"Another Walled Town" Provins by hquittner

Where the RER does not go in the suburbs of Paris, there survive small towns that are the real France. Almost all of them retain old buildings, churches, some chateaux, countryside and relaxation. A few have mega-attractions too and have grown larger. Most are in the Ile (or Picardie or Centre) and are less than 1 1/2 hours away by surburban trains. When we retired we planned to visit a great deal of France (in lieu of retiring there) on several trips by car and decided to by-pass Paris completely. Our first and last (and proximate) nights were spent in these small towns. There was no rush to get back to Paris; we enjoyed the ambience (often in 3* accomodations) with good cuisine everywhere. Obviously Provins is such a place

Day-Trippers Picnic in the Jardin des Brehans

There are usually very interesting "minor" sites near these towns that can only be visited by car and you are there with a car in hand! Such an "Off the Beaten Path" was St. Loup-de-Naud only 8 km from Provins, a rare 11C church and portal statues that most Parisians never get to see. (See Tips). And staying at the Hostellerie "Aux Vieux Remparts" made the whole adventure a greater value.

• Pros:A Fine Ile-de France Town Sojourn
• Cons:1000 to 1700 is for day-trippers
• In a nutshell:Best at Dusk