Paris Day Trip
 

We will be in Paris from Oct 11 to 17. We have been there many times and always enjoy it.

We want to take one one-day trip during our visit. We have thought about taking the TGV to St. Remy that we have visited for many years but are worried if it realistically can be done in one day.

We are open to some other one-day trip suggestion (We have been to Normandy). We love cultural things, great scenery and a great place for lunch.

Please advise. Thanks.

Anthony

St-Remy is so far from Paris that you'll never make it there and back by train---at least not in a way that would be fun. Why don't you try going to Giverny, if you haven't already been? Alternately, you could visit Lille or Arras, which are charming towns to the north. You could even make it to Brussels and back in a day very easily (the train ride is only about an hour and a half) and have time to visit museums and eat some mussels.

Please tell if you have already done any day-trips outside Paris, so we can only suggest places you have not yet seen. Thank you.

Or London, just over two hours from Paris and you gain an hour on the clock going over - day returns on Eurostar go for about $95 return.

Chartres...Auvers-sur-Oise...Reims @ champagne cave tours...Loire Castles (mini-bus tours from Tours train station)...Fontainebleu...Compeigne... Chantilly...Dijon...etc.

Thanks for the suggestions.

Travelnut, We have been to Giverny,Chartres, Auver-sur-Oise, Fountainbleau etc.

Felly, If we could go to Brussels would Brugges be stretching it too far? You are right about St. Remy. We will have to wait to next Spring to return to wonderful St. Remy. Alas.

Thanks all!

Anthony

Brugge would be hard. You would have to go to Brussels and switch trains. I will admit to going to Avignon as a day trip from Paris about 10 years ago. I left early and made it back around midnight. It was worth it for me. If you have not been to Dijon, I highly recommend it. I can even recomend a good resturant.

Which restaurant Dan?
I highly recommend Dijon as well of course! :-)
Pal I can't believe it was at the bottom of your list![( ;-)
coco

DanM, Thanks.

What did you like about Dijon? How long would it take to get there? Is it from the Gare Lyons? The restaurant?

Anthony

DanM is right in that you have to switch in Brussels. However, if you really want to visit, I think Brugge would be doable. All told, the trip from Paris to Brugge takes 2.5 hours (the Brussels to Brugge part takes 50 minutes). Trains are also very frequent (every hour, and sometimes more). Brussels would be good if you wanted some more museums and food, but Brugge would be nice if you wanted a really charming day away from big city life.

We usually take a day & spend it in St. Germain-en-Laye. Right on the RER line, a suburb really, w/a great Park, Castle & interesting little town.

bookmarking

I was in Bruges last month and loved it. It's about 2 1/2 hours to Bruges via Lille - the same as Brussels but I think the Lille train station is a little smaller so it's easier to get from one track to the next.

I would also second the recommendation for Reims. The cathedral is beautiful, not to mention the champagne!

What about Versailles?
As a day out it is fab easy to get to via train from Paris .. lots to see lots of good restaurants too in the market square.

Last year, we went to Rouen for the day and this year we went to Provins for the day.

Rouen - train took about 1.5-1.75 hours
http://www.rouentourisme.com/
http://www.rouen.fr/accueil/index.php
We enjoyed the cathedral, the Aître Saint-Maclou, all the timbered buildings and took the little tourist train around.

Provins - train takes about 1hr20min
www.provins.net/anglais/default.htm
www.provins.org/
We went to the falconry show, as did a large group of school children... otherwise, just meandered about. Also has a little tourist train...

Resturant: "le Gril' Laure"; it was recommened by, of course, COco. It was a hit with the entire party. excellent food and service. http://www.fra.webcity.fr/restaurant...793/PhotosLieu

Dijon was an all too brief stop on a drive from Luxembourg to Montignac. We did a part of the owl walk, rubbed the owl, and enjoyed just walking the area around the art museum on a quite Sunday afternoon. It is a place that I want to return to when just my wife and I have a chance to get away to enjoy all that Burgundy has to offer.

Hi powellretired, if you would prefer there is a Parisvision sightseeing bus tour that offers a one day Brugge tour. This is what we did. It does cost substantially more than buying train tickets, but it's another choice if you're interested. The bus tour departs at approximately 7:15 a.m. and returns to Paris by 9 p.m. It is a very long day, but you can get some sleep on the bus. Brugge is very charming and you will like it very much I'm sure.

Dan I remember now, I suggested it because they open on Sundays as well. And you’ll have to go back to Dijon to follow the owl’s trail till the end this time ! ;-)

And it was perfect, Coco. Just what I was looking for!