2 day trip from Paris

perhaps the champagne region?

Troyes or Caen or Rouen

We do 2 to 4 night side trips from Paris with each trip. We have enjoyed Metz (which has a wonderful museum of the archeological finds in the region), Lille, Lyon, Chartres for the illuminations, St. Malo, Nantes and Anger -- all of them were interesting. (also Normandy, Burgundy and Alsace)

If you have not done Lyon that would be my choice, but they are all interesting and 3 nights would be better than 2, but two is worth doing.

Karen,
Reims or Rouen. Rouen is in a lovelier area for scenery, IMO. Reims cathedral is where nearly every king of France was crowned and also where the surrender for WWII was signed. Rouen has the Joan of Arc connection (and the Julia Child connection too!) It is also close the the Route des Abbayes (Jumieges Abbey ruins are magnificent).

We really liked the Alsace Lorraine area. It is easy to take a train from Paris to Strasbourg. We stayed in Strasbourg for 2 nights and took the train to Colmar for a day also. You can look at You Tube videos and see if it interests you.

Rouen or Trier. I love both, and they're quite different. Rouen is Norman, has a great cathedral and the whole "Joan of Arc" thing going on. Trier is German, has a great cathedral, and is covered in Roman history and Ruins. Both are easy to walk, both have rivers running through them, but the food, scenery, and feel is completely different. The end of April is a perfect time to visit either.

Hi Karen,

I am just researching this same idea. I am thinking about Amboise and seeing a couple chateaux.

My first time in Paris we did two day trips also:

• one to Caen, from where we rented a car and saw all the British and Canadian D-Day sites;
• one to Blois, from where we rented bikes and rode out to Chateau de Chambord.

Both were amazing.