An Hour From Paris
Journey time in minutes from Paris by train (2019 edition)
Look inside An Hour From Paris
Villeneuve Triage chapter, 2019 edition, pp. 131-136
CONTENTS (2025 edition, forthcoming)
Map showing journey times from Paris (above)
Map of the Ile de France
Rail map of the Ile de France
Preface
Preface to the Fourth Edition
The Ile de France: past and present
How to use this guide
GARE DU NORD
1. Montmorency
Bus from station to centre of old hilltop town, market, restaurants. Short downhill walk to 17C museum/house of Jean Jacques Rousseau. View of western Paris and Seine valley from former ramparts and 16C church, en route to bus stop for return.
14 minutes by train and 12 -minute bus ride
2. Ecouen
1¾ km walk from station through forest to 16C hilltop château-museum containing national collection of Renaissance treasures, with sweeping views of the Plaine de France. Good café at station.
21 minutes by train
3. Chantilly
2½ km walk through woodland to 16C château-museum of Chantilly, overlooking lake in 17C park designed by Le Nôtre. Eclectic collection of 14-19C artefacts and paintings, some by renowned artists. Optional visit to horse museum next to racecourse for dressage demonstrations. Restaurants/café within the grounds. Return via quiet canalside walk and town centre.
25 minutes by train
4. Auvers-sur-Oise
2 km walk from station at Méry-sur-Oise through village and across bridge to 12C church at Auvers made famous by Van Gogh. Atmospheric 1½ km country walk past cemetery where he is buried and through fields he painted to Auberge Ravoux where he died. Covered market, restaurants. Return from Auvers-sur-Oise station or optional 2½ km continuation of walk to house-museum of Dr Gachet, his doctor and friend, and along river to Chaponval station. Optional 3½ km continuation of riverside walk to station at Pontoise, cradle of Impressionism. Alternative 3½ km riverside walk in the other direction from Auvers to Mériel station.
39 minutes by train
5. Royaumont
4 km country walk through village of Seugy to well-preserved Cistercian abbey in beautiful setting, now a venue for concerts. Tea-room overlooking moat. Return by shuttle bus to Luzarches station.
45 minutes by train
6. Luzarches
Old market town with 12C church and fortified gateway, former home of Erik Satie. Market, café. Optional 3 km country walk to village of Seugy, café and station.
48 minutes by train
7. Senlis
Picturesque former royal town with impressive 12C cathedral, former abbey, three medieval churches, Roman arena and rampart walk. Circular walk of around 4 km. Three small museums, good restaurant.
25 minutes by train and 25-minute bus ride
GARE DE L’EST
8. Crécy-la-Chapelle
Attractive small market town surrounded by three moats, with bridges, lavoirs and medieval towers, one used by Corot as a studio. Market, cafés, restaurant, kayaking. Circular walk of around 4 km. Optional 1½ km country walk to exceptional 13C church at La Chapelle. Optional 5 km continuation of walk to picturesque village of Serbonne, returning across country to Crécy.
51 minutes by train
9. La Ferté-Milon
Birthplace of Jean Racine on the River Ourcq, dominated by magnificent façade of 14C hilltop castle. 15C church, footbridge designed by Eiffel at old river port, museum-house of Jean Racine, 12C church. Optional boat cruise. 3 km circular walk or 2 km and optional 7 km continuation along winding Canal de l’Ourcq to station at Mareuil.
64 minutes by train
10. Provins
UNESCO-listed medieval capital of Champagne. Circular walk of around 5 km. Lower town has two streams, two old churches and priory, encircled by canal. Upper town is surrounded by astonishingly well-preserved ramparts with two gateways, enclosing 12C fortress and church, museum, tithe barn. Hangman’s house outside the walls, restaurants and cafés. Staged medieval tournaments, visitor’s train and visits to medieval underground passages in summer.
83 minutes by train
GARE DE LYON
11. Moret-sur-Loing
Picturesque medieval border town on the River Loing, home of Alfred Sisley, enclosed by two tower gateways, one spanning bridge across the river. 1½ km walk into town. Market, impressive 12C church and castle keep, mill-houses in mid-stream. Cafés and restaurants. Optional 2 km walk along the Loing to its confluence with the Seine at the river port of St Mammès. Marina, 12C church, cafés. 1¼ km residential walk to station at St Mammès or 1½ km country walk across footbridge to Moret station.
49 minutes by train
GARE DE MONTPARNASSE
12. Rambouillet
1 km walk through old town of Rambouillet to former royal and presidential château set in 17C park crossed by canals, with semi-wild ‘Jardin Anglais’. Château visit includes 14C tower, Napoleon’s bathroom and dairy built for Marie-Antoinette in the park. Optional 4½ km circular walk around park. Boats, electric buggies and bicycles for hire in summer, cafés and restaurants near château.
32 minutes by train
13. Montfort-l’Amaury
3½ km walk along Roman road to picturesque town with unusual cemetery resembling a cloister. Town square, café-restaurant, impressive Renaissance church, ruined 11C towers in hill-top park with sweeping views en route to museum-house of Maurice Ravel. Circular walk of around 2½ km including ramparts. Alternative return to station via 5 km country walk past château de Groussay and village of Méré with remarkable lavoir.
38 minutes by train
GARE ST LAZARE
14. Poissy
2¼ km walk along the Seine past medieval bridge and Monet’s house to 12C church where St Louis was baptised, Toy Museum housed in remains of 14C abbey and Villa Savoye built by Le Corbusier in 1929. Return via landscaped park to river and station. Optional 3½ km continuation along river past open-air swimming pool and beer garden to Villennes, 11C church, restaurant and station. Optional 2 km continuation along river and road to Médan, past 15C château visited by Ronsard and painted by Cézanne, to the 19C museum-country house of Emile Zola. Return from Villennes station.
20 minutes by train
15. Conflans-Sainte Honorine
River-port at the confluence of the Seine and the Oise. 2½ km circular walk from station to riverside market and cafés, up steps past 11C tower and church to river boat museum set in park with spectacular views of the Seine, returning to station through park. Optional 2 km continuation of river walk to station at confluence of Seine and Oise. Optional 2½ km riverside continuation, past free ferry to island park in summer, through village of Andrésy to exceptional island restaurant accessed by speedboat, and station. Optional 4½ km continuation of riverside walk from restaurant to Poissy station, with optional 2 km detour to explore the secluded Ile de la Dérivation.
30 minutes by train
ST MICHEL-NOTRE DAME RER
16. Sceaux
Quiet 1 km walk from Bourg-la-Reine station to stately 17C park designed by Le Nôtre for Colbert. 3 km walk around park, château-museum, waterfall and canals and 1 km walk through attractive village to station at Sceaux. Optional 3½ km walk west of park to Chateaubriand’s 18C house-museum with tea-room in grounds at Châtenay-Malabry, with possible detour to Arboretum opposite, and 1 km walk to station at Robinson.
13 minutes by train
CHATELET-LES HALLES RER
17. Champigny-sur-Marne
1 km walk from station along the Marne, past riverside café and Musée de la Résistance Nationale to the island Guinguette de l’Ile du Martin Pêcheur. Return to station or optional 4½ km continuation of riverside walk to St Maur-Créteil station, past remains of 7C abbey in park and 12C church at Vieux St Maur. Secluded pizza restaurant within riding school next to park, with views of ponies. Optional 2½ km continuation along the Marne to explore the half-hidden Ile Fanac, returning from station at Joinville-le-Pont. Optional 1.8 km continuation from Ile Fanac via little-known Canal de Polangis to Chez Gégène, the oldest guinguette on the Marne. Return via ferry and ½ km walk to Joinville-le-Pont station.
22 minutes by train
18. The islands of Créteil
1½ km walk from station to four rural islands linked by footbridges where Victor Hugo stayed, past little park, market and Merovingian necropolis. 3 km walk along the islands, past island park and riverside restaurant. Optional 2 km continuation via island and along the Marne to station at St Maur-Créteil or 1 km by road.
20 minutes by métro
19. Champs-sur-Marne
18C château once rented by Madame de Pompadour, next to park containing 19C Menier chocolate factory on an island in the Marne. 10-minute bus ride or 1¾ km walk from station to château by road or 3½ km scenic route via park, chocolate factory and riverside walk. Optional 1½ km detour to 19C model village built to house Menier workers. 17C church and café next to château and bus stop for return to station.
27 minutes by train and 10-minute bus ride
20. Saint Germain en Laye
¾ km walk through old town past 17C house-museum of Claude Debussy to 17C house-museum and garden of Maurice Denis and collection of Symbolist paintings. Optional ¾ km detour to visit thriving market. Optional 2 km detour on return walk for view of western Paris and the Seine valley from grounds of former royal château, now the National Archaeological Museum.
28 minutes by train
On the Tourist Trail Versailles, Giverny, Fontainebleau
Getting around the Ile de France:
The cultural context getting into the local rhythm, the pleasures of provincial life, the love of numbers, the French attitude to information
Practical details public transport, maps, useful sources of information, books, bookshops
Best days to visit markets, museums and châteaux, other attractions
Glossary
Train traveller’s glossary
Chronology of French rulers
Acknowledgements
Picture credits
Index