We are planning a trip to France with our daughters (ages 8 & 10) for 14 days. So far we have our rail pass and air fare.

We are flexible on where to go, but would like to find some picturesque towns/villages to visit. So far the only 2 places we have on our schedule are Paris (with day trip to Versailles) and Nice. Any suggestions on where to stop? where to stay?? Day trips from certain locations?

Thanks

In Paris, take them to the Musee Grevin, then to Le Creperie for ice cream, right across the street in the Passage des Panoramas.

Please note that Nice back to Paris on the train, if that's what you're planning, is 5.5 hours.

Just a heads-up about railpasses in France: Passholder places on long-distance TGVs and InterCites are controlled by quota, often just a few per train, and often sold out or non-existent.

So make reservations for long-haul journeys well in advance.

There's no problem with short-distance regional TER trains or Intercites without compulsory reservations - but then, you wouldn't use a 50-euros-per-day railpass to make a 15 euros TER trip I suppose!

Our idea was to make a large circle around France. The best priced tickets we could find were flying in and out of Geneva. So it was going to be Geneva to Nice (first) ... a few other places (which is where I need the most assistance- although I appreciate any help/suggestions)...concluding with Paris to Geneva. Most of our trips were going to be longer distance. I will look at making reservations for the legs we know right now.

Thanks

for lots of great info on French trains and place to go by rail - itineraries, etc check out these IMO superb sources - www.seat61.com - Man in Seat 61 who posts above - his commercial site - get by all the banner ads and there is a wealth of info; www.ricksteves.com and www.budgeteuropetravel.com.

The problem of getting on trains with a railpass is limited IME to a few main TGV lines - like those to Provence and Nice in particular.

When my son was that age he loved to take overnight trains in France with me - it was so exciting to him - there are still several utilitarian overnight trains to Paris and back.