Weekends out of Paris

I'll be in Paris studying next summer from the first of July to the end of the first week in August. I'm from the US and have only been to Europe once- only for like 30 hours actually during a layover flight to Senegal. We will be done with classes on Thursday in the Afternoon and won't have to be back in class until Monday morning. I will have a Eurorail Global Pass for the month and will have 4 free weekends.

So, I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions for first time European Travelers? Places to go. Things to see. What to avoid. Etc.

I am somewhat proficient in French. 3 semesters will be under my belt by then. I love to experience the cultures of places I go. I love art, history and architecture. I love doing different things... I don't mind roughing it for a couple days. I just want to go and see all I can see. I can sleep when I'm dead.

Thanks for y'alls help!
Katie

A few options for going to areas of France different from Paris:
1: Normandy/Bretagne: St.Malo, Mt.St.Michel,Bayeux (sp?) - somewhere "breton" in Bretagne
2: Alsace
3: Provence (the back country), Pont du Gard, Aix, Arles, Nimes - what you can squeeze in. Forget about the Riviera, the coastline, Nice etc. not worth it IMHO
4: Loire valley
5: Massif Central
6: The cave paintings near Rocamandour(Dordogne valley) - remeber to prebook entrance to the various caves
7: Carcassonne and Cathare castles
8: The Alps, Annecy, Charmonix
...and there is SO much more....
STICK to France and see another European country in another holiday.

IF you really "need" to put max number of countries on you checklist, then Belgium, Netherlands and Switzerland are obvious, in order not to waste to much time in those trains. Starting heading to Italy or Scandinavia or ....will be a waste of those few days you have as you will spend far too much time in trains.
I wonder why you have a Eurail pass - you do not really have any time for using it? Even if you travel far (outside France) you cannot travel enogh to justify the price of that pass.
Couldn't you entend your stay in one end and validate the pass for that extra period, where you then could visit Europe outside France.

Thanks for the suggestions! I'll look into all of the places. We have Eurorail passes included in our price for the trip through my university. And I really have five weenends, but I am already planning to spend one weekend in Normandy and go to Mont St. Michel (Sp?)

Amsterdam. Beaches in the south of France. The Alps. And all of the places noted above. You won't lack opportunities. If it were me, I'd probably try to minimize travel time -- it seems kind of crazy to travel 7 or 8 hours just for a three day weekend. (Remember that it's really 7-8 hours times two, when you include the return trip.)

Dave

Hey Katie

Brussels is an amazing city and not TOO far from Paris either. There's always Eurodisney if you're really bored too (bleeuuugghhh!) ;)

Claire x