Driving to Metz

Driving distance from Metz could include Alsace or Champagne. I'm assuming your barge trip is through Burgundy. If not, that's another easy drive from Metz for a few days. You could train to another city Strasbourg, Dijon, Reims, etc., rent a car and plan a trip back toward Metz to drop the car and meet your barge trip.

When I think of Chartres, I think of a reasonable train ride from Paris. Spending a night in Chartres is a good idea. I'd try to make sure it's a night when the light show is on the exterior of the cathedral. I'm not sure I'd tie Chartres into Metz as a road trip? You can get a route from viamichelin.com route planner and see if there are places along the way that are interesting to you.

Ellen,
To begin, Reims is more than champagne tasting, although you can do that with a champagne house tour in the town. The cathedral is where nearly every king of France was crowned, so a wonderful historical site. And it is beautiful as well (not the most beautiful cathedral in France but up there!). Also, the Musee de Renditon, where the surrender in WW II was signed, is worth a visit. The museum there has lots of interesting displays and a thorough explanation of that part of the war.

Verdun....I have been there 3 times, Hubby at least 4. It is hard to explain the feeling you get driving through the area that had been full of foxholes and craters from guns and bombs. It was left to be untouched after WW I as a memorial to all who perished there, and nature has grown over it all to, in my opinion, cover and protect the scene of so much hurt and death. It is like a cathedral of greenery in a way. You can see in the dips and undulations of the ground cover where there were foxholes and bomb craters. The Verdun War Memorial is an excellent museum dedicated to the Battle of Verdun. We spent a fast 1 1/2 hours there, but if we had more time that day we could have spent twice that time. And the nearby Douaumont National Cemetery and ossuary/war Memorial is where over 130,000 unidentified remains from the Battle of Verdun are interred, with 13,000 crosses in the cemetery that honors these unknown soldiers. It is one of those sites that can cause you to choke up. I have never been there when there were many visitors, and although the battle was in 1916, it would be nice to not let it be forgotten.I highly recommend a stop in Verdun.

Either or both Reims and Verdun would be my recommendation. Try to do both. They are not too far apart.
Happy travels!

I agree that Verdun is very much worth visiting. In addition to the museum, there’s the Douaumont Ossuary, Fort Douaumont, and some lesser sites. En route from Metz we also stopped and walked to the Herméville Canon. It’s a naval cannon in the middle of the woods. The drive was easy. Along the route we took from Metz to Verdun then up to Dinant, BE there are few towns or petrol stations.

Regarding Metz, much of the historic center is pedestrian only with bollards preventing one from driving in. After trying to find the button to contact our hotel to lower the bollards so we could get to it, I gave up and parked across the river from our hotel at Parking Metz Théâtre-Comédie. It was only a five minutes walk to the hotel.

The cathedral in Mertz was very nice and the German Gate was good for a short visit. There’s also Basilique Saint-Pierre-aux-Nonnains and a Templars chapel nearby. Check their hours since they vary by season. Both were closed when we visited.

Also, Metz has two free shuttle busses (navette) that take different routes around the city. They are small, but nice to ride to get a feel for the city. We picked them up by the cathedral.

From Chartres to Metz, you can pass by several great places: Fontainebleau and nearby Moret-sur-Loing; Provins; Troyes; Verdun. Also Reims as previously mentioned.

How many days were you planning on? Because there's a lot to see between Paris and Metz, even more if you add in Chartres. If you have a couple days I'd suggest a route that goes from Chartres to Fontainebleau, and from there to either Troyes or Epernay, then to the Verdun area and from there to Metz.

At Fontainebleau you can see the Chateau, which is impressive.

Troyes is a medieval city with lots of great architecture. Don't miss the Quai d'Fountain.

Epernay is wine country.

Several places near Verdun have been mentioned so I'll just add two, the Verdun Memorial museum is great, and for a really good look over the Marne Battlefield look up the State of Pennsylvania Memorial in the lovely town of Varennes; right next to the Musée de l'Argonne.

Metz is truly beautiful, and one of my favorite weekend visits. Don't pass up the Musee La Cour D'Or, which has Roman artifacts you won't find anywhere else. The cathedral is very good, there are some WWII memorials if you know where to look, and the Vauban Star fortifications are still visible and walkable. Eat at the indoor market near the cathedral.