Some of the finest experiences near Paris lie just beyond the city, and fast trains make them easy: Louis XIV's palace at Versailles is 40 minutes away, Monet's water-lily garden at Giverny under an hour, and the champagne cellars of Reims a 45-minute TGV ride. Add Disneyland Paris on the RER, the crowd-free grandeur of Fontainebleau and the sublime stained glass of Chartres, and you have a week's worth of excursions. Here are the six best, with distances, train routes and planning tips.
Palace of Versailles
Area
Yvelines
Distance
20 km SW
“Buy a timed Passport ticket, go Tuesday–Friday, and see the fountain shows in the gardens (April–October).”
Giverny — Monet's Garden
Area
Normandy
Distance
75 km NW
“Open April–November only; go early or late to photograph the water-lily pond and Japanese bridge without the crowds.”
Disneyland Paris
Area
Marne-la-Vallée
Distance
35 km E
“Buy dated tickets online in advance, download the app for wait times, and arrive at rope drop for the popular rides.”
Reims & Champagne
Area
Grand Est
Distance
145 km NE
“The high-speed TGV reaches Reims in 45 minutes — book a cellar tour and tasting at a grande maison in advance.”
Fontainebleau
Area
Seine-et-Marne
Distance
60 km SE
“A grander, calmer alternative to Versailles — pair the château with a walk or climb in the surrounding forest.”
Chartres
Area
Eure-et-Loir
Distance
90 km SW
“Go for the cathedral's incomparable medieval stained glass; a guided 'Chartres in Light' evening illumination runs in summer.”
Day trips from Paris in detail
1.Palace of Versailles
The Château de Versailles is the most popular day trip from Paris and, for many, an essential one — the vast, gilded palace that Louis XIV built as the seat of absolute royal power, just 20 kilometres south-west of the city and reachable in about 40 minutes on the RER C. The palace overwhelms with opulence: the glittering Hall of Mirrors, the sumptuous State Apartments, the royal chapel and the private chambers of the kings and queens who ruled France here until the Revolution. Outside, André Le Nôtre's formal gardens sprawl for 800 hectares of fountains, canals, parterres and groves, staging musical fountain shows from spring to autumn, while the Grand and Petit Trianon and Marie-Antoinette's storybook hamlet lie a walk or shuttle away. It's a full, tiring day given the scale and the crowds, so book a timed 'Passport' ticket, visit Tuesday to Friday, arrive early, and consider hiring a bike or golf buggy for the grounds. Bring water and comfortable shoes. Overwhelming but unmissable, Versailles is the grandest and most rewarding excursion within easy reach of Paris.
Hours
Tue–Sun 09:00–18:30; gardens daily (closed Mon)
Price
Passport ticket ~€24–32; RER C ~€7.50 return
Getting there
RER C to Versailles Château Rive Gauche (~40 min), then a 10-min walk
Insider tip: Buy a timed Passport ticket, go Tuesday–Friday, and see the fountain shows in the gardens (April–October).
2.Giverny — Monet's Garden
Giverny is a magical day trip for anyone who loves the Impressionists: the Normandy village where Claude Monet lived for 43 years and created the gardens that inspired his greatest works, including the vast Water Lilies series now displayed at the Orangerie. Two gardens make up the site. The Clos Normand in front of his pretty pink-and-green house is a riot of colour, with tunnels of climbing roses and beds packed with flowers arranged like a living palette. Beyond it, the famous Water Garden — reached through a tunnel — holds the willow-fringed lily pond and the green Japanese bridge draped in wisteria that Monet painted again and again; standing there feels like stepping into a canvas. You can also tour his charmingly restored house with its yellow dining room and Japanese prints. It's open only from April to early November, when the planting is at its glorious best, and gets very busy, so arrive at opening or late afternoon for calmer, better-lit views. Reach it by train to Vernon (about 45 minutes) then a shuttle, taxi or scenic cycle. Combine it with the nearby town of Vernon or the Impressionism museum for a fuller day.
Hours
Daily ~09:30–18:00, April–1 November (closed in winter)
Price
Gardens ~€13; train + shuttle/bike extra
Getting there
Train from Paris Saint-Lazare to Vernon (~45 min), then shuttle bus or bike to Giverny
Insider tip: Open April–November only; go early or late to photograph the water-lily pond and Japanese bridge without the crowds.
3.Disneyland Paris
Disneyland Paris is the most visited theme park in Europe and an easy, direct day trip from the city — the RER A runs from central Paris straight to the park gates at Marne-la-Vallée–Chessy in about 40 minutes. The resort has two parks: Disneyland Park, the classic fairytale park centred on Sleeping Beauty Castle with the beloved dark rides, Big Thunder Mountain, Pirates of the Caribbean, parades and fireworks; and Walt Disney Studios Park, focused on movies with newer, higher-thrill attractions including a large Marvel Avengers area. For families with children it's a magical, if pricey, day out, and even without kids the classic park has plenty of charm and nostalgia. To do it well, buy dated tickets online well ahead (prices vary hugely by date and start around €62 for a one-park day, far more at peak times), download the official app to track ride waits and book any paid queue-skipping options, and arrive right at opening to hit the popular rides before the lines build. Wear comfortable shoes, expect crowds and queues in peak season, and budget for a full, long day. It's the standout family excursion from Paris.
Hours
Daily, hours vary seasonally (~09:30–22:00/23:00)
Price
1-park 1-day tickets from ~€62 (dated); often much higher peak
Getting there
RER A direct to Marne-la-Vallée–Chessy (~40 min from central Paris)
Insider tip: Buy dated tickets online in advance, download the app for wait times, and arrive at rope drop for the popular rides.
4.Reims & Champagne
Reims, the historic capital of the Champagne region, makes a superb grown-up day trip from Paris, just 45 minutes away on the high-speed TGV. The city has two great draws. The first is its magnificent Gothic cathedral, Notre-Dame de Reims, where French kings were crowned for centuries — a UNESCO World Heritage Site rivalling Notre-Dame de Paris, with soaring architecture, a rose window and modern stained glass by Marc Chagall. The second, of course, is champagne: some of the most famous houses — Taittinger, Veuve Clicquot, Ruinart, Pommery, Mumm — have their headquarters and vast chalk cellars here, and offer guided tours descending into kilometres of atmospheric underground galleries, ending with a tasting of the region's celebrated sparkling wine. Booking a cellar tour in advance is essential, and it's wise not to drive so everyone can taste. Beyond the cathedral and cellars, Reims has an appealing centre with good restaurants and Art Deco architecture. A full day comfortably covers the cathedral, one or two champagne houses and lunch. For lovers of wine, history and grand architecture, it's an elegant and memorable excursion.
Hours
Cathedral daily; champagne house tours by booking, daytime
Price
TGV ~€25–60 return; cellar tours + tasting ~€25–50
Getting there
TGV from Paris Gare de l'Est to Reims (~45 min)
Insider tip: The high-speed TGV reaches Reims in 45 minutes — book a cellar tour and tasting at a grande maison in advance.
5.Fontainebleau
The Château de Fontainebleau is one of France's grandest royal residences and a wonderful, far less crowded alternative to Versailles, about 40 minutes south-east of Paris by train. Uniquely, it was inhabited by French monarchs across eight centuries, from the medieval kings through François I — who transformed it into a Renaissance showpiece — to Napoleon, who made it a favourite residence and famously bade farewell to his guard here before exile. The result is an extraordinarily rich palace layering Renaissance, Baroque and Empire styles: the sumptuous François I gallery, the ballroom, opulent apartments, Napoleon's throne room and museum, and beautiful formal gardens and carp ponds. Because it draws a fraction of Versailles's crowds, you can enjoy its splendour at a far more relaxed pace. The real bonus is the surrounding Forest of Fontainebleau, a vast, beautiful woodland of sandstone boulders famous for hiking and world-class bouldering, so you can combine culture with fresh air and a forest walk. Château entry is around €14. Reach it by train to Fontainebleau–Avon then a short bus. For history and nature without the Versailles scrum, it's an excellent full-day escape.
Hours
Wed–Mon ~09:30–17:00/18:00; closed Tue
Price
Château ~€14; train + bus ~€20 return
Getting there
Train from Paris Gare de Lyon to Fontainebleau–Avon (~40 min), then bus 1 to the château
Insider tip: A grander, calmer alternative to Versailles — pair the château with a walk or climb in the surrounding forest.
6.Chartres
Chartres is a rewarding day trip for lovers of medieval art and architecture, a small, atmospheric town about an hour from Paris crowned by one of the greatest Gothic cathedrals in the world. Notre-Dame de Chartres, a UNESCO World Heritage Site built largely in the early thirteenth century, is astonishingly well preserved and famous above all for its stained glass — 176 windows covering some 2,600 square metres, including the deep, luminous 'Chartres blue' that has never been fully reproduced, telling biblical stories in glowing colour. It also has a labyrinth set into the nave floor, a revered relic, richly carved portals and, unusually, its original medieval glass largely intact. Beyond the cathedral, the old town below rewards a wander, with cobbled lanes, half-timbered houses, the river Eure and good restaurants for lunch. In summer, the 'Chartres en Lumières' festival illuminates the cathedral and monuments after dark in spectacular projected light shows. The cathedral is free to enter (tower and crypt tours extra), and trains run from Gare Montparnasse in about an hour. For a dose of sublime Gothic beauty and a charming provincial town, it's a peaceful, cultural escape from the city.
Hours
Cathedral daily ~08:30–19:30
Price
Cathedral free; train ~€30 return
Getting there
Train from Paris Montparnasse to Chartres (~1h to 1h15)
Insider tip: Go for the cathedral's incomparable medieval stained glass; a guided 'Chartres in Light' evening illumination runs in summer.