Paris Excursions
 

Hey fellow travelers! <BR>I'm going to Paris for a week in March, and we also wanted to take side trips to Versailles, Chartres, and Fontainebleu. What kind of train pass should we purchase? This info is kinda hard to find. (We are staying IN Paris, however, so only day trips...or is that too much?) <BR>Thanks anybody! <BR>Daniel Lee

Daniel, distances from Paris ..... <BR>Versailles - 12 miles <BR>Fontainbleu - 42 miles <BR>Chartres - 53 miles <BR>You can check the trains, but you may want to consider renting a car for a few days.

Hey John: <BR> <BR>Thanks for the info. We definitely want to take the train. Do you know which is the best pass for us to purchase to make these 3 daytrips? Also, Are these places big enough to warrant a full dya each for travel, or can we do Versailles and Chartres on one day and Fontainebleu the next...or is there one we should skip and just do more of Paris? We will have a total of 8 days. <BR> <BR>Merci beaucoup pour votre response, <BR> <BR>Daniel Lee

Sorry, Dan, I really can't help you with the trains having never taken them. There is a lot of good firsthand info on this forum and I think you can also find info searching on Paris. I've been to Versailles and Fontainbleu and think they are 1/2 day trips. Of course, you have to add the travelling time. I've never been to Chartres so can't help there. I wouldn't recommend trying to see evrything in one week.

Daniel, I'm in the same boat as you, I'm even going to be there same time/lenght, and I have found a wonderful web site. Paris pages. They have maps galor and I believe also info on the train. As for the day trips, my friends went last year and they did versailles in a complete day, so I guess it all depends how thorough you want your visit to be. For other trips, can i suggest le bastilles? I have heard wonders. If you hear any more info, would you be kind enough to pass it along my way? I'll be sure to do the same. Thanks!

The excursions you are planning are way too close to Paris to justify a pass. Just take individual tickets. You'll get a 25 % discount if you travel in a party of 2. Anyway, it won't add to a lot of money. You might check on www.sncf.fr.

I have read that you can do Versailles and Chartres on the same day, since they are on the same rail line. It should be possible, depending on how much time you want at each place. I would think in March it might get dark too early for you to want to try this, however. Haven't been to Fontainebleu. For Versailles, allow about 1 1/2 hours for travel round trip, including time at the stations and at least 4 hours to truly see much of the chateau and grounds. For Chartres, if you are not taking a guided tour, allow at least an hour to see the cathedral and another 1-2 to take the walking tour of the restored old sections. <BR> <BR>Both Chartres Cathedral and the Palace of Versailles are very close to the train stations and easy to get to.

Amanda, will you share the website for paris pages. Tried parispages.com but couldn't get it. Thanks. <BR>

I have taken day trips to Versailles on 3 of my trips to Paris. If I already had a eurail pass, I would use that for the train to get there, but I would not purchase one just for that. One time I just purchsed the round trip ticket at the train station. You can spend as much or as little time as you want at Versailles, depending upon how much you want to see. Each time I have been there, a little bit more has been opened to the public thru the many tours offered by the palace. I recommend the Marie Anttoinette tour (in English) as well as the general tour. Go to the palace tour office when you get there & sign up for the tours that may grab your fancy. & then you can spend time wandering the gardens. Of the times I have been there, I have yet been able to visit the Petite or the Grand Trianon(SP?). We have spent the day there & still had time to do something back in Paris at night. I don't know if you would be able to do the palace & grounds justice & still get to another site before closing. Even if you could, your legs could get fairly tired at Versailles. There is no place to sit & rest inside, outside there is the ground & some steps, in the gardens they provide some benches. When you are there in March, you probably want have to worry about the heat. You don't want to wear yourself out to the point you do not enjoy what you are seeing, or everything becomes a haze or blur. You may want to pace yourself to see just alittle bit less but enjoy it more in depth. Besides that would give you a reason to try & go back to Europe again (& again). <BR>

Kathy, the Paris pages is at: www.paris.org <BR> <BR>Daniel, I too took the train to Versailles and Chartres in 1997 without purchasing a pass; just individual tickets. When you return, let us know about your trip as I will be there in May! <BR> <BR>