Saint-Germain-en-Laye is situated in Ile-de-France, the north-central region of France, in the Yvelines department. Saint-Germain-en-Laye is just less than 12 miles from the centre of Paris. The city is known as the ‘Royal City' due to King Robert the Pious establishing the convent next to the church of Saint-Germain. When hiring a car in Saint-Germain-en-Laye it's worth visiting the Claude Debussy's Native House museum, the first museum dedicated to a world famous composer. Claude Debussy was born in the city in 1862 – the museum is dedicated to his history of work in music.
Head to the city's most famous landmark – Chateau de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, which is a royal palace, now home to the Musee d'Archeologie Nationale. This National Museum of Archaeology is one of the major archaeological museums in the country which covers exhibits from Prehistoric times to the Merovingian Period. The museum houses around 30,000 pieces, which makes it one of the biggest collections in Europe. For an outdoor venture, hire a car from Saint-Germain-en-Laye and drive north-west for around 30 minutes before reaching a large expanse of forest, woodlands and fields – the Parc Naturel régional du Vexin Français. Filled with various footpaths, you can peruse the natural heritage here for as long as the visitors centre stays open.
