7 Amazing Day Trips to Experience from Paris

The abundance of architectural icons, monumental museums, and unmissable dining experiences in Paris makes it difficult for visitors to consider venturing outside of the city. Magnificent châteaux, exquisite gardens, mediaeval cathedrals, and rambling forests are all within easy reach of Paris, adding a new dimension to a stay in the French capital.

Here are seven of the best day-trip destinations within an hour or so of central Paris, whether you want to walk in Monet’s footsteps in Giverny, dine at a mediaeval banquet in Provins, or keep the kids entertained at Disneyland

Giverny

A trip to Giverny is a must between April and October when the key sights are open and the gardens are in bloom. From 1883 until his death in 1926, impressionist Claude Monet lived in the small village. The Maison et Jardins de Claude Monet is a rose-pink, green-shuttered house and the flowering gardens he planted and painted, including his Japanese bridge and water lily pond. You can also pay a visit to the painter’s tombstone, which can be found on the eastern side of Giverny’s L’église Ste-Radegonde.

For more artistic pursuits, visit the Musée des impressionnismes Giverny, which offers a comprehensive overview of all things related to the Impressionist movement, as well as lectures, readings, and concerts on a regular basis. Have you worked up an appetite yet? Inn with a Michelin star that is enchanting Le Jardin des Plumes serves sublime modern French cuisine (almost like works of art), while La Capucine Giverny serves classic Italian dishes in a beautiful garden setting.

Getting to Giverny:

Giverny is located 74 kilometers northwest of Paris and takes approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes to reach by car. Trains run from Paris’ Gare St-Lazare to Vernon, which is 7 kilometers west of Giverny (45 minutes to one hour, up to 15 daily). During the summer, shuttle buses run between Vernon and Giverny; otherwise, you can walk, cycle, or take a taxi

Versailles

Strolling through the lavishly adorned 700-room baroque palace Château de Versailles, which was transformed from a hunting lodge by Louis XIV in the mid-17th century and served as the seat of the royal court until 1789, gives you an up-close appreciation of the French monarchy’s disproportionate wealth and power, which sparked the French Revolution (which ultimately led to the then-king, Louis XVI, being unceremoniously guillotined in the French capital).

The opulent Grands Appartements du Roi et de la Reine (King’s and Queen’s State Apartments) and the 75-meter-long ballroom Galerie des Glaces (Hall of Mirrors), with 17 massive mirrors facing 17 windows facing the setting sun, are two of the most striking features. Outside, visitors can stroll through the lovely Château de Versailles Gardens & Park, which features geometrically aligned terraces, 300 or so statues, and fountains that ‘dance’ to classical music during the summer. The elegant, palace-housed Ore is one of the estate’s drinking and dining options, while budget travellers can find cheaper options in the surrounding town of Versailles, such as the charming cafe La Cour near Versailles’ markets.

What is the best way to get to Versailles?

Versailles is only 22 kilometres southwest of central Paris and is best reached by train: take the RER C from Paris’ Left Bank RER stations to Versailles-Château–Rive Gauche station (journey time: 40 minutes). Traveling by car, on the other hand, takes about 45 minutes..

Disneyland Paris.

While most visitors will enjoy marvelling at relics and palaces from the mediaeval Kingdom of France, it’s safe to assume that if you’re travelling with children, the ‘kingdom’ they’re most excited to see is the home of Mickey and Minnie and their ilk. Disneyland Park is located within the vast Disneyland Paris complex, and it features five themed ‘lands’ with all of the classic sights (Sleeping Beauty’s Castle, turn-of-the-century Main Street USA), iconic rides (Pirates of the Caribbean, Big Thunder Mountain…), and larger-than-life characters.

The Walt Disney Studios Park is located next to Disneyland Park and features high-tech rides like the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror and the delightful Ratatouille, as well as cinemas, sound stages, and behind-the-scenes tours. Deals abound, including tickets that cover both parks, so do your homework and book ahead of time.

The following directions will take you to Disneyland Paris.

Disneyland Paris is 32 kilometres east of Paris and takes about 40 minutes to drive there. RER A trains run frequently between central Paris and Marne-la-Vallée/Chessy (journey time: 40 minutes to one hour).

Chantilly and Senlis

The fairy-tale Château de Chantilly rises from a shimmering lake and is surrounded by magnificent gardens. In its Musée Condé, you can see priceless paintings and sample the famous crème Chantilly (sugar-whipped cream), which was invented here. The Hippodrome (horse-racing track) and stables, the Grandes Écuries, are perhaps best known for their hippodrome (horse-racing track) and stables, which house the Musée Vivant du Cheval, which has riding-equipment displays and also mount dressage shows. Riding and walking trails branch out from here into the Forêt de Chantilly, a forested former royal hunting estate.

Regular buses (25 minutes) travel 10 kilometres east of Chantilly to mediaeval Senlis, whose narrow cobblestone streets, Gallo-Roman ramparts, and towers reward an afternoon stroll. Senlis, a royal seat from the 5th to the early 17th centuries, is crowned by the Gothic Cathédrale de Notre Dame, which was completed in 1191 and still has its original stained glass and intricate stone-carved portal. Le Scaramouche serves cutting-edge bistro cuisine across from the cathedral, with ringside views from its terrace.

What is the best way to get to Chantilly?

Chantilly is 50 kilometres north of Paris and takes one hour to drive there. Paris’ Gare du Nord and Chantilly-Gouvieux train stations are connected by TER train services (direction Creil) (journey time: 25 minutes).

Provins

Unesco has designated the walled town of Provins as the ‘Town of Medieval Fairs,’ and it certainly succeeds in transporting you back to the Middle Ages (though, thankfully, minus the stink, plague and squalor). The Tour César, the Church of Saint Quiriace, and the Grange aux Dîmes, where you can watch a live re-enactment of a mediaeval market, are among the town’s over 150 mediaeval structures. Other attractions include the town’s ramparts, fortified gates, and more than 10 kilometres of underground tunnels.

The medieval-themed spectacles, however, bring the period to life the most convincingly, making Provins an ideal day trip from Paris for families. There are regular displays of falconry, horsemanship, and mediaeval warfare (complete with trebuchets and jousting) between April and November, as well as a weekly banquet on Saturday where you can eat mediaeval food while being entertained by troubadours, acrobats, and jugglers.

Getting to Provins:

Provins is located southeast of Paris and takes one hour and twenty minutes to drive to. Alternatively, take the P line from Gare de l’Est to Provins and disembark (journey time: one hour 20 minutes).

Fontainebleau

The 280-square-kilometer Forêt de Fontainebleau, which surrounds the elegant town of Fontainebleau, is an outdoor paradise with walking and cycling trails (including mountain-biking tracks) as well as rock climbing on its sandstone ridges and plunging gorges. The château, which sprawls over 1900 elaborately gilded, frescoed rooms amid formal French and free-flowing English-style gardens, is Fontainebleau’s most impressive human-made site. The original château was built in the early 12th century, but it was radically reconstructed by successive monarchs, most notably by François I in the 16th century, who gave it a Renaissance-style makeover.

Fontainebleau also has a plethora of lively local bistros, such as Le Bistrot 9, as well as gastronomic restaurants, such as the terroir-focused La Table du Parc. Pick up supplies for a forest picnic at Dardonville’s wonderful pâtisserie (pastry shop) or the bustling town market, which is open Tuesdays, Fridays, and Sundays.

How to Get to Fontainebleau:

Fontainebleau is 68 kilometers southeast of Paris, and it takes about 1 hour and 20 minutes to drive there. The Gare de Lyon station in Paris is connected to the Gare de Fontainebleau-Avon station in Fontainebleau-Avon (40 minutes, up to 40 daily).

Chartres

The 13th-century Cathédrale Notre Dame in Chartres is France’s best-preserved mediaeval cathedral. It’s topped by Romanesque and Gothic steeples and revered for its 176 luminescent, deep-blue stained-glass windows. It was built on the site of a Romanesque cathedral that was nearly destroyed by the 1194 fire that ravaged Chartres. The striking structure also houses a number of sacred relics, including the Sainte Voile (Holy Veil), which is thought to have been worn by the Virgin Mary during the birth of Jesus.

Nearby, the Centre International du Vitrail, housed in a half-timbered former granary, teaches about stained glass, and the Musée des Beaux-Arts, housed in the 18th-century Palais Épiscopal (Bishop’s Palace), displays a fine-arts collection. Steep streets lined with mediaeval houses descend from Chartres’ cathedral to the Eure River’s western channel. Le Saint-Hilaire, a peppermint-green-painted restaurant adjacent to a narrow bridge, is a local favourite for its regional menus. Chartres’ iron-canopied market is surrounded by bistros in the newer part of town (Wednesdays and Saturdays).

To Get to Chartres, take the following route:

Chartres is 91 kilometers southwest of Paris and takes about one hour and 30 minutes to reach by car. TER trains run frequently between Paris’ Montparnasse Vaugirard and Chartres’ train station (journey time: one hour 15 minutes).