I've received such good information from this Forum. I continue to read and research for our return to Paris next week but have two issues that remain, 1)where are these covered passages for shopping that everyone refers to and 2) after Versaille, I can't narrow it down to the best day trip outside of Paris. Recommendations? Thanks again for the great resouce posters provide.

For the warmer seasons of the year, Giverny seems to often rank number 2 and Chartres number 3, but I can't say how enjoyable Giverny would be in winter. Four years ago, my daughter went to chantilly, and for horse-lovers, this is apparently pretty special, so you might check that out. <BR> <BR>Fontainebleau and Vaux-le-Vicomte will also likely get votes here, but they are more similar to Versailles than they are different, perhaps. <BR> <BR>I trust that someone else will answer about the covered passages; they have been in a thread here within the past month, I'm pretty sure. <BR> <BR>Best wishes, <BR> <BR>Rex

Thanks Rex, We've been to Versaille and wanted to go to Giverny but read that the gardens aren't even open this time of year, so bumped that off our list. <BR>Now, I ponder if Chartres is different enough to consider. What about champagne country Laon, Reims or Epernay?

Hi Kristine, <BR>Giverny is indeed closed this time of year so you did right by knocking it off your list. We went to Reims in May and had a ball. It is an hour and a half train ride from Paris to Reims. We visited Taittiger, Pommery (our favorite house it was gorgeous), and Veuve Cliquoe (our favorite champagne). If you like champagne it is worth the trip. And the prices on the stuff weren't bad either.

IMO you should absolutely do Chartres. It's a one hour trip by RER, the town itself is charming and the cathedral is not to be missed. An englishman named Malcolm Miller gives incredible tours of the cathedral which you should take. Leave Paris early in the morning and plan to have lunch in Chartres. Do a search on Chartres on this site and you'll get more info on Malcolm Miller. <BR> <BR>Do a search on "passages" on this site, there was a posting a few weeks ago listing all of them and their locations. <BR> <BR>Bon voyage.

Hi Kristine <BR>I was one of the people who posted info recently on the Paris shopping arcades. <BR>This is what I have: <BR>Galerie Vero-Dodat, 19 rue Jean Jacques Rousseau, 1st, metro les Halles <BR>Toys, art, jewelery, etc <BR>Galerie Vivienne 4 rue des Petits Champs, 2nd, metro Bourse <BR>shops, including wine, and a tea room <BR>Passage Jouffroy 12 boul Montmartre, 9th, metro Montmartre <BR>toys, antiques, perfumes, flowers <BR>Passage des Panoramas 11 boul Montmartre <BR>2nd metro Montmartre <BR>the oldest arcade of all. Antiques, <BR>old posters, etc. <BR>Passage des Pavillons, 6 rue de Beaujolais, 1st, metro Palais Royal <BR>gourmet foods, old books, china <BR>Passage des Princes 97 rue de Richelieu, <BR>2nd, metro Richelieu-Drouot, shops and coffee bar <BR>Passage Verdeau 12 boul Montmartre, 9th <BR>metro Montmartre, across from <BR>Passage Jouffroy. Jewels, toys, collectibles <BR>Here is some info on Chartres and Reims <BR>Chartres <BR>For french train service, go to : <BR> http://voyages.sncf.fr/ or www.raileurope.com/ to get train schedules to and from Chartres as well as fares. <BR> <BR>As of 6/99 the first train for Chartres departs Montparnasse station at 6:24am; the last return leaves Chartres at 9:06 pm. RT fare (6/99) is about $23 second class, $35 first class. <BR> <BR>At the Cathedral, Englishman Malcolm Miller gives his wonderful tours at 12 and again at 2:30 (40 FF, Spring 1999) daily except Sundays. <BR> The noon tour is different from the afternoon presentation. Each is about an hour and a quarter, and start near the gift shop in the cathedral. If you want to check to make certain he is there, the telephone number is 02 37 28 15 58. He may not be there at this season. <BR> <BR>Reims <BR>Same train websites. The train station in Reims is small, only one small bathroom. on the train platform. It is a 20 minute walk to the cathedral.Rent a car or take a cab or bus to the caves. The tour of the Taittinger caves includes a tasting and a gift shop. Pommery is a beautiful building with a great view of the cathedral. At Veuve Cliquot you need to make a reservation for the tour, which I believe includes a picnic lunch and a trip to the vineyard, but only in season. Some caves require advance reservations and some not,some are open at this time of year and some not, so it is best to check. <BR> <BR>Across the street from Pommery is Le Crayeres, an expensive, gorgeous, 3- Michelin star restaurant and inn. If you plan to lunch, dine, or stay over at Les Crayeres, they will make an appointment for a private tour at Pommery. Les Crayeres was the <BR>home of Madame Pommery. Pommery and les Crayeres are at the outskirts of town <BR>www.ville-reims.com Reims tourist office <BR>Good luck

1)Covered passages: there was a post on this, listing all the passages and addresses. If you do a search on this forum "covered passages" you should find the list (there are about a dozen passages). The ones I know are on the right bank, and very easy to find. <BR>2) Rueil-Malmaison is a pretty town, and the house where Josephine ended up after the Little Colonel dumped her is a great day trip. If you are a Nureyev fan, you can visit his grave at the Russian cemetery in St Genevieve du Bois; the town is very pretty, with a castle in the center of town, and the cemetery is interesting, with other notable Russian ex-pats buried there (at the office, get a map which shows where everyone is. No one spoke English when I was there, so his name is "noo REEF" in French). You can also do a r/t to Brussels, thanks to the Thalys (hi-speed train). I've never done Brussels&gt;Bruges with a concern about returning to Paris same day, but if you go to www.sncf.com, you can plot an itinerary and see if it is feasible. You can also do a day trip to Mont St Michel; there are bus trips that get you there and back in about a 1/2 day. Ditto the Normandy beaches.