Paris and Chantilly — Five Nights with a Château Interlude

You arrive in Paris, a city of monument-lined boulevards and museums, and check in. Depending on what time your flight lands, the evening is given to a two-hour dinner cruise along the Seine, which passes most of the city's famous frontages as the lights come on. · Paris

A twenty-four hour hop-on hop-off bus ticket lets you take the city at your own pace and in your own order. Later you go up the Eiffel Tower by lift to the first floor, with priority access that keeps the queueing down. A cabaret show can be arranged locally in the evening, with a drop-off in central Paris afterwards. · Paris

After breakfast you make your own way to the station for the short train north to Chantilly, roughly thirty to thirty-five minutes, though direct services are limited so the timing matters. Chantilly is listed as a town of art and history and is known for its château, its forest and its lace. The rest of the day is free. · Chantilly

A full day at Chantilly. The forest behind the château runs to nearly sixteen thousand acres and is the reason the estate is where it is. The formal gardens are laid out in three distinct styles. Inside, the château holds a substantial art collection assembled by Henri d'Orléans, and a library that is the best room in the building. · Chantilly

After breakfast you head to the station for the return train to Paris. The afternoon brings a photoshoot with a professional photographer, and then a guided perfumery workshop where you learn how French scents are composed. A designer outlet visit with return shuttle, or a wine and cheese lunch with a sommelier, can be arranged locally instead. · Paris

Breakfast, then check out, with free time until your private transfer to the airport. If you have a late flight the source names several ways to fill the day locally — Disneyland Paris, a shopping village, the Wall of Love in Montmartre, the Pont des Arts, or the view from the Montparnasse tower. None of them is included.