Paris Side Trip

Do you like chateaux? We just returned from our visit a few days ago and loved the Loire valley. Travel a few hours south of Paris by train and then rent a car for a couple of days so you can explore at your leisure. I have a b&b (chambre d'hote) recommendation for you if you end up near Chenonceau.
We visited Mt. St Michel some years back and Amsterdam/ Haarlem on this trip, and I'd definitely recommend the Loire over both of those locations.
If you want something other than France, we had very good experiences flying with Easyjet. You can get from CDG to Nice, for example, for about 31 euros each way on those dates, or many other destinations- even Venice.

You can get some destination ideas from sncf.com. It is the national French rail system and lists points of interest on its opening window. Look a bit because the page is crowded. Also, viamichelin.com has recommendations not only of hotels and restaurants but tourists interests. Type in a place on the destination map

You can get some destination ideas from sncf.com. It is the national French rail system and lists points of interest on its opening window. Look a bit because the page is crowded. Also, viamichelin.com has recommendations not only of hotels and restaurants but tourists interests. Type in a place on the destination map Some usual places for short sidetrips or day trips from Paris are le vicomte vaux in Provins (do not confuse with Provence,) Fountainbleu, Versailles, (the town is nice even with out the palace), Rouen, the capitol of Normandy, Honfleur, Giverny. In opposite direction is Reims. Lyon, France's second city, is 2hrs. south via tgv.

How about Amsterdam? Your time frame sounds like it could make for a nice visit. Amsterdam is a beautiful city on a series of canals, and museum -going, strolling, and sightseeing are all within a compact area. As I recall the TGV connects Paris and Amsterdam and would be pretty fast and easy. What a choice! Have a great time wherever you land.

Depends on your tastes, of course, but I've been to all of the following and any of them would be a wonderful addition to any Paris trip...

Amsterdam - another of Europe's great cities. Quite different from Paris but quite interesting in its own ways.
Bruges - Lovely old city. Could be combined with Amsterdam pretty easily if you want (but each is worth more than 1 day, thus a slight dilemma).
Loire Valley chateaux. Best seen by rental car (train in and out of Paris to avoid the hassle of driving there).
Mont St. Michel and Normandy. A great combination, full of history and culture. You'll need a car.
Luxembourg - Under-appreciated and generally overlooked by mass tourism, Luxembourg is delightful. The capital city is OK but not the highlight, there are beautiful castles and countryside. Personally, while I love Luxembourg and plan to visit again, it's probably not the equal of the other places listed here.
You could also do a quick trip to the best castle-studded stretch of the Rhine.

Lots of great options, you just have to pick the one that suits your taste. Lucky you.

My vote is for Amsterdam - the train should take about 4 hours and it's an easy ride from Paris. It's an amazing city and there is plenty to see and do in 2 days although more time wouldn't hurt. :)
If you do go to Amsterdam I highly recommend the Rijksmuseum. Even though most of the museum is under renovation the short "highlights" exhibition that they've compiled is a fantastic introduction to Dutch art and showcases their collection well. (Rather than looking at 3-4 rooms of Dutch flower paintings you'll only see a handful of paintings. In short - it's a very manageable way to see the Rijks!)

If you do choose Amsterdam, and if you do go to the Rijksmuseum, right down the street is the Van Gogh museum, and across the street from that is the House of Bols. 11.50E for a self-guided tour (very interesting) and a cocktail of your choice.