Wanted: Suggestions for Day Trips or Overnights from Paris, France.

[Peter 14.7]

Dear All

As the title suggests we have three weeks in Paris in September/October 2012 booked.

This is our second trip and wife speaks pretty good french, me the basic. We did the round France last time except Alsace and Dijon.

And this trip we are "sans Enfant" that is "without daughter" so we are going to base ourselves in Paris and do some day trips as well as all the Paris museums/markets/cafes we missed last time.

So please suggest all and any day trips or overnights except Versailles as we did that. Also any great Paris experiences as well. And lastly, is Moulin Rouge worth the $100 each?

Thanking all

Pierre 14.7

 

[cimbom]

Monaco? Corsica?

 

[JamesGG]

We spent two weeks in Paris for our honeymoon earlier this year. Loved it. We were based in the Opera district, walked just about everywhere but didn't get outside of Paris itself... next time. We barely saw enough as it was!

A few favourites that we can remember off the top of our head;

• Moulin Rouge definitely worth it. Fantastic show. Most tables are for four or more, so you may end up sharing if you just book two standard tickets.
• Le Roi du Pot Au Feu - 34 rue Vignon - possibly the best meal that we had there. Inconspicuous little place but popular with the locals. Be prepared to queue along the bar.
• About five doors down is La Maison du Miel - The House of Honey - Import friendly, we brought HEAPS home
• We also dined at the Jules Verne at the top of the Eiffel Tower. One of those things you only do once I think, but having a window table there at night with the whole city lit up for an eight-course meal (with matching wines!) was pretty special.
• Walking the catacombs beneath Paris was a mind-blowing experience.
• We added a padlock to the Pont des Arts bridge. Hopefully it's still there next time we go back!
• If you've been before, you probably already know that Peirre Hermes makes amazing macarons and Pierre Marcolini makes amazing chocolates.

I'm sure that you'll have a great time there mate. We both wish that we could go back already!

 

[SeafordSunshine]

Monet's garden at Giverny!

Hi
you take the train from Paris, about an hour and 1/2, its a lovely day you get to see lots of wonderful paintings, his wonderful gardens the source of much of his inspiration!
Very romantic for the two of you!
The waterlilies ....
the flowers...
the perfumes...

Also Chartres cathedral, also about an hour from Paris.. in my opinion better than Notre Dame, more serene, less hangers on ....
Cheers
Seaford Sunshine

 

[Oscar]

The Palace of Fontainebleau,

55 kilometres from the centre of Paris. Day trip extraordinaire!!

 

[CHam]

You have to get to Mont St Michel.

Was and still is the most amazing place I have seen.

 

[Belbo]

France? Riddled with socialists! You'd need more than a day trip from Paris to rid that aroma from your portmanteau. Sacre bleu! I suggest bolt for Berlin and don't look back.

 

[evand]

HAHA! Funny! Like they say, France is a great place but too many French people there.

France? Riddled with socialists! You'd need more than a day trip from Paris to rid that aroma from your portmanteau. Sacre bleu! I suggest bolt for Berlin and don't look back.

 

[Ideo]

Versailles.

Amazing.

Last time I was there I did an overnight trip down to Poitiers which was interesting. Have a friend at the university there.

 

[dan c]

We did a day trip to Villers Brettoneux, to see the town and the Australian war memorial. It was well worth the trip, but don't go on a Monday or Tuesday, as the museum in town is closed.

Monaco and Nice is probably too far for a day trip, but worth it if you can schedule a couple of days.

Really enjoyed the Moulin Rouge, and loved the Musee d'Orsay, more so than the Louvre.

 

[Aaron Sice]

my wife and i are headed over for our 10th wedding anniversary on the back of my FB short.

i'll be watching this with interest.

 

[coolcup69]

I second Versailles. Really easy to get to (a 1 hour train from Paris) and you can spend however long you want in the gardens and the various galleries. Very romantic getaway spot

 

[zed_kid]

Moulin Rouge not worth it! you gotta wait in line for ages and bribe the bloke at the door for a decent table, even with reservations (this is my experience and IMO)

 

[coolcup69]

So many memories come flooding back

You should also spend time in the Rodin Museum - this is the sculptor who did the "thinker". It's a beautiful gallery, mostly set outdoors with the sculptors surrounded by gardens. Very nice.

 

[Graemsay]

I don't know Paris, but if you want an excursion there's a fast rail link to Brussels and Amsterdam. It's about three hours to Amsterdam, and I'd guess around half that to Brussels.

Amsterdam's got the Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum, and Anne Frank House. I also like the Ship Museum, which has reopened after major renovations.

Oh, it's also got the red light district, but that's really been cleaned up in the last few years. Warmoesstraat is almost looking respectable... (I'm currently just around the corner. )

I don't know what Brussels has to offer on the cultural front, and I'd take a visit to Amsterdam over it, but they've got the best chips, beer and chocolate. That said, most of these are imported to the Netherlands.

 

[Peter 14.7]

Monaco? Corsica?

Too far, sorry, PeteR

 

[Peter 14.7]

The Palace of Fontainebleau,

55 kilometres from the centre of Paris. Day trip extraordinaire!!

On the list. Peter

 

[Peter 14.7]

Hi
you take the train from Paris, about an hour and 1/2, its a lovely day you get to see lots of wonderful paintings, his wonderful gardens the source of much of his inspiration!
Very romantic for the two of you!
The waterlilies ....
the flowers...
the perfumes...

Also Chartres cathedral, also about an hour from Paris.. in my opinion better than Notre Dame, more serene, less hangers on ....
Cheers
Seaford Sunshine

Will look in to that one, Peter

 

[Peter 14.7]

You have to get to Mont St Michel.

Was and still is the most amazing place I have seen.

Was on the list last time when we stayed in Normandy BUT it was high season and the local paper showed the line of cars waiting to get there was like 5 km long at 9:30am.

This time is low season. Would be an overnight er. It is really that good, how far by train?

Peter

 

[Peter 14.7]

France? Riddled with socialists! You'd need more than a day trip from Paris to rid that aroma from your portmanteau. Sacre bleu! I suggest bolt for Berlin and don't look back.

That why I feel at home in France.

They are all "Bon viveur", eat extravagantly, value passion, pretend their egalitarian, yet secretly are capitalists. Just like me.

Au revoir

Pierre Quatorze.Sep

PS A "bon viveur" is a person who enjoys the good things of life, especially food. The phrase is derived from the French bon vivant, meaning good living, a bon viveur being a "good liver", or one who lives well