My boyfriend and I are going to be spending a week in Paris at the end of this month. We would like to leave the city (via train) for 2-3 days and travel somewhere else. Any good suggestions? We were initially very interested in Interlaken, but learned it was at least 6.5 hours away. It is still an option, but wanted to see what the group recommends. <BR> <BR>To pinpoint a good location, it may be useful to know that we are first-time 20 somethings. <BR> <BR>Thanks in advance for your help!!!

I recommend Lyon. It's a 2 hour TGV ride from Paris and is (depending on whether you believe Lyon or Marseille) the second largest city in France. Vieux Lyon (old Lyon) is very charming with it's 15th century alleyways and cobblestones and even comes complete with Roman ruins. Modern Lyon is a very modern city with museums and great restaurants. Lyon is reputed to be the gastronimical capital of France. I would agree : ) And it was pointed out to me, there are not just two rivers that run through Lyon, but three; the Soane, the Rhoane and the Beaujoleis (sp?)

Katherine, I don't mean to horn in on Kristen's question but Lyon sounds like a fun daytrip from Paris. If I took the TGV, would I be able to get around Lyon on foot? Is Vieux Lyon near the train station and any restaurant recs? Thanks for the help! Peg

If you take the second Lyon stop (sit on the right side of the train for the best view when you pull into Lyon and cross over the two rivers), you can easily walk to Vieux Lyon. There is a tourist info booth in the train station and you can pick up a map. Exit into the park and you hit the main pedestrian street. You can also take the metro if you choose not to walk quite as far but it's easily walkable. <BR> <BR>In Old Lyon there are lots of outdoor restaurants to choose from. Be sure to get well into the area before you choose. The specialty is salad Lyonaisse. It's delicious. Take the funicular up the hill to the Cathedral for a great view of the city and then walk down, stopping to visit the Roman Ruins.

Katherine, Thanks so much for the helpful info. Sounds great and easy to do. I'm looking forward to it! Peg

Ah, another Lyon convert! Saves me typing the same thing over and over again! Thanks Katherine! <BR> <BR>The train station to arrive in is Perrache. Walk down rue Victor Hugo and you come out to Place Bellecour. The tourist office is there. Sign up for a walking tour of Vieux Lyon -- you'll get to see the traboules (very important in Lyon's history.) <BR> <BR>I'm not sure what 20-somethings are interested in these days (I'm old enough to be your "significantly older sister"), but there is a boat called "The Fish" which is a floating night club (do they still call them that? In my day...) <BR> <BR>There are many museums, a huge park (Parc Tete d'Or) where you can rent boats, rollerblading on Friday nights down the streets of Lyon (cheap tour! -- I'm doing my best to "think young")... <BR> <BR>It is indeed the food capital of France -- when we visit Paris, we wait until we're back in Lyon to eat. It can be expensive, but do treat yourselves at Le Nord (make reservations, though). You won't have problems eating on the cheap -- you can do like the French and buy a sandwich and window shop while eating. <BR> <BR>The only rivers you'll "see" are the Rhone (the larger) and the Saone. And you can take boat tours on the Saone.

Katherine and Chris, You've convinced me to turn my day trip into an overnight! After doing some research, Lyon looks divine and the TGV tickets are really inexpensive. Any suggestions for a comfortable 2or3 star hotel in the center of things? I'm not a twenty something, so don't care about nightlife, just comfort and saftey. Thanks so much for the help. Peg

Hi Peg <BR> <BR>Now the pressure's on -- I hope you like Lyon as much as I do! <BR> <BR>The Grand Hotel Mercure Saxe Lafayette is one that business people use -- it's a 10 min walk to the shopping district (in between the rivers.) It's across the Rhone from the Presq'ile (the shopping district.) The phone is 04 72 61 90 90, it's at 29 rue Bonnel. I think it's about $100/night (less, I think), but I'm not sure. It's in a good neighborhood (business), has a restaurant and a small gym. You won't be in the middle of it all, but you will be in an area where you can go out in the morning for fresh bread, head across the street for a cafe creme, etc. I wouldn't recommend the Hilton -- it's too far out from everything (although very nice.) <BR> <BR>I can really only recommend that hotel, as I've not heard of any others. If you search on some of the travel sites, you might get something with pictures of the hotels and can judge from there. You usually have to put in an airport code, and LYS is Lyon's. <BR> <BR>If you need anything else, post it here -- I'll check back. I've answered posts about Lyon too -- if you can find them, they might help you fill your days. <BR> <BR>Chris

Hi Kristen. I'm enjoying the responses to your question; I never thought of Lyon as a place to stay, but I'll keep it in mind. I hope Peg will tell us of her impressions when she returns. <BR> <BR>Let me just throw out two more possibilities if you are looking for locales which will provide a contrast to your Paris stay: Brugge in Belgium is an extraordinarily lovely town, called the Venice of the north. Lausanne and its lake (Leman) in Switzerland are marvelous, as well, if you are trying to get close to the Swiss Alps. You might check the SBB rail site to see if you can train from Paris to Lausanne in a reasonably quick time. From Lausanne or one of its lake towns, you could get up into the mountains for the experience. <BR> <BR>You might want to use a weather site to check the temperatures in Lyon in August. <BR> <BR>What a difficult decision you have to make! Our suggestions might be more on target if you'd tell us what you value most in a trip. My guess is that my two suggestions would provide the greater contrast to the rest of your trip, but then again, they might not provide the variety or the nightlife that Lyon seems to. Different people want different things from their European vacations. Look for websites on your options; the photographs may help you see which one appeals to you most. Good luck. jw

Where Interlaken is concerned, I would like to throw one other consideration into the hopper. Interlaken itself is hardly an end station for a visit to the Swiss Alps. It is about 30 minutes removed from the best of the Berner Oberland. Having been there a few times, I have never seen much about the city that has caused me to stay there very long. My objective in being in that part of Switzerland is to see the mountains. You cannot do it from Interlaken, unless a view through binoculars is enough to satisfy you. <BR>I suppose you could journey a mile out to Wilderswil and take the tooner town trolley up to the top of Schynige Platte and gaze at the Jungfrau, the Eiger,and a few other peaks. The view IS stunning. <BR>But I want a little closer view than that!! <BR>

Thank you so much for your suggestions - please keep the ideas coming.

I truly think you won't be disappointed in Lyon. Although my affection for it may be biased. I went to Lyon before ever seeing Paris (except for the bowels of Gar de Lyon) and was meeting my daughter who had just spent an entire year as a high school exchange student in France. It was a wonderful reunion. And I think that it was great to see Lyon first. Kind of like Musee d'orsey vs. the Louvre.... much more managable! The next trip we stayed at Cours de Loges, right in the heart (cours) of Vieux Lyon. It was beyond 3 star and but not terribly expensive and was worth the splurge. Very comfortable and wonderful service. <BR> <BR>I've never tried any of Lyon's world class restaurants because I couldn't break away from the charming cafe type places in Old Lyon. And the food there was plenty spectacular along with the parade of people strolling through the cobblestone passageways.