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Paris doesn’t need much of an introduction. But if you are living in Paris—like in another big city—you need to take a break, run for the hills and see what else is out there. Planing a day trip from Paris is a great way to adventure and explore when you don’t have enough days (or the money) for a long trip. See what you can find around the city.
The following getaways are places we were privileged enough to visit while we lived in Paris. Some of them can be done in a day while others could easily take up the whole weekend.
Whether your trip is 5 days or 2 weeks there’s always things you will miss while visiting Paris and always will be urged to come back for more. So here are 7 day trips from Paris that will give you a reason to come back.
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7-day trips from Paris
1. Provins
This medieval town is perfect for a day trip from Paris. The first time we visited was for their medieval festival and let us tell you it was like going back in time! The whole town is transformed and everyone is dressed for the occasion. You can find traditional food, drinks, crafts and dances. They also have a parade so make sure to check that out.
The second time it was a bit more calm during summer and it was idyllic. The walk up to the medieval town can be a bit hard but the views make it worth it. Once you are at the walled city you can visit the church, main plaza and have a crepe. Then walk around all the small streets and see the view from over the wall. It feels like you are inside a painting.
You can take the transilien RER from gare de l’est for 1h30.
2. Giverny
Does the name Monet ring a bell? Well this picturesque place was home to Monet and his family. Many of his chef d’oeuvres were painted at this garden or inspired by it. The garden and pond are absolutely breathtaking and if you are into Instagram or photo-shoots something tells us you’ll have a ball.
We must stress that its worth waking up early to make it there when the gates open. This is because of the mist that gives the pond and surrounding greenery such an appealing early morning look. We got to see it before and after and it really makes all the difference to get there as it opens.
To get here you have to take the SNCF from gare Saint-Lazare to Gare de Vernon-Giverny.
Tickets to Vernon are 18 euro roundtrip and the trip lasts a little under an hour.
Once you get out of Gare de Vernon, right outside is a shuttle which takes you to Monet’s doorstep which costs 10 euro roundtrip. You can also walk but it might be rather cold in the early morning. If you want to go by foot it’ll take approximately one hour.
As incredible as Monet’s residence might be, we would recommend to book the return trip 2.5-3 hours or so after you’ve arrived, simply because although the town is pretty it does not have much to do. Quite frankly, Giverny was one of our favorite day trips from Paris even if it was pretty ephemeral.
3. Fontainebleau
An elegant suburb in Île-de-France. While you could spend the night in Fontainebleau it can be easily explored in a day. The main attraction is without a doubt le château de Fontainebleau. It’s not as big as Versailles but it’s definitely beautiful and unique. The average visiting time of the castle is 1.5-2 hours.
Cost of admission is 12 euros, 10 reduced and if you are an European passport holder under 26 or over 65 it’s free with an ID.
From April to September you may visit from 9:30-18h with the last tickets being printed out at 16:15.
From October to Mars, the schedule is from 9:30-17h, last ticket at 16:15.
The Fontainebleau gardens and courtyard
Free and you can visit from november to february: 9h-17h
March to october 9h-18h.
May to september: 9h-19h.
Keep in mind that the castle is engulfed by an equally illustrious forest! The forest merits attention as well. Many people go hiking here for a day trip from Paris, so if you like that type of activity then you are in luck!
If you have some extra time we also recommend checking out the town of Fontainebleau. It’s not huge but if you walk down La Rue Grande you will see the main sights of this cute town including la place du manège, la place du jet d’eau, the town hall and place du marché where on sundays you may see the local market.
If you have more time and/or a car you can also go visit Château de Vaux Le Vicomte which is only 30 minutes away and worth the visit if you’re not all castled out from Versailles and Fontainebleau.
It can be reached by the Transilien RER from Gare de Lyon getting of at Fontainebleau-Avon. If you are looking to save some cash and have a Navigo you are in luck otherwise its 8.85 each way.
4. Etretat
Easily one of France’s most iconic places to visit, the famous elephant definitely lives up to the hype. A little far for your normal day trip from Paris, but close enough to be doable in a day. The beach is a rocky one, so it’s not super comfortable, but the views of the white rock with the grass and the ocean make up for it. We had a picnic here and then played Frisbee while listening to music. You can also go up the cliff to see the Calanques and play the wind.
Afterwards we explored the town and had a famous cider at a bar. It was the perfect way to end the trip.
Normandy also has other places worth visiting if you have time. The famous D-day beach is here, le Havre, Honfelur or Deauville.
You can get there by bus or train. Either option is easy, just make sure to buy your tickets in advance so you can plan your day and save some money. We took a car since we wanted to visit more places in one day and it was pretty easy to park and find our way around.
If you are planning a road trip you might find our guide on how to plan an unforgettable road trip very useful!
5. Mont Saint-Michel
This UNESCO world heritage site is a little more distant from Paris since it’s around 4 hours drive from Paris. This is one of the most mystical places in all of France, everyone is familiar with the sensational photo of the island with the tide up.
We think that a day trip from Paris to here would be too many hours in the car, so we recommend you spend the night in a nearby airbnb or accomodation. If you do spend the night we recommend heading to a viewpoint to look at the castle at all its glory at sunrise and hope that there is some mist as this is a really special experience. As mentioned it’s important to be here as early as possible to take it all in (or at least 20 minutes) before it opens, since there are unrelenting waves of tour buses invading everyday which definitely takes away from the experience.
Mont de Saint-Michel is made up of the abbey upon the island and four museums.
The abbey is open all week and the schedules are
January 2 – april 30 (9:30-18h)
2 may- 31st August (9h-19h)
1 september to the 31st of december (9:30-18h)
The cost is 10 euro, if you are under 18 years old or are a EU citizen from 0-25 years it is free and if you are a non European from 18-25 the cost is 8.
The museums
They are also open all week long and from 10:30-18:30. You can buy a ticket for one museum or all four. For one museum entry is 9 euros, if you are over 18 years old, where as entry to all four is 18 euros, people between 18 and 26 years old can enter all four museums by paying 9 euros.
Mont Saint-Michel is so adored that the Bretons and the Normands both claimed it within their department but finally it’s been agreed it is part of Normandy (another stop to add to your normandy trip).
6. Lille
Along with Lyon and Montpellier this is one of France’s most well known University cities. It’s a charming place, la vieille bourse known as the most famous sight in the city and rightfully so.
Other places of interest are the old town as it has really flamboyant and colorful facades, la place du theatre, la grande place, le palais Rihour (with exceptional stain glass windows and great architectonic value to the city and its history), le palais de beaux-arts, la porte de paris and the citadel.
As mentioned this is a student city and because of that, it has a huge drinking culture. If you enjoy sipping ricard and draft beers spending a night could be pretty fun but in general we would say you can get a good idea of the city in one day during your day trip from Paris.
You can get here swiftly by taking the TGV for an hour and a half.
7. Rouen
This small town has so many churches to visit! We went on a Friday and got to experience the flea market around the center. Walking around the streets is charming and learning all the history related to Joan of Arc is super interesting. We had a picnic next to the church and headed back to Paris in the early afternoon. We don’t think you need a whole day to visit but definitely take your time to see everything it has to offer.
To get there you can take a flix bus for about 1h30.
Hope this gives you some ideas for things to add to your tip or things for next time. We enjoyed all of them and hope you do too!
Send us a message on instagram if you have done or did any of these trips. We love to hear stories or even if its just to say hi!
