City Guide

Paris is the center of a curious landlocked island known as the Ile de France. Shaped roughly like a saucer, it's encircled by a thin ribbon of rivers: the Epte, Aisne, Marne, and Yonne. Fringing these rivers are forests with famous names -- Rambouillet, St-Germain, Compiègne, and Fontainebleau. These forests are said to be responsible for Paris's clear, gentle air and the unusual length of its spring and fall. This may be debatable, but there's no argument that they provide the capital with a fine series of day trips, all within easy reach.

The forests surrounding Paris were once the domain of royalty and the aristocracy, and they're still sprinkled with the magnificent châteaux of their former masters. Together with ancient villages, glorious cathedrals, and cozy country inns, they make the Ile de France irresistible. In this chapter, we offer only a handful of the possibilities for day jaunts. For a more extensive list, see Frommer's France 2006.

A Weekend in London--Of course, Paris offers a seemingly endless list of wonderful things to see and do, but now that transit between the French capital and the British capital is easier than ever, why not take a weekend jaunt to London?

The Eurostar (tel. 08-92-35-35-39) train roars through the Channel Tunnel (Chunnel), reducing the travel time between Paris's Gare du Nord and London's Waterloo Station to 3 hours. With some restrictions, fares between London and Paris begin at 90€ ($117) or 255€ ($332) for one-way transport (depending on day and time) and at 390€ ($507) for round-trip in second class. First-class transit begins at 344€ ($447) one-way and 689€ ($896) round-trip, per person. Additional discounts, in many cases, are offered to holders of Eurail and Britrail passes, youths under 26, students, and persons over 60. And for passengers looking for additional perks to first-class transport, packages can be bought beginning at 450€ ($585) per person each way that allow access to first-class waiting lounges in Paris and London, enhanced cuisine onboard, and taxi service between the station of your final destination and your hotel. If you need a hotel in London or Paris, the staff at one of Eurostar's affiliates can set up a rail/hotel package at a discounted rate. For round-trip transport plus a night in a hotel in London or Paris and a sightseeing package, rates begin at 775€ ($1,008) per person in first class and 555€ ($722) per person in second class. Ask Eurostar about special promotions, and you may discover some surprising discounts. Examples include a departure from and a return to either city on the same day at round-trip rates that can be about the same as a one-way ticket.

From North America, call the Eurostar division of Rail Europe at tel. 877/257-2887 in the United States, 800/361-RAIL in Canada. For details about hotel packages, contact EuroVacations at tel. 877/471-3876; www.eurovacations.com. If you're already in Paris, contact any travel agency, talk to your concierge, or check www.raileurope.com.

City Guide

Paris France Tourism: Side Trips

Side Trips

Paris Travel & Vacation Deals

Paris Travel Deals