shirley82

Hi all-
I'm being sent to Paris for work (weeee!!) and am getting there 5 days early so that I can make a vacation out of it. While I certainly could spend the whole 9 days in Paris, I was thinking of heading somewhere else for a day or two.

I'd like to go to Versailles, but it seems that it's just a day trip. Could I go elsewhere from there and then head back to Paris? Is it worth it to try and go out to Brussles? South of France?

There's two of us - both women in our mid twenties, fairly easily amused : ) Also, this is the first trip to Paris for both of us, so you won't be repeating anything no matter what you suggest.

Thanks for the help!

Michel_Paris

Lucky you!

If you haven't been to Paris before, 5 days would scratch the surface, so you might want to be flexible in your planning.

Places I've been..
Versailles, Reims (Champagne), Chartres, Auvers sur Oise, Fontainebleau, and Giverny are possible day trips.

For a couple of days, Loire, Normandy might be possibilities. I went to Lyon last fall and it was great. TGV takes about 2 hours. South of france, near mountains. Famous for its food, very nice Old Town, roman ruins, good art museum, university town, nice architecture, good metro..I did an extended long weekend there.

You could also consider TGV to Amsterdam.

stanleys

I suggest that you go to Paris...spend some time and then consider taking a side trip. I think you will want to spend all your time in Paris.

You can make a day trip to Versailles. A 2 or 3 day trip to Normandy.

Have fun ...Paris is wonderful.

ira

Hi S,

If you will have 9 days in Paris AND will have some time from work to do some sightseeing, you might want to do an overnight to Dijon.

PalQ

And in 2.5 hours you could be in Paris via the Eurostar 'Chunnel' train - if doing this buy tickets far in advance to get the cheapest fares - like the $140 return fare thru RailEurope. Or a day return fare for about $97. Goes to Waterloo station in the heart of London.

shirley82

So, an update. I'll actually only be officially working for 3 days of what now seems like nearly 10 full days in Paris. So an overnight trip is a very distinct possibility.

Can I really do Versailles in 6 hours start to finish? That was according to Rick Steves I think.

I wish I could go to Paris first and then leave, but unfortunately my leisure time will be before my work begins, so if I'm going to go anywhere, it'll have to be on the earlier side of my time there.

Dijon looks BEAUTIFUL...and pretty manageable. Lyon also looks amazing. I feel like I can't do Normandy justice in two days and without a car. Am I wrong?

Thanks for the help everyone! Still looking through some of these.

JoeTro

I think you should spend a full day Versailles if possible. There is tons to see there, and now they have added more of Marie Antionette's stuff there is even more.

cocofromdijon

<Dijon looks BEAUTIFUL...and pretty manageable.> thanks shirley you're right! http://tinyurl.com/okerl
And it is only 1h40 from Paris.

Don't forget to go to the tourist office and ask for the owl's trail to see all the nice sites of Dijon.

LadyOLeisure

When will you be there? Frankly I didn't like Versailles all that much. AND they are refurbishing the hall of mirrors so you don't even get the full effect of that. We got a lot more "different from Paris" vibes doing a daytrip to Giverny...and Monet's house and gardens are beautiful (but maybe not in February).

I would suggest a trip to either the Loire Valley to see the chateaus and countryside, (spend the night in Tours or Blois) or zip down to Dijon -- hopefully to catch one of the antique markets on a Sunday.

PalQ

Yes Dijon gives a hoot - and is a fine regional town, once the seat of the powerful Dukes of Burgundy and a nice nice town - also can do leisurely day trips into the heart of Burgundy wine area - by car, bike or train - trains go to places like Nuits-Saint-Georges, Gevrey-Chambertin and Beaune - in many ways the wine capital, commercially, of Burgundy wines i believe - Beaune, about 45 mins from Dijon by train, is also a wonderful old-looking town well worth a look.
If into biking rent a bike and cycle along the Burgundy Wine Road, passing famous wine houses (tours, tastings and buying) - 25 miles or so to Beaune, can return with bike by train - a lovely winding road at the foot of hills - i rode it once and it's a highlight of my French sojourns.

shirley82

Suppose I forgot to mention that. I'll be there October 6-16, with the leisure portion of the trip heavily weighted towards the beginning.

Visitingnow

>I'd like to go to Versailles, but it seems that it's just a day trip.

Much more than a day. you will wear yourself out if you try to do it all at once.

The gardens and Marie Antoinettes house on the little train can take a day if the weather is good and you are willing to walk around as well. Cant take a picnic I am araid as food is forbidden also you may get moved on if you try to sit on the grass anywhere but still very worth a day out.

Another day it is worth seeing the Dolphins apartments. These are quite spectacular and give you a nice taste of thing to come.

A full tour either via the audio guides of the thour guide in the main palace / Loius place, is best left to last. I personally would recommend doing this either later in a day or first thing as then you avoid the main onsluaght of tourists. It can get very crowded here at peak times.

Also ... it is worth spending some time to get to know the Place be Marche. A lovely market square that is surrounded by some fab restaurants. There are like 15 or so on each side of the Market Square

foodmuse

hi I am going also spending 9 days in Paris for the first time!
I'm little confused by visitingnow's comment about not bring a picnic to Versailles. Every other board I read insists on bringing a picnic as the food their is overpriced and not that great. I'd love to get the skinny on this. Too bad the Hall of Mirrors is closed. I really wanted to see that.
As always everyone here is such a great resource.

JoeTro

I don't think the Hall of Mirrors is closed, but only that they are working on 1/2 of it so that part can't be seen (at least it was that way in 2004). I guess you wouldn't get the full effect, but I still enjoyed it.

suze

I could easily spend 10 days in Paris, no trips anywhere else. Just poke around in different parts of the city.

If you do want an overnight somewhere, I'd probably make it a big one. Like the speed train up to Amsterdam or down to Geneva/Lausanne.

JC98

You CAN sit, lie down, nap, make out on the lawn in Versaille! No problem. We've done it all, almost.

It was a nice, relaxing break! At least in early May when we went. Flowers were blooming, people boating. We walked all the way to the back. You could see sheep and Marie Antoinette's peasant village, playhouse, etc.

JC98

I think you could picnic there as well. I remember we bought in some pastries from outside and ate it on the lawn.

LoveParis9

bookmarking

Travelnut

Just to clarify about picnics - generally, you cannot be on any grassy areas or landscaped areas (there is a beautiful garden on one side, Jardin de la Roi, or something (have to look it up). You couldn't picnic on that lawn, for instance.

The only grassy area where <u>it is ok</u> is at the beginning of the canal, along the bank, across from the restaurant, bike rentals, etc. It is definitely ok there, have taken naps, picnic'd, heard French voices alongside, so this is the only location where it is permitted.

BRR

If you have all that time, ten days?...why not take the tgv (high speed train )down to Nice? If you have three days, it will work. Just stay two nights down there, you'll have a ball, you can take the train over to Monaco, or the other way to Antibes etc. if you're at all into art, you will be in heaven. (just check guidebooks about Picasso, Chagall, etc) Not to mention food, beach, etc. The French Riviera!!! By TGV...only four or five hours from Gare Lyon in Paris! Or check out cheap airfares! This fodors site has a tendency to older travelers, and they can be a bit stodgy...from what I can gather...and I'm &quot;old&quot;...but travel a lot with younger family members about your age. They LOVED Nice and that area. We blasted down there from Paris, for just two nights and then back up to Paris and we had a great time. We stayed at the Hotel Gounod...just a few blocks from the beach...and also just a few blocks from the train. Old town Nice has lots of fun night spots.

Take the train from Nice to Monaco, check out the casino, or just the parking lot of the casino for the amazing cars. I think it is so safe for young women, there are cameras everywhere and attractive tall dark handsome police officers in white uniforms on every corner. We felt very safe taking the &quot;last train&quot; back to Nice after an evening in Monte Carlo. Just make sure you have cash left to buy your ticket...

Also, from Paris, You should definitely go to Versailles, and plan to spend the whole day, and there are neat little cafes tucked into the trees where you can get a little pizza and a beer and relax and have fun. The hall of mirrors is still being redone, but I was there two years ago, and they keep half of it visible so you get the idea, and so just go and see it now, and then you can go back in a few years and see it completed and enjoy yourself all over again. Do day trip to Versailles...but otherwise, there is so much to enjoy in Paris, you won't run out of things to do and see.