Need help with three day visit outside of Paris

What constitutes 'quickly' on the TGV train? Lyon is 2 hrs, Marseilles is 3-1/2 hrs, and Nice is about 5-1/2/6 hrs. I loved Nice, but it's the longest train ride from Paris and I assume you'll be going back to Paris after your time there. If you are able to fly home from Nice (or go on from there if you're going somewhere else afterward), then I would recommend Nice. If you're returning to Paris, I might choose Lyon because of the shorter train ride. All three have plenty to see and do for 3 days.

Thank you, Nancy, for your quick reply. Yes, I will be returning to Paris for my flight back home afterwards. I have pretty much ruled out Nice because of the time it takes to get there (thank you; you helped me with that decision). You sound like you have been to both. Which would you pick....Lyon or Marseille? I have never been to Marseille; I have been to Lyon but in 1972! So obviously a lot will have changed. I have heard Marseille is "gritty". I have a friend who was in Lyon three years ago and loved it. Which would you pick? Thank you again!

Stay in Paris!! Day trip to Giverny, Versailles, Chartres, Fontainebleau, Vaux le Vicomte. Or overnight to see Loire castles. Or just wander around Parisian streets.

If you're intent is to see more of France to just chill out, walk, leisurely dine, you might consider Aix-en-Provence for a bit of "the good life."

From Rick Steves' Aix page:

Aix-en-Provence is famous for its outdoor markets and handsome pedestrian lanes, as well as its cultivated residents and their ability to embrace the good life. Nowhere else in France is l'art de vivre (the art of living) so well on display. It was that way when the French king made the town his administrative capital of Provence, and it's that way today. For a tourist, Aix-en-Provence is happily free of any obligatory turnstiles — there's not a single ancient site to see. It's just a wealthy town filled with 140,000 smartly dressed people, including 40,000 students who give the city a year-round youthful energy. And Aix's numerous squares, lined with cafés and fine shops, allow everyone a comfortable place to pose.

That being said, since time is short, I'd agree with poster above...stick to Paris area!

I agree with the others: stay in Paris and do day trips. It doesn't sound like you have especially strong feelings about where you go, just that you'd like it to be stimulating and beautiful. The blog has tips on nine great day trips from Paris. I found it very useful when I was in France last year.

http://thesavvybackpacker.com/day-trips-paris/

Caroline

Based on your description of your time constraints, I would recommend going to Lyon. There is plenty to occupy your time there -- beautiful walks, a gorgeous park, Roman ruins, a medieval old town; perhaps with a half-day visit to Pérouges if you'd like to sample a medieval village. Not one, not two, but three films about the Three Musketeers have been filmed there.
For a reason.
I would not recommend Aix. It's pretty touristy and college-student-y and is not very representative of Provence; despite what Mr. Steves might have written.

Have you been to Alsace? We were in France for 8 days this past December, traveling independently for Christmas markets. We spent four nights in Colmar and three in Paris. Colmar is a good home base to explore the medieval Alsatian towns of Ribeauville, Eguisheim, Kayserberg, Riquwihr, Strasbourg, etc. We flew into Paris CDG and caught the TGV in the airport and sped to Colmar in about 2 and 1/2 hours with a quick train change in Strasbourg. Wonderful restaurants and the towns are so quaint. Unterlinden Museum in Colmar is fabulous. We have used Jean Claude (?) for a minivan tour around the towns and wineries in an earlier visit. The RS France guide book will give you lots of info on Alsace.

Another option would be to train about an hour south to Chartres and the Loire Valley. We joined the RS Loire Valley tour a couple of years ago, starting in Chartres and really enjoyed the Loire Valley with all the chateaux. Cathedral in Chartres is incredible!

Have a wonderful trip!

I want to thank everyone for their thoughtful replies. I was strongly considering doing three nights in Strasbourg and spending the day in Colmar. I have been here before, but many years ago. But I decided the time was just too short.

What I decided to do is to spend the first two nights in Paris, the next two nights in Lille (only an hour by TGV from the Gare du Nord) and my last two nights in Paris. That way I get to spend lots of time in Paris and maybe even take a day trip. I have never been to Lille before and very much like the architecture and the food that I read about, so that makes the most sense to me.

Thank you again, everyone!