We are staying in Amboise to walk a short distance to visite the last home of Leonardo da Vinci. Amboise is closely associated with several historical figures, most notably Leonardo da Vinci, who lived in Amboise from 1516 to 1519. He accepted an invitation from King Francis I to reside at the Manoir du Clos […]
Another great day trip from Paris is to visit Amboise in the Loire Valley. It takes about 2hrs by train, and it is best to make your reservations in advance. Click here to make your reservation. My world traveling friend said, “Go to Amboise,” so of course we did. After a relatively short journey on […]
Do I brave the crowds, and go to Mont-Saint-Michel? The short answer is, Absolutely!! Overtourism is a problem for Mont-Saint-Michel, exacerbated by tourists mostly visiting on day-trips, which causes overcrowding from 10:00 to 16:00, especially in the summer. The Mont-Saint-Michel foundation has introduced measures to change this pattern and reduce daytime overcrowding, including introducing free […]
Mont-Saint-Michel and its bay were added to the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites in 1979, listed with criteria such as cultural, historical, and architectural significance, as well as human-created and natural beauty. It is visited by more than three million people each year, and is the most-visited tourist attraction in France outside of Paris. […]
For a little history about Mont-Saint-Michel, in the 11th century, William of Volpiano, an Italian architect was chosen by Richard II, Duke of Normandy, to be the building contractor. He designed the Romanesque church of the abbey, daringly placing the transept crossing at the top of the mount. Many underground crypts and chapels had to […]
When I first saw a picture of Mont-Saint-Michel, it seemed mythical to me, like something out of a J.R.R. Tolkien novel … could this really be a place that I could visit? … Absolutely! (Click here for train tickets from Paris to Mont-Saint-Michel.) According to legend, before the construction of the first monastic establishment in […]
When choosing day trip destinations from Paris by TGV, I knew that I wanted to see the Champagne wine region. I knew nothing about Reims which lies on the northern edge of the Champagne wine region and is about 1.5 hr from Paris by train. Click here for TGV tickets. The Champagne wine region is famous […]
If you love Notre Dame de Paris, you will be amazed by Notre Dame de Chartres. Chartres, France is located in northwestern France, and it is a quick day trip by train from Paris, just over 1 hour. Click here to reserve tickets. After visiting Notre Dame de Paris, I could not imagine anything more […]
Giverny, France, best known as the location of Claude Monet’s garden and home, is a commune in the northern French department of Eure. The village is located on the “right bank” of the river Seine at its confluence with the river Epte. It lies 50 miles (80 km) west-northwest of Paris, in the region of […]
Versailles is unbelievably beautiful, and unbelievably over the top … should we expect otherwise, it was the king’s palace from 1661 until 1715. It’s easy enough to catch the RER C train from Paris to Versailles. It’s a good idea to reserve your tickets in advance (click here). The train adventure takes about 40 minutes […]
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