mschock

We a visiting France this summer and would like to know if traveling only by train is convenient? We will be visiting Mont St Michael, Rocamadour, Dijon and Paris. All in about 10 days. Thanks

rex

My short answer would be no.

Best wishes,

Rex

jpie

I would agree with Rex, it might be tough. Dijon and Paris aren't a big deal, but both St. Michel and Rocamadour would be tough. You could book a bus tour to Mont St Michel. The hardest by train only is definitely Rocamodour. Also, in general you have carved out kind of a big territory to cover in 10 days. I am guessing the general advice would be to either base in Paris and do a couple of side trips Mont St. Michel for instance, or to split the trip, say 5 days in Paris and then choose another region to get a taste of...

euripide

Trains are great for big cities ( PAris-Marseille, etc )
for Rocamadour or Mont St Michel, no trains, and I am not sure about bus.
Why did you choose this itinerary ? I would skip Mt St Michel, so much tourists and shops ruin the place.

margo_oz

I managed Mont St Michel by train without problems.

Rocamadour has got me beat, though!

euripide

what do you mean by " got me beat" ? did you like it ?

Dave_in_Paris

Euripide,

I think Margo means that she could not find a way to get to Rocamadour by public transportation.

Your thoughts about the crowds at Mont St. Michel bring up a quandary: When a place is especially nice, now that so many people are able to travel, large numbers of visitors come -- sometimes such large numbers that it becomes quite a bit harder to enjoy that very nice place!

I love Honfleur,and I do not mind the summer crowds in that most charming of Normand towns with its cobbled streets and half-timbered houses and museums and art galleries and restaurants, (and which you can reach easily from Paris without a car, Margo), but my wife would rather not stay there there in July or August when the quais of the lovely Old Harbor are teeming with people, especially on the weekends. It is not a problem for us, since we live close by all the year. But everyone is not so close to the places of their dreams.

So for all of the places like Mont St. Michel that are so nice, and so busy, what are we to do?

Sally808

I am traveling to Paris in June,you folks sound knowledgeable..I want to go to Chantilly from Paris, is that easy by train? Can we walk to the chateau&stables. Has anyone been to Provins by train, if you have, can you walk to the medival events that the town presents?I don't really want to do a tour.Any help would be appreciated.

Gretchen

Sally, I would post a separate thresd.
For the OP, all this in 10 days is stretching let alone, probably not possible to do all by train.

gracejoan

Sally,
I have taken the train to Chantilly..easy trip. Yes, you walk to everything..there are performances and an excellent horse museum. Enjoy.

I have not taken the train to Provins. I think it is also an easy trip...

ira

Hi ms,

It is 7-10 hr by train from Dijon to Rocamadour via Paris, with a change of train stations.

I suggest that you base in Paris and visit MSM and Dijon as daytrips or overnights.

mschock

I am going because my husband wants to see Mont St Michael and Rocamadour. Paris is obvious and Dijon a traveling companion has a cousin living in that region. We are staying in Paris for a week, the ten days was a guessestimate for how much longer we needed. How about renting a car? Would we have to spend a lot of time driving to the other three places? (not Paris), thanks for your help.

ira

Hi ms,

You are planning on Dijon, MSM and Rocamadour in 10 days - right?

I suggest train from Paris to MSM for a daytrip or an overnight.

Train from Paris to Dijon.

Rent car in Dijon and drive to Rocamadour.

Train schedules are at www.sncf.com
driving directions are at www.viamichelin.com or www.mappy.com

cocofromdijon

and a few pictures of Dijon to give you an idea... :
http://www.ofoto.fr/BrowsePhotos.jsp...id=43499444733

if you need more info...
corinne

Intrepid1

One way to do the Paris-MSM trip by rail is to take the TGV to Rennes and a bus runs from the station to MSM. There are also plenty of organized tour companies in Paris that will bus you there and back.

I think that Ira has given you the best and most useful advice especially about the car rental in Dijon.

Do NOT even THINK that if you rent a car you are going to beat a high speed train in France in terms of timing and getting between major cities; but the car rental is best for the more out of the way destinations.

RonZ

Try this one for train travel in the Paris region.

http://idf.sncf.fr/GB/default.htm

StCirq

That's a really odd combination of places to visit on a 10-day trip. And no, it won't be at all convenient by train. Whether you rent a car or not, I'd rethink where you want to go, as right now you're all over the map. I can't see making a trip to Rocamadour, for example, unless you're planning about a week in the Dordogne or Lot.

Michael

Dijon to Rocamadour is a whole day's drive. I do not recommend it. I suspect that Rocamadour is on the list because it is or was a pilgrimage site. That's the only connection I can see with Mont St. Michel.