Are you spending a week in Paris or London or really any city serviced by a train?  Do yourself a favor and save a day to get out of town.  

Check the train maps and find a small hamlet 30 minutes to an hour away and go have lunch!  Commuter rates are often lower after 9am, which puts you in your new destination by 10am.  If you’ve downloaded webpages, the train ride itself can provide some time to research your chosen destination.

Once you’ve settled on a place for lunch, make it a point to introduce yourself to the waitperson and tell them you’re passing through and ask if there’s anything you should see or do while you’re visiting.

By 3 or 4 O’clock, you can head back to your main city for the cultural experience of going off into the wild and mingling with the natives.