Must do's in France- hidden gems recommendations
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Anonymous
| I loved the catacombs in Montparnasse and the Alaïa outlet in the Marais. |
Anonymous
| Not hidden, but Monet’s gardens at Giverny are a great day trip. So are Reims and Epernay for champagne houses. Easy to get to by train for a day trip and if you’re cool with it Drinking age is 16 so your teen could have a couple sips no problem, or not. The history and experience in the wine caves is cool enough. Or train to Brussels in 1.5 hours for something different. |
Anonymous
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Fountainbleau as an alternative to Versailles. Much more enjoyable, methinks. Versaillies is both huge and also not as huge as you'd might have expected, and it's a bit sterile because it's seemingly always so crowded.
Chartres is a must. Fabulous cathedral and very attractive little town around it that gives you a taste of ye olde France. You've gotten good recs on here. I'd also advise getting the Paris museum pass as it allows you to skip the queues for pass holders get their own entry lines. We walked into most sights without having to wait. However, things may be different these days as I have no idea the effect of COVID on tourist numbers. |
Anonymous
| Pete-Lachaise cemetery in Paris. Be sure to visit the graves of Oscar Wilde and Jim Morrison. Emily In Paris had a episode where they featured it. It’s beautiful and free to the public. |
Anonymous
+1 If you have 8 days in France and are spending most of your time in Paris, I'd take two nights and go to Normandy. I'd tour battlefields, go to the visitor's center, and see the beaches and the cemetery. I'd go to Mont. St. Michel part of that time, too. I expected to enjoy my visit to Normandy, but it was stunning. We also went to chapel services at the top of Mont. St. Michel while we were there. |
Anonymous
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We took our then 15 and 13 year olds on the biking trip through Versailles for March spring break. It was pretty cold still, so not as crowded as posters here are making out. It was the highlight of the entire Paris trip. The guide meets you in Paris at Notre Dame, navigates you through the train trip to Versailles, gets you the bikes, guides you to the farmers market to pick up a picnic, and guides you through the town and the grounds at Versailles. My kids absolutely loved it! There are a few operations who do this. Most people recommended Fat Tire Tours to us--and they are one of the top search engine returns. They were not doing the tours the day we went, so we used this place: https://www.bikeabouttours.com/
It really was the most memorable part of our trip. |
Anonymous
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In Paris, we’ve done a couple of walking tours with this company: https://www.paris-walks.com/index_m.html. Very interesting and some can be a bit different/unusual, in a good way.
We’ve also done a one day bus tour of the Loire valley chateaux. It’s been s long time so I don’t remember the company we used, but the tour took us to Blois, Chenonceau, Chambord and I think there was one or two more that we drove by. A good sampling. |
Anonymous
My teen had no interest in WWII battlefields. |
Anonymous
Totally agree with this post. 8 days is a long time in Paris. Spend 4-5 days in Paris and 2-3 days in Normandy (with a trip to Mont St. Michel). You need to see French countryside along with the city and the history and beauty of Normandy will be quite memorable and meaningful. It gave me an appreciation and understanding for history that I never got from the books. You won't regret it. |
Anonymous
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This would be tight if you only have one week, but we loved Giverny and Mont St Michel. The latter is far, don’t try to cram it into a day trip.
If your kids think castles are cool, then check out the Loire Valley. If this is their first time to FRANCE though, stick with Versailles (a palace, but close to Paris and very impressive). Leave a whole day, as others have said, to walk the grounds. You can buy your ticket ahead, online. Enjoy! |
Anonymous
| Since you could well have damp chilly weather, don’t underestimate the pleasure of ducking into a dark cafe to get out of the rain and share some raclette (or crepes) next to a hearth. Leave time for those unexpected shared memories! |
Anonymous
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Another vote for Mont Saint-Michel - absolutely stunning. Plan ahead by checking the tides schedule as you cannot get in or out during high tide- but it’s amazing to see the tide roll in if you can!
Dinard is a small fishing town in the coast, an hour’s drive from Mont Saint-Michel. We stayed a night there, visited the market, and ate delicious food. This was a decade ago, but many locals did not speak English, so it was good practice for me as a former French student. The people were very friendly to tourists, which was my experience in Paris. Other ideas: Versailles (day trip from Paris) Loire Valley- castles If you have time, spend half the trip in Paris and half in the Alps region. Annecy was my favorite place on my trip. End in Chamonix, visit Mont Blanc, and fly home from Geneva. |
Anonymous
| You can easily keep yourself busy in Paris and environs for 8 days. A lot of good suggestions here already for short trips -- Loire valley chateaux, Giverny, Fontainebleau. If you have the time, you may want to to Strasbourg for a couple of days-- gorgeous and lovely. |
Anonymous
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I've posted this list before, HTH:
1. If she likes fashion, take her inside the original Chanel store and walk up and down Coco's staircase. Take a photo. 2. Go up to the top of the Notre Dame Cathedral with a sketch pad and have her draw the gargoyles. 3. If she dances, take her to the L'Opera Garnier for a tour and a stop at the gift shop, it's fantastic. Great ballet gear. 4. Go to the historic Shakespeare and Company English language bookshop. She can buy a book and they will stamp it with their imprint at the cashier. Kids books are upstairs. 5. Berthillon ice cream. Nuff said. 6. Take a day trip to the Loire Valley to see a castle or two. 7. Take a tour in a classic 2CV. I've done this, it is outrageously fun. I think there are a few companies who do this like: http://2cvparistour.com (actually, I've done each of these with my DD). 8. Get tickets for the Eiffel Tower and take the elevator up but WALK BACK DOWN. It's an amazing trip inside the skeleton of the Tower. 9. Go to Les Halles and buy cheeses and charcuterie for your own French style meal. 10. Go on a scavenger hunt at the Louvre (again, there are companies that do this). Have fun! Jealous! |
Anonymous
That's great, b/c Verdun is a WWI battlefield. All snark aside, Normandy is a beautiful part of the country regardless of the historic significance. |