Aux Vieux Remparts
Why we like it: 41-room hotel in the upper town of Provins, next to Place du Châtel, with a spa, a bistro open daily and free private parking.
Duration1 night
From ParisLine P · 1 h 20 – 1 h 30
Best timeMay · Jun · Sep
Budget€170–300 pp
Getting thereTrain from Gare de l'Est
The plan
The plan, hour by hour
Designed to arrive on Saturday morning on line P and return on Sunday afternoon, from late March to early November. Buy the Provins Pass online: it lasts a year and lowers the price of the shows.
Saturday
- 19:50Arrival and ramparts
Line P from Gare de l'Est and a twenty-minute uphill walk. Leave your suitcase at the hotel or in the tourist office's free left-luggage. A walk round the ramparts on the outside.
- 211:00Barn and Caesar's Tower
The audio guide to the Champagne fairs and the climb up the keep.
- 312:30Lunch in the upper town
Bistrot Aux Vieux Remparts, open every day.
- 414:30Eagles and knights
Les Aigles des Remparts and, at 15:45, La Légende des Chevaliers.
- 520:00Dinner and the ramparts at night
Dinner at the bistro and a stroll along the illuminated ramparts.
Sunday
- 110:30Underground passages and Rose Garden
The first run of the underground passages and down to the Rose Garden, in bloom from May to July.
- 212:30Home cooking and train
Rosalie, in the lower town, is open at midday on Sunday. Then train to Paris.
In a day you can see Provins; by sleeping over, you enjoy it. When the day-trippers leave, the upper town falls silent, the ramparts light up and Caesar's Tower stands out illuminated. With one night everything fits without rushing: both shows, the Pass monuments and, on Sunday, the underground passages and the Rose Garden. All on foot from the line P station, an hour and a half from Paris.
Where to sleep?
| Hotel | Where | For whom |
|---|---|---|
| Aux Vieux Remparts | Upper town, next to the place du Châtel | Sleeping inside the walls, with spa |
| Le César Hôtel | Lower town, 900 m from the station | Coming and going by train with a suitcase |
| La Demeure des Vieux Bains | Between upper and lower town | A special night in medieval buildings |
Aux Vieux Remparts accepts dogs for a supplement and has free parking; Le César, private parking.
How much does it cost?
Between €170 and €300 per person with the train, one night in a hotel sharing a room, the Provins Pass, both shows and meals. The hotel weighs most.
Map
The stops, in order
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Plan the trip
Provins, step by step
Each choice narrows the next: the season shapes how best to travel, and how you travel decides where you stay and where you eat.
When to go
When to go to Provins
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Best timeGood timeLow season
How you travel
The same break, your way
The plan stays the same. What changes is where you sleep, how you get there and how much you spend.
Fly to Paris and take a train to Provins
Provins has no airport: you fly to Paris, to Charles de Gaulle or Orly, which have direct flights from Madrid, Barcelona and many other Spanish cities, and arrive by train. Line P leaves from Gare de l'Est, next to Gare du Nord, where the RER B from Charles de Gaulle stops. From either airport, allow about two and a half hours; by hire car, a good hour and a quarter.
- Getting thereParis-Charles de Gaulle (CDG): RER…
- Getting aroundOn foot between the station…
- Where to stayLe César Hôtel, 900 metres…
- ServicesInformation point at the station…
Getting there
- Paris-Charles de Gaulle (CDG): RER B to Gare du Nord, five minutes' walk to Gare de l'Est and line P to Provins
- Paris-Orly (ORY): metro line 14 to the centre and change for Gare de l'Est
- Paris Région–Aéroports ticket, €14, for the whole journey
Getting around
- On foot between the station, the lower town and the upper town (twenty minutes uphill)
- The little train of the upper town, with an all-day ticket
- Hire car at the airports if you are continuing on to Champagne
Where to stay
- Le César Hôtel, 900 metres from the station
- Aux Vieux Remparts, in the upper town, if you arrive late and want to wake up among the ramparts
Services
- Information point at the station, selling the Pass Provins
Provins by train, without a car
Provins works very well without a car. Line P comes direct from Gare de l'Est on the standard €2.55 ticket, and everything is done on foot. The only effort is the climb from the station to the upper town, twenty minutes; the little train helps within it.
90–180 €per person per day, approximate
- Where to stayLe César Hôtel, the closest…
- Getting aroundLine P from Paris Est…
- Where to eatBistrot Aux Vieux Remparts, open…
- ServicesFree left-luggage at the tourist…
Where to stay
- Le César Hôtel, the closest to the station
- Aux Vieux Remparts, in the upper town, next to Place du Châtel
Getting around
- Line P from Paris Est, an hour and twenty to an hour and a half
- On foot and on the little train around the upper town
- If line P is closed for work, RER A and bus 7705 or RER D and bus 7704
Where to eat
- Bistrot Aux Vieux Remparts, open every day
- Rosalie, menus from €19.90 in the lower town
Services
- Free left-luggage at the tourist office for suitcases and pushchairs
Provins by car, with the Brie and Champagne nearby
By car, Provins is about 90 km from Paris, an hour and a quarter on the N4 and D619, and parking is easy. It makes sense if you are staying overnight and want to continue the next day towards Champagne or through the villages of the Provinois.
100–200 €per person per day, approximate
- Where to stayAux Vieux Remparts, with private…
- Getting aroundVillecran car park, next to…
- Where to eatBistrot Aux Vieux Remparts, two…
- ServicesFour charging points and a…
Where to stay
- Aux Vieux Remparts, with private, free parking
- Le César Hôtel, with private parking with a code
- La Demeure des Vieux Bains, with enclosed parking on the grounds
Getting around
- Villecran car park, next to the Porte Saint-Jean: €4 a day at weekends in season
- In the lower town, free car parks
- In high season, traffic in the upper town is restricted
Where to eat
- Bistrot Aux Vieux Remparts, two minutes from the hotel
- L'Instant and Rosalie, on Place Honoré de Balzac
Services
- Four charging points and a motorhome area at Villecran
How much does it cost?
People2
Nights1
Where to stay
Where to stay if you're flyingwithout a carif you're driving
We show you what suits the way you travel.Change how you travel
Le César Hôtel
Why we like it: Four-star designer hotel with 27 rooms opposite the church of Sainte-Croix, near the station, with a courtyard and private parking.
La Demeure des Vieux Bains
Why we like it: Guesthouse in 12th- to 18th-century buildings between the upper and lower towns, with five suites and rooms from €180, a garden and enclosed parking.
From €180
View details
Services for this trip
Where to eat
Where to eat in Provins
Bistrot Aux Vieux Remparts
What to order: the two- or three-course Plaisir menu, with seasonal cooking and local producers
Open every day at lunchtime and in the evening · terraces in the upper town
Rosalie
What to order: the Rosalie menu of starter, main and dessert for €24.90, with the blackboard dishes
Lunch Tuesday to Sunday · dinner Thursday to Saturday · closed Monday
L'Instant
What to order: at lunchtime on weekdays, the €20.50 or €23.90 formula; in the evening, the salmon tataki or the bobun
Shaded terrace on Place Honoré de Balzac · also takeaway
Tips
Worth knowing first
- 1Book Saturday
Hotel and shows fill up in spring.
- 2December
The Christmas medieval market weekend is special, but without equestrian shows.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Is it worth sleeping in Provins?
Yes: the illuminated ramparts and the empty town at night are the best part of the trip.
Do you need a car?
No: line P runs from Gare de l'Est and everything is done on foot.
Which hotel should I choose?
Inside the upper town, Aux Vieux Remparts; near the station, Le César.