Cathedral and palace choices outside Paris

All the cathedrals are wonderful - Rouen is more austere than Reims or Chartres , my choice would be Reims and Chartres . BUT here is a third possibility -- Reims , which is the coronation site of many of the French kings , and Saint Denis , just north of the 18th , where a great number of them are entombed . It is fascinating to see the historical connections , and the funerary art at Saint Denis is incomparable .

Yes, Steven - St. Denis is on my list! Thought it would be good for the day we arrive. This will be my 4th trip to Paris and I've never been there. Concentrating on side trips along with a few inside Paris things we have missed.... My husband has requested only one church a day. Another contributor introduced me to Tom's Guide to Paris - he lists St. Denis 1st on things to do. Hoping to wrap up some loose ends in 8 full days then we are going to Dijon for two days, finally picking up a Viking trip to Avignon. In two years we hope to rent a village cottage and drive around the countryside - maybe we should save Chartres for that trip....

Colleen, If you have to choose between Chartres, Rouen, and Reims, I would suggest Rouen & Reims. Yes, they are in opposite directions, but both are steeped in history and both can be done as day trips from Paris. TC

Good problem to have, so many choices! I haven't seen Rouen so this may not be worth much, but I'd go for Chartres and Reims. Chartres is an hour by train from Gare Montparnasse, an easy day trip. Its architecture is unique, and if you can take Malcolm Miller's tour you'll get a lot more out of it. But check before you go -- last year they were doing extensive work on the interior and windows, and some of the windows were covered by scaffolding. Some folks on this board were disappointed. But by now the work may be finished or less conspicuous. Reims is also wonderful and makes more logistic sense on your way to your cruise. If you go there, take half an hour to check out the old Roman gate a few blocks north of the cathedral.

St-Denis is a great place to visit, a short Metro ride from central Paris. Not the most attractive surroundings but filled with history and an example of the earliest Gothic architecture.

Can't help you on Fontainebleau vs. Vaux. Fountainebleau may be easier to get to and from. Could also be a stop on your way out of Paris.

I have the same decision to make, for an upcoming trip, between Vaux and Fontainebleau.
I've chosen Fontainebleau, for its fine interiors and the sweep of history connected with it.
It's also a bit easier to get to.
For example, Rick's guidebook has detailed instructions on getting to Vaux, but even he calls getting there "tricky."
For that and other reasons I've decided to go to Fontainebleau.

Good point Kent - anyone out there had any logistical issues getting to Vaux?

Good point Kent - anyone out there had any logistical issues getting
to Vaux?

Well, yes, apparently Rick has (although I thought he has help in taking care of these minor details) :)
Here's what he says in his book: "Some travelers consider these [minibus] excursion options [to Vaux] worthwhile given the tricky train access [to Vaux]."

Colleen , just my personal view -- day of arrival ( for us ) is not a good day for anything that requires in depth attention . I understand that everyone differs on this , but if you can , leave St. Denis for a day when you aren't fighting lag from the trip , There is a lot of detail there , and being rested and alert will enable you to appreciate it all the more . Aside from the cathedral itself , the statuary in the crypt is incredible , particularly the Transi tombs therein . A look here will explain what is in store , Have a great trip !http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cadaver_tomb

the Transi tombs

Steven,
Yes! The standing transi effigy of John Donne in St. Paul's (London) is a different form of this.

Yes, we have seen several cadaver tombs in Rome - unbelievable. Very excited to visit St. Denis.

If you are traveling between March 8th and November 8th, getting to Vaux Le Vicomte is not tricky if you take the local (TER) train from Gare de Lyon to Melun. There is a shuttle bus that is coordinated with the TER train on certain days; it leaves 15 minutes after the train arrives. Alternatively, you can take a taxi. I have heard of people walking the 6 kilometers from the station but I have never done it. The trickiness is solved by not taking the RER to Melun because the shuttle is not timed to coordinate with the RER, which al so takes longer to make the trip than the TER train. To reach the shuttle bus stop, follow the orange marking on the ground. The station is situated at the beginning of the avenue Gallieni, at 11 o’clock when you are standing with the train station in your back.

That's a great tip JHK! Thank you...we will be there in October.

I think you will love St-Denis! I've been to Chartres, Rouen, and Reims, all beautiful. I prefer Rouen and Reims to Chartres, but Chartres is so close to Paris that it may be easy enough to go there for a morning or afternoon from Paris. I'm not helping at all, am I?

I hate to keep doing commercials for this company, but Paris CityVision tour company has a bus tour of Vaux le Vicomte and Fountainbleau that takes you right to the palaces without any hassle. Leaves from the rue du Rivoli. Undoubtedly costs more than taking the train yourself, but no hassle at all.
But St. Denis and Chartres are easy to get to on the train/metro.

We did Vaux le Vicompte on a day when the shuttle was not running from the train station. We took a cab and had the people at the chateau call a cab for the return. It was a hassle but worth it. IMHO Vaux le Vicompte is the best chateau experience in the Ile de France. You can see our visit at www.janettravels.wordpress.com under the day trips from Paris category. There are also snapshots of St. Denis in that section -- another wonderful Paris experience.

I thought Chartres was the 'best Cathedral' with Reims second and Rouen third -- all well worth a visit. The churches in Senlis are also very interesting and it is a wonderful medieval town for a day trip from Paris.

Something else to add if you go to Reims , just across the rail tracks a bit northwest of the Gare , is a red brick schoolhouse , worth a bit of time . It is La Musee de la Reddition , where on May 7 . 1945 , the Germans signed the document that brought the end to the Second World War . A small but interesting museum , and the room where the signing took place remains unchanged to this day and open to visitors ( somewhat like the Churchill War Rooms in London , though quite a bit smaller ) .

Thank you Steven, we will do that. We have 8 full days before we leave for Dijon and this trip is dedicated, mostly, to side trips we have not done on our other 3 trips. I have decided, at the suggestion of a friend, to combine Giverney and Rouen. We will be there the beginning of October so the crowds will be much smaller than in the summer. She did this two years ago and said it worked out great. Combining those two and then combining my morning trip to Porte Vanes Flea Market with St. Denis after 11am will allow us to fit everything in. If I encounter any other glitches, I will consider taking the tour suggested above combining Fountainbleau/vicomte. I appreciate all of the suggestions you have given me, especially St Denis! This site is wonderful - such a great tool.

You haven't asked this, but if I may suggest a hotel in Rouen, the Hotel de la Cathedral is next door (next portico?) to the cathedral and a short stroll to the town centre.

Appreciate the recommendation Norma - thank you!

Hi,

I know it's not included in the list of three choices, but if distance is a factor, you might want to go to Amiens (take the train from Gare du Nord) for its cathedral instead of Rouen, that is, unless you've seen the famous Amiens cathedral.

Hi,

Between the two Fontainebleau or Vaux le Vicomte: I've visited both more than once. Fontainebleau is a lot easier to get to by public transportation. Once there at the train from from Paris, immediately outside is the bus going to the Chateau, or it's ca 45 mins on foot.

As to interest I preferred Fontainebleau much more, depends on what you're after. The last time I saw the Chateau and the town too was in 2010.

Colleen - Thought about using the search option above? Type a few names and you will find a lot of info.