Going to the Town of Provins

Stream in the Town of Provins

Stream in the Town of Provins

We took that train from Paris to the medieval town of Provins on the outskirts of Paris. At this point, I didn’t really know what to expect here since this doesn’t seem to part of the normal tourist map. There wasn’t much on the internet about Provins but we head here anyway. The trip was not terribly long, as it was only an hour or more outside of Paris. The train station at Provins was not very busy either. Ominously, there weren’t a lot of people who got off here. It seems that only the residents come here. By the time we got to the bus stop, there wasn’t anyone here. We didn’t know how to get to the medieval town although I think I saw the town as we were approaching the town.

Entering the Town of Provins

Entering the Town of Provins

There was a bus stop right outside the train station but I had no idea where they go. It was quite frustrating to try to figure it out. Apparently, there is a tourist bus but we weren’t sure if it was only operating on weekends or just left. The schedule says it arrives every hour. We were kind of stuck with another couple who was also trying to figure out what to do. They were an American couple and they also just tried to come to Provins to see what is so interesting. Unfortunately, they also don’t speak or read French so they weren’t much use either. We did notice a sign which seems to point to the tourist information center. With no other leads, we just followed the arrows. I think the town could have made a better effort with regards to tourism infrastructure. It was not easy to figure things out here. However, part of the fun was also trying to figure it out. They didn’t seem to be after the mass tourism that has descended on Paris and I think that is a good thing. It would be a waste if the town was ruined by that.

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