Paris is a destination that sparks thoughts of romance, beauty, and a thriving cultural and food scene. Be it a family trip to Paris or a romantic couple travelling to Paris, Paris travel has something to offer for all. You could spend a lifetime in Paris and never see everything that the city has to offer. It’s a place that never sleeps. There are countless events, festivals, and sights to keep you busy. Be it the Eiffel Tower or the Seine river cruise or the various Museums, you will never be left without things to do in Paris. Paris a beautiful city with plenty of action that will enthral, however one should also explore more of France through some exciting day trips from Paris.
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5 Popular Day Trips from Paris, France
Sometimes you just have to get out of the city and see what else France as a country has to offer. It’s easy to get stuck in Paris and never leave its powerful allure, but if you do this, you’d be missing out on the many beautiful places in France that are just outside the city.
Take my advice and embark on some Paris Day trips and spend a day or two on different day trips from Paris to get a better feel for French culture, and to enjoy a variety of travel experiences. France is blessed with an excellent public transit system that allows for easy day trips by train or bus from Paris, so you wouldn’t have to rent a car to get to any of these spots.
Here are a few ideas for places you could visit outside the city next time you visit Paris.
Chateau de Versailles
Chateau de Versailles is by far the most popular day trip from Paris. Even with its crowds of tourists at all times of the year, Versailles is a necessary stop for any visitor to France.
Versailles was the political and royal seat of power from 1682 to 1789 when King Louis XIV moved the royal residence from Paris.
It’s known for its lavish grounds and rich detailed interior, that has to be seen in person to take in the full extent of its grandeur. The palace has 2,300 rooms that are spread out over 63,154 square meters. It has been the Museum of the History of France since 1837.
There are two parts of Versailles that you can explore – the inside of the palace and the gardens. Make time for both and give yourself at least a half-day, if not a full day, to explore the grounds at your leisure.
I recommend buying tickets online ahead of time for the royal residence and getting there as early as possible to avoid waiting in line for an hour or more.
Price: Tickets to the full grounds (residence + garden) start at 20€ if you buy online.
How to get there: Since Versailles is only about 20 km away from Paris, you can take the underground RER C from various metro stops in Paris to the Versailles Rive Gauche station. The palace is only a 5-minute walk from this station.
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Rouen
About an hour and a half by train from Paris, you’ll find Rouen a charming little town that resides in the Normandy region. The town is most famous for being the place where Joan of Arc was executed, and you can still visit the tower where she was held before her execution.
The town’s darker history aside, Rouen is an ideal day trip from Paris for its stunning cathedral that was painted by Claude Monet, astronomical clock tower, and small French town feel. It can still be a crowded place, especially in the summer, but it’s not as busy as Versailles.
How to get there: You can get to Rouen from the Gare Saint Lazare station in Paris. Trains leave twice an hour and the journey takes about an hour and a half.
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Giverny
Made famous by Claude Monet’s popular water lily paintings, Giverny is a small French town that’s ideal to visit in the nicer months, especially in the spring and summer.
This is where you can visit Monet’s house and gardens. He painted here from 1883 until his death in 1926. If you time your visit to be around late May to June, this is when his gardens are in full bloom and when they’re at their most remarkable.
Price: Standard admission to the gardens and Monet’s house are 9.50€.
How to get there: Take the train to Vernon from Gare Saint Lazare in Paris. The trip should take about 45 minutes. Once you’re in Vernon, you’ll see buses waiting outside the station that is waiting to take you to Giverny, about 20 minutes away.
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Chartres
Where one of the most famous cathedrals in France is located, and a charming medieval city that’s only an hour from Paris. Chartres is a day trip that’s worth the journey to take a step back into history.
The 12th-century cathedral is the main attraction in town. Known for its French gothic architecture, 4,000 sculptures, and the Santa Camis relic, Chartres Cathedral is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
It is one of the better-preserved cathedrals in the country, because of their foresight to remove most of the 176 stained-glass windows during WWII, and put the original windows back in after the war was over.
Price: Free entry, guided tours start around 10€.
How to get there: Hop on the train from Gare Montparnasse, heading toward Le Mans, and get off at Gare de Chartres. The journey should take about 1 hour.
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Mont Saint Michel
A day trip that even local Parisians will recommend visiting, Mont Saint Michel is an island with an impressive abbey on it and one of the most famous monuments in France. The first part of the abbey was built in 1144 but has been continuously built on in the years since then.
It’s a popular pilgrimage spot because it’s where a bishop is said to have been visited by the Archangel Michael. Pilgrims have been making the journey to this beautiful spot since 709 AD.
Even if you’re not religious, the abbey itself is a captivating Romanesque structure to walk around and provides dazzling views of the ocean and the high tides that surround it.
Price: Standard admission to the abbey is 10€ but free for EU citizens or permanent residents of France up to age 25.
How to get there: This is the longest day trip on the list, so make sure to check train schedules and leave early in the day. There are a few ways you can get to Mont Saint Michel, but all will start from Gare Montparnasse.
I’d recommend taking the train from this station to Dol de Bretagne. The trip takes about 3.5 hours.
From Dol de Bretagne, you can take a bus to the monument, buses will be waiting outside the station to take you to Mont Saint Michel. Again, just make sure you time the travel schedules right so you make it back to the city before the last bus and train.
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Paris Tourism
How To Get To Paris
To take a vacation in Paris, France, book your flights right here through TripAdvisor or Agoda or CheapAir or Cleartrip or Makemytrip or Priceline.
Where to stay in Paris, France
Paris offers a complete range of accommodation that caters to all segments, whether you are looking for a budget hotel or a luxury hotel, Paris has you covered.
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Tours/Activities available in Paris, France
Paris with its innumerable monuments, museums, and other attractions promises experiences that one will remember for a lifetime. You can get your Paris Attractions Pass and book the best Paris tours. right here.
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Driving around Paris, France
If you are looking at getting the best deals on car rental in Paris, France look no further. You can rent a car in Paris, France, Europe to explore and experience amazing Paris, and in and around areas and embark on a road trip of exploration and discovery of Paris area, France.
These are some of the tantalizing sights and experiences that one must indulge in when on your Paris vacation. It is something that is going to stay with you for a lifetime. Have you been to Paris? Which is your favourite Paris Day tour? Do you know of some more best day trips from Paris? What has been the highlight of your Paris holidays? Do connect with us through the comments section.
Check out some of our Paris related posts:
Experiencing The Serenity of The Seine
Planning a Family Trip to Paris
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This is a really great guide. I love when you can call one place home during a vacation and just take little day trips to see different things. This would be just how I would want to travel to Paris.
Thanks so much for this fabulous post. I’ve visited Paris for a big event, and then headed out of town by train to my next stop in rural France, so I have not done any of these day trips you have mentioned. I’m sure I would enjoy them all–especially Mont Saint Michel. Thanks!
You make Paris look so inviting. There really are so much to do there. I love that this you’re helping us with everything from rental car to booking tours. I think I would definitely want a tour guide when visiting. Great post!
Oh my gosh, I would love to see Monet’s gardens! They are breathtaking! I haven’t been to France yet but I am dying to go.
Oh, this evokes some great memories! So true, you can spend a lifetime in Paris and there would still be something more to see. But those places around the city – so worth a trip!
I’ve been to Versailles, of course, loved it, but I genuinely fell in love with Rouen and Giverny! 🙂 It’s not just the Monet’s legacy, but the whole charm of these two towns is fascinating.
Love your post! Thanks for including Mont Saint Michel, it’s still on my bucket list and I always love reading about it.
I live in France so I can recommend a few others too. Champagne can be done in a day trip from Paris and since we have the 2 hour fast train from Paris to Bordeaux, you can also come to Bordeaux for a day trip.
I’ve been to Giverny, and it is really nice! Whenever I can, I like to add a day-trip to a city escape, it is always a nice way to decompress 🙂
I’ve never been to Paris, but this is one of my dream destinations. I love to travel, a lot. And my kids are afascinated by this city and want to visit it sme day. So, for sure, it will be a family trip and all the tips and advices are welcome!
Some great suggestions here for day trips. All the destinations are winners for sure. Versailles being the closest and the easiest day trip is a must for all visitors to Paris. Rouen is high on my wish list with its Joan of Arc connections and Mont St Michel is on everyone bucket list
Giverny and Mont St. Michel are two of my dream destinations! They are so beautiful they inspire art. Thanks for this wonderful list 🙂
What Ana awesome guide. I will use it when we travel back to Paris as we have done the sights in the city. Time to explore outside the city. Great information about getting there as well.
Love this post! My husband is Paris right now and just visited Versailles yesterday. We’ve also done Rouen and Mont Saint Michele and love both places. I can’t wait to visit your recommendations of Chartres and Giverny.
There’s so many great places just a short distance away from Paris! We really need to go back one day and make sure we do some of these amazing day trips! Rouen especially sounds like a lovely little town!
Paris is everyone’s favorite but not many people know about these enchanting day trips from Paris. I went to Versailles and Strasbourg from Paris as day trips but missed other ones. St. Michel looks impressive as it is an island.
Thank you very much for this! We will be in Paris for a week in the last week of October so I intend to go to Versailles and Mont St. Michel!
I live in Paris, and Mont Saint-Michel as a day trip is a very long, but possible. It is a place that you must see, at least once in your life. Of these you listed, I like Rouen and Chartres the best–so much history, but less tourists!
Love them all and have been only to one of them in my three trips to Paris. France has so much diversity and most people know only a fraction of that.
What an excellent selection of day trips from Paris. I have been to all of these places and loved them. Giverny is stunning, especially in spring. Mont St. Michel is always packed so I prefer to visit in winter when there are fewer people around. Chartres and Rouen are less touristy, but visiting Versailles always takes some planning to avoid the queue.
I’m such a Monet fan. Giverny is my dream destination. I would love sit and paint all day! Not that Chartes or Rouen would be any less fascinating.
I have only been to Paris, but I definitely want to see more France. I really want to see these places. More reasons to go back so I can take these trips.
These are all great suggestions, I’ve had France on my bucket list forever now, one day! Out of the places listed above, I want to check out Mont Saint Michel and Rouen. I like being able to check out local shops and get pictures of the scenery.
My friend and I want a road trip across France so this is very useful. I really want to visit Monte Saint Michel. The architecture alone has me swooning. There is so much history there.
J’adore la France! It is such a beautiful country, and you’re right, although there is plenty to do in Paris you should also get out of the city too! Versailles is spectacular, and I loved Mont St Michel, although it is a long day trip from Paris I’d suggest spending the night around there! Giverny is next on my list 🙂
Wow Mont Saint Michel looks amazing! I would really enjoy exploring the island. There is so much history and beautiful architecture. You have put a list of great places to visit from Paris. I really hope I get to visit this side of the world one day.
Ooh man, so much to do from the epic capital. I could not even explore Paris properly and now there are some epic day trips. You are tempting me to plan at least a month here now. I love the mix of nature and heritage in these day trips. Perfect combo,
I just love Paris and it is amazing what day trips you were able to do from there. I have been to Mont Saint Michel but I didn’t realise that you could do a day from Paris there, which I find interesting. I have always driven there from London. Versailles is also a defiant favourite too
This is so awesome!! We weren’t in Paris long enough to really be able to go for a day trip but i would of loved to see Mont Saint Michel!!
These are some great suggestions of day trips, particularly the trip to Giverny. It would be fascinating to see where Monet perhaps got his inspiration from.
What a great list! So many people go to Paris just for Paris, but I actually can’t stand the city myself. If I ever go there again, it’ll be as a base for a trip like one of these. I recognised the picture of the lilies instantly as a Claude Monet’ spot, but I didn’t know the name of the town (Giverny), so this was insightful too x
Thank you very much for this! We will be in Paris for a week in the last week of October so I intend to go to Versailles and Mont St. Michel!
J’adore la France! It is such a beautiful country, and you’re right, although there is plenty to do in Paris you should also get out of the city too! Versailles is spectacular, and I loved Mont St Michel, although it is a long day trip from Paris I’d suggest spending the night around there! Giverny is next on my list
I just love Paris and it is amazing what day trips you were able to do from there. I have been to Mont Saint Michel but I didn’t realise that you could do a day from Paris there, which I find interesting. I have always driven there from London. Versailles is also a defiant favourite too