The Château de Chantilly reflected in its lake, north of Paris

Day Trips From Paris: My Favorite Escapes, From a Parisian

By Blaise Jaeger · Updated October 29, 2026

I am a Parisian, and for me the best way to see more of France without packing a suitcase is a day trip. Some of these places I have known for decades: I went to Versailles for gala dinners when I worked in France, and I lived two years in Vernon, next to Giverny. Others I discovered more recently with friends visiting from abroad. Here are the day trips I recommend, how I get there, and a few longer escapes for when you have two days.

Day Trips From Paris at a Glance

The one you cannot miss: Versailles, 30 to 40 minutes by train.
My favorite for a quieter royal palace: Fontainebleau, about 40 minutes by train from Gare de Lyon.
For art, horses and a beautiful château: Chantilly, 25 minutes by train from Gare du Nord.
For Monet’s garden: Giverny, from April to early November.
With children: Disneyland Paris, less than 40 minutes by RER.
Easy half-days: Saint-Germain-en-Laye and Le Corbusier’s Villa Savoye, on the RER A.
Cathedrals and Champagne: Chartres, about an hour by train, and Reims, 46 minutes by TGV.

Versailles: the One You Cannot Miss

Versailles is the day trip I recommend first, and the one I know best. I visited it like everyone, by RER, but I also went there many times by car for gala dinners when I still worked in France: walking through the Hall of Mirrors in the evening, after the visitors have left, is unforgettable.

Blaise Jaeger and a colleague in evening dress in the Hall of Mirrors of Versailles before a gala dinner — With a colleague in the Hall of Mirrors, before a gala dinner

The Hall of Mirrors, 73 meters long with 357 mirrors, is where the Treaty of Versailles was signed in 1919. Do not stop at the palace: the gardens, the Grand Canal and the Trianon estate are just as beautiful, and from April to October the fountains play to music.

The Hall of Mirrors at the Palace of Versailles with its crystal chandeliers and painted ceiling — The Hall of Mirrors during the day

Getting there: RER C to Versailles Château Rive Gauche, the closest station to the palace, or a train from Saint-Lazare to Versailles Rive Droite in about 30 minutes. Good to know: since 2026, the ticket for the whole estate costs €32 for European visitors and €35 for others from April to October (€22 and €25 in winter). Book a time slot for the palace, which is closed on Mondays.

Fontainebleau: a Royal Palace Without the Crowds

Fontainebleau is the royal palace I recommend to people who have already seen Versailles. Every French ruler lived here for eight centuries, from the medieval kings to Napoleon, and you can feel it: the Renaissance Galerie François I, Napoleon’s throne room, the horseshoe staircase where he said farewell to his Old Guard in 1814. There are far fewer visitors than at Versailles.

The horseshoe staircase of the Château de Fontainebleau in the Cour du Cheval-Blanc — The horseshoe staircase, where Napoleon said farewell to his Guard

The Renaissance Galerie François I with its carved wood paneling and frescoes, Château de Fontainebleau — The Galerie François I, a masterpiece of the Renaissance

Napoleon’s throne room in red and gold at the Château de Fontainebleau — Napoleon’s throne room

The Château de Fontainebleau and its main courtyard at sunset — The château at sunset, from the Cour du Cheval-Blanc

Blaise Jaeger under a magnolia tree in bloom in the gardens of the Château de Fontainebleau — Under the magnolias of the château in March

I came by rental car on the way back from skiing, in March, and slept one night at L’Aigle Noir, a 4-star hotel in a historic mansion facing the château. It is the perfect base to see the palace in the morning, before the day-trippers arrive. Check prices for L’Aigle Noir on Booking.com.

The facade and gate of the hotel L’Aigle Noir in Fontainebleau — L’Aigle Noir, facing the château

The Forest of Fontainebleau and Barbizon

The forest around the town is beautiful, with its sandstone boulders loved by climbers and walkers. Be aware that a large wildfire burned about 2,000 hectares in the Trois-Pignons sector in July 2026; most of the forest reopened in August, but some areas are still closed, so check before you go. On the edge of the forest, Barbizon is the village where Millet, Rousseau and Corot painted the landscapes that announced Impressionism.

Sandstone boulders and pine trees in the forest of Fontainebleau — The sandstone boulders of the forest

Getting there: train from Gare de Lyon to Fontainebleau-Avon in about 40 minutes, then bus line 1 to the château. Good to know: €17; closed on Tuesdays; the park and gardens are free.

Chantilly: a Château, a Great Art Collection and the Prix de Diane

Chantilly is a very beautiful château, reflected in its lake, and its Musée Condé holds the second-largest collection of old master paintings in France after the Louvre. Next door, the Great Stables were built for the horses of the Prince of Condé, and they still host horse shows.

The picture gallery of the Musée Condé in the Château de Chantilly — The picture gallery of the Musée Condé

A horse show in the Great Stables of Chantilly — A show in the Great Stables

We went with my friend Roy in a rental car, for the Prix de Diane, a famous horse race held every June at the Chantilly racecourse, with a contest of elegance and hats. If you are in the area that weekend, do not miss it. On the way, the small town of Senlis has a beautiful Gothic cathedral.

Racehorses on the track of the Chantilly racecourse during the Prix de Diane — The Prix de Diane at the Chantilly racecourse

Blaise Jaeger and his friend Roy at the Chantilly racecourse for the Prix de Diane — With my friend Roy at the Prix de Diane

Getting there: train from Gare du Nord to Chantilly-Gouvieux in about 25 minutes, then a 20-minute walk. Good to know: the château is closed on Tuesdays.

Giverny: Monet’s House and Garden

I lived two years in Vernon, the town next to Giverny, and I have been to Monet’s house and garden many times. Monet lived there for 43 years, and his water lily pond, with its Japanese bridge, is exactly as in his paintings.

Getting there: train from Saint-Lazare to Vernon-Giverny in under 45 minutes, then a shuttle bus in season. Good to know: the house and garden are open from April 1 to early November only; €13; booking recommended.

Disneyland Paris

If you travel with children, or if you are a child at heart, Disneyland Paris is less than 40 minutes from the center by RER A. I went with Roy, and we spent the whole day there. The second park, formerly Walt Disney Studios, became Disney Adventure World in March 2026, with a new Frozen land and a lake.

Getting there: RER A to Marne-la-Vallée – Chessy, at the gates of the parks.

Saint-Germain-en-Laye and the Villa Savoye

Two easy half-days on the RER A. In Saint-Germain-en-Laye, 20 minutes from Étoile, the Renaissance château houses the National Archaeology Museum, and Le Nôtre’s Grand Terrace runs for nearly two kilometers above the Seine, with a view of Paris. Louis XIV was born in Saint-Germain, in the Château-Neuf, which has almost entirely disappeared.

Farther along the line, in Poissy, the Villa Savoye is Le Corbusier’s manifesto of modern architecture, built between 1928 and 1931 and listed by UNESCO. Its ramp, its roof terrace and its ribbon windows still look modern today. It is closed on Mondays.

The white ramp and curved walls of the Villa Savoye by Le Corbusier in Poissy — Inside the Villa Savoye, Le Corbusier’s masterpiece

Farther: Chartres and Reims

Chartres Cathedral

I stopped in Chartres by car, on the way back from a road trip in the west of France. Its cathedral, listed by UNESCO, is one of the most beautiful in France, with 176 stained-glass windows from the 12th and 13th centuries and a labyrinth on the floor of the nave. Entry is free, and from April to early January the town lights up its monuments at night.

The Gothic nave of Chartres Cathedral — The nave of Chartres Cathedral

Getting there: train from Montparnasse in about an hour.

Reims and the Champagne Cellars

I stopped in Reims on the way back from Alsace, by rental car. The cathedral, where the kings of France were crowned, has windows by Marc Chagall in its axial chapel. And the visit of the Pommery cellars is really interesting: more than 18 km of galleries in old chalk quarries, 30 meters underground, with contemporary art installations along the way.

The Gothic facade of Reims Cathedral — Reims Cathedral, where the kings of France were crowned

Stained-glass windows by Marc Chagall in Reims Cathedral — Chagall’s windows in Reims Cathedral

A contemporary art installation in the chalk cellars of the Champagne house Pommery in Reims — An art installation in the Pommery cellars

Getting there: TGV from Gare de l’Est in about 46 minutes. Good to know: the classic Pommery cellar tour costs €30, or €36 with a guide; book online.

Two-Day Escapes: the Loire Valley and Normandy

Some places are too far for a comfortable day trip. The Loire Valley castles are two hours away by car: I recommend at least two or three days, and I share my itinerary in my guide to the Loire Valley castles. Normandy is the same: the cliffs of Étretat and the harbor of Honfleur are two to three hours from Paris by car, and Mont-Saint-Michel is nearly four hours by train each way, so it is much better with a night there.

Blaise Jaeger in front of the cliffs and arch of Étretat in Normandy — At Étretat, on the coast of Normandy

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Practical Tips for Day Trips From Paris

Know your station: Versailles (RER C or Saint-Lazare), Fontainebleau (Gare de Lyon), Chantilly (Gare du Nord), Giverny (Saint-Lazare), Chartres (Montparnasse), Reims (Gare de l’Est), Disneyland and Saint-Germain-en-Laye (RER A).
Tickets: Versailles, Fontainebleau, Disneyland, Saint-Germain-en-Laye and Poissy are in the Île-de-France region and covered by regional transport tickets; Chantilly, Giverny and Chartres need a regional TER ticket; for Reims, book the TGV ahead. My guide to getting around Paris explains the tickets.
Avoid Mondays and Tuesdays: Versailles is closed on Mondays, Fontainebleau and Chantilly on Tuesdays.
Paris Museum Pass: it includes Versailles, Fontainebleau and the Villa Savoye, but you still need to book a slot at Versailles.
By car: useful for Chantilly, Fontainebleau and the forest, and essential to combine several castles in the Loire Valley.

The Château de Chambord seen across its canal, with Susumu Shingu’s white wind sculptures on the water

Loire Valley Castles

My four-day road trip from Paris: Chambord, Blois, Chaumont, Chenonceau and Amboise.

The great clock window of the Musée d’Orsay seen from inside, Paris

My Favorite Museums in Paris

The great collections, the foundations, the galleries and the art fairs, by a Parisian.

Paris Travel Guide

The must-see places, the best neighborhoods and my tips as a born-and-raised Parisian.

What is the best day trip from Paris?

Versailles, without hesitation: it is 30 to 40 minutes by train and it is unique. If you have already seen it, choose Fontainebleau, which is quieter, or Chantilly.

Which day trips from Paris are easy without a car?

Versailles, Fontainebleau, Chantilly, Giverny, Chartres, Reims, Disneyland and Saint-Germain-en-Laye are all reachable by train or RER in an hour or less.

Which cities are a short train ride from Paris?

Chantilly is 25 minutes from Gare du Nord, Versailles about 30 minutes, Fontainebleau 40 minutes from Gare de Lyon, Reims 46 minutes by TGV and Chartres about an hour.

Can you visit Mont-Saint-Michel as a day trip from Paris?

It is possible but tiring: nearly four hours by train each way. I recommend spending at least one night in Normandy.

Can you visit the Loire Valley castles as a day trip from Paris?

Yes, with a tour or a car, but you will only see one or two castles. Two or three days is much better.

Is the forest of Fontainebleau open after the 2026 fire?

Most of it reopened in August 2026, but part of the Trois-Pignons sector is still closed for safety. Check the latest information before your walk.