3 day trip from Paris

The Loire Valley is certainly possible. Amsterdam and Nice might not be the best idea as it would involved a bit too much wated travel time back and forth. If we are given ideas about your interest, we'll be better able to advise.

I am traveling with my 32 year old daughter. We wanted to be somewhere fun to explore, with good food, as well as interesting shopping. Amsterdam and Nice are close enough. We were actually considering going to Italy. It would be a long weekend 3-4 days. Thank you

What kind of shopping? If you're thinking clothing, you could consider Milan. Perfect for 3 nights, IMO. You could throw in a day trip to Lake Como if you'd like.

But the Loire Valley is soooo much easier from Paris. No plane needed; 1 hour train ride and you're in Tours. Hard to beat, frankly.

Take a look at Colmar in the Alsace - or Strasbourg. They're only a couple of hours via train from Paris. Lots of beautiful villages in the area as well on the Route du Vin.

What about Lyon? Fantastic food scene, and because of its long history with the silk industry, it has some interesting shopping for clothes, scarves, textiles, etc. Also good antiquing, vintage, flea markets, and so on. There's even an outlet mall out in the burbs! But back to the food -- really a stellar foodie destination.

Thank you. Will look into these. Great suggestions

You didn't say what month of the year? I'm not suggesting that you should set your plans for what people will ask you about when you get back, but Americans do tend to ask travelers about Mont St. Michel and about the Normandy beaches (as if there were nothing else in Normandy.) But if you prefer relaxation, dining, and shopping, you have some suggestions already. Do you prefer not to rent a car? The Loire is much harder without a car. Note that there are at least two big car companies at the St. Pierre des Corps TGV station.

You mentioned a weekend. I don't think Amsterdam pairs well with Paris, but it's a very nice destination for newer European travelers. Would you be interested in spending your last days in Amsterdam and flying out of that busy airport. (Yes, depends on flight availability for your home city.)

We spend weeks in Paris and do this every trip.

Amsterdam is a good 3 night trip
Lyon is great.
We once visited Angers and Nantes for 5 nights and it was also a pleasure
St. Malo would be lovely and you can do day trips in the area by bus or boat depending on time of year.
This spring we are going to Lille for 2 or 3 nights.
We did Annecy for 4 nights with a side trip from there to Chamonix -- it was wonderful.
We once spent 3 nights in Nice
Last year we went to Montpellier, but for a week and then did day trips in the region.

There are just so many. We haven't done the Loire this way as we have driven through the Loire on previous trips and visited a castle or two each time so I don't know a base to recommend. FWIW. it is so easy to get to many chateaux from Paris that it would be lower on my list.

I would not want to go as far as Nice or Italy with so little time -- but of course with budget airlines, you could stow most of your stuff in Paris and just carry small bags and fly anywhere. Most of my suggestions are not shopping meccas and in fact Paris is your best bet for shopping. Lyon is a food capital with a lots of interesting cuisine. The traboules are interesting and worth a day to explore. Not sure about shopping as it is not our thing.

Amsterdam is our favorite 3 night town -- we used to end our trips there and fly from there as we prefer it to CDG. I don't know about shopping there either -- great museums (book well ahead) and just very very beautiful -- lots of good restaurants and we personally like Dutch food.

Another vote for Colmar. Not so much for shopping, but the food scene is great. Super mix of French, German, and local specialties. In addition to the town itself, there are several trips that can be done to local vineyards.