best place to vist outside of paris on a budget

Hi Alyssa: You will love Paris. I've been several times (always on a budget) and never run out of things to do or see. I'm planning my first visit in 12 years this summer. Highly recommend a museum pass, which gets you into the monuments as well and you don't have to wait on lines. I found it best to go to the museums in the morning: less croweded and you have more energy. Walking through Luxembourg Gardens is one of the most relaxing places to spend time. For trips outside the city, I think Versailles is worth spending a day. It's easy to there by train and a ten minute walk to the palace. The gardens and grounds are so beautiful, I didn't go inside until my third visit. You can take a self-guided tour and go at your own pace. I loved Monet's home and gardens at Giverny: there are tour companies on the Rue de Rivoli, just across from the Tuilleries that offer days trips by bus for about $100, but this time I'm planning on taking the train to the village and renting a bike to get to the estate. Don't know what the entry cost is, but it's probably cheaper than the tour. Chartres is also worth a visit, an easy train ride and short walk to the cathedral. Plus there are other buildings in that city with interesting architecture. Paris itself is a great walking city and their metro system is easy to figure out even if you don't speak the language. Hope this helps you get started.

Because Paris is a rail hub, you have many many day-trip options, limited by your time perimeter (how far, in minutes, do you want to travel from Paris?) Popular destinations include Versailles, Chartres, Chantilly, Giverney, and Rouen. It depends on what you like to see and do. I can't tell you if you have "too much" Nice, that's a personal judgment, but I can say I wouldn't spend a whole week out of three there. Still I think you can have a very pleasant time, and I hope you do.

I would day a few days in plenty in Nice. We were there in 2003, next time we will stay in Villefranche-Sur-Mer or one of the other Riviera towns. They are all well connected by train, though on Sunday the trains are not as many as on other days.

Alyssa. I would recommend staying in Villefranche-sur-Mer, about 5 minutes train ride east of Nice. You can use Nice or VIllefranche as a hub for day-trips via bus or train to Monaco, countless coastal towns like Cannes, Antibes. I recommend the Picasso museum in Antibes. I am travelling to Villefranche for 9 days, leaving on Sunday; I plan to see many small towns via train or bus. I will go into Nice once or twice, the market at Cours Saleya is supposed to be wonderful. There are great museums in Nice also. I recommend the Hotel Darse (in Ricks book), it is simple, clean, a short walk from the bus stop. I don't think a week in Nice is too much, just because it is easy to travel to so many other places from Nice itself. If you stay in Villefranche, make sure to stop in at Chez Betty, a bar on the main street; cheap drinks and good people watching. My favorite restaurants, Cosmo and le Grignotiere (have the bouillabaise). Cosmo has an ocean view. Have a great trip.

There are soooo many lovely hilltowns overlooking the med near Nice. Eze, Vence, St Paul (Modern Art Gallery must-see: Foundation Maeght). Also, Antibes is perfect. Biot is a great out of the way town (known for baskets!) near there and Juan-les-Pins is fun for the beaches - if warm. So no, a week is not too much. And eat pissaladiere for breakfast!