We are going to Paris for a 9 Day holiday at the beginning of October and we are thinking of renting an apartment for 6 or 7 nights and then renting a car to see the French coutryside. I am wondering if we should just keep the Paris apt for the entire time and drive in and out of the country or trust that we will find b%26amp;bs in the country to sleep in while we explore.
Any suggestions on great places to go and stay near some great wineries and/or historic attractions?
This is the first time in France for us both and we are real romantics.
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Instead of driving, why not keep the apartment and do a series of day trips by train? You will find an amazing selection of interesting places to visit within 30 to 90 minutes by train, and if you get your tickets on line fairly early, you can get deep discounts on fares.
Of course, that would mean deciding well in advance where you want to go, which may not be a good idea (rigid planning has been the downfall of more than one visitor, lol). For example, there are Chartres, Versailles, Giverny, Chantilly, Reims, Rouen, and many more. That way, you don%26#39;t have the expense and hassle of car rentals, and you don%26#39;t have to cart luggage etc. from place to place.
A short stay in the countryside might work better if you know an area that you want to explore in depth (and this type of search may in fact lead you to that conclusion). For a first trip to France, however, you might have more fun taking a few day trips to multiple areas.
Try doing a search on this forum (box at the top of the column to the left of this post) for %26quot;day trips%26quot; or similar terms, and you will find enough ideas to keep you occupied for nine weeks, much less nine days (especially as there is so much to see and do in Paris itself). Then you can decide which ones would interest you, and start making real plans.
I would recommend trying to decide in the very near future as to how long you need the apartment, however, because October is a popular time to visit Paris and you need to get that part of the trip pinned down soon. Have fun with the planning, and the trip!
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Thanks very much, I suspected that it may be trying to manage the moving around with our luggage, and we like to explore without having every moment planned out so staying in a home base is probably most suitable for us.
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I completely agree with Berkeley Travelers. Keep the apartment and take the train for any day trips you might want to do. This will enable you to be flexible AND it%26#39;ll be much cheaper. You will be so enchanted by Paris you may not want to leave it at all.
By the way, I have rented an apartment for the month of Oct. and, since this is such a popular time (first half of Oct.), I advise you to get cracking on finding a place. As with anything, the good ones go fast.
Bonne romance!
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I also agree with Berkeley Traveler. Stay at your apartment the entire time. Take day trips to any one of a number of fabulous locations just outside of Paris.
There is so much to see and do in Paris, and around Paris. That way your luggage isn%26#39;t in the way of your sightseeing, you don%26#39;t have to rent a car, and you only have to spend time %26quot;moving%26quot; once. You aren%26#39;t going to find anything better than Giverny, Versailles, Vaux-le-Vicomte, Chartres, etc. anyway.
Another option is to take a train or bus to a winery/champagnery for a day.
On another trip to France in the future, you could venture out further into the countryside to see the French Alps, Southern France, Burgundy, etc. (I know those are in different directions. I%26#39;m just saying, for example.)
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In 9 days, you%26#39;ll find more than enough to see and do in Paris itself. On our first trip, we spent 3 weeks in Paris and only left central Paris 3 times – Mont Saint-Michel, the Champagne region and Versailles.
Mont Saint-Michel was amazing, Versailles was a disappointment (construction/renovation work means you don%26#39;t get to see it in all its grandeur) and the Champagne area was confusing. We%26#39;d have been better off taking a tour so we could understand the area better (and we%26#39;re usually not into tours).
Could easily have spent another 3 weeks in Paris itself and still not seen and done everything we wanted to…
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