My wife & I, mid-60s, expect to drive from nr Nancy to Paris area on/abt Fri april 24. Hope to get budget lodging for 2 nites on outskirts of city - prefer B&Bs but are small hotels our best bet near Paris? Plan to catch transit into city perhaps Saturday & take hop on/off bus tour. Definite stops for us are Eiffel Tower & Arc de Triomphe, not big on museums. (We're country not city folk who enjoy scenery foremost & history - will be making a 3 wk circle around France.) Probably have Friday p.m. for Fontainebleau or Versailles, or FB on friday p.m. & Versailles Sunday a.m. Probably go Sun p.m. to Orleans & start down Loire Valley. Probably will want to go thru one or two chateaux in Loire Valley before leaving it by Tours for ancestral village & homesite nr LeMans. Rick & other tourist info we've read suggest to us that Versailles would be more impressive than Fontainebleau, but dont enjoy crowds & wonder if Versailles crowds would be too big on that fri or Sun in late april? Since this is our first & likely only trip to France we could take in both - wonder if that would be redundant when add a couple chateaux on Loire? Any related ideas appreciated!
Posted by
Bay Area
3551 posts
I think Versailles is an excellent choice over Fontainbleau. Altho F is also nice some other time. Restrict your Loire Valley chateaux to one and perhaps just drive by others. It can be exhausting and some are huge ie. Chambord is better as a drive by. I have been to many thru the yrs and Chenonceaux extraordinary architecturely and its setting.
Posted by
dallas, tx, usa
1358 posts
Having been to both, I can suggest your seeing both. You can compare them. They are very different, but both are appealing in their own way.
Posted by
Ohio Valley, USA
123 posts
We have very litmited time in Paris 2 full days and 2 1/2 days and we were considering Palace of Versailles. The only problem that I can forsee for us it how big the estate is and how long it will take to venture through it.
Posted by
Knoxville, TN, USA
7209 posts
If you tour all of the properties of Versailles including the gardens and lunch at the outdoor cafe in the garden, you could spend the better part of an entire day. Crowds of visitors can also add substantial time to your tour.
Posted by
la frette sur seine
448 posts
Jerry..I'm a bit "challenged" map-wise, but if you're considering this to be a one and only trip, and don't like crowds, I suggest that you check Vaux-le-Vicomte, referred to as the precursor of Versailles..really lovely and easy to get to, though i can't quite tell from your post if you still have a car after Paris. Ive been to V and F and V le V, and prefer the latter. Sorry i can't offer small hotel advice because we always stay at home...and for advice that you didn't ask for..the home and gardens of Monet in Giverny are charming in April, though i guess they're not on the way to anything.. www.vaux-le-vicomte.com