I will be traveling to Paris in March. Is there a good day trip that will give the opportunity to experience a less touristy small town that is relatively easy to get to by public transportation?
Thanks.
Posted by
Napa, CA
3580 posts
I have done day-trips to Rouen and Chartres. Train access is easy. Rouen is probably less "touristy" than Chartres, and it has a world-class cathedral. The heart of Richard-the-lionhearted is buried there.
Posted by
Anchorage
157 posts
I just stumbled on a fabulous book in our local used bookstore (you can probably find it new or used on Amazon, as well) called "An Hour From Paris."
The author lists 20 destinations nearby, offering a wide variety of sights ranging from parks to castles to villages. She lists all the details, travel times, photos, metro lines, etc. She even points out which places would be better in the summer (gardens, etc).
It's quite interesting and I will use it to travel to some places I never would have heard about otherwise. In fact, because of the proximity, I think we'll visit some of the closer villages and castles rather than going to Loire.
Posted by
Fort Collins
14 posts
My favorites are Chartres and Versailles. Both are very easy to do. In fact, Rick's Paris guidebook gives excellent instructions for how to get to both places as well as all the other vital info, such as restaurants, prices, etc.
Posted by
Bay Area
3551 posts
Less touristy would be lovely Chantilly however no cathedral. For cathedral towns choose Chartres.