Orleans is a wonderful city. I lived there for a short time and found the city, people, surrounding areas great. I would rent a car if you are ever outside fo paris. Renting a car is easy and driving is no big deal. Pick up a car from a train station in Paris and off you go. This will save you time and money. IF you still want to take the train there is only one major station (Gare) in Orleans. The city can be seen on foot, the statue of Joan D'arc is not far from the gare. We are going to visit there this spring and plan on spending one night there since there is not that much to see/do in the city itself. Have fun and good luck.

This should be a very meaningful trip for you.

I too recommend that you rent a car for this trip. Driving in the cities is stressful, but outside the cities it's easy. Pick up your car as far on the outskirts of town as possible as even getting out of Paris can be confusing. Highways are very well marked. Be sure you know the international road signs!! (discoverfrance.net/Boutique/…road_signs.shtml) Make a copy of this web site and take it with you in the car.

This should be a very meaningful trip for you.

I too recommend that you rent a car for this trip. Driving in the cities is stressful, but outside the cities it's easy. Pick up your car as far on the outskirts of town as possible as even getting out of Paris can be confusing. Highways are very well marked. Be sure you know the international road signs!! (discoverfrance.net/Boutique/…road_signs.shtml) Make a copy of this web site and take it with you in the car.

This should be a very meaningful trip for you.

I too recommend that you rent a car for this trip. Driving in the cities is stressful, but outside the cities it's easy. Pick up your car as far on the outskirts of town as possible as even getting out of Paris can be confusing. Highways are very well marked. Be sure you know the international road signs!! (discoverfrance.net/Boutique/…road_signs.shtml) Make a copy of this web site and take it with you in the car.

Orleans has a number of Jeanne d'Arc statues, the main one is in the Place du Matroi in the city centre, others include the ones by the Hotel de Ville, in the Cathedrale Ste Croix and on the opposite bank of the Loire where there are the ones commemorating the relief of the Fort des Augustins and the Fort des Tourelles. When the Loire is low you can see the old bridge (destroyed in the 1550s)near the George V bridge. The local tourist office (for Orleans and the Loiret region) are good and have information especially for the anuual celebrations around 7-8 May.

Getting from Paris to Orleans is easy by train, most trains run from Paris Austerlitz to Orleans (but don't take the local trains as they stop at all stations, but the faster trains to Tours and further, make sure they stop at Orleans) but some involve a change at Orleans-Les-Aubrais. Orleans is not that big and is easily walkable. Orleans does not have many hotels but there are 2 Ibis hotels and a Sofitel by the Loire. I would suggest a few French words but the hotels should speak English but French people appreciate the effort to speak French. There is a Jeanne d'Arc museum as well as a research centre. There are numerous Jeanne d'Arc souvenirs on offer in most shops.

There are also trains from Paris St Lazare to Bayeaux but Normandy is not that well served by transport outside the main centres.

My boyfriend and I traveled to Normandy , stayed in Bayeux in 2003. I just have to recommend a wonderful tour guide, expert on all things Normandy: Battlebus Tours www.battlebus.fr. The tour guide is English and he is wonderful !! He has a mini bus, so the tour is small and he will show you every important sight in exact detail from the invasion to important sights during and after the occupation. The tour is reasonable and will fill up a whole day. I am going back for my 4th backpacking adventure in Sept, but a warm place in my heart for our wonderful visit to Normandy. So much to learn and so powerful once you are there. I have heard people went on big tour buses, big tour buses cannot get to a lot of the spots that battlebus can take you to.

Hi Mirish, I would recomend the train myself from Paris to Orleans. Takes only about an hour plus. I was there for 3 years 1959-62. Stationed in Lachapelle..4 miles from Orleans. Loved my time there..a small city and you can easily walk it. The main statue is in the center of town,,a short walk from the train station.Not many hotels there, but the ones they do have are nice, and most speak English.I would go to Orleans by train and back to Paris. But I would rent a car for the Normandy trip..beautiful coundry on the way, and you can see many small towns that were affected by the war..many still in ruins!! God bless your F-I-L..for his service there''all were HERO's. I envy you going ..I have been back several times..and still love it. Have a great trip..Danny

Thanks to all of you who responded to my request - your responses will help us immensely!

Hello evrybodey. I am on a trip acros Europe and are going to Frence in a wekes time.I wanted to go to Pariss and Orleans but am a bit woryed about the floodwaters in Orlaens. Does enybody now if it is safe to visit there at this time?Thankx for the imformaton

murat

Murat, thank you for you valauble contribution but why don't you take yourself off to another website....