Provins

The medieval town of Provins is a popular day trip from Paris, located in the region of Île-de-France. The fortified centre within the medieval walls has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2001.

Understand
Provins has been synonymous with roses for centuries. In medieval times, Provins was the central town for fairs where merchants from around the world would sell their wares.

Get in
Getting there is very easy from Paris.

By train
Trains to Provins leave from Paris-Gare de l'Est, served by metro lines 4, 5, 7, close to RER B, D, E. The trains, named "XIBU" heading to Provins, leave on tracks 13-22, the exact track number will be shown 20 minutes before departure. There is 1 train per hour leaving at :46 from Paris, between 6:46am and 10:46pm, with additional departures at :16 between 4:16pm and 7:16pm on Monday-Friday. On Sunday, there is no 7:46am train. The journey takes 1 hr 24 minutes.

On the way back, trains from Provins, named "PIBU", leave every hour to Paris at :46, between 5:46am and 9:46pm, with additional departures on Monday-Friday at 5:16am, 6:16am, 7:13am. On Sunday, there is no 6:46am and 8:46am train. The journey takes 1 hr 26 minutes.

Provins is in fare zone 5: if you already have a pass covering zone 1–5, you can use it on the trip. If you're doing a day trip, buy Mobilis zone 1-5 day pass (€17.80), it will also be valid in Paris (RER, metro, bus, tram). Don't forget to write your name and date of use before using it! If you're staying more than a day in Provins, a one-way ticket costs €11.35, it can be used on either way no matter the order of the departure and arrival station written on the ticket. Don't forget to validate it before getting on board!

At Gare de l'Est, tickets should be purchased to the destination Provins from the green, blue or grey colored Billet Île-de-France machines (these are the same machines from which you buy Paris metro tickets) and *not* from the yellow colored SNCF machines. Many of these machines accept only coins or a chipped debit card, so if you have only bills and are traveling with a non-chipped card, be prepared to find a ticket office. You can buy your ticket from a station other than Gare de l'Est, just make sure that "Paris" is set as the departure station if you're buying a one-way ticket.

Go next

 * Paris