Paris day trips
Feb 14th, 2012, 12:43 PM
#23
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Giverny
Versailles
Seaux
Barbizon/Fontainebleu
Chartres
Epernay
Auvers-sur-Oise
We loved these villages, but check days that, e.g., VanGogh's House is closed, etc. But I always need 5 days in Paris first!
Versailles
Seaux
Barbizon/Fontainebleu
Chartres
Epernay
Auvers-sur-Oise
We loved these villages, but check days that, e.g., VanGogh's House is closed, etc. But I always need 5 days in Paris first!
Feb 15th, 2012, 04:50 AM
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CYESQ - When you arrive at the train station it is either bus A or bus 1 that goes to the château. The buses are right next to the arrival platform. Follow my tips above about buying the 1 day Mobilis zone 5 pass on this trip and use the transilien.com website (which has an English language version) for train info and schedules.
Feb 15th, 2012, 05:51 AM
#26
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Not even a full day trip: Chateau Vincennes (kind of SE Paris) is easily accessible by metro or rer. See the website below for more accurate terms, but it is a walled Chateau with a (now dry) moat. Inside the walls is a castle or keep with its own now dry moat. There is also a Chapel (Sainte Chapelle) but it was closed when we were there a couple years ago.
http://en.chateau-vincennes.fr/index.php
I was very pleased with our visit there and thought it was one of the most underrated sites (if you even see it "rated" at all) in Paris.
http://en.chateau-vincennes.fr/index.php
I was very pleased with our visit there and thought it was one of the most underrated sites (if you even see it "rated" at all) in Paris.
Feb 17th, 2012, 05:42 PM
#27
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bookedmarked as well! One key question with all this traveling - I am interested in renting a car to check out the countryside. Specifically, my GF and I are considering: Giverny, Chartres, Versailles, Champagne, Loire for day trips from PAris (staying in PAris for 10 days). We won't do all of these - we'll probably do Champagne, Versailles and Loire. I was thinking of taking the TGV to Versailles but renting a car for Loire and Champagne. Thoughts?
Feb 18th, 2012, 05:11 AM
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gumercindo - You don't take the TGV to Verailles from Paris. That's a local train and you either take the RER C or one of the suburban trains that leaves from Gare Montparnasse.
As for Champagne are you interested in seeing the countryside there or just doing Champagne tasting? If just tasting champagne is all you want to do take the TGV to Reims and forget the car. As for countryside to explore near Reims you don't want to head east of Reims but rather west and northwest between Reims and Laon/Soissons. The area east of Reims is flat and featureless.
As for the Loire you can take a TGV from Paris to Tours and be there in one hour and then rent a car for the day. Keep in mind that one day car rentals generally come at a premium and they are cheaper per day when you rent for 3 or more days.
If you want tips on where to explore the countryside by car near to Paris I can give you some ideas. I would suggest if you do this that you don't spend time visiting major sites like Giverny or Chartres since that takes a few hours of your time where the money you spend on a single day car rental is being wasted. I would suggest that you focus on exploring scenic landscapes and small villages, buying some local products and having a nice picnic lunch somewhere.
As for Champagne are you interested in seeing the countryside there or just doing Champagne tasting? If just tasting champagne is all you want to do take the TGV to Reims and forget the car. As for countryside to explore near Reims you don't want to head east of Reims but rather west and northwest between Reims and Laon/Soissons. The area east of Reims is flat and featureless.
As for the Loire you can take a TGV from Paris to Tours and be there in one hour and then rent a car for the day. Keep in mind that one day car rentals generally come at a premium and they are cheaper per day when you rent for 3 or more days.
If you want tips on where to explore the countryside by car near to Paris I can give you some ideas. I would suggest if you do this that you don't spend time visiting major sites like Giverny or Chartres since that takes a few hours of your time where the money you spend on a single day car rental is being wasted. I would suggest that you focus on exploring scenic landscapes and small villages, buying some local products and having a nice picnic lunch somewhere.
Feb 18th, 2012, 05:41 AM
#32
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Get your hands on the Michelin maps. You want the ones of the scale 1:200,000 (regional maps) or 1:150,000 (departmental maps, more detailed, cover slightly less area) for whatever regions you visit. A nice feature of the 1:150,000 maps is they show the starred attractions in the corresponding Michelin Green guidebooks. The Michelin maps have icons for all kinds of historically/touristically interesting things such as châteaux, ruins, churches, abbeys, scenic view points, caves, Roman sites, megaliths, designated scenic roads and many other things. Usually when I'm exploring various regions in France I just look at the map and I am able to plan interesting and scenic drives just reading the map. For instance, I usually look for a designated scenic road, which are highlighted in green, and I especially look for towns with the historic church and/or château icon. I also try to make sure the route goes through as many small villages as possible. Usually putting all these things together I find interesting and scenic drives without even knowing where I am going and with no assistance from a guide book. Often these places are never mentioned in guidebooks and remain completely unknown to many tourists.
You can buy the Michelin maps from their website and here is a link to the page that shows all of the maps of France: http://tinyurl.com/4bt96ev
The above link takes you to the page showing the scale 1:200,000 maps but you can search the site for the 1:150,000 scale.
Here is a region outside Paris near Giverny where I will demonstrate how to take all of the above info and put it into practice. Click on the link to read my trip report:
http://tinyurl.com/3m6h4hz
I've got loads of reports like the one above and most of them were done by bike. Here is one that covers some of the countryside northwest of Reims, including the spectacular hilltop medieval town of Laon:
http://tinyurl.com/3co8u28
For most of my trips I pretty much do zero research and just look at my map and decide where to go by reading the icons. Get your maps of the area around Paris, study the icons, pick an area that looks interesting and then get in the car and start driving. Easy!
You can buy the Michelin maps from their website and here is a link to the page that shows all of the maps of France: http://tinyurl.com/4bt96ev
The above link takes you to the page showing the scale 1:200,000 maps but you can search the site for the 1:150,000 scale.
Here is a region outside Paris near Giverny where I will demonstrate how to take all of the above info and put it into practice. Click on the link to read my trip report:
http://tinyurl.com/3m6h4hz
I've got loads of reports like the one above and most of them were done by bike. Here is one that covers some of the countryside northwest of Reims, including the spectacular hilltop medieval town of Laon:
http://tinyurl.com/3co8u28
For most of my trips I pretty much do zero research and just look at my map and decide where to go by reading the icons. Get your maps of the area around Paris, study the icons, pick an area that looks interesting and then get in the car and start driving. Easy!
Feb 18th, 2012, 07:14 AM
#33
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This is great, thanks! One last question, between Champagne and Loire, which one do you recommend really getting out in a car and cruising around looking for quaint spots to stroll, etc?
Also, of Loire (Tours) or Champagne (Reims), which is preferable to stay the night and really enjoy?
Thansk!
Also, of Loire (Tours) or Champagne (Reims), which is preferable to stay the night and really enjoy?
Thansk!
Feb 18th, 2012, 08:49 AM
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gumercindo - I'm afraid I don't have an answer for your questions since it's a bit like asking "Which do you prefer, apples or oranges?". Both are great places to cruise around and find quaint villages and scenic spots or go for a stroll. Either one would be fine for an overnight too. With just two days and one night in either of these regions you couldn't possibly see all that there is to see or do. I think you need to make that choice based on which one most interests you, which means you need to do a bit of research on each region to find out what there is to see and do.
If you search here on the forum you'll easily find loads of threads about all the great places you could visit in the Loire. Finding similar info for the Champagne region will be more difficult because most people going there generally just visit Reims or Epernay to do champagne tours but don't spend any time exploring the countryside.
If you go to Reims pay heed to my advice about using the Michelin maps to explore. I'm looking at mine right now and there are loads of designated scenic roads west of Reims and tons of tiny villages with the historic church icon that I guarantee no tourist has ever set foot in. You'd be the first.
I sometimes feel I'm not the best person to answer these questions because I have a very particular travel style. I often do no research before I go somewhere and have no particular destination. I just look at the map and start driving on designated scenic roads and through the tiny villages with the historic church icon and wait to see what I might find. I've also been traveling in France like this for years so I know what I'm doing even if I have no idea where I'm going. For those who spend a lot of money to come to France and want to be assured they don't waste valuable vacation time my "by the seat of my pants" travel style may not be the best method if you're not up for throwing caution to the wind. You also need to make sure you have a good driver and a good co-pilot who can read a map and give good instructions to the driver and my wife and I are a pretty good team doing this. She's an excellent driver (was born and raised in France) and I am an excellent map reader and co-pilot.
So I haven't answered your question and may have even confused you further and if so I'm sorry about that. Basically I think you won't go wrong in either of the regions that interest you so just make up your mind and go for it!
If you search here on the forum you'll easily find loads of threads about all the great places you could visit in the Loire. Finding similar info for the Champagne region will be more difficult because most people going there generally just visit Reims or Epernay to do champagne tours but don't spend any time exploring the countryside.
If you go to Reims pay heed to my advice about using the Michelin maps to explore. I'm looking at mine right now and there are loads of designated scenic roads west of Reims and tons of tiny villages with the historic church icon that I guarantee no tourist has ever set foot in. You'd be the first.
I sometimes feel I'm not the best person to answer these questions because I have a very particular travel style. I often do no research before I go somewhere and have no particular destination. I just look at the map and start driving on designated scenic roads and through the tiny villages with the historic church icon and wait to see what I might find. I've also been traveling in France like this for years so I know what I'm doing even if I have no idea where I'm going. For those who spend a lot of money to come to France and want to be assured they don't waste valuable vacation time my "by the seat of my pants" travel style may not be the best method if you're not up for throwing caution to the wind. You also need to make sure you have a good driver and a good co-pilot who can read a map and give good instructions to the driver and my wife and I are a pretty good team doing this. She's an excellent driver (was born and raised in France) and I am an excellent map reader and co-pilot.
So I haven't answered your question and may have even confused you further and if so I'm sorry about that. Basically I think you won't go wrong in either of the regions that interest you so just make up your mind and go for it!
Feb 18th, 2012, 09:10 AM
#36
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riesling - If you are looking for lots of shops to poke around in then the smaller towns and villages aren't for you. In your case I would suggest Reims, Rouen, Chartres or Compiègne.
I've never been to Reims but it's a city with a population of just under 200,000. The big draw there is the cathedral and champagne tours but I've never heard anyone rave about it being a particularly charming place. I'm really not qualified to give a great opinion about it.
I was just thinking about another place that I didn't put on my list but it's similar in character to Compiègne and Chartres. The town of Sens has a pop. of just over 25,000 with a really pretty old downtown with the half-timbered buildings, cobbled streets etc. Sort of a posh little place with lots of shops and things. If you want to check it out you can see some photos of it at the end of this report:
http://tinyurl.com/3cmctva
And if you wanted to be close to Paris then you could take the RER A to either Saint-Germain-en-Laye and/or Rueil-Malmaison, both of which are posh places with lots of shops to poke around in. You can see photos of both places in this report:
http://tinyurl.com/3f7npjr
I better stop making recommendations now or I'll just confuse you. Hope I at least gave you some ideas.
I've been to the other places and they are all quite pretty and pleasant with lots of shops to poke around in. Rouen would be the largest place with a population of just over 100,000 and then Compiègne and Chartres each have a population of about 40,000.
I've never been to Reims but it's a city with a population of just under 200,000. The big draw there is the cathedral and champagne tours but I've never heard anyone rave about it being a particularly charming place. I'm really not qualified to give a great opinion about it.
I was just thinking about another place that I didn't put on my list but it's similar in character to Compiègne and Chartres. The town of Sens has a pop. of just over 25,000 with a really pretty old downtown with the half-timbered buildings, cobbled streets etc. Sort of a posh little place with lots of shops and things. If you want to check it out you can see some photos of it at the end of this report:
http://tinyurl.com/3cmctva
And if you wanted to be close to Paris then you could take the RER A to either Saint-Germain-en-Laye and/or Rueil-Malmaison, both of which are posh places with lots of shops to poke around in. You can see photos of both places in this report:
http://tinyurl.com/3f7npjr
I better stop making recommendations now or I'll just confuse you. Hope I at least gave you some ideas.
I've been to the other places and they are all quite pretty and pleasant with lots of shops to poke around in. Rouen would be the largest place with a population of just over 100,000 and then Compiègne and Chartres each have a population of about 40,000.
Feb 18th, 2012, 09:30 AM
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http://tinyurl.com/3f7npjr
just answered my own question-thanks FMT
just answered my own question-thanks FMT
Feb 19th, 2012, 03:06 PM
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FMT:
Turns out my GF has one request during our trip and that's to see the Monet Gardens in Giverny. I hadn't planned on that but I'm cool going. That just means that our day trips will be Verailles, Giverny and possibly one more. But, I have a feeling that we're not going to have time for that 3rd day trip (which in my mind would have been traversing the countryside of Loire or Champagne). If we do head to Giverny, is there similar countryside traversing we could do there? Maybe take a train from PAris to Rouen and then rent a car and hit Giverny, Chartres, etc., but I have a feeling we won't find many quaint villages along the way. Any recommendations for a day trip in the Normandy area (Giverny)?
Thanks again!
Turns out my GF has one request during our trip and that's to see the Monet Gardens in Giverny. I hadn't planned on that but I'm cool going. That just means that our day trips will be Verailles, Giverny and possibly one more. But, I have a feeling that we're not going to have time for that 3rd day trip (which in my mind would have been traversing the countryside of Loire or Champagne). If we do head to Giverny, is there similar countryside traversing we could do there? Maybe take a train from PAris to Rouen and then rent a car and hit Giverny, Chartres, etc., but I have a feeling we won't find many quaint villages along the way. Any recommendations for a day trip in the Normandy area (Giverny)?
Thanks again!
