I often tell people—and not proudly—that it took me until my fourth trip to France to visit anywhere besides Paris. And yes, that includes the Palace of Versailles, a detail that will become important in a couple of paragraphs.
There are a lot reasons for this: Paris, as the “primate city” of France, has a way of occupying all the energy you have for France as a whole; frankly, I was so broke during all my ’00s visits to Europe that I simply didn’t explore the same way I do now.
I try not to have regrets in travel, but I do sometimes wonder how much more quickly my personality as a traveler would’ve evolved if I’d taken some of these day trips from Paris earlier. (NOTE: If you’re a young, fiscally-impaired traveler wondering whether you should take one of these excursions, the answer is yes…er, oui.)
Why Paris is So Hard to Leave Behind
It’s not a bad thing, necessarily, that I didn’t take any Paris day trips for almost a decade after the first time I visited France. In fact, it’s a testament to just how amazing (and, frankly, huge) the city is. There simply wasn’t any necessity for me to explore France outside of Paris. And of course, there wasn’t any time: In my early travel days, I almost never visited one country per trip—when I left Paris behind, I was almost always leave France behind, too.
On the other hand, I was also a much less intentional traveler when I first started, a fact I hope can be instructional for you. If you’re reading this and think you don’t have time to go to Versailles, or like you can leave the Loire Valley for another trip, I encourage you to be bolder. Even if you can only carve out half a day to get out of central Paris, I promise the extent to which doing so enhances your itinerary will be worth it.
My Favorite Day Trips to Take from Paris
Versailles
Even if European history was never your best subject, it’s difficult to have made it far enough through life to land at Charles de Gaulle Airport and not understand the significance of the Palace of Versailles. And even if this is somehow not true for you (and hey, no disrespect either way), the sheer architectural majesty of the main palace and Marie Antoinette’s mini Trianon palace really speaks for itself.
The Loire Valley
Looking for castles near Paris? The Loire Valley is home to literally hundreds of them, even if only a few tend to be popular among people who come for the day from Paris. These include Chenonceau (who interior is the most impressive and worth visiting) and Chambord (which is said to have inspired the castle in “Beauty and the Beast”). I also recommend stopping in the town of Blois, if only as a spot to have lunch.
Burgundy
There are wineries in the Loire Valley, but a far better stop if that’s your priority is the city of Beaune, accessible in as little as two hours, 20 minutes from Paris. The heart of the Burgundy wine country, Beaune is a day trip option that nests a second adventure in en route: The city of Dijon, where you’ll have to change trains, and which I recommend exploring at least for an hour or two.
Lyon
On one hand, taking a day trip from Paris to Lyon might seem unorthodox. In spite of being less than three hours from Paris via TGV, it’s France’s second-largest city; many people spend several days here. On the other hand, if you simply don’t have several days to spend, then coming for the day (if only to ascend the hilltop cathedral of Notre-Dame de Fourvière, or to eat at a local bouchon) can still be worthwhile.
Mont Saint-Michel
The good news? It is possible to take a day trip from Paris to Mont Saint-Michel, specifically by riding a TGV to Rennes and getting a bus from there. The bad news? The one-way journey is around three hours, even if you connect seamlessly, and because the monastery itself is so huge, would be a very exhausting day indeed. Come here for the day only if you’re sure you’ll never take a dedicated trip to Normandy.
Why I Didn’t Include Disneyland on My List
I am not a Disney adult—and this is not a fact I offer with any judgment or contempt. I have been to Disney World (once, at the age of 38), and while I enjoyed it more than I expected, I am simply not going to choose to spend time at a Disney park when traveling in a city like Paris. Or Tokyo, or Shanghai, or even Los Angeles. There are simply too many other singular destinations and experiences for me to explore.
Now of course, if you are a Disney person, then it makes sense that you might include the park as one of your excursions from Paris. But here, too, I would offer caution: Unless you have children for whom a trip to Disney is inextricable from being able to travel to Europe in the first place, I would only add Disney to your Paris itinerary in addition to other day trip destinations, and if you have ample time for all.
Other FAQ About Day Trips from Paris
What is the best day trip from Paris?
For most travelers, Versailles will be the most appealing day trip from Paris. It’s only around an hour from the city center; and even someone who didn’t pay much attention in European history class will recognize the important of Versailles to France and its history. However, I also feel like spending a day amid the châteaux of the Loire Valley is worthwhile, especially if you or someone in your party can rent a car.
What cities are a 2 hour train ride from Paris?
Thanks to the super-fast TGV train, many cities in France are around two hours from Paris, including Rennes (in Brittany), Saint-Pierres-dès-Corps (in the Loire Valley), Lille and Dijon. To put it another way, there are plenty of exciting cities within easy day-trip distance of Paris.
What countries are a day trip from Paris?
Technically speaking, you can day trip from Paris to the Benelux countries, and even to Germany via the border city of Strasbourg. However, I would generally avoid this. Unlike taking a day trip to Monaco from Nice, none of these countries is small enough to see in a day, even if some are technically close enough.
The Bottom Line
Whether in lieu of exploring the rest of France or in addition to it, day trips from Paris will enhance your trip more than you think they should. Some travelers will take more standard tracks, such as touring the palace of Versailles, or exploring the châteaux (and, perhaps, the wineries) of the Loire Valley. Others will be bolder, visiting entire other large cities (namely, Lyon) for the day, or spending hours in transit in order to see the legendary Mont Saint-Michel monastery without having to spend the night in Normandy. Need personalized help creating an actionable France itinerary that aligns with your dreams and inspiration? Commission a custom France itinerary today!
