I'm a college student currently studying abroad in Paris. My friend and I have two traveling days left on our Eurail pass and are looking for ideas for a weekend trip somewhere in France. We currently have train reservations for Annecy, but realized that it is extremely close to Switzerland (which we have a trip planned out for already). Would you suggest keeping the Annecy reservation or picking out another place to go to? We considered Nice, but the train ride seems a bit long for a quick Saturday-Sunday trip. We have already visited Normandy, Loire Valley, Lille, Bruges and Amsterdam, and are looking for a change of scenery from Paris. Thanks!
Posted by
Portlandia
3313 posts
Burgundy. The countryside is beautiful. Beaune is a great town to hang out and you could rent bikes to go out into the vineyards.
Posted by
L'Occitanie, France
10211 posts
Go to Aix-en-Provence. It's quick with the TGV, less than 3 hours, much quicker than Nice. It's sunny Provence instead of the gray skies of the north, food is great, it's not only beautiful and historical but it's also a college town filled with students from France and all over Europe. Nice is much longer because the trains have to run on slower rails at a slower speed once you pass Marseille.
Posted by
Park Ridge, IL
524 posts
How about the TGV either to Avignon 2 hrs 40 min (not as far as Nice) and you get a little flavor of Provence? Or Strasbourg 2 hrs 20 min. where you will get the German influence? Glad you are having a great stay in Paris as well as traveling in Europe! Both my husband and I and recently my son spent time in Europe as students.
Posted by
Durham, NC, USA
335 posts
For quicker trips (think a day or a day and half) consider Giverny and/or Versailles. Both are easily reachable from Paris on the RER (local train - do Eurail passes work on these?) and both locations offer B&B's and hotels for overnight stays. Giverny (take train to Vernon, then bus to Giverny) is the home of Monet's last home, and his wonderful gardens, both the extravagant French garden and the more calming and famous Japanese one. Versailles, of course, is the home of the famous palace and huge gardens. On Saturdays and Sundays, the fountains are turned on in the gardens and classical music plays (cost to enter gardens is in addition to the palace tour). My understanding is that Sat. is the less-crowded day. Buy tickets in advance at FNAC stores and avoid the long lines to enter. Whichever you do, enjoy!
Posted by
OP
Chicago
9 posts
Thank you so much for all of your suggestions! My friend and I are currently looking into Avignon as an alternative...we love scenaries that have water in the foreground and thought the river in Avignon is gorgeous. I spent a day at Versailles this past weekend and it was absolutely gorgeous! Walked all the way from the palace to Grand Trianon and back...I loved the pink marble there! Thinking of going to Giverny this weekend, but with it being Easter weekend, will it be too crowded? Another idea that I had was renting a car with a couple friends and driving to the Beaujolais region north of Lyon. I recently read about their wine in both the NYTimes and WSJ and would love to see the countryside as well. Does anyone have any ideas for how much a wine tasting would be in that region? Thanks again for your suggestions!
Posted by
Boston
4132 posts
Provence is a brilliant choice made possible by France's excellent rail system. If you like the Cote du Beaujolais idea, I would still take the train to Lyon and get your car there--it's quite a drive otherwise. Finally, if wine and countryside is your thing, I'd also consider Burgundy. Take a train to Beaune and either rent a car or a bicycle (very helpful friendly bike rental place in town).