my wife and i will be in paris for only 3 nights - arrive sunday leave wednesday. would like to set aside 1/2 day to see the suburbs. we will would like to take the train. we are looking for suggestions on which one would be the most scenic ride.

thanks,

The Paris area contains a fifth of the total French population. Which means that scenic rides into the suburbs are unlikely, although I am not familiar with the western suburbs. For scenery, and given the time constraints, it might be better to stroll in the Bois de Vincennes or the Bois de Boulogne, both on the edges of Paris.

If what you're looking for is just a taste of the French countryside, you could take the train to Vernon, the station nearest Giverny, and then have a look around that bit of Normandy. The route itself is scenic in parts. Another possibility would be to go out to St.-Germain-en-Laye, which is what I would consider a true suburb; it's far enough out to have a different feel to it and is a very attractive town.

Two short trips come to mind. the area called La Defense is a business district with highrise office and apartments buildings. Easy to get to on RER.La Defense offers interesting contemporary architecture and a view back into Paris. Also Parc Citroen is accessible RER. This is an area of planned development as well. There is a museum and interesting gardens to browse through.

thanks for the tips - by suburbs i meant the countryside - i was wondering if we could take a ride on the superfast TGV in a half day?

As Underhill suggested, you can go to Vernon/Giverny to see the home of Claude Monet. If countryside is what you want, you will get it there! Fields and fields of flowers, open spaces, etc. Alternatively, you could take a train out to see Fontainebleau, outside of Paris. The gardens and grounds are perfect for long afternoon strolls, picnics, etc.