Day trips from Paris

🚆 Train

Photo: Trizek · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia

Versailles

History · Architecture · Culture

The most famous palace in France, with the Hall of Mirrors, the royal apartments and gardens big enough for a whole afternoon. It is a normal Paris public-transport trip, so a day pass is all you need.

• 🚆 Getting there: Train · Paris (RER C to Versailles Château Rive Gauche)
• 🎟️ Fare: €12.30 with a Navigo Jour day pass (zones 1–5, covers the RER C)
• 🚶 On arrival: about 10 minutes on foot from the station to the palace
• Map

What to see

• Palace of Versailles: The State Apartments, the Hall of Mirrors and the Queen's rooms; a timed entry slot is compulsory, so book ahead.
  🕗 Tue–Sun 09:00–18:30 April–October, 09:00–17:30 November–March, closed Mondays · 🎟️ Passport ticket (palace, Trianon and gardens) €35; free under 18, but a slot must still be booked Website
• Gardens and park: Le Nôtre's gardens and the Grand Canal; musical fountain shows run from April to late October.
  🕗 daily 07:00–20:30 in high season · 🎟️ free outside fountain-show days Website
• Estate of Trianon: The Grand Trianon, the Petit Trianon and the Queen's Hamlet: the quieter side of the estate, a walk from the palace.
  🕗 Tue–Sun 12:00–18:30 in high season, 12:00–17:30 in low season · 🎟️ €15 (€12 reduced) Website

• 📅 When to go: Closed Mondays. Crowded in summer and at weekends.
• 💡 Tip: Book the palace slot in advance, then do the gardens and the Trianon in the afternoon: the Trianon opens at 12:00.

🚆 40 min

Photo: Daniel VILLAFRUELA. · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia

Fontainebleau

History · Architecture · Culture

A royal and imperial palace with a large free park, on the edge of a forest. A gentler, less crowded alternative to Versailles.

• 🚆 Getting there: Train · Paris Gare de Lyon · 40 min · trains all day, from about 06:19 to 00:49
• 🎟️ Fare: €12.30 with a Navigo Jour day pass (zones 1–5)
• 🌙 Last train back: around midnight from Fontainebleau-Avon
• 🚶 On arrival: bus line 1 from the station to the town centre (about 10 minutes)
• Map

What to see

• Château de Fontainebleau: Rooms from Francis I to Napoleon, the Gallery of Henri II and the horseshoe staircase.
  🕗 daily except Tuesday, 09:30–17:00 October–March, 09:30–18:00 April–September; closed 1 January, 1 May, 25 December · 🎟️ €17 (€15 reduced); free on the first Sunday of the month except July and August Website
• Gardens and park: Formal gardens, the carp pond and the English garden.
  🎟️ free every day Website

• 📅 When to go: Closed Tuesdays. The free first Sunday of the month (not July–August) means crowds.
• 💡 Tip: Add a short walk in the forest after the park: the forest edge is about 25 minutes on foot from the station.

🚆 25 min

Photo: Daniel Villafruela. · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia

Chantilly

History · Culture · Museums

A fairy-tale château on a lake with Le Nôtre gardens, the Condé Museum's painting collection and the Great Stables with horse shows. Only about 25 minutes by train.

• 🚆 Getting there: Train · Paris Gare du Nord · 25 min
• 🚶 On arrival: to Chantilly-Gouvieux station; the RER D takes about 45 minutes. A tourist shuttle runs from the station on weekends and French public holidays; otherwise it is about 25 minutes on foot
• Map

What to see

• Château de Chantilly and the Condé Museum: One of France's best collections of old masters and manuscripts, in a château on a lake.
  🕗 10:00–18:00 in autumn, closed Tuesdays and 4–22 January · 🎟️ 1-day timed ticket €21 (ages 7–25 €17.50), including château, grounds, Great Stables and the equestrian demonstration Website
• Grounds and gardens: Le Nôtre's gardens, the English garden and the Hamlet.
  🕗 10:00–20:00, closed Tuesdays · 🎟️ included in the 1-day ticket Website
• Great Stables and equestrian show: The horse museum and a 30-minute equestrian demonstration at 14:30.
  🕗 10:00–20:00, closed Tuesdays · 🎟️ demonstration included in the 1-day ticket Website

• 📅 When to go: Closed Tuesdays and 4–22 January. The 1-day ticket has a compulsory time slot: book online, especially for peak weekends and holidays.

🚆 75 min

Photo: Txllxt TxllxT · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia

Rouen

History · Culture · Architecture

The Normandy capital: a medieval centre of half-timbered streets, the Gothic cathedral Monet painted and the square where Joan of Arc was burned.

• 🚆 Getting there: Train · Paris Gare Saint-Lazare · 75 min
• 🎟️ Fare: from about €10 one way (limited cheap fares, higher otherwise)
• 🌙 Last train back: around 21:50 from Rouen
• 🚶 On arrival: Rouen Rive Droite station is in the centre; the cathedral is about 15 minutes on foot
• Map

What to see

• Rouen Cathedral: The Gothic cathedral that Monet painted in his famous series.
  🕗 April–October weekdays 07:30–19:00, Sundays and feast days 08:00–18:00; from 1 November weekdays 07:30–12:00 and 14:00–18:00, Sundays 14:00–18:00; closed Monday mornings · 🎟️ free Website
• Gros-Horloge: The astronomical clock and its belfry.
  🕗 Tue–Sun 14:00–18:00 from 1 October to 31 March (last entry 17:00); Tue–Sun 10:00–13:00 and 14:00–19:00 from April to September · 🎟️ €7.85 (€4 reduced) Website
• Musée des Beaux-Arts: A large fine-arts museum; the permanent collections are free.
  🕗 10:00–18:00, closed Tuesdays and public holidays · 🎟️ free for the permanent collections Website

• 📅 When to go: The museum is closed on Tuesdays and the Gros-Horloge opens in the afternoon only from October to March.

🚆 46 min

Photo: DXR · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia

Reims

Wine · Culture · History

The coronation cathedral of the kings of France and the home of champagne cellars, 45 minutes by TGV.

• 🚆 Getting there: Train · Paris Gare de l'Est · 46 min · direct TGV INOUI trains
• 🎟️ Fare: varies by day, from about €15 one way
• 🪑 Seat reservation needed
• 🌙 Last train back: last direct TGV home around 19:00; check the day
• Map

What to see

• Notre-Dame de Reims Cathedral: The Gothic coronation church with its Chagall windows; the towers can be visited on a guided tour.
  🎟️ tower visit €9 (free under 26) Website
• Champagne cellars: Visits and tastings in chalk cellars at Taittinger, Pommery, Mumm and others; book ahead.
  🎟️ Mumm from €30 with one tasting Website

• 📅 When to go: Book the champagne houses ahead: some close on Sundays or in winter. Plan the cellar visit for the early afternoon, as the last direct TGV home leaves around 19:00. The Palais du Tau is closed for works, reopening is planned for winter 2026–27.

🚆 60 min

Photo: Czenon1 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia

Chartres

Architecture · History · Culture

One of the best-preserved Gothic cathedrals in the world, with famous stained glass and a medieval old town, about an hour from Montparnasse.

• 🚆 Getting there: Train · Paris Gare Montparnasse · 60 min
• 🎟️ Fare: varies by day, from about €10 one way
• 🚶 On arrival: the station is in the town centre; the cathedral is 5–10 minutes on foot
• Map

What to see

• Chartres Cathedral: Stained glass from the 12th and 13th centuries and the labyrinth.
  🕗 daily 08:30–19:30 · 🎟️ free Website
• Treasury of the cathedral: The treasury, reopened in 2024.
  🎟️ €7 (free under 26) Website
• Maison Picassiette: A house covered in mosaics, 3 km from the cathedral (bus 5).
  🕗 open mid-February to 31 October; April–June Tue–Sat 10:00–18:00, Sundays and public holidays 12:00–18:00; July–August Mon–Sat 10:00–18:00 · 🎟️ €9–12 Website

• 📅 When to go: Maison Picassiette is closed from 1 November to mid-February. Engineering works sometimes replace trains with buses: check before you go.

🚆 48 min

Photo: Michal Osmenda from Brussels, Belgium · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia

Giverny

Culture · Nature · Museums

Claude Monet's house and water-lily garden in a Normandy village on the Seine, plus the Museum of Impressionisms. A seasonal trip: the gardens close for the winter.

• 🚆 Getting there: Train + bus · Paris Gare Saint-Lazare · 48 min
• 🚶 On arrival: to Vernon-Giverny station, then a seasonal shuttle to the village (€5 single, €10 return, sold on board) or a bike from the station
• Map

What to see

• Claude Monet's house and gardens: The pink house, the flower garden and the Japanese bridge over the lily pond.
  🕗 1 April to 1 November, daily 10:00–18:00, last entry 17:30 · 🎟️ €13 (ages 7–17 and students €7) Website
• Museum of Impressionisms: Exhibitions on Impressionism and its heirs.
  🕗 daily 10:00–18:00, last entry 17:30 · 🎟️ €12 (€9 reduced) Website

• 📅 When to go: Monet's house and gardens are open from 1 April to 1 November only, so Giverny is a spring-to-autumn trip. Best April–June; crowded in the middle of the day.

🚆 83 min

Photo: Jean-Pol GRANDMONT · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia

Provins

History · Culture · Kids

A UNESCO-listed medieval town with ramparts, the Caesar Tower, underground galleries and a bird-of-prey show.

• 🚆 Getting there: Train · Paris Gare de l'Est · 83 min · hourly on weekdays
• 🎟️ Fare: €12.30 with a Navigo Jour day pass (zones 1–5)
• Map

What to see

• Caesar Tower: The medieval keep with views over the walled town.
  🕗 daily 10:00–18:00 from 28 March to 1 November; in winter weekends, public holidays and school holidays 10:30–17:00 · 🎟️ €5 (ages 4–12 €3) Website
• Underground Galleries: A guided visit of about 45 minutes; English tours run at set times at weekends and on public holidays from late March to early July and from late August to 1 November.
  🎟️ €6 (ages 4–12 €4) Website
• Pass Provins and the bird-of-prey show: The pass covers the five paying monuments; the show 'Les aigles des remparts' runs from late March to 1 November.
  🎟️ Pass: €16 online, €17 on site (ages 4–12 €9.50 / €10.50; family €49 / €50) Website

• 📅 When to go: Best from April to October, when everything is open daily; in winter several monuments open at weekends only. Engineering works sometimes replace weekend trains with buses: check before you go.
• 🎫 Combined ticket: Pass Provins: the five paying monuments for €16 online or €17 on site.

🚆 35 min

Photo: Sam Howzit · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia

Disneyland Paris

Kids

Two theme parks, Disneyland Park and Walt Disney Studios, at the end of the RER A, reachable without a car from central Paris.

• 🚆 Getting there: Train · Paris (RER A, for example from Nation) · 35 min
• 🎟️ Fare: €12.30 with a Navigo Jour day pass (zones 1–5); Disney shuttle buses are not covered
• 🚶 On arrival: the RER A station, Marne-la-Vallée–Chessy, is at the park entrance
• Map

What to see

• Disneyland Park: Classic attractions and shows.
  🎟️ about €139 for 1 day, 1 park at the box office; dated online prices differ Website
• Walt Disney Studios Park: Rides and shows around film and animation.
  🎟️ about €174 for 1 day, 2 parks Website

• 📅 When to go: Opening hours vary by date. Special days such as 14 July, 31 October and 31 December cost more, and on peak days the date drives the price: book online.

🚆 82 min

Photo: Celuici · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia

Brussels

Culture · Food · Chocolate

Another capital in under an hour and a half: Grand-Place, comics, chocolate and beer. Our Brussels planner has a ready 1-day itinerary.

• 🚆 Getting there: Train · Paris Gare du Nord · 82 min · about 8–10 Eurostar trains a day
• 🎟️ Fare: from €29 one way; a return is two single tickets and fares vary by day
• 🪑 Seat reservation needed
• Map

Plan your day in Brussels with our planner →

🚗 53 km · about 58 min

Photo: Le Vau as architect, Jebulon as photographer · Public domain · Wikimedia

Vaux-le-Vicomte

History · Architecture · Culture

The model for Versailles: Fouquet's château and garden, with candlelit evenings in summer and a big Christmas in winter.

• 🚗 Drive: 53 km · about 58 min
• 🅿️ Parking: free car park at the château
• 🌿 Low-emission zone: Leaving Paris you cross the Grand Paris low-emission zone (inside the A86), which restricts Crit'Air 3, 4, 5 and unclassified cars; fines are not issued in 2026, and a 24-hour Pass ZFE exists. Check the current rules before you go.
• Map

What to see

• Château and gardens: Fouquet's château, the formal gardens and the dome.
  🕗 daily 10:00–17:30 (last ticket) from mid-March to 1 November; reopens for Christmas from mid-November to early January · 🎟️ €18 (€14.50 reduced; gardens only €13.50) Website

• 📅 When to go: Closed from early November until the Christmas opening in mid-November, then again until spring. Candlelit evenings run on Saturdays in summer.
• 💡 Tip: No car? Take line R from Paris Gare de Lyon to Melun (about 25 minutes) and the château shuttle, which must be booked.

🚗 89 km · about 83 min

Photo: P.poschadel · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia

Pierrefonds and Compiègne

History · Architecture · Nature

A restored medieval castle straight out of a fairy tale and a forest walk, with the imperial palace of Compiègne and the Armistice clearing nearby.

• 🚗 Drive: 89 km · about 83 min
• 🛣️ Tolls: about €4.90 on the A1 to Compiègne Ouest (class 1; check the Sanef calculator for your exit)
• 🅿️ Parking: free parking on rue Sabatier, about 10 minutes on foot from the castle
• 🌿 Low-emission zone: Leaving Paris you cross the Grand Paris low-emission zone (inside the A86), which restricts Crit'Air 3, 4, 5 and unclassified cars; fines are not issued in 2026, and a 24-hour Pass ZFE exists. Check the current rules before you go.
• Map

What to see

• Château de Pierrefonds: Viollet-le-Duc's restoration of the medieval castle.
  🕗 10:00–17:30 from September to April, 09:30–18:00 from May to early September; last entry one hour before closing; closed 1 January, 1 May, 25 December · 🎟️ €9 (joint ticket with the Cité internationale de la langue française €13) Website
• Compiègne imperial palace and Armistice clearing: Napoleon III's palace and the memorial where the 1918 armistice was signed. Website

• 📅 When to go: Best from spring to autumn for forest walks, with autumn colours in the Compiègne forest.
• 💡 Tip: Weekends in school holidays fill up: arrive at opening.

🚗 61 km · about 54 min

Photo: Daniel VILLAFRUELA. · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia

Barbizon and the Fontainebleau forest

Nature · Culture

The painters' village of Barbizon and the sandstone gorges and rocks of the forest, a classic Paris weekend walk.

• 🚗 Drive: 61 km · about 54 min
• 🅿️ Parking: free parking at Allée aux Vaches in the national forest; the tourist office on Place Marc Jacquet has parking for cars and buses
• 🌿 Low-emission zone: Leaving Paris you cross the Grand Paris low-emission zone (inside the A86), which restricts Crit'Air 3, 4, 5 and unclassified cars; fines are not issued in 2026, and a 24-hour Pass ZFE exists. Check the current rules before you go.
• Map

What to see

• Gorges d'Apremont: A walk through sandstone gorges.
  🎟️ free
• Barbizon village: Galleries and the artists' houses.

• 📅 When to go: Any day of the year; busy on sunny weekends, especially near Barbizon. Best in autumn and spring.

🚗 41 km · about 45 min

Photo: Bernd van Delft · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia

Parc Astérix

Kids

The family theme park with thrill rides, near Senlis; Halloween nights in autumn and a Gaulish Christmas later.

• 🚗 Drive: 41 km · about 45 min
• 🅿️ Parking: car park €25 a day
• 🌿 Low-emission zone: Leaving Paris you cross the Grand Paris low-emission zone (inside the A86), which restricts Crit'Air 3, 4, 5 and unclassified cars; fines are not issued in 2026, and a 24-hour Pass ZFE exists. Check the current rules before you go.
• Map

What to see

• Parc Astérix: Rides and shows.
  🎟️ adults €68, children 3–11 €59 on the season price grid; event days can differ Website

• 📅 When to go: Open in season from spring to November, with a Halloween event in October and a Christmas period later. Book a dated ticket in advance.
• 💡 Tip: Avoid sunny Saturdays in school holidays.

🚗 55 km · about 62 min

Photo: elPadawan · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia

WOW Safari Thoiry

Kids · Nature

A drive-through safari and walking zoo next to a château, with a light festival in winter.

• 🚗 Drive: 55 km · about 62 min
• 🅿️ Parking: large free car park at the entrance
• 🌿 Low-emission zone: Leaving Paris you cross the Grand Paris low-emission zone (inside the A86), which restricts Crit'Air 3, 4, 5 and unclassified cars; fines are not issued in 2026, and a 24-hour Pass ZFE exists. Check the current rules before you go.
• Map

What to see

• Zoo and safari: A safari by car and a zoo on foot.
  🕗 opens 10:00; ticket office and safari access close at 17:00 · 🎟️ adults €34; €30 if bought 7 days ahead Website
• Thoiry Lumières Sauvages: An evening light festival from mid-October to early March.
  🎟️ festival only €23 for adults; included in the day ticket Website

• 📅 When to go: Short days in winter: the safari closes at 17:00.
• 💡 Tip: Do the safari at opening, before queues build; the day ticket includes the festival.

🚗 144 km · about 110 min

Photo: October Ends · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia

Hautvillers and Épernay (Champagne)

Wine · Food

The village where Dom Pérignon lived, vineyards over the Marne valley and the Avenue de Champagne in Épernay, a classic day out for Parisians.

• 🚗 Drive: 144 km · about 110 min
• 🛣️ Tolls: A4 toll about €9.60 to Dormans (exit 21), €12.60 to Reims Ouest (class 1; check the Sanef calculator for your exit)
• 🅿️ Parking: Épernay has three paying car parks with the first hour free, plus blue-zone and short-stay bays; Hautvillers has a small car park at the tourist office and another 150 m away
• 🌿 Low-emission zone: Leaving Paris you cross the Grand Paris low-emission zone (inside the A86), which restricts Crit'Air 3, 4, 5 and unclassified cars; fines are not issued in 2026, and a 24-hour Pass ZFE exists. Check the current rules before you go.
• Map

What to see

• Hautvillers abbey church and village: Dom Pérignon's tomb and a walk past wrought-iron shop signs; the tourist-office walk takes about 1.5 hours.
  🎟️ private tour €90 for 1–9 people Website

• 📅 When to go: Many champagne houses close on Sundays or in winter: book visits ahead.
• 💡 Tip: Book the cellar visit and plan a designated driver; Hautvillers is five minutes from Épernay.