French Country Side / Paris
 

Hello
We are going to Germany for a week with my 11 yo son.
We wanted to visit a country close to Germany and thought of France.
I will be in Paris to show my son the ET and a couple of things, but wanted to visit a nice French country side too.
This could be on the way from Germany to Paris or in France itself.
Is there a beautiful country side ... that we could stay in or do a day trip from Paris.
Not sure which is better (staying put in Paris and doing a day in the country or staying there a couple days).

I went on a euro cruise of the french riviera, and my favorite part was a farm we visited for lunch in Tuscany. I really liked Tuscany and was hoping for something like that either in Germany or in route to France or in France.

Please let me know. thanks so much.

Transportation? Car, train, plane?

going by train I believe from other post - countryside sounds nice but hard to do in a quick fashion - Alsace could be a good one for a few days - anyway trains are great and where to goby them check www.seat61.com; BETS-European Rail Experts and www.ricksteves.com. easy to do a day trip by train or excursion group Paris to Loire Valley for glimpse of famous chateaux.

It is really unclear how many days you will be in Europe total. And have you already visited Paris in the past? If not, it seems a bit weird to already be wanting to spend time in the "countryside."

However, as a day trip, you might enjoy taking the train from Gare du Nord to Auvers-sur-Oise, the town where Vincent Van Gogh died. It's a lovely small place surrounded by all sorts of agricultural fields where you can go for long walks. The cemetery where Vincent and his brother are buried is out in those fields anyway, so it gives a good excuse to go exploring.

Unfortunately the little church that Van Gogh painted so famously is currently covered with scaffolding...

France has so many different kinds of countryside. It's hard to know what and which you would like.

But for a sampling, watch or record the Tour de France, which is underway right now. You see bits of the countryside as the bicyclists go by and the tour moves around to different parts of France.

Yes to what kerouac says - Auvers-sur-Oise is a neat village admist bucolic surroundings - copies of van Gogh and Cezanne and other post-Impressionists are set up right where those artists painted them - and going to the cornfield where van Gogh executed his dark, brooding work just before he committed suicide is as country as you can get - about an hour train ride from Paris - no advance booking needed - a commuter rail line.

https://www.google.com/search?q=auve...w=1280&bih=631

Auvers sur Oise is a good idea for a simple day trip. It does seem much more like country than some other day trips, I think. Depending what that means. Otherwise, Alsace would seem the obvious answer if wanting something between Germany and Paris, wouldn't it? Of course if you are expecting to be eating meals in farmhouses, I wouldn't have any idea where you could do that close to Paris. In Alsace, if you had a B&B you maybe could be I think you'd need a car. But otherwise, I think that would fit the bill. My nephew went there last year and did drive around some beautiful villages and said it was beautiful, I know it can be done. I've only been in Strasbourg, which is easy by train from Paris, but then you'd have to get a car and leave or something as it sure isn't country.

going by train would be hard to stop at a farm for lunch. OP is not driving and has little time from other posts.

Giverny is another village folks go to near Paris - for Monet's House and Gardens but also a nice rural area on the Seine - most don't take time to explore the village itself but away from the hubbub around Monet's House a nice French village in a bucolic setting.

Kerouac - From Germany to Paris we would be going via Train.

I was thinking of going US to Frankfurt - than stay a few days in FRankfurt to see family, than will visit Hannover where i was born and from there either Berlin or the travel agents here (which by the way know Nothing about Europe) suggested instead of seeing Berlin we go to a place called Burgeo (spelling?) a cute village in Brussels than straight to Paris from there. She says we would like that more than Berlin. Seeing Berlin would allow my son to spend more time with family as we would come back on the weekend again and than go to Paris. I'm not sure - which is better.

we go to a place called Burgeo (spelling?) a cute village in Brussels>

Well, Bruges is about 90 minutes by train from Brussels. And yes a neat old historic heavily touristed city - who can say what is better -do some research - Berlin is a major detour from Frankfurt-Paris and Bruges a minor one if going Frankfurt-Cologne-Brussels-Paris - quickest way I believe between Frankfurt and Paris. To see 'countryside' consider day trip from Paris as mentioned above.

Thank you so much for all your responses and great ideas.

I have been to Paris last year (only 3 days), I saw the ET, Notre dame, Louvre and did some shopping.

I know my husband and son would not enjoy the whole week in Paris -- given the fact that we live in suburbs and not a busy city.... they seem to really not like the city vibe, especially given my son's (11 yo) injured foot. I thought dividing it up between something more relaxing and country side, a bit like you see in the movies. lol would allow something different from the hustle and bustle of Paris and touristy sites.

I have been told about Versaille - which seems like more long lines and tiring - also not sure if the castle would be that interesting to an 11 yo.
and seems to be a long tour inside.

I love the Monet and Van Gogh suggestions (we both love art - although not so much in a busy museum).

I will look up the other areas you suggested.

Between Monet and Van Gogh - which is a bigger site? and offers the village vibe?
How far are each from Paris and what is the best way to get there with my son's injured foot- Tour, driving, train ?

Should we do this as a day trip or stay a couple of nights. If we stay a couple nights - should we go there before Paris or after? Not sure what is the closest airport.

Do you have any other suggestions for a beautiful, little village outside of Paris.

I'm so pressed for time with flights and 2 other trips before this trip and very behind with planning due to changes and injury, I am not able to research on my own and Greatly appreciate all your help. I'm on a time crunch, flights are going up so fast.

Thanks soooo much.
:)

Do you mean Bruges? It's not "a village in Brussels." Brussels is a major city - it doesn't have villages within it. It's a pretty, highly touristed town outside Brussels.

I still don't understand how many days you have all told. A full week in Germany and THEN Paris and/or " some place in the countryside? Or a week total? If it's a week total, just stay in Germany, and Berlin is a fantastic city to visit.

How does your travel agent purport to get you from Hannover to Bruges? You could fly (direct flights around 2 hours) or take a train (minimum of 6+ hours), but I do not see the point. There's plenty of countryside in Germany that's easy enough to get to.

Between Monet and Van Gogh - which is a bigger site? and offers the village vibe?
How far are each from Paris and what is the best way to get there with my son's injured foot- Tour, driving, train ?>

Both are similar villages but Auvers-sur-Oise is easier to get too by direct suburban train - Giverny need to take train to Vernon then taxi or shuttle bus to Giverny but really about the same. Auvers IME is much less a mob scene than Monet's House - but no walking nearly needed for Giverny whilst Auvers is all about walking around to venues Post-Impressionists put on canvas.

you may want to look into bus tour from Paris to Loire Valley and some of its famous chateaux- no walking needed except in chateaux and that is minimal.

You really would benefit from reading about all these places. You are tossing out darts. If you don't have time to do any research yourself, then you are stuck with other people like to do, which could be anathema to you. It's easy enough to google Giverny, Auvers-sur-Oise, and Versailles and find out how far they are from Paris and what the "vibes" are and where they are in relation to airports. None of them deserves two nights IMO. Neither Giverny nor Auvers has a "busy museum."

Neither Giverny nor Auvers has a "busy museum.">

not museum but Monet's House and Gardens are usually super busy - book entry time if going.

Veersailles chateau is mobbed on the official tours but there are vast grounds and gardens and parks to explore - on bikes - can even rent boats on the grand canal or whatever that large long water basin is called.

Yes Bruges, and Yes after looking last night, I found out the Travel agent who I was told to wait for and was the Europe expert, gave me the Wrong Info. OMG!!!!! These are the kind of people I have to depend on. :(((( tears.

so we have 1.5 weeks in Germany (frankfurt, Hannover, Berline)
and about 6 nights in Paris

total trip is 2.5 weeks, hopefully.

I ruled out Versaille (although beautiful, I don't think my 11 yo would get that much out of visiting it compared to artists he knows)..and Now just between Monet, Van goh and Auvers-sur-Oise. I would be looking to go on a day trip with private tour if possible from Paris.
If there was time we would go to see them all, but I have to book us minimally each day due to son's injured foot.

You don't need a private tour for either Giverny or Auvers-sur-Oise (and I don't know what you mean by "between Monet and Van Goh and Auvers-sur-Oise - Auvers IS the Van Gogh village, so you're only talking about 2 places, not 3). Just take a commuter train from Paris. I suppose there may be a way to get advance tickets to Giverny, but I've never done it. There are no tickets involved in visiting Auvers - it's a village. You'll need tickets to get into the holographic museum there if you want to visit it, but you just buy them on the spot.. Do keep in mind that Auvers is a bit hilly, especially if you want to get up to see Vincent and Theo's graves, so if your son has an injured foot, that may not be ideal.

With 6 nights in Paris you could do two day trips - coach trips are easy of course but I believe mainly full of older folks.