WE HAVE TWO DAYS RESERVED FOR TRAVEL OUTSIDE PARIS THE WEEK OF NOVEMBER 11. ONE DAY WILL BE AT VERSAILLES. APPRECIATE ANY SUGGESTIONS WHETHER WE SHOULD SPEND THE SECOND DAY AT FONTAINEBLEAU OR CHARTRES.

I am eagerly awaiting responses to this post since DH and I are leaving tomorrow night for a week in Paris; we intend to spend one day in Fontainebleau and are looking for a second day trip; we are not returning to Versailles this time; we were there a few years ago so we'd like to go somewhere else.

See the responses to this thread re Versailles vs. Chartres.

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34453466

I highly recommend Rouen for a full day trip. Has 3 great cathedrals, terrific architecture - get Steinbicker's Day Trips France book and follow his walk. About a 45 minute train trip from Paris. [email protected]

I'm all for variety in day trips, especially when you are only there a week. So, I'd choose Chartres, otherwise you are doing two large palaces in a short time.

For mitchdej, that is a different question and there have been a lot of threads on here enumerating various day trips. that might be the best idea for you to peruse them if you don't have a good guidebook. There are so many good ones to choose from -- Angers, Chantilly, Auvers-sur-Oise, Rouen, Reims, Rouen, and on and on.

No question. Go to Fontainebleau; it's a Versailles done in good taste instead of the overblown wonders you will see there. Chartres is very much worthwhile but not even remotely in the same league.

I vote for Chartres. Not only is the cathedral absolutely magical, there is a lovely walking tour of the medieval town that includes several other outstanding churches. The stained glass is to die for. If you go on a Saturday, you may be treated to a local wedding and/or some spectacular organ playing. There is a lovely museum behind the cathedral and if you want a very French dinner, go to the Hotel de la Post a few blocks behind the cathedral. It's inexpensive, tasty and the lady who runs it is wonderful.

Whatever you choose, enjoy!

Just got back from these places, and my pick = Chartres. Magnificent cathedral, bustling town. Fontainebleu just less of the same after Versailles. Rouen didn't inspire, although round tour of pretty villages between Paris & Rouen was rewarding: La-Roche-Guyon, Lyons-le-Foret, Gerberoy. Then there are the artist-connection villages of Giverny and Auvers-sur-Oise, and if doing that I'd include l'Isle-Adam as well, a nice spot only 6kms N of Auvers. Further afield (past Rouen) is Honfleur. Lots to choose from in other words!
Happy travelling!

My favorite trip has been to Vaux-le-Vicomte, which can be combined with Fontainebleau.

Dug this out from my daytrip file.

Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte (www.vaux-le-vicomte.com) (www.tourisme- seineetmarne.net/english/royaume/veaux.html) (http://www.gardenvisit.com/ge/vaux.htm) Michelin *** sight. Vaux-le-Vicomte is an exquisite, architecturally cohesive château that inspired the creation of Versailles. Built by Louis XIV's finance minister, Nicholas Fouquet, with the talents of architect Louis Le Vau, landscape designer André Le Nôtre, and interior decorator and artist Charles Le Brun, it came to Louis XIV's attention when Fouquet ill advisedly threw a lavish party in honor of the Sun King. The scale of the Vaux-le-Vicomte is more human than many of the larger Île-de-France and Loire Valley châteaux. The interior is fully furnished which helps one to visualize its fascinating history and life as it may have been in times past. I also thought the background classical music in a number of the rooms was a particularly nice touch. There are Thursday and Saturday evening candlelight tours from May to early October. 01.64.14.41.90. SNCF rail access from Gare de Lyon to Melun or RER D from Châtelet; then 6 km taxi ride to the château.
Note: Highly recommended. If going from the Gare de Lyon, the SNCF train
takes half the time of the RER. Check the train schedule in Melun for direct service back to Paris. They will call a taxi for you in the gift shop. Try to go up to the dome. Here?s a good article: http://www.bonjourparis.com/articles...=64&page=1

Author: Bob Brown
Message: My vote for a chateau near Paris is Vaux le Vicomte. Gorgeous, incredible.
It is near enough that Fontainebleau could be seen on the same trip, although you will get saturated I think.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Author: Jo
Message: 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 ?Château.? 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 château.

If you go to Chartes, be sure to take part in a Malcolm Miller tour of the cathedral, he is excellent and without the tour you'll just wander around saying "nice church" - he brings it to life. The tours are 10 Euros per person (includes a headset so you can hear him). Meet him inside the church, on the left, in front of the gift shop. You don't need to purchase a ticket beforehand, you pay Mr. Miller directly.

I would definitely suggest choosing Fontainebleau. The palace held great interest for me as a Napoleon scholar, in addition to being absolutely magnificent and beautiful. I was truly surprised and liked it even more than Versailles! The nice thing is that it is not overrun with the loads of tourists that Versailles gets so you are able to enjoy the environs more leisurely.

Good morning, onesong
Personally would do Fontaineblau one day and Chartres the other. Fontainblau is less traveled that Versailles and in better shape, and Chartres should not be missed either.
Been to Versailles once as well as
Fontainblau and Chartres and would be
more than glad to return to the later.
Richard of LaGrange Park, Il..

We took our first Miller tour of Chartres in 1960. He really knows the place. On our last tour with him, the BBC was filming it for a documentary. The cathedral is special and so is the tour.

THANKS FOR ALL THE RECOMMENDATIONS. WE EXPECT TO HAVE A GREAT TIME, AND WHAT WE MISS THIS TIME WE WILL SEE THE SECOND TIME AROUND.

ONESONG