Best Day Trips from Paris

Looking for an easy day trip from Paris? This is our list of the best day trips from Paris. Whether you are wanting to enjoy a day at the beach, a wine tasting or the beautiful French countryside, you will find what you are looking for here on our list of the best day trips from Paris! These day trips can be reached by train or you can join an organized small group trip including transportation if you have limited time or want to reach the destinations more easily.

Best day trips from Paris by Train

France has a wonderful train system making the places on this list easily accessible. Traveling by train is comfortable, simple, affordable and eco-friendly. We take the train as much as possible when traveling and absolutely love it!

Alternatively, you could rent a car to do any of the Paris day trips on this list! Another way to visit the destinations on this list, is to take the simplest route and join a group tour leaving from Paris and returning to Paris at the end of the day.

Etretat

Etretat (pronounced Eh-treh-tah), is in Normandy. Best known for its beautiful natural arches, chalk cliffs and pointed formation called L’Aiguille, made famous by Claude Monet’s cliff paintings. It is absolutely stunning and worth a visit.

Of all the places on this list, it takes the longest to get there from Paris by train. The trip is just under 3 hours each way, but if you don’t mind leaving early and coming back to Paris a tad late, it’s definitely worth it.

Les Jardins d’Etretat are also remarkable and worth a visit. Etretat can get quite crowded, especially during certain parts of the year, so we recommend booking your tickets for the gardens in advance.

Book your entrance ticket to Les Jardins d’Etretat!

Stay in one of the hotels close to the beach so that you can head out, view the Etretat cliffs and have seafood and a glass of wine on the beach. The sea, the seafood, the beauty makes this one of the best day trips from Paris!

Honfleur

Honfleur, Normandy is absolutely enchanting. A little over 2 hours from Paris by car, it is the perfect day trip. Plan to sit in one of the many typical restaurants and enjoy oysters, a fresh seafood plate and a glass (or two) of wine.

Monet also spent time in Honfleur and painted this beautiful port as well. Make sure you stop by Saint Catherine’s Church. It is breathtaking.

Looking for something really fun and memorable to do in Honfleur?

Book your Private Guided City Tour by Vintage Sidecar!

Deauville

If you are looking for a seafood filled day in one of the chicest spots in France, Deauville is your place. You can walk along the beach, enjoy fresh seafood, shop at an organic market, go horseback riding, play golf or tennis, explore a natural park or garden and attend a fabulous spa.

All of these components make Deauville such a fun day trip from Paris!

Giverny

Monet’s house, also known as the Museum of Impressionism where Claude Monet painted his famous waterlillies. At Giverny, there are two impressive gardens, the Clos Normand and the Japanese garden.

Giverny is open for 7 months of the year and closed during the Winter. If you are planning a day trip from Paris in the Winter, you will have to choose another destination from this list. If you are visiting during the months that Giverny is open, then it is the perfect side trip from Paris for you!

The easiest way to visit Giverny is on a guided tour including transportation to and from Paris, and entry to Monet’s house and gardens.

Book Your Guided Day Trip to Monet’s Garden in Giverny!

Gerberoy

As soon as you arrive in Gerberoy, you feel as though you have walked into a garden. However, within the walls of the beautiful city of Gerberoy, you will also find two additional gardens : Les Jardins Henri Le Sidaner and Les Jardins des Ifs. (Careful, these gardens are only open April to September.)

Versailles

A trip to Paris would not be complete without a day trip to Versailles! A whopping 5 million people visit Versailles each year, and for good reason. The remarkable château, gardens and fountains are absolutely stunning.

You will definitely want to make sure you book your skip the line ticket to visit Versailles in advance.

There are several options to make the most of your time in Versailles.

Book your skip-the-line ticket for a self-guided visit of Versailles

Book a skip-the-line tour of the Palace of Versailles with an expert guide

Join a group with skip-the-line entry to Versailles and round-trip transportation from Paris

Parc de Sceaux

The best time to visit the Parc de Sceaux is during cherry blossom season (April and May). It is absolutely breathtaking! This is one of the easiest day trips from Paris, along with Versailles and Auvers-sur-Oise, because you can reach all three by RER, directly from Paris.

Auvers-sur-Oise

L’Auberge Ravoux, known as Van Gogh’s house, is the last place that Van Gogh lived before taking his life. Most people come to Auvers-sur-Oise to see this space.

Walk le Chemin des Peintres, take a boat trip, visit La Villa Daumier, l’église d’Auvers-sur-Oise, the Auvers-sur-Oise cemetary, Le Château d’Auvers-sur-Oise, La Maison-Atelier de Daubigny, le Musée Daubigny, La Maison du Docteur Gauchet, Les Ateliers Boggio and Le Musée d’Absinthe.

Stop by Le Relais des Peintres to experience French bistronomie. You can also purchase directly from several farms in the area if you’d like to bring home some local produce.

The easiest way to visit Auvers-sur-Oise is by joining a small group tour. These tend to include a trip to Auvers-sur-Oise and Giverny in the same day.

Book your Small Group Tour to Auvers-sur-Oise & Giverny here!

Reims

Reims is a beautiful city located in North East France, in the Champagne Ardenne region. Known as the capitol of Champagne production, it is an absolute must visit if you love Champagne. Here, you can visit Champagne houses and attend Champagne tastings and basically, live your best life all day long.

This is the place to visit if you want to learn more about Champagne. We enjoyed a tour and tasting with Pommery when we visited. Make sure you also visit Notre Dame Cathedral (yes, there is another one in Reims!), the Musée des Beaux-Arts and the Basilique Saint-Rémi.

Foodies will rejoice at Le Millénaire, where Chef Laurent Laplaige will delight you with his modern take on traditional French classics. Don’t miss the Café du Palais, a family owned cafe since the 1930s, known for its Art Deco design and original skylight.

Book your Day Trip to Reims with Champagne Tastings (Full-Day Tour)!

If you want to explore Reims and the vineyards of Champagne in Epernay on a day trip you will love this day trip to Champagne with 8 tastings and lunch!

Book your Day Trip to Champagne with 8 Tastings & Lunch!

Chablis

Foodies will also find their joy in Chablis. Chablis is in the Yonne region of Burgundy, just 2 hours by train from Paris. Best known for its dry white wine, this is the place to visit if you are a wine lover.

Mini wine lesson : the Chardonnay grape is used to make Chablis wine. Enjoy it with seafood, such as scallops, foie gras, or a delicious cheese puff local to Burgundy, called a gougère. Better quality Chablis wines, such as the Premier Cru or Grand Cru Chablis can enhance the flavor of creamier dishes such as a blanquette de veau.

If you drive to Chablis from Paris, you will be sure to come back with a few cases of wine to enjoy and give as gifts. Each time we travel to Chablis, we make sure to bring back a collection of bottles to enjoy. You can keep Chablis wine for anywhere from 2 to 7 years depending on the Chablis wine you choose.

We collect wine from the year we were married (2014) so we are always on the lookout for wines we can keep for a few years and open on our anniversaries.

Don’t miss visiting a Grand Cru vineyard when you’re in Chablis and tasting some delicious local wine!

Book your Visit of a Grand Cru Vineyard in Chablis here!

Tonnerre

Tonnerre is in the Yonne as well, just 17 km from Chablis. The locals here are called Tonnerrois or Tonnerroises. I fell in love with Tonnerre the first time I saw it. We are completely biased when we talk about the beauty of Tonnerre because we own a little house here.

Make sure to visit the Fosse Dionne (thought to be ancient sacred water that is a beautiful turquoise color), the Eglise Saint Pierre and Hôtel Dieu Notre-Dame des Fontenilles. Also, make sure you go for a leisurely walk along the Armançon River.

Make sure you have lunch at the best restaurant in town, Le Saint Père. Our favorite dishes here are the traditional boeuf bourguignon (served all Winter long) and the scallop risotto.

Mont-Saint-Michel

Located in Normandy, on the edge of Brittany, Mont-Saint-Michel is absolutely breathtaking. We recommend taking a ride in a horse-drawn carriage, a maringote, from the car park up to the hill. We think it is the most magical way to experience Mont-Saint-Michel.

Mont-Saint-Michel gets incredibly busy, so you will definitely want to book your ticket in advance. (When you arrive, you can back 3€ extra to get an audio guide if you like.)

Book your entrance ticket to Mont-Saint-Michel here!

The easiest way to plan a day trip to Mont-Saint-Michel, is to join a small group trip. The day trip includes comfortable transportation by air-conditioned bus to and from Mont-Saint-Michel and your entrance ticket to the abbey.

Book your Day Trip to Mont-Saint-Michel here!

Fontainebleau

Fountainebleau is a beautiful town South East of Paris famously known for its beautiful château. The town and château are surrounded by a magical forest.

The Paris Museum Pass includes free entrance to the Château de Fontainebleau as well.

Book your Paris Museum Pass too!

Make your trip to Fontainebeau truly memorable by booking a hot air balloon ride.

Book your Hot Air Balloon Ride in Fontainebleau here!

Combine your trip to the Château de Fontainebleau with another one of our favorite chateaus, Vaux-Le-Vicomte! The easiest way to visit both chateaus is on an organized, small-group tour from Paris.

Book your Fontainebleau & Vaux-Le-Vicomte Châteaux Day Tour from Paris here!

Chantilly

Fancy a day at the races? Chantilly has been known for its horse racing since the 1800s. Love whipped cream like we do? Chantilly is the place for you! While whipped cream, or crème foutée en français, has existed for ages (all the way back to the time of Catherine de Medici), the recipe created in Chantilly was the first to add sugar to the creamy creation. Yum!

Vaux-le-Vicomte

This spectacular château is a must-see during your trip to France. My favorite activity at Vaux-le-Vicomte is attending a candlelit evening, when the entire château is lit with a candle in each window. These events take place from May through October.

Take a Full-Day Loire Valley Châteaux Tour and Visit 3 Spectacular Châteaux in One Day!

By joining this small group tour, you can visit the magnificent châteaux of Chambord, Chenonceaux, and Cheverny. It will be a full day, but it will be worth it!

Book your Full-Day Loire Valley Châteaux Tour here!

Best day trips from Paris in Winter

Versailles, Reims and Chablis are the best day trips to enjoy if you visit Paris during the Winter. You can also visit Chantilly, Vaux-le-Vicomte and Fontainebleau to see the inside of the châteaux, but it will be harder to enjoy the lovely gardens around the châteaux during the Winter.

Wine tasting day trips from Paris

If you are hoping to enjoy wine or Champagne during your day trip from Paris, I recommend going to Reims (for Champagne), Chablis or Tonnerre (for wine, particularly red wines).