Towns within an hour of Paris by Train?
 

Hi everyone,

We are flying in and out of Paris in March. At the end of our trip, we'll be coming from Amsterdam and instead of staying in Paris would like to spend our last two nights somewhere close enough to Paris to take a train (about an hour or so) so that we can catch an afternoon flight. My initial thought was Reims. We won't have a car.

Any other ideas? We like champagne and wine. Enjoy smaller walkable towns where we can enjoy the scenery, the people, and the food!

If you like champagne, Reims is an excellent choice. Or Epernay...

Hi IL,

>...would like to spend our last two nights somewhere close enough to Paris to take a train (about an hour or so) so that we can catch an afternoon flight. <

Not recommended. What do you do if the train is delayed or if there is a strike tht day?

((I))

Good point Ira. Do they strike a lot?

I guess i was thinkign if we took the train in early in the morning that would give us plenty of time if delayed?

Hi IL,

You will want to be at the airport 2:30 - 3:00 hr before your plane leaves.

If your train doesn't go to CDG, you will have to get to the airport from Paris. That adds nearly an hour.

It will take an hour, or so, to get to Paris.

If your plane leaves at 14:00, you will have to leave at 09:00. What if something untoward happens and you can't get a train until 11:00?

>Do they strike a lot? <

More often than necessary. More important, what if you happen to be there the only day of the year that there is a strike?

My rule is that one spends the night before leaving in the city from which one is leaving.

Why not do your visit outside Paris first?
((I))

Good idea...i haven't made any hotel reservations yet so we could easily do our paris visit last before departing and upon arrival go straight to Bayeux for our Normandy tour.

This is why I come to you guys to double-check what i'm doing!!!

The reference library of a city near you may have the Thomas Cook European Rail Timetable. This shows that 70 minutes or less from Paris lie Amiens, Creil, Compeigne, Epernay, Fontainebleu, Montereau, Chartres, Dreux, Beauvais and Creil. I do not know France, but think Amiens and Chartres might suit you well.

Ben Haines, London
bh@yahoo .co.uk

Mr Haines, so nice to see you again!

I would think staying in either Versailles or Chartres would be perfect, as you will get your "smaller walkable towns with scenery, people and food". Alternatively, you could stay in Rueil-Malmaison, the town just past the "Grande-Arche de la Defense" stop on the RER. It is the town where Josephine and Napoleon Bonaparte had one of their chateaus (Malmaison). I was there for a day trip last year and enjoyed myself immensely. The little cafes and restaurants in town and the friendly people belied the fact that I was a mere 35 minutes away from Paris. I can't wait to go back there again!