Planning a 2 week trip around Paris, France

If I had two weeks I would give Paris at least 5 or 6 days. There is so much to see there and so many daytrips you could take from there.
Look at taking a bike tour to Versialles or Giverny,, Fat Tire Bike tours is fun and has an easy website to find.

If you then feel the need to go somewhere else ( I could and have spent 2 weeks alone in Paris) then why not book your flight into Paris and out of another city and save on back tracking. You could fly or take a train to Rome... and enjoy Rome for 5-6 days then fly out of Rome.Or, if you like walking, visit the Cinque Terra and hike from village to village. Or,, you could take the Eurostar to London from Paris.
Or, you could pretty do alot of things.

Only thing I would seriously consider is NOT over scheduling,, one and two night stops can make a holiday not so fun..

If I was really into hiking I would fly into Paris and then head east and hike in Alps somewhere,, I have no idea what hiking is like in Luxembourg,, so perhaps it is nice too.

Peggy, I would recommend at least 5 days in Paris. Pat suggested flying out of another airport, I agree. I would suggest leaving from Nice and spend all your time in France. Look at the tour itineraries that RS has to give you some ideas. I did the 7 day Paris city tour and have returned since, there is so much to do in Paris or short day trips out of the city. After Paris you could TGV to Avignon and see some of Provence (Vaison la Romaine is a Rick favorite and mine too, the Tuesday market was the highlight of one of my trips). The Cote d'Azur is indeed gorgeous. Planning is a lot of fun, isn't it??!!

If the rest of your stay is focused around hiking and/or areas not in a city, I might consider doing that first and end your trip in Paris. By then you'll be over jet lag (especially coming from the west coast)and can enjoy both days AND nights in Paris. It truly is the city of lights and there is so much to do.

You might consider the Loire Valley and the chateaus or travel doow to Burgundy and visit some of the vineyards there- beautiful country.

We were in France in March and spent 9 days in Paris and felt we were short by 1 or 2 days. If you want to fly in & out of Paris you could rent a car & tour Normandy & Brittany. We rented a car for 7 days & stayed in Honfleur, Bayeux, Mont St.Michel, Dinan, Vitre, and Chartres before returning the car in Paris and spending a night near the airport. It made for a short loop so we could enjoy the sights and each town. We weren't rushed and could savor the feeling of France. The only hiking we saw besides up & down stairs at castles was at Pointe de Grouin Ile Besnard near Cancale and which are all mentioned in RS book. So many recommendations - have fun deciding.

Another option would be to base yourself in Provence for a week, rent a car, and hike and travel around. St. Remy might be a good base as there are a lot of hiking trails near the Alpilles region of France. We had a great time there in June.

All of the suggestions have been good ones, but my vote goes with June and Sharon. Fly open-jaw USA-Paris, Nice to USA to avoid backtracking. Spend as much time as you can in Provence (Avignon is only a couple of hours by TGV from paris) and on the Riviera coast. If you rent a car in Avignon, you can tour Provence on your way to the coast and then turn in your car when you hit Nice (you won't need a car on the coast as the trains & buses are excellent and distances are short). That would be a dream trip. Another possibility would be to start in Nice, rent a car on your way out, drive north through Provence and end in Paris, perhaps returning the car in Versailles. That gives you some beach time right at the start to recover from jet lag.

You might want to consider a studio apt. for 5 or 6 days in Paris. I am staying at one now and it is great and much cheaper than a hotel. Plus, we can cook some meals and save a bundle on food.

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