Annellaw

We'll be back in Paris in late Sept/early Oct and want to spend 2-3 days in the country. We don't want to spend more than 2-3 hours travelling from Paris; it needs to be accessible by rail; and we would like a small to medium size place with some things to do, but not necessarily museums, wines etc. Somewhere where we can absorb a bit of 'local' atmosphere and not too many tourists.
Any ideas?

Ronda

Loire Valley. Perhaps Amboise. A car is very nice for getting around this area but you can also take those small tour buses to see chateau.

ira

Hi A,

Auxerre, Dijon/Beaune.

PalQ

Closer to Paris - Chantilly, Compiegne, Senlis, Fontainbleu (though most of these towns have famous chateaux they are, away from the chateau, real ordinary regional French towns - Versailles is too, though a bit upscale - the delightful town away from the palace sees very few tourists.
Already mentioned, Amboise, Auxerre, Dijon and Beaune are also very nice towns
Reims, a larger town, is also a fine regional town even if you don't take the famous Champagne cave tours, which are fun even if you don't drink the samples of bubbly at the end of the tour.

indytravel

I'll put Troyes into the mix. Half-timbered buildings in the old town, some nice, small museums, several churches to see. There's outlet shopping on the outskirts of town. I've not been to the outlets but I would imagine you can take a city bus there.

It's about an hour and a half train ride from Paris. I've been twice. Once for a 3 night stay a few years ago. Then this past October as a day trip from Paris.

kerouac

Hah... with the TGV, 3 hours from Paris is Marseille!

Nevertheless, I would recommend places less than 2 hours from Paris: Avallon in Burgundy, for example, or Moret-sur-Loing, which is merely in the far suburbs of Paris. Both are out of Gare de Lyon.

TimS

Consider Chartres, for the town itself, not just the cathedral.

JC98

TimS, is it possible to do Chartre as a daytrip? We want to see the cathedral and a bit of the town too. And we have to do it by train, no car.

Thanks.

PalQ

Tres facile, Chartres - the train station (70 mins from Paris Montparnasse station; about hourly) lets you off within view of the cathedral high above, on Chartres highest hill, as medieval cathedrals were want to be built. The town is compact as well - i agree with Tim that Chartres is great, apart from the world famous cathedral.
You pass the tourist office on the way from station to church - they have walking tours you do on your own via Walkmans and maps, etc. Try to get down to the Eure river part of town where there are some delightful old houses lining the river - few tourists ferret these out. Chartres has some other impressive churches that would be gems in other towns but literally overshadowed here by the cathedral.
tours of the cathedral can make the stones come to life - Malcom Miller, as despicable as he can be (see many rantings about him from me and others on Fodors posts!) can be however a highlight of your trip. The Michelin green guide to France will however tell you enough of the cathedral's intriguing history.
Yes, Chartres a real regional town apart from the cathedral where most tourists go and don't venture anywhere else. Easy easy day trip.

JC98

PalQ, thanks for the detailed info!

Is Friday a good day to go to the Chartre Cathedral? And should I go only if the weather is good? Sunny days are better for stained glass viewing? Morning or afternoon?

I think I read somewhere about an outdoor market in Chartre? Not sure it's on on Fridays?

Thanks!

ira

Hi JC98

FYI: It is ChartreS.

The stained glass is fine as long as it is not solidly overcast.

Half the interest is watching the colors change as the sun moves and the clouds roll by.

JC98

Thanks, ira, for the response and spelling lesson.

Annellaw

Thanks - I'm checking these out, but would also really appreciate some options on smaller places, similar to Barbizon, in the countryside, where we can chill out, have some nice meals and not be bothered to do much at all. Unfortunately, we're utterly terrified at the prospect of driving (and it's not an option), so it has to be via public transport.

PalQ

No trains to Barbizon.
JC98 - not sure about market but there is a big outdoor covered market hall in the town center.
As for time with best sun - Ira i think has it - evenings. The huge rose window at the front of the church faces west and thus is bathed in sunlight then - the two huge rose windows on either sides of the church may not get all that much sun and the part of the church facing east i think has small windows - thus i wouldn't think sunrise would be the best time except perhaps for the surrealistic perhaps gradual illuminating of the church.
Google Office de Tourisme de Chartres and maybe the market question would be answered. Friday does stick in my mind.
Now back to OP - you're looking for a small town with not much to do and easy train access - well here's one Etampes, about 40 minutes south of Paris via RER C or sporadic mainline train from Austerlitz. A regional town with zero tourists but one unique attraction - a church with a very leaning tower that is separating from the church itself. Very weird - a pleasant regional town on the edge of the Beauce, France's fabled cereal basket of rich farmland. Station right in town. Pleasant town center - something no one else ever goes to but a nice enough town.

PalQ

A bit more touristy but a whole lot more village than most of the other suggestions - Auvers-sur-Oise - yes reproductions of Van Gogh paintings and Cezanne and other Impressionists put up where they painted them but relatively few tourists - definitely not a Giverny. Delightful small village on a tranquil river. 45 mins by rail from Paris. No must sights but lots of interesting ones.

Annellaw

Thanks, PalQ.
Auvers-sur-Oise is exactly the kind of place we're looking for. We visited last May, and there were only 2 other people there. Great crepes too. It was quite moving to stand where Van Gogh had once painted, and to see over the same fields and scenes. It's a hidden treasure.
Our friends then drove us across to Barbizon, which is extremely pretty, if a little post-cardy for me.
Will do the research on the great suggestions, but it's a bit hard to find any information. Webshots often has some great pics of people's travels, which helps.
Thanks to you all.