Paris to Keukenhof Gardens?
 

Will be in Paris week of 4/19/99. Would also love to see Keukenhof Gardens in Lisse, Netherlands while tulips are blooming. Is this a feasible day trip from Paris? How do we get there from Paris (would rather take a train than drive)? If we can't do it in a day, are there any suggestions for an overnight stay?

You're talking about one of our favorite places -- Keukenhof. It's too far for a round-trip from Paris in a single day, I believe. You might consider this. Take a train from Paris to Amsterdam. From there you go west on the local train to Haarlem and transfer to a bus that will take you to Lisse/Keukenhof. You might stay overnight in Amsterdam or Haarlem on your Paris/Amsterdam leg and see the central part of the old cities in the afternoon and sundown. Then get up early and complete the trip to Keukenhof where you can spend a leisurely day, then back to Amsterdam and catch the evening train to Paris. Check with timetables, of course. If it were mine to do, I would pop for a high-speed train between Paris and Amsterdam and return -- the extra fare is worth it.

You can take theThalys highspeed train (3 1/2 hours, approx) to den Haag and then there is a direct train from there.
Otherwise, it is about 3 1/2 hours by car, which is doable if you are willing to spend a very long day, but I say why not?

AL, do you have any quaint places for lodgings that you can recommend in the Lisse/Leiden area.. we are going in April and do not want to make it a day trip. THX