I am going to be studying in Paris this summer for a month, then I am meeting a friend in Paris and we are going to tour Paris and surrounding areas. I would love to take a train to somewhere else, (Italy, Switzerland, Belgium or just the south of France) but we don't want to spend too much money or time and we will be returning home from Paris. Does anyone have any suggestions on close by destinations that we really can't miss????

Switzerland can be expensive unless you track down cheap accommodations, but they exist and it's worth exploring that possibility because the Alps are spectacular and unforgettable.

Here is an example of cheap summer accommodation in Switzerland:
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34610240

Indeed! When I was in Gimmelwald I saw signs for the Sleep in the Straw options. It seemed lovely to me. And Gimmelwald is quite the place to do it.

Because the Alps are such a hiker's destination, and attract so many young hikers in particular, I do think it's possible to find student-priced lodging.

Go to Brittany, there is so much to see & do...Go to Normandy beach, Omaha Beach, the American Cemetary. Go to Bayeaux and see the tapestry that depicts William the Conqueror's victory over the Saxons in England. Make a pilgrimage to Mont St. Michel, it is a UNESCO world heritage site. Go to St Malo & watch the tide come in. It rises 10 feet up the city walls. Go to La Baule, the Nice of Brittany (10 km of white sand beach).

Budget accommodations in Switzerland: www.rooms.ch

Hi bh,

Sometime around your second week in Paris you will know where you want to go. Don'tworry about it now.

Cheap airfares at www.whichbudget.com

Train schedules, prices and tickets at www.voyages-sncf.com.

Have a nice visit.