third visit & we want to day-trip as well.<BR>We'd rather not rent a car, and taking one of the tour buses is a good idea...has anyone?

Sue

Mark, I'm with you. I've read so much about Vaux-le-Vicomte on this board that I intend to take a tour in April. Cityrama runs an all-day one that goes to Fontainebleau (which I like very much), Barbizon (?), and V-le-V. Cityrama (Greyline) has an afternoon one to V-le-V alone (M/Th $50), which I'll probably go for. The only commercial tours I've ever taken were city tours with students, and both outfits seemed OK. They both have websites: cityrama.com, parisvision.com.

Jo

You might consider one day trip with both Fontainebleau and Vaux-le-Vicomte. They provide an interesting contrast, and both are on the same train route. Visit Fontainebleau in the morning, have lunch in Avon and go to Vaux-le Vicomte in the afternoon. Fontainebleau is huge and convoluted with layers of French history. Vaux-le-Vicomte is smaller and beautifully decorated. One can almost imagine living there, and its story of course is absolutely fascinating. To get to Fontainebleau, take an SNCF train from Gare de Lyon (about 45 minutes) to the Fontainebleau-Avon station. Then take bus AB marked “Ch&acirc;teau.” On your way back to Paris, get off the train at the Melun station and take a taxi for the 6 km ride to the ch&acirc;teau. Make arrangements with your taxi driver to return and take you back to the train station. <BR><BR>Another easy and worthwhile combination is Chantilly and Senlis. Chantilly is an elegant Renaissance ch&acirc;teau with a beautiful Le N&ocirc;tre-designed park. The Grand Ch&acirc;teau houses the country’s largest private museum and includes the "Tr&egrave;s Riches Heures" by the Duke de Berry (only a copy is available for viewing) and works by Rapha&euml;l, Poussin, Ingres, and Delacroix. The great apartments and the private apartments of the Duke and Duchess of Aumale in the Petit Ch&acirc;teau are well worth touring. You can get there by SNCF rail from the Gare du Nord (30 min) or RER Ligne D from Ch&acirc;telet-les-Halles (45 minutes): Station Chantilly-Gouvieux. The medieval town of Senlis with its cathedral, Ch&acirc;teau Royal, and museums is five miles from Chantilly and accessible by bus from the north side of the Chantilly train station. <BR>Senlis’ Old Town area is bounded by massive Gallo-Roman walls with twenty-eight watchtowers and provides a charming walk among picturesque old streets.<BR><BR>

Chris

Lyon is always my vote -- just outside is Perouges, a medieval town (you'd have to take a taxi or rent a car to get there -- it's about 20-30 min outside of Lyon).<BR><BR>Lyon has Roman ruins (nothing like Rome, so don't get too excited), Vieux Lyon is pretty, etc. It's easily walked and metros take you everywhere too.

Paris

ttt

lisa

Everyone has been so helpful. Right now I'm leaning toward one daytrip to Lyon & Perouges, one to Fontainebleau & Vaux-le-Vicomte, and possibly another one to either Rouen or Chantilly & Senlis. <BR><BR>Anyone else?

Christina

I have been to all those places (except Senlis) and could suggest a few more, but I don't see a need to as the ones you've selected are very good choices if you haven't seen them. It's hard to pick between Rouen and Chantilly/Senlis, I'd probably go with the latter.<BR><BR>I liked Rouen a lot but am very interested in Joan of Arc and Medieval French history, so there were some historical points I wanted to see in Rouen. Rouen is one of the best-preserved Medieval cities in France, however. Chantilly is lovely but, maybe I'll change my mind, because if you have the chateaux thing with Fontainebleu, etc, it might be good to vary that with a different reason for visiting, so Rouen would be more varied.<BR><BR>I liked Lyon very much but don't think you have time to visit Perouges the same day as Lyon. Lyon itself is a very full day trip (I was there about 10 am to 7 pm, as I recall). I saw the highlights but still missed a couple things I might have liked to see in Lyon itself. Of course, that depends what you want to see in Lyon; if you aren't interested in museums at all, you could probably see Perouges.

curious

Jo: Forgive me if this reposts (I think I lost my last post). I was intrigued by the idea of taking the RER D to Chantilly. However, when i checked the following website<BR>http://www.webscapades.com/france/paris/metro.htm <BR>I couldn't see where it goes to Chantilly. What am I missing?

Grasshopper

Lyon, but stay over night. Even if you keep your room in Paris. Lyon is a 2 hour TGV ride and is worth the time. Be sure to have dinner outdoors in Vieux Lyon.

Sue

Curious, every source I have says to take a train from the Gare du Nord to Chantilly, but the French RATP site says to take an SNCF train from Chatelet (!) to Chantilly.

Bob Brown

I looked at the SNCF site and at the RER map.<BR>The station for Chantilly is listed on the SNCF web site as:<BR><BR>GARE DE CHANTILLY GOUVIEUX<BR><BR>It is a 27 minute Grand Lignes train ride from Gare du Nord. <BR>Perhaps it is not listed on the RER map because it is considered a Grand Lignes station. <BR><BR>At any rate there are frequent Grand Lignes trains from Gare du Nord.<BR>But the RER goes there too. You just have to make sure you are headed to the right station!!<BR><BR>But I don't understand it either.<BR><BR>

xxx

Go to Lyon! It's only two hours from Paris by TGV. From there you can go to Grenoble (1 hour and a half by train) and see the mountains. Lyon is close to the Alps anyway. I live in Lyon I love it!

Christina

The map on that web site is out-of-date for the RER, that station was just added in the last few years. Here is a more recent RER map that shows it as the last stop on the RER D line:<BR><BR>http://www.ratp.fr/ParisVisite/Images/Plans/Pdf/Reseaux/zones.pdf<BR><BR>I have not taken the RER to Chantilly as I went before that was possible, but I think it isn't exactly the same RER as you will find in the city, and you may have to transfer trains at Orry-la-Ville, near the end of the line, to another train. The notation on that map says the station at Chantilly is just the suburban rail line but not the RER. This is the same situation as going to Auvers-sur-Oise--it will be listed as a stop on the RER C line, but you really have to change trains at Pontoise, the last RER stop, to a more regular train (although really a light-rail, smaller train than the big SNCF Grandes Lignes). I haven't done it so maybe you don't have to transfer, but the map says Chantilly is outside the RER zones, you probably need to buy a special ticket like you do for Auvers.

Sue

Damn, Christina, you're good!