Chateaux Overload ? PMP and/or the Loire Valley

Each chateau is different. Versailles is certainly the most lavish. If I were you, I'd go to the Loire and pick out three chateau you really want to see. Be sure to check the open hours as it will be winter and some may be closed or have short hours. Also, the weather may be wet and cold, but on the bright side, there won't be huge crowds.

How many days in Paris? What length PMP ??

The chateaus in the Loire Valley are exquisite and on a different order to what can be seen in Paris (and a much more pleasant experience than Versailles). You're spending thousands of dollars on your trip, it would be silly to let a few hundred stand between you and the experience of visiting the Loire Valley chateaus.

My .02.

If you work out travel logistics, and Versailles aside, there are considerable delights in the chateaux around Paris included in the Paris Museum Pass, Fontainebleau and Chantilly perhaps the two standouts ...
http://en.parismuseumpass.com/musee-chateau-de-fontainebleau-54.htm
http://en.parismuseumpass.com/musee-musee-conde-chateau-de-chantilly-52.htm
http://en.parismuseumpass.com/musee-chateau-de-pierrefonds-57.htm
http://en.parismuseumpass.com/musee-chateau-de-rambouillet-laiterie-de-la-reine-et-chaumiere-aux-coquillages-59.htm
http://en.parismuseumpass.com/musee-musee-national-du-chateau-de-malmaison-56.htm
http://en.parismuseumpass.com/musee-musee-national-de-la-renaissance-chateau-d-ecouen-60.htm
http://en.parismuseumpass.com/musee-musees-et-domaine-nationaux-du-palais-de-compiegne-51.htm

I will be in Paris for 6 visiting days- arriving brutally early Sun AM and able to travel thru Friday, before departing on Saturday. There is only a 15E difference between the 4 day and the 6 day so I figured I would just get the 6 day and not stress myself about having to be at a certain place on a certain day. After all, it will be cold. Add in possible rain, snow, or wind and indoor things will be the winner.

I am open to any suggestions for fun or interesting things to do or see. I have had a couple of day trips to Paris- enough to want to go back to the Louvre and the Orsay, but don't need to do the ET or the boat ride again. I didn't get much wander time. This time I have a ticket to Paris and will have a hotel, but nothing else pre-ticketed or overplanned.

I think your idea of getting the six day pass is wise… and less stressful. I've visited the Loire Valley and especially enjoyed Chenonceau and Amboise, and the nearby Clos Lucé. Leonardo da Vinci spent time there and it was very interesting.

Versailles, of course, is spectacular! Surely the crowds will be smaller for your visit.

On our visit this summer, we had a four day PMP, and used three days in Paris busily seeing wonderful sights. We left the city on day three to visit dear friends and planned to see Rambouillet for our fourth pass day.

I would NOT recommend visiting Rambouillet at this time. The grounds were pretty, but gardens were minimal. Much of the chateau is under renovation. We only saw two rooms on our tour!

Fontainebleau would be a good choice instead, I think.

Have a great trip!
Laurie

Have you visited the Marmottan musuem with its huge collection of Monet paintings? It is one of my favorite museums in the city. It's not covered by the museum pass, but the €11 entry fee is very reasonable for what it has to offer. One museum that is covered by the museum pass is the Nissim de Camondo, and while it is another "old house", it's on a much smaller scale and you can actually imagine people living there.

Since you'll be there in winter, strolling through the Tuileries or Luxembourg Gardens all bundled up and drinking vin chaud (hot mulled wine) sounds pretty great too!

Nancy, I don't think you said whether this is your first trip to Paris. Neither the Loire, nor the Normandy D-Day Beaches (which you forgot :-) to mention) are ideal "day-trips" from Paris. Don't take this the wrong way, but just because you want to go doesn't mean you should go! Five days is barely enough to feel at home in Paris, especially since Versailles is a substantial part of a day. Perhaps you should save the Loire for another trip, when maybe you'll have a car and reason to stay for a few nights. There are lots of "reasonable" day trips from Paris, including some Chateaux that are not in-town. Alas, Giverny (for one example of that) is not a very good February outing. I still haven't been to Chantilly, which you can "prepare" for by watching the movie "Vatel".

Don't take this the wrong way, but just because you want to go doesn't mean you should go! Five days is barely enough to feel at home in Paris, especially since Versailles is a substantial part of a day. Perhaps you should save the Loire for another trip, when maybe you'll have a car and reason to stay for a few nights.

Yup, exactly. You zeroed in on my question in a much better way than I expressed. Much thanks!

I am about to head to France for my fifth visit, and my first one that is completely ON MY OWN! J'adore France, and this trip is my reward for completing my masters degree recently.

Nancy, I have seen the Loire chateaux, along with what is around Paris. First question - how willing are you to rent a car? You are traveling off season, and booking a car this far in advance is actually fairly cheap. My suggestion is to rent a car for a couple of days, even staying in the area overnight. There are many B&Bs in the area, and they are very reasonable in costs....especially in comparison to Paris! You can take the train to Orleans, Tours, LeMans, or several other spots, rent your car from there (it will be cheaper than renting from an agency in Paris), then go from there. When I travel to France, I take the train from CDG airport to Tours. I rent a car from there, then drive to a great B&B in Langeais (about 15-20 miles west of Tours, and central to many of the Loire chateaux). And, AVIS, Hertz, and many of the American companies have offices all over France (and their customer service reps speak English very well, if not fluently). Using a Visa, Mastercard, or AMEX issued in North America means that you are also covered for collision, so that's an additional savings on car rentals. France drives on the right, so it really is no different than driving in the US. Your US driver's license is all the car ID stuff that you need. Take a GPS if you have one, just purchase the chip that covers you for France driving.

When it comes down to it, you need to decide what you most want to see. How long will you be in France? If you will be there for one week, your options will be severely limited - you may even want to skip the Loire and just keep to Paris and maybe add Versailles and Fontainebleu to your list (along with Normandy or Reims area). It really depends what is highest on your list.

Nancy, you have plenty of time to think about the trip, so do your research - and decide what you most want to see. If the Loire is at the top of the list, then a car rental will best suit your needs OR you can also consider tours to the region - you go by van offered by various companies. But, the downside of that is you come and go on their schedule, not yours.

Bon voyage and remember - researching the trip is almost as much fun as getting there! It's like you are filling out your Christmas wish list, then getting them all!

Lisa

Fontainebleau is well worth seeing. Malmaison as well, but be aware that it closes completely for lunchtime and there is nowhere to eat except a quite expensive restaurant near the bus stop.

Much good advice above, including Kim's observation that the Loire chateaux are really different from the "big houses" in and around Paris. And David's list of links should be helpful too if you want to stay closer to the city.

If your trip totals just a week, I wouldn't spend time going to the Loire, especially in winter. I'd spend it in and around Paris using the PMP. The Loire chateaux are wonderful, especially in nice weather when the gardens are better and you can walk around comfortably outside. But doing them justice requires at least a couple of days, preferably 3-4, imho. You don't have that time on this trip unless you want to restructure it altogether.

Besides those others have mentioned, consider the Jacquemart-Andre Museum on Blvd Haussmann near the Parc Monceau. A fine old house filled with beautiful furniture and art, including several (lesser) Rembrandts. And a very nice restaurant on the premises.

You might look for Ina Caro's Paris to the Past, a book describing various historic places you can visit by train from Paris. Not all are chateaux but you might get some ideas. She writes very well and clearly appreciates what she's seeing.

Versailles should be much less of a concern for crowds in Februray. Pick another as well (Chantilly or Fonatinebleau) and plan two relaxing days out of Paris.

You mentioned a desire to return to the Louvre and Musee d'Orsay, so lock them in. Have you been to the Pompidou or the fabulous Musee du Quai Branly? These extensive museums could easily fill your afternoons on the four remaining days.

So where to start in the mornings? Use the interactive map to locate sites close together and easy to access...
http://en.parismuseumpass.com/rub-m-interactive-map-18.htm
Musee Cluny is close to the Pantheon
Picasso Mumseum is close to Pompidou
Rodin Museum is close to Invalides
St Chapelle is close to the Conciergerie
Mode et Textile (Fashion and Textile) is part of Arts Decoratifs (Decorative Arts, Furniture)
Orangerie (Monet's waterlilies) is close to Musee d'Orsay
Musee Guimet is close to Quai Branly

The Royal Basilica of St Denis and the Chateau de Vincennes are a little way from the centre, but still accessible by metro, and well worth checking out.