Will be in Paris for 11 days in early September and we're looking for a cute town (nice restaurants, shops, sites, etc.) for an overnight trip. Would like something easily accessible by train and we don't want to spend all day on the train. Any suggestions?

Bayeux - by the D-Day beaches, just over two hours by train from Paris

about the only Cotentin Peninsula town not destroyed during the Invasion and thus dreamy with a dreamy cathedral and the famous Tapestry of Queen Mathilda (?) documenting William the Conqueror's 1066 Invasion of England and the battle at Battle and other places

and you can take day- or half-day long minibus tours to the key D-Day Beach sites just a few miles from town (or rent a car or bicycle) - one popular one is www.battlebus.fr but there are several that pick up at many hotels.

Thanks! We had planned to do the D-day tour anyway. Think there's enough to do there to stay the night?

Well the Tapestry and the Cathedral are the only tourist sights of interest in this rather small regional town - you need not spend much time in either or you could of course.

If you want to rent a car i'd take the train to Caen - just before Bayeux and pick up a car at the station and then drive to the nearby D-Day beaches and take a look at Bayeux then drive over to Mont Saint-Michel for the night and it is amazing to glimpse from afar at night from the mainland where there is a cluster of hotels. Tour the island and church in the monring before the tourist mobs descend on its tiny lanes and drive to Rennes, return car and TGV it back to Paris.

Check the SNCF railways train + car plan - they can even arrange hotels for you at many places.

But Bayeux yes could be a day trip - you would not have to stay overnight to see everything.

We took the train from Paris to Bayeux last summer. We stayed 2 nights there and did not run out of stuff to do. There are two options for the train. You can do a change in Caen, or nonstop to Bayeux. The nonstop train takes exactly 2 hours (that is what we did). We took the one day tour with Battlebus and it was excellent! We were kicking ourselves for not doing the 2 day tour, and this was 3 women (myself, 16 yr old DD, and my mother).

Thanks to both! We are 2 30-something female friends so it's good to know we'll enjoy it!

Or for the Castles of the Loire i'd train to Amboise, a neat old town and great base with its only famous castle and which also offers minibus tours from town to a few nearby castles like Chenonceaux, Chambord or Blois.

PalenQ:
If you were to add Honfluer and Rouen (I am not sure if its is worth the visit??), to the Caen, Bayeaux and Mt St Michele trip you advised, how would you plan a car/train trip? Train to Caen, or Train to Rouen first? Thinking about going next week from Paris.
Thanks

Ny 2 cents is that if you choose Bayeux spend one night. I would structure the visit w/ WWII sites then the tapestry before or after. Day one start with the Caen Peace Museum. Go before seeing the WWII sites as it will help you truly understand what happened in this region. This museum is the best of it's kind I've ever been to. It is not boring even if you're not a huge history fan. They have an amazing film that shows the invasion (no French needed) and the display of the chronology of WWII that is incredible. The grounds are beautiful too. If you are American and can arrange to do so, go to the American Cemetary in the early morning or right before it closes, a time when there aren't a ton of people there. Lastly visit the beaches. The tapestry is about a 2 hour visit and can be done before or after the WWII stuff. It is well worth seeing. Finally, Bayeaux has a great outdoor martket if you visit on that day, (which I'm sorry I don't remember which day that is) I would save Mt. St. Michel for another trip. It is really crowded and best viewed in the early morning (IMO) before the droves of tourists arrive.

Thanks, all! 16 days until I leave!!

ttt

We went to Strasbourg for the day (two-hour train ride) but could easily have spent more time. It's a beautiful city.

How about Dijon?

How about Dijon?

Just over an hour by frequent TGVs from Paris and one of the most historic towns in France - main city of Burgundy - Ducs of Burgundy, etc.

And one reason it can be a special trip is to stay at myhomeindijon.com - as many many Fodorites have raved about. Coco even meets people at the station and takes them to her rather luxury flat right in the heart of town. Search for myhomeindijon.com as there have been two recent threads extolling her and her place from Fodorites.

Actually Dijon, though a great historic town IMO may not be any better than similar historic towns but this special and unique place to stay IMO with the rare personal attention making it very special. And the train ride is short enough to have most of the day here - and you ride the TGV up to 185mph or so thru the signature Burgundian countryside of checkered hills and old villages punctuated by soaring steeples of parish churches - a very bucolic landscape.

Dijon also gives a hoot - follow the famous Owl trail into the cathedral. I think Coco's web site has something about it.