Day trips from Paris

Intended to be more of a city than a palace, this sprawling, 17th-century estate was a hunting lodge before it was transformed into a seat of power for the French court and government by Louis XIV. The lavish parties and even more lavish interiors are what created intrigue around the château and estate, which now spans nearly 2,000 acres. A visit to Versailles could take an entire day since the palace itself is now a museum with a collection of 60,000 pieces of art from five centuries of French history. If you want the full experience, book a 90-minute guided tour (€10 or $11), which will take you through rooms not normally open to the public, including the private apartments of Louis XV and Louis XVI. Stroll for about half an hour or take the mini train over to the Trianon palaces and estate of Marie Antoinette to see the Italian-designed, pink marble palace filled with furniture dating back to the First Empire.

If you’re visiting from November to March, the park and gardens—which are open daily—are free of charge, but in high season, from April to October, there’s a fee for the gardens during the days of the fountain shows and musical gardens (Tuesday through Sunday).

How to get there: From the center of Paris, take the line C of the RER from Champs de Mars – Tour Eiffel, Invalides, or Musée d’Orsay to the Versailles Château Rive Gauche station, the closest to the palace, about a 10-minute walk away. The station gets busy, so it’s better to buy a roundtrip ticket (€4.95 or $5.50 each way). You can also take Bus 171 from Pont de Sèvres (€2.10 or $2.30).

Parisians often joke that it’s faster to get to Champagne from Charles de Gaulle (CDG) than the center of Paris—which is true since the quickest train trip from the airport to the Champagne-Ardenne TGV is less than 30 minutes. With 14 trains a day between CDG and the gateway to the Champagne region (and tickets starting around €26 or $28), Champagne is an easy and popular day trip from Paris. If you plan to visit a Champagne house like Ruinart or Perrier-Jouët, you’ll need to make an appointment in advance or book a package that includes transport. Unless you’re planning to explore multiple towns or smaller Champagne houses in the region, you don’t need to rent a car. If you do want to rent one, it’s quicker to take the train from Paris and rent a car at the station. You can even head to Champagne for lunch or a tasting at one of the maisons and be back in time for your dinner reservation in Paris. If you plan to stay the night (or a few), book a room overlooking the vines at the modern Royal Champagne Hotel & Spa, about a 15-minute drive from Épernay. The restaurant is one of the best in the region, but if you want an over-the-top, Michelin meal, the three-star L’Assiette Champenoise is the place.

How to get there: The high-speed TGV train to one of the two main cities in Champagne, Reims, and Épernay, is the quickest and easiest way to get to the region. By car, the drive is about an hour and a half to two hours, depending on traffic.

The halfway point between Paris and Rouen and the gateway to France’s Normandy region, the village of Giverny is best known for Impressionist painter Claude Monet’s Japanese-style gardens and lily ponds, which inspired his Water Lilies series on display in Paris at the Musée de l’Orangerie. Now part of the Fondation Claude Monet, the artist’s home, studio, and water garden—complete with a Japanese bridge, wisteria, and fuchsia-colored azaleas—are open to the public (€11 or $12 for entry). It’s worth spending some time in the Seine-side village while you’re here, dining at the former boarding house-turned-restaurant, Hôtel Baudy, where other artists like Cézanne and Rodin once stayed, or touring the characteristically green Eure valley on a 19th-century train.

How to get there: Half-day bus trips are running to Giverny every day except Monday from April 1 to October 31 (€75 or $82). By train, the trip from the Saint-Lazare station to Vernon-Giverny is less than 45 minutes, or about 90 minutes by car if you’re driving or taking a taxi.

About an hour south of Paris, the village of Saint-Vrain is worth visiting for one spot in particular: Le Doyenné, a restaurant, guesthouse, and farm on the old grounds of Château de Saint-Vrain. Taking over the former stables that once served as art studios for sculptors like Niki de Saint Phalle and Tinguely, chefs and owners James Henry and Shaun Kelly brought in local artisans to revamp the historic site and transform it into a French farmhouse with a tasting-menu restaurant integrating ingredients from the onsite potager, or garden. The menu follows the seasons and micro seasons, with the team hand-selecting vegetables each morning to serve alongside a selection of game, poultry, dairy, and seafood sourced from the top producers in France. Expect dishes like fish of the day grilled over coals and scallop carpaccio with kumquat.

How to get there: You can drive, take a taxi or ride-share, or take the RER C from Paris in the direction of Saint-Martin-d’Étampes, exiting at the Bouray station. From there, it’s a 5-minute taxi, 40-minute walk, or short bus ride to Le Doyenné.

The holy island has been a pilgrimage site since the 8th century, and when the Abbey of the Mont Saint-Michel was built in the Middle Ages, it was frequented by some of Europe’s brightest minds. A UNESCO World Heritage site today, the island and its bay are considered a “Wonder of the West” and is one of the most popular destinations in France, attracting nearly 2.5 million visitors a year. Stone buildings in the village dating back to the 15th and 16th centuries now house artisan shops and museums. Stroll the narrow alleys and admire the postcard-perfect image of the impressive mount towering over the sea—or surrounded by it, which happens every month or so due to high tides.

How to get there: Private coach lines like Coach Operator FH and Flixbus run from Paris to Mont Saint-Michel, or you can take the Mont Saint-Michel train from the Paris-Montparnasse station (the journey varies by season) or a two-hour TGV to Rennes and 70-minute connection via Bus KEOLIS.

Disneyland Paris is only 20 miles from the city and about an hour from the Paris airports by shuttle bus. At Disneyland Park, Sleeping Beauty Castle is the crowning feature, but you’ll find similar attractions to its sister parks in the U.S., like Adventureland and Fantasyland. Of course, there are plenty of character experiences in the form of meet ‘n’ greets with Stitch or Winnie the Pooh, plus a ton of dining options to satisfy all budgets and tastes, from quick-service with vegetarian dishes to Creole-inspired feasts on a torch-lit lagoon in Adventureland. If you plan to spend the night, you can stay in one of the official, Disney-themed hotels, which are within walking distance or have complimentary shuttle service to the park.

How to get there: Take the A4 autoroute from Paris if you’re driving or take the train to the Marne-la-Valée/Chessy station, which is a 2-minute walk from the Disney Parks.

Less than an hour away from the city, La Vallée Village is home to more than 120 boutiques with outlets from designer names like Gucci and Prada, plus French favorites like Isabel Marant and The Kooples. When you’re ready for a snack or break from shopping, snag pastries from Madeleine by Ferrières, chocolate from Pierre Hermé Paris, or a drink at the Bollicine Champagne Bar. For a lunch, there’s Pret A Manger and Menu Palais, whose menu of salads and pasta mimics the Mini Palais restaurant in Paris’ Grand Palais. If you shop more than expected and don’t have room in your suitcase, you can even have it shipped back home.

How to get there: The drive from Paris is about 40 minutes or just 10 if you’re coming from Disneyland. By train, take the RER line A to Val D’Europe-Serris-Montévrain and walk a few minutes through the Val d’Europeshopping mall. A shuttle also leaves from Sofitel Baltimore at 9:30 am and returns from La Vallée Village at 2:45 pm and 6 pm. Half-day tickets are €30 ($33) per adult and €15 ($16) per child, or €25 ($27) per adult and €15 per child for a full-day ticket that returns at 6 pm.