Just add three letters to Paris, and you have paradise.
Jules Renard
Paris is indeed heavenly, but going beyond this City of Lights is also divine. France boasts so many top attractions that it's would be criminal to limit oneself to just Paris. Still, if you feel most at-home there, you might not want to stray too far.
Lucky for you, there exists many trip-worthy sites that are just a train or car ride away. You needn't even travel for long to feast your eyes on these wonders. If you're looking for day tours from Paris, France, this is the guide you need.
| Destination | What You'll Find | How to get there |
|---|---|---|
| Versailles | Palace, gardens | train, shuttle, car |
| Normandy | Mont St Michel, D-Day beaches | train, plane, car |
| Disneyland Paris | The Magic Kingdom | train, car |
| Giverny | Monet's home, garden, lily pond, | train, car |
| Loire Valley | Castles | train, car |
| Reims | Cathedral, champagne and wine cellars | train, car |
| Chartres | Cathedral | plane, train, car |
| Bordeaux | Wine tasting, medieval old city | plane, train, car |
| Bruges, Belgium | Flemish architecture; 'Venice of the North' | plane, train, bus, car |
| Amsterdam | Royal Palace, museums, churches, night life | plane, train, bus, car |
Versailles Palace
Many understand Versailles as synonymous with the palace, but it is actually a suburb of Paris, with a palace attached. This compound served as the seat of French government on occasion but popular lore pegs it as a recreational spot.
Originally a hunting lodge, it grew into one of Europe's most opulent royal retreats. Today, the Versailles Palace welcomes roughly 10 million visitors per year.
Ticket Prices
Pre-booking Versailles visits is mandatory. You might arrange your Versailles tour through a travel agent, who will likely include coach transport there and back. You may also plan your day trip on your own. For this, Superprof recommends buying your tickets through the official Versailles website.
Ticket prices range from €21 to tour only the palace, to €65 for an all-inclusive yearly pass. To tour only the garden, you'll pay €12 per person.
Getting There
By train: from Montparnasse or, better still, St Lazare - to see La Défense, along the way.
Travel time: 25 minutes from Montparnasse; 33 minutes from St Lazare.
By shuttle bus: from Pont de Sevres, via Route 171.
Travel time: 30 minutes.
By car: A13 towards Rouen. Take the Versailles exit.
Travel time: 30-40 minutes, depending on traffic.
By bike: via the Bois de Boulogne and Parc St Cloud.
Travel time: more than one hour. The bike route is hilly, and extends for 45 km.
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Some areas will be closed to visitors while Paris hosts the Games because some events will take place on the palace grounds. Be sure to check the website for access and ticket availability as you plan your day trip!
Disneyland Paris
With all the wonders throughout France - let alone all there is to do in Paris, how dare we recommend a theme park? Disneyland Paris delivers a different sort of magic. Different, even, to the wonder of other Disney parks.
Anyone on holiday with children knows that they must strike a balance. Kids might tolerate touring a castle or two, but they also just want to be kids on holiday. In Paris, kids (of all ages!) will find no better place to be themselves than the Magical Kingdom.
Disneyland Paris offers two park experiences: one with all the (kid-friendly) rides, and the Studio Park. The latter includes behind-the-scenes glimpses of making Disney shows; you may also learn how stunt actors do their scenes.
Ticket Prices
For one-day access to both parks, tickets start at €82. Should you only have time for one park, €62 is your price of admission. The parks open at 9:30 every day.
Getting There
By train: RER A to Marne-la-Vallée Chessy.
By shuttle: from Charles de Gaulle or Orly airports; the Magic shuttle costs €25 for adults and €10 for children under 13.
By car: parking costs €30, on average.
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The atmosphere is more laid back and the pace is more relaxed. You'll also enjoy lower prices than at other Disney parks!
Giverny
If you're looking for a quiet retreat, a day trip to Claude Monet's home and gardens is just the ticket. The house, with its oriental accents, is a touch eccentric. However, it suitably frames Monet's collection of Japanese prints, displayed within.
You won't find any original Monet works. However, you will have access to his garden - his muse. Walk across his beloved Japanese bridge to get the best look at the lily pond!
Getting There
By train: From Gare St Lazare to Vernon; walk or bike to the Monet House.
By bus: arrange for the Giverny tour service to pick you up (€84 per person)
By car: via A13 to D201 at Bonnières.
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Also visit the Natural Mechanical Museum, which boasts the world's biggest and oldest running diesel engine!
Fontainebleau
Châteaux dot the French landscape, so you might wonder why this one is so special. For one, it's among the best Paris day trips by train. For another, it's just as opulent as Versailles.
You may have trouble scoring tickets to the Palace of Versailles, but you'll have no trouble buying passage into Château Fontainebleau. Once inside, you'll discover it's just as breathtaking as its more famous counterpart.
Getting There
By train: from Gare de Lyon; two trains per hour.
By car: Follow the A6 towards Lyon; watch for Fontainebleau signs around 35 minutes later.
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This forest is full of sandstone boulders; it's a climber's paradise! Some tout is as the world's premiere bouldering destination.
Chartres
Such day tours from Paris, France are perhaps the country's best-kept secrets. Chartres is famous for its cathedral but the whole town is full of Gothic architecture.
Should you happen to stay into the evening, be sure to take in the light show. You'll see coloured beams playing on the cathedral's front; the effect is quite abstract. You'll get the best views from the cathedral's square.
Getting There
By train: from Montparnasse station. By car, follow the A10 to A11.
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Reims
This city and region counts as one of the best places to visit in France, in part for its stunning cathedral, but also because of its wines. Or, more specifically, champagnes. The Champagne region offers vineyards to tour and cellars to sample bubbly in. Is Veuve Cliquot your favourite, or Taittingers?
Besides these two attractions, you may also take in the Palais of Tau and the Carnegie Library. If the weather is fine, you might ride in a hot air balloon to survey the land from above.
Getting There
By train: TVG trains leave Paris Est hourly.
By car: the A140 to A4 takes 1 hour and 38 minutes (via toll roads). You may also drive the N2 (2.5 hours) for a more scenic route.
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Loire Valley
Car travel can sometimes get boring, especially for children. Games such as I Spy and Number Plate Bingo help pass the time and keep them engaged. Travelling through the Loire Valley, you might play Spot the Castle.
This region counts more than 300 castles, all built between the 10th and 15th Centuries. Day tours from Paris won't let you visit each one. However, you can explore a couple of the most famous ones.
Our essential guide to French travel recommends following the A10 or A71 motorways to reach the Loire Valley. If you have a particular Loire destination in mind - Tours or Orleans, you may take the train from Montparnasse directly there.
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Bruges
Perhaps you've seen the film In Bruges and marvelled over this lovely city. People refer to it at the Venice of the North because of its canals and picturesque bridges.
Stepping into the city, you'll find medieval architecture and charming cobblestoned streets lined with colourful buildings.
Getting There
By train: Lille Flanders station sends three trains per hour to Bruges.
By car: A1 to Lille, then A22 to Belgium-E17. At Aalbeke, take E43 to Bruges. (Note: driving is expensive and time-consuming!)
By ferry: From Dunkerque. (Car transit only; no pedestrians!)
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Mont St Michel
This UNESCO World Heritage Site is remarkable to behold. It sits atop a small island off the coast of Lower Normandy. It's open for visits year-round. However, access to it is tricky.
Driving from Paris takes a solid four hours, not accounting for traffic and toll booth stops. You will need time to park your car, and then walk one mile along the causeway. You might find this day trip from Paris more manageable as a guided tour.
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Amsterdam
Like Bruges, this city is often called Venice of the North. And, in both villes, you will not use the essential French phrases you learnt for your Paris stay.
Still, Amsterdam makes for one of the best day tours from Paris, France. Though perhaps it's cheaper and faster to fly in.
This Dutch capital hardly needs an introduction, but you still might wonder what to do with one day in this city. You might enjoy a canal cruise or partake of one of its many festivals. Strolling around and sipping wine in a park - in Vondelpark, are also options.
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Now that you have some ideas for day tours from Paris, France, you might need to organise your Paris trip. Discover all you need to know about getting there, finding hotels and where to eat in Paris.
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