There are TONS of fabulous things to do in Paris, which is why visitors love coming back to the City of Light. But there are also LOTS of amazing places to visit near the capital, so it’s really easy to get a taste of the rest of France during your stay. From castles and cathedrals to artistic villages and champagne cellars, here’s our pick of the best day trips from Paris.
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Take in the Glitz and Glory of Versailles
The most popular excursion from Paris is certainly to France’s most famous castle, Versailles. Located in the suburbs of Paris, the sumptuous palace complex created by King Louis XIV attracts a whopping 10 million visitors every year. Even though the estate is HUGE, containing three castles and 2,000 acres of gardens, it can get REALLY crowded – especially in summer. To see “it all,” you need the whole day, however, the main palace and nearby gardens can be visited in a long half-day.
The castle is accessible by public transportation, a journey which takes around 20 minutes from the city center. However, due to Versailles’s colossal size and complexity, you’ll get more out of your visit by taking a guided excursion, like this half-day excursion or this bike tour. Both tours include skip-the-line Versailles tickets and your guide will provide great insight into the castle’s history and design as well as know how to navigate the crowds. If you’re visiting on your own or have time after your tour, the elegant town of Versailles is nice to explore. It also has a great food market, the Halles Notre-Dame, where you can get picnic supplies to enjoy in the castle’s gardens.
Image Courtesy of Tiqets
Visit the gorgeous and much less crowded castles of Fontainebleau or Vaux-le-Vicomte and enjoy a forest hike
Versailles isn’t the ONLY castle worth visiting around Paris. There are actually dozens of fantastic options, but Fontainebleau or Vaux-le-Vicomte are among the best. Both are found east of the capital, are super beautiful, and MUCH less crowded than Versailles. A 40-minute trip from central Paris by suburban train, the Château de Fontainebleau was an important royal castle for centuries. The various sections of the castle were decorated during different eras and by different rulers, so Fontainebleau gives you a better overview of French history and architecture than Versailles. It’s also surrounded by beautiful gardens AND a huge forest crisscrossed with hiking trails, so it offers a nice escape for nature lovers.
Located north of Fontainebleau is the Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte, the castle which inspired Louis XIV to build Versailles. Commissioned by the Sun King’s Superintendent of Finance, Nicolas Fouquet, it was the first time a castle’s architecture, interiors, and grounds were designed in unison. Louis XIV was so jealous of the spectacular result that he threw Fouquet in jail (ouch!) and hired his design team to build Versailles. On Saturday nights in summer, candlelight evenings take place in the gardens, so this is a magical time to visit if it fits into your schedule. The castle is a bit tricky to get to on public transportation, so you might prefer to book this full-day excursion that visits both Fontainebleau and Vaux-le-Vicomte.
Image Courtesy of Giverny.org
Visit Claude Monet’s famous gardens and home in Giverny
If you’re an art and garden lover, you won’t want to miss visiting Giverny, home to Claude Monet’s former home and stunning gardens. For the last few decades of his life, the famous Impressionist artist lived in this hamlet northwest of Paris, where he painted some of his most acclaimed works, including his large water lilies paintings. Wonderfully preserved, a visit here makes you feel like you’ve stepped right into one of his artworks.
You can get there by taking the train to Vernon (which is a really cute Medieval town), and then taking a shuttle bus. Or if you’re looking for more convenience, join this full-day Impressionist art tours. Accompanied by an art historian guide, your day starts with a tour of the Musée d’Orsay in Paris. Here you’ll learn about and see the works of Monet and fellow Impressionist artists like Renoir, Degas, and Van Gogh. After picking up lunch you’ll travel with your guide to Giverny. Note that the site is only open from April through October.
Image Courtesy of Viator
Walk in the footsteps of Vincent Van Gogh in Auvers-sur-Oise
Monet wasn’t the only artist to paint outside Paris, and the charming village of Auvers-sur-Oise offers you the chance to see where Vincent Van Gogh lived and painted during the last few months of his life. Located 30 kilometers north of Paris, the village feels frozen in time so it really gives the impression of being back in the time of Van Gogh. As you stroll the village, you can see where he lived, places he painted, and his final resting place in the local cemetery.
A word of caution, many of the village’s sites close in low season, so it’s best to visit from April to October. That’s also a once-a-day direct train from Gare du Nord that only takes 35 minutes (otherwise you have to switch trains along the way). Alternatively, you might prefer the ease of joining either this half-day Auvers excursion or this joint Auvers-Giverny excursion.
Image Courtesy of Viator
Gaze at France’s most impressive Gothic Cathedral in Chartres
One of the easiest of the best day trips from Paris, in only an hour-long train ride you can reach this world-renowned cathedral town. Most visitors come to see its eye-poppingly beautiful Gothic cathedral that contains gorgeous stained glass and a cool labyrinth on its floor. But while you’re here, take a jaunt through its historic center where you can discover ancient houses, nice boutiques, and pretty vistas over the river and cathedral. If you’re not feeling confident about taking the train yourself or would like the added value of historical information, you can book this half-day group excursion that includes round-trip transit to and from your Paris hotel.
Image Courtesy of Get Your Guide
Sip France’s best bubbles touring the cellars of Champagne
Calling all champagne lovers! If you’d like to learn more about France’s most famous sparkling wine, a trip to the Champagne region is actually one of the best day trips from Paris. Thanks to the high-speed train, you can reach the region’s capital, Reims, in only 45 minutes. Some champagne cellars, like Veuve Clicquot and Pommery, are located at the edge of town, which you can meander through on the way from the station (don’t miss out on Reims’s fabulous Gothic cathedral). If you’d like to see or visit the vineyards, it’s better to do an excursion, like this full-day Champagne tour that also includes your transportation from Paris.
Image Courtesy of Provins Tourism
Take a trip back to Medieval Times in Provins
You don’t have to travel far to go back in time to the Middle Ages by visiting Provins, a UNESCO World Heritage site east of Paris and one of the best-preserved Medieval towns in the country. After a 75-minute journey by suburban train, you’ll feel like you’re in a countryside village. Strolling the town’s narrow lanes you’ll discover the Tour César fortress, tiny stone churches, and well-preserved city walls. Provins held a popular fair in Medieval times, which is revived in two Medieval-themed festivals held every mid-June and December – in case you’re visiting at either of these times, don’t miss these super fun events.
Image Courtesy of Get Your Guide
Admire half-timbered houses, a stunning cathedral, and other cool sites in Rouen
One of the easiest of the best day trips from Paris, this lovely town in Normandy combines many of the themes covered in the rest of these excursions. A 90-minute train ride from Paris, the beautiful city has a really charming historic center filled with colorful half-timbered houses, as well as a phenomenal Gothic cathedral famously painted by Monet and sites linked to Joan of Arc, who was burned at the stake here in the 1400s. You can learn more about Rouen’s heritage on this city tour.
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