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
geocalia
Day itinerary · 48.56° N · 3.30° E
Provins in a day, the city of the Champagne fairs, an hour and a half from Paris by train.
Line P from the Gare de l'Est, ramparts and Caesar's Tower in the morning, lunch in the upper town and in the afternoon the two medieval shows. No car.
Leaving from
Direct flight to París fromAsturias 1 h 45Barcelona 1 h 45Bilbao 1 h 45Santander 1 h 45Madrid 2 hPalma de Mallorca 2 hSantiago de Compostela 2 hValencia 2 hAlicante 2 h 15Ibiza 2 h 15
Part of ProvinsChristmas markets of Europe
Add to my trip
Total time11 h
By car1 h 15 each way
From ParisLine P · 1 h 20 – 1 h 30
ShowsLate March – early November
DifficultyEasy
Cost€70–110 pp
Best timeMay · Jun · Sep
BookingShows and lunch
The plan
The day at a glance
Any part can be swapped for another without spoiling the day.
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Leave Paris 1 h 30 by train
Line P from Gare de l'Est with the €2.55 Metro-Train-RER ticket; buy the Provins Pass at the information point in the station
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1
The ramparts and the Porte Saint-Jean
free · outside as far as the Tour aux Engins and up top next to the gate
- 5 min on foot
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2
The Tithe Barn and the Champagne fairs
with the Provins Pass · 35 min audio guide
- 8 min on foot
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3
The Caesar Tower, the 12th-century keep
with the Provins Pass · views over the Brie
- 6 min on foot
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4
Bistrot Aux Vieux Remparts
open every day · book the terrace
3 rue Couverte, 77160 Provins · +33 1 64 08 97 00
Restaurant €€€Book - 8 min on foot
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5
Les Aigles des Remparts, mounted falconry in the ramparts theatre
Vol Libre · €13 online, €11 with the Pass · 45 min
+33 1 60 58 80 32
- 10 min on foot
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6
La Légende des Chevaliers, mounted jousting at the foot of the ramparts
Equestrio · weekend performance · €13 online
+33 1 60 67 39 95
- 10 min on foot
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7
The underground passages of Provins
last run of the day · with the Provins Pass · 13 °C
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Back home 1 h 30 by train
walk down to the station in 20 minutes · in Paris around 19:45
Approximate cost
About €65–90 per person
Adds up the activities and meals in the plan at their published prices; travel and accommodation not included.
The route
The ramparts and the Porte Saint-Jean
Provins is an hour and a half from Paris on a direct train and is the most complete medieval day trip you can make without a car: ramparts, a keep, underground galleries and, from April to early November, two shows with horses and birds of prey. This plan is designed for a season-time Saturday or Sunday, when the show times fit one after another. Buy the Pass Provins online before you set out: €16, and it reduces the price of the shows.
The day, hour by hour
8:10 · Line P from the Gare de l'Est. About 85 minutes. At Provins station, on the left, is the information point; from there, twenty minutes uphill to the upper town.
9:50 · The ramparts. Free. Walk round the outside to the Tour aux Engins and climb to the wall-walk beside the Saint-Jean gate.
10:45 · The Tithe Barn. The audioguide tells of the Champagne fairs; you understand the town in 35 minutes.
11:30 · Caesar's Tower. Spiral staircase, rubble walls and the wall-walk with the Brie at your feet.
12:30 · Lunch at the Bistrot Aux Vieux Remparts. Open daily, with a terrace in the upper town.
14:30 · Les Aigles des Remparts. Eagles, vultures and falcons in free flight, with horses. Outdoors.
15:45 · La Légende des Chevaliers. Jousts, acrobatics and siege engines at the foot of the wall, with covered stands.
17:00 · The underground passages. The last guided tour of the day, at 13 °C.
18:00 · Return. Go down to the station and take the train to the Gare de l'Est.
Is it for me?
If you are travelling with children, it is one of the best days you can spend outside Paris. On weekdays outside summer the shows have fewer performances and some change time: check the calendar on the tourist office website and adjust the order.
Distance1.2 km
Time1 h
Where to eat
Where to eat?
Lunch is half the plan: book before you set off.
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
Map
The stops, in order
With where to park at each one.
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Getting there
By car or without one?
When to go
When to go to Provins
From late March to early November, when there are shows and the monuments open daily. In winter the plan is limited to ramparts, tower, barn and passages, preferably at the weekend.
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Best timeGood timeLow season
Tips
Worth knowing first
- 1Online pass
€16 instead of €17, and cheaper shows bought with it.
- 2No dog
It is not allowed into monuments or shows.
- 3Check the line P works
Before setting out, on Transilien.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How much does the trip to Provins cost?
Train at €2.55 each way, €16 Pass Provins, two shows at €11 to €14 and lunch: between €70 and €110 per person.
Can it be done in winter?
Yes, but without the shows: ramparts, tower, barn and passages, preferably at the weekend.
Do I need to book the shows?
Online they can be bought up to 24 hours ahead and are cheaper; on the day, at the ticket office.
More plans like this
Other days of walking and good food
geocalia.com/en/france/ile-de-france/provins/itineraries/provins-ramparts-caesar-tower-and-knights
Prices, opening hours and times are approximate: check them before you go. Each place has its own page on Geocalia.