Somewhere quiet to unwind near Paris
 

I am looking for a small town type place to unwind for a few days before heading into the big city (Paris) I will be flying into Charles De Gaulle on August 1st so I need to make these arrangements quick or I feel I will be out on my bum with no where to stay! Any suggestions for newlyweds?

thanks,
Erin

Well, I keep harping on this, but .... Senlis, just an hour away from Paris. Lodging options are limited (maybe the Logis de France hotel there but don't dine in their restaurant) but the town is lovely. Do a search on this site for other comments -- perhaps mainly mine.

Did you see the threads that mentioned Petit Andelys and a hotel called La Chaine d'Or?

Hey Dave,
I have stayed one night at the LdeF hotel in Senlis. We got there at lunchtime on Sunday. Didn't want a big meal so went for some brasserie type food. But the hotel restaurant was packed and it appeared to be locals. In the evening it was closed (Sunday), so we never did eat there. I assumed the restaurant was good. Apparently you don't think so. Can you say why? We were thinking of returning!

one possibility would be nauphle-le-chateau, a small town reachable by train. i highly recommend the domaine de verbois hotel there--it's a fine country house set in a small park. we could have spent hours relaxing on the back veranda.

I think this place looks nice but I've never been there:

High-Dollar: http://www.grandes-etapes-francaises.../indexhome.php

Moderate: http://www.chandelles-golf.com/index.htm

Nearby:
<u>Chateau Maintenon</u>:
http://www.chateauxandcountry.com/ch...non/index.html
Quoted from &quot;This City Paris&quot;:
&quot;...The chateau that would lend her its name is located in the town of Maintenon, less than an hour from Paris (between Versailles and Chartres). The red brick and stone chateau is in pristine condition. It is one of the rare chateau to be fully furnished, having been lived in, and doted on by the same family for over three centuries. For Madame de Maintenon, the chateau was both a home and the symbol of her rise in society...&quot;
<u>Medieval Gardens of Bois Richeux</u>
http://www.boisricheux.com/accueil_gb.htm

About 20 mi north of Paris, near Chantilly, there is a little village, Luzarches, which has a hotel that was the former hunting lodge of nobility years ago. Beautiful grounds, complete with moat! It's called the Chateau de Chaumontel, but for whatever reason, I can't get the website today. Think it's www.chateau.chaumontel.fr

Lovely place, reasonably priced, and nice restaurant on the premises.

Aha, discovered my error in website:

it's www.chateau-chaumontel.fr

I have stayed at Chateau d&quot;Ermenonville twice and recommend it. It is a bit shabby but the food is sensational. Its a great location to explore the surrounding area (Chantilly, Senlis etc.). Its about 20 mins to CDG airport (about a 50 Euro taxi ride).

http://www.chateau-ermenonville.com/frameuk.htm

I have also stayed at Chateau Montvillargenne. Far more up-market than Ermenonville and more expensive. It has a really great restuarant also.

http://www.chateaudemontvillargenne....ntation_us.htm

regards Ger

I think all the suggestions you've gotten are good-Senlis, Chantilly, the chateaux. Remember you probably want air conditioning at that time of year. St. Germaine-en-Laye is another option. Not sure about hotels there though.

in st-germaine de laye we stayed at the relais et chateau hotel Forestiere. very nice, and a bit rural to boot.

Don't forget that many French families leave on vacation on Aug. 1st for a month off. Be warned of major congestion at airports and train stations!

Yes, air conditioning...hmmm, I do not believe that any of the chateau style places mentioned above have air conditioning, do they? Possibly Montvillargenne?

Would any of the above-mentioned be a good location for spending the last night before an early flight out of CDG? I was tentatively planning the Courtyard by Marriott. Also, do you 'experts' turn your rental car in the night before and take a shuttle or taxi to the airport?

for an early flight you'd be better off at an airport hotel so you can just hop on the shuttle to the terminal.

Vedette,

The negative rating on the restaurant attached to the Logis de France hotel in Senlis was from a colleague whose judgment seems good generally. So not based on firsthand experience.