My 8 year old son and I are doing a few daytrips from Paris. has anyone gone to Chantilly? We are planning Versailles, Disneyland, Chantilly, and Giverny (possibly). We don't want anything that is more than 1 1/2 hours on the train one way.
Any suggestions welcome
Check out the Big Fat Bike tours website. They offer day trips around the area to Versailles and Giverny
Hi Kelly, I have done two FatTire bike tours and I thonk your son is too young. The youngest on our ?Versailles tour was 12 and he did ok, I think he had fun , but his parents were a bit stressed with the driving through the city part, and you do have to carry your bike up a flight of steps.
I have been to Chantilly , last year, and I loved it.( only about 1/2 hr on train) I found it such a nice surprise. I have been to Versailles many times now, and I love it, and I am going again, LOL, BUT, I would still return to Chantilly. It is smaller, more intimate, and WAY LESS CROWDED! But, I am not sure if an 8 yr old would enjoy it as much, I mean there is not alot of furniture inside, mostly art , as the palace contains a museum, a collection second only to the Lourves.
BUT, the grounds are lovely, and you can wander over to an outdoor play area and a outdoor cafe that serves many desserts featuring of course,, Chantilly Cream( sweetned whipped cream) .
Now, if you son likes horses, you cannot go wrong, as right across from street from the Chateau is a very good Musem of Horses, and the Royal Stables. I enjoyed it and I don't particularily like horses, LOL
Anyways you can google Chantilly Chateau, they have a nice website, in english if you click on icon.
Kelly, I also want to suggest that at Versailles you rent bikes .. you can rent them right there on the grounds, and ride around the canal. This you could do together, I am sure your son would love a chance to blow off some steam , and get out of the musuem and monunment mode for an hour or so! The rental place is just down by the canal near the cafes etc. They rent by the 1/2 hr or hour. There is a nice safe easy path around the lake, takes about an hour for the average joe. , my 14 yr old son did it in about 1/2 hr, but he rides like a speed demon and is very fit!
I'd suggest taking the train to Conflans..from StLazare station...it's where the Seine and the Oise rivers merge..and the home of 100's of peniche/barges...Our son always loved it, plus the walk thru the town to a park on the hill...Not famous out of France...but we always like it....I do hope that this 8 year old is contributing to the "what to do " discussion...other that Disneyland Paris, i'd be getting a bit bored with the chateaux and gardens...A previous poster asked about the Air and Space Museum in LeBourget, easy access from Paris..and loved by fans of flight
Oh yes, my son is having plenty of input. He loves seeing the suggestions on the boards then looking them up on the internet. In response to his being board by the chateaux, he is very interested in art and parks. but we are only doing a couple of chateaux and I make sure that they are balanced out by fun things for him to do as well.
thanks you your input, keep it coming
Maybe you've already left for France, but i just remembered that every weekend between 5 avril and 26 octobre there is a direct train from Paris Gare du Nord to Auvers sur Oise...about half an hour. I think the wesite is only in French, but give it a try. I love Auvers s Oise, closer and less crowded than Giverny, been to both many times,,even without guests.
www.van-gogh.fr
Ah Regina, I was born in Conflans Ste Honorine, ( lived in Andresy, but maternity hospital was in Conflans) so of course the area IS famous,, LOL
....so Pat...maybe you should suggest to Rick that he put Conflans in the next edition of the Paris book...We love it because it's so close, yet so somewhere else...PS..did they put one of those blue enamel "born here" plaques for you....?...Hope you enjoy your return to Paris and continue to give advice
