An excellent excursion outside of Paris is to Claude Monet's breathtaking gardens in Normandy. His unique house, the quaint villages of Vernon & Giverny and the fabulous bicycle ride along the Seine are a welcome change from the hustle and bustle of Paris.
You'll go by rail through the beautiful wheat & sunflower fields of Normandy to the village of Vernon. There you'll collect your bikes, head to the market for picnic supplies and then to lunch along the river in a beautiful park (lunch cost not included). Finally you'll pedal down the private path to Monet's gardens where you'll spend the afternoon inside the most gorgeous landscape in Normandy.