Day Trips from Paris

Planning your day trips

The Paris region's rail network reaches a remarkable amount of history within an hour. Since January 2025, a single Métro-Train-RER ticket covers any journey inside the region, so Versailles, Fontainebleau, Provins, Auvers-sur-Oise, Saint-Germain-en-Laye and Disneyland all cost €2.55 (about $2.86) each way in 2026. You buy the ticket in the Île-de-France Mobilités app, at machines, or load it on a Navigo Easy card. The airport stations are the exception: a trip to or from CDG or Orly costs €14 (about $16).

Giverny, Chantilly, Chartres, Rouen and Reims are outside the region and need SNCF regional or high-speed tickets, sold on SNCF Connect. Regional (TER) fares are fixed; TGV fares rise as the train fills, so book early. See Trains in France for how to buy tickets and read a departure board.

Tours or do it yourself?

For anything within an hour by train, going on your own is cheap and easy. Coach tours earn their price where public transport is hard to link in a day: the Loire châteaux, the D-Day beaches and, to a lesser extent, Mont-Saint-Michel and Champagne. Check whether lunch and admissions are included.

Versailles

Louis XIV turned his father's hunting lodge into the most famous palace in Europe, home to the court from 1682 until the Revolution. The Hall of Mirrors, the royal apartments, 2,000 acres (800 hectares) of gardens and park, the Trianons and Marie-Antoinette's hamlet fill a full day. It matters for Americans too: Louis XVI's court at Versailles backed the American Revolution, and the treaty ending World War I was signed in the Hall of Mirrors in 1919.

Getting there

All of these cost €2.55 each way, so bring or buy two tickets. The RER C is the most direct from the Left Bank, but its Versailles branch is often closed on summer weekends and some evenings for engineering work. Check the Transilien site or the Île-de-France Mobilités app the day before; if the RER C is out, the Montparnasse and Saint-Lazare trains are just as good.

2026 tickets and prices

Since January 2026, Versailles charges visitors from outside the European Economic Area (EU plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway) a higher price than residents. Americans pay the non-EEA rate. The Passport is now the only ticket that gets you into the palace itself, and it includes the Trianon estate, temporary exhibitions and the gardens.

Under-18s from outside Europe enter free but still need a timed ticket. EEA residents pay €3 less and enter free under 26. The two-day Passport is now sold only to tour operators. Buy on the official Versailles site, which warns against unofficial resellers. Tickets are non-refundable.

Hours and the fountains

The palace opens at 9 a.m. and closes at 6:30 p.m. in high season, earlier in winter. It is closed on Mondays, January 1, May 1 and December 25. The Trianon estate opens at noon. The gardens and park open daily, roughly 7 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. in summer, with shorter winter hours. Check the official site for the day you go: the whole estate closed early on October 24, 2026, during protests. In 2026, the Musical Fountains (Grandes Eaux Musicales) ran every Saturday and Sunday from early April to November 1, plus Tuesdays from May 5 to June 30. The Musical Gardens (music in the groves without the big fountain displays) ran Tuesday to Friday from April to late October. The Night Fountains with fireworks ran on Saturday evenings from June to mid-September, with a special show on July 4. Expect a similar pattern in 2027, and check the official calendar once it is posted.

Beating the crowds

• Avoid Tuesday, when the Louvre is closed and the tour groups head to Versailles, and avoid weekends in summer.
• Book the 9 a.m. palace slot and walk straight to the Hall of Mirrors before the groups arrive, or book the late-afternoon Passport and do the gardens and Trianon first.
• From the palace, walk 25 minutes downhill to the Trianon estate, or take the little train, rent a bike or a golf cart. You can row a boat on the Grand Canal in season.
• Picnics are allowed in the park but not in the formal gardens. Cafés and restaurants on the grounds are pricey.
• Large bags and strollers may be refused in the palace rooms when the cloakroom is open.
• Allow a full day: 2 hours for the palace, 2 to 3 for the gardens and Trianon, plus travel.

Giverny

Claude Monet lived in Giverny from 1883 until his death in 1926 and painted his water-lily pond here for three decades. His pink house, the flower-packed Clos Normand garden and the water garden with its green Japanese bridge are run by the Fondation Claude Monet. The nearby Musée des impressionnismes holds rotating exhibitions and is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in season; tickets cost €12 (about $13), free for under-18s.

Season: The house and gardens open only from spring to fall; in 2026 the season ran from April 1 to November 1, and 2026 was the centenary of Monet's death, which drew bigger crowds. Expect a similar 2027 season, roughly April 1 to November 1, but dates and prices will be confirmed on the Fondation Monet site; buy timed tickets online. Wisteria and tulips peak in April and May, roses in June, and the water lilies bloom from about June to September.

Getting there: Regional trains from Gare Saint-Lazare reach Vernon-Giverny in about 50 minutes. Vernon is in Normandy, so the Île-de-France ticket does not cover it; buy a regional ticket on SNCF Connect or at the station. From Vernon, an electric shuttle bus meets the trains in season and costs €10 (about $11) round trip. You can also rent a bike near the station and ride to the village on a flat path along an old railway line.

Time needed: 5 to 6 hours from Paris. Many coach tours combine Giverny with Versailles or Rouen in one long day.

Fontainebleau, Vaux-le-Vicomte and Chantilly

Three great châteaux within an hour of Paris, each quieter than Versailles and each with a different story.

Fontainebleau

Fontainebleau is the château French rulers actually lived in for eight centuries, from medieval kings to Napoleon III. Napoleon said farewell to his guard in its courtyard before his first exile in 1814. Expect Renaissance galleries by Italian artists, Marie-Antoinette's apartments and Napoleon's throne room, with a fraction of Versailles's crowds.

• Getting there: Transilien line R from Gare de Lyon to Fontainebleau-Avon, about 40 minutes, then local bus line 1 to the château, about 15 minutes. The train is covered by a €2.55 ticket; the bus needs a separate bus ticket.
• Hours: 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. from October to March, and to 6 p.m. from April to September. Closed Tuesdays, January 1, May 1 and December 25. The park and gardens are free.
• Tickets: Book on the château's official ticketing site. Under-18s enter free, as at all national museums. Special first-Sunday tickets are sold for the first Sunday of each month outside June, July and August.
• 2026–2027: An exhibition on Marie-Antoinette and Louis XVI runs from October 11, 2026 to January 25, 2027.
• Also: The surrounding forest is famous for hiking and bouldering, and the painters' village of Barbizon is a short taxi ride away.
• Time needed: Half to full day.

Vaux-le-Vicomte

This is the château that inspired Versailles. Louis XIV's finance minister, Nicolas Fouquet, hired the architect Le Vau, the painter Le Brun and the gardener Le Nôtre to build it. After a lavish party in 1661, the jealous young king had Fouquet arrested and hired the same team for Versailles. Vaux is still privately owned, with superb formal gardens.

• Getting there: Train from Gare de l'Est on line P to Verneuil-l'Étang, about 40 minutes on a €2.55 ticket, then the Châteaubus shuttle (separate fare) for the 20-minute ride. The shuttle runs only on certain days, so check the château's site before you go. A taxi or a coach tour is easier on other days.
• Season: Spring to fall, plus the Grand Noël Christmas season, which runs from November 14, 2026 to January 3, 2027. The estate closes on some days for private events.
• Candlelight evenings: Selected evenings from late May to late September (May 24 to September 27 in 2026), when thousands of candles light the château and gardens. A special experience; book ahead.
• Time needed: Half day.

Check opening days and current prices on the Vaux-le-Vicomte site.

Chantilly

The Château de Chantilly, about 30 miles (50 km) north of Paris, is a fairy-tale château on a lake with the Musée Condé, the second-largest collection of old master paintings in France after the Louvre: Raphael, Botticelli, Fra Angelico, Poussin and Ingres. The duc d'Aumale left the whole estate to the Institut de France on condition that nothing be moved, so the paintings still hang as he arranged them. The Great Stables, built for 240 horses, house a horse museum and host equestrian shows, and Le Nôtre designed the gardens. Whipped cream (crème Chantilly) is named after the place.

• Getting there: Regional TER trains from Gare du Nord reach Chantilly-Gouvieux in about 25 minutes; the slower RER D takes about 45. Chantilly is outside the Île-de-France region, so buy a regional ticket. From the station it is a 25-minute walk through the woods and past the racecourse, or a short local bus ride.
• Closed: Tuesdays. Check the Domaine de Chantilly site for hours and show times.
• Tickets: One estate ticket covers the château, park and Great Stables.
• 2026–2027: An exhibition of rediscovered Italian Renaissance paintings, including works by Fra Angelico and Botticelli, runs from September 8, 2026 to January 4, 2027.
• Time needed: Half to full day.

Disneyland Paris and Parc Astérix

Disneyland Paris, 20 miles (32 km) east of the city, has two parks. Disneyland Park is the classic Magic Kingdom-style park, with a pink Sleeping Beauty Castle and an animatronic dragon in its dungeon. The second park, formerly Walt Disney Studios, was renamed Disney Adventure World on March 29, 2026, when its new World of Frozen land and a central lake opened. It also has Avengers Campus and the Ratatouille ride. A Lion King area is under construction, and the resort plans 35th-anniversary celebrations from March 2027.

Getting there

Take RER A east from Châtelet–Les Halles, Gare de Lyon or Nation to Marne-la-Vallée–Chessy, the last stop on the A4 branch, in about 40 minutes. The station opens right onto the parks. The fare is €2.55 each way. Make sure your train shows Marne-la-Vallée–Chessy on the platform screen, as the RER A splits into several branches. TGV trains link the same station directly to CDG airport in about 10 minutes, handy if you are going on arrival or departure day.

Ticket strategy

• Buy dated tickets on the official Disneyland Paris site. Prices vary by day: weekdays outside French school holidays are cheapest, and weekends and holidays are the most crowded and expensive.
• Decide between one park and both. With one day, many families choose Disneyland Park; with two days, a two-park ticket lets you see World of Frozen too.
• Download the Disneyland Paris app for wait times and show schedules. Paid Premier Access works much like Lightning Lane in the US.
• Arrive before opening and head first to the newest rides, which have the longest lines by midday.
• Check French school holiday dates (Toussaint, Christmas, February, Easter) on the When to Go page and avoid them.

How it compares to US Disney parks

The resort is far smaller than Walt Disney World, closer in size to Disneyland in Anaheim. Many Americans find its castle park the most beautiful version: Phantom Manor tells a different story from the Haunted Mansion, and Big Thunder Mountain sits on an island. The food is mostly forgettable. Tickets usually cost less than at US parks, especially for a quiet weekday, and staff speak English.

Time needed: A full day for one park, two days for both. For more on traveling with children, see Paris with Kids.

Parc Astérix

France's second theme park is based on the Astérix comic books, about a village of Gauls resisting the Romans, and it is better for thrill seekers than Disneyland. Toutatis, opened in 2023, is the tallest and fastest roller coaster in France, and OzIris and Goudurix are big coasters too. The atmosphere is very French: shows are in French, and the humor is slapstick.

• 2026 tickets: Flexible day ticket €68 (about $76) for adults and €59 (about $66) for ages 3 to 11; under-3s free. Dated "Malin" tickets cost €49 (about $55) for all ages on selected days and are non-refundable. Parking is extra.
• Season: The 2026 season runs from April 4 to January 3, 2027, but the park is not open every day; check the calendar. The Halloween event runs from October 3 to November 8, 2026, and a Christmas season follows.
• Getting there: The park is about 22 miles (35 km) north of Paris off the A1 motorway. Shuttle buses have long run from CDG airport (RER B; an airport ticket costs €14 each way) and from the end of Métro line 7 at La Courneuve. Check current shuttle times and fares, including combined transport-and-entry offers, on the Parc Astérix site.
• Time needed: Full day.

Reims and Épernay

Champagne is the easiest wine region to visit from Paris. Reims has the cathedral where French kings were crowned, with Chagall windows, and big houses (Taittinger, Veuve Clicquot, Pommery, Mumm, Ruinart) with miles of chalk cellars. Épernay's Avenue de Champagne is lined with the grand houses of Moët & Chandon, Perrier-Jouët and Pol Roger; Mercier takes you through its cellars on a little train.

• Getting there: TGV from Gare de l'Est to Reims in about 45 minutes. Direct trains from Gare de l'Est to Épernay take about 1 hour 15 minutes. Reims and Épernay are 30 minutes apart by regional train. Book TGV tickets early for the best fares.
• Champagne house visits: Book online weeks ahead, especially for Saturdays. Tours with tasting usually cost €30 to €100 (about $34 to $112) or more per person depending on the wines poured. Many houses close on Sundays, some on Mondays, and some close in winter.
• Small growers: To visit family-run producers in the villages, you need a car, a driver or a small-group tour from Reims or Épernay.
• Time needed: Full day. One city plus two cellar visits is a comfortable pace.

For more on the region, grower Champagne and where to stay overnight, see Champagne and Wine.

Chartres, Provins, Auvers-sur-Oise and Rouen

Chartres

Chartres Cathedral is the best-preserved Gothic cathedral in France, with 13th-century stained glass that survived the Revolution and two world wars, carved portals and a labyrinth in the nave floor. The old town below runs down to the river Eure.

• Getting there: Regional trains from Gare Montparnasse take about 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes. Chartres is outside the Île-de-France region, so buy a regional ticket. The cathedral is a 5-minute walk from the station.
• Hours: The cathedral is open daily from 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., and until 10 p.m. on Tuesday, Friday and Sunday evenings in July and August. Entry to the cathedral itself is free; guided crypt visits and the tower climb cost extra.
• Tip: On Fridays from spring to fall, the chairs are often cleared so visitors can walk the labyrinth. After dark for much of the year, the Chartres en Lumières light show projects onto the cathedral and other buildings; check the tourist office for this season's dates.
• Time needed: Half day.

Provins

Provins is a UNESCO-listed medieval trading town with nearly a mile of ramparts, a 12th-century keep (the Tour César), underground passages and a lively program of medieval shows. It is the best day trip for kids who like knights, and because it is in Île-de-France, it costs only €2.55 each way.

• Getting there: Transilien line P from Gare de l'Est, about 1 hour 20 minutes. Trains run roughly hourly, less often on weekends.
• Shows: La Légende des Chevaliers (a knights' show with horses) and Les Aigles des Remparts (birds of prey) run in season, roughly spring to fall. A medieval festival fills the town in June. Check the Provins tourist office for dates.
• Time needed: Full day.

Auvers-sur-Oise

Vincent van Gogh spent the last 70 days of his life in this village on the Oise river in 1890, painting some 80 works, and he is buried beside his brother Theo in the village cemetery. You can see the tiny attic room he rented at the Auberge Ravoux, the church he painted, and the wheat fields where he worked, all marked with reproductions of his paintings. Cézanne, Pissarro and Daubigny painted here too.

• Getting there: About 1 hour from Gare du Nord or Gare Saint-Lazare, with a change at Pontoise or Saint-Ouen-l'Aumône on most days. On weekends and holidays in the warm months, a direct train runs from Gare du Nord. The fare is €2.55 each way.
• When: Most village sights, including Van Gogh's room, open from spring to fall and close on some weekdays and in winter. Check before you go.
• Time needed: Half day.

Rouen

Normandy's capital has half-timbered streets, the cathedral Monet painted more than 30 times, the Gros-Horloge clock and the square where Joan of Arc was burned in 1431. The Musée des Beaux-Arts has a strong Impressionist collection.

• Getting there: Regional trains from Gare Saint-Lazare take about 1 hour 10 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes. Rouen is in Normandy, so buy a regional ticket. It pairs well with Giverny, which is on the same line.
• Closed: Many city museums close on Tuesday.
• Time needed: Full day.

Long days: Mont-Saint-Michel, the Loire and D-Day

These three are possible from Paris in one day, but each is 12 hours or more door to door. If you can, stay a night.

Mont-Saint-Michel

The abbey on a tidal island off the Normandy coast is one of Europe's most striking sights. A day trip is possible but long; a night nearby lets you see it at sunset and nearly empty early the next morning.

• By train and bus: TGV from Gare Montparnasse to Rennes, about 1 hour 30 minutes, then a direct coach to the Mont, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Coach times are matched to some TGVs. Allow 3 to 4 hours each way door to door.
• Tours from Paris: Coach tours run 13 to 15 hours with about 3 or 4 hours on the Mont. They save you the planning; you spend most of the day on the bus.
• On arrival: Coaches and cars stop on the mainland. A free shuttle (Le Passeur) runs across the bridge to the island, or you can walk about 1.5 miles (2.5 km).
• Abbey ticket: €13 (about $15) in 2026; book a timed slot online through the national monuments ticketing site. The abbey is open daily except January 1, May 1 and December 25.
• Tides: The highest tides of the year turn the Mont back into an island. Check the tide tables, and never walk on the sands without a licensed guide: the tides come in fast and quicksand is real.

See Normandy for where to stay and how to combine the Mont with the D-Day beaches.

Loire Valley châteaux

The Loire is about 2 hours from Paris by road. Coach tours from Paris typically visit two or three of the big châteaux, often Chambord, Chenonceau and Cheverny, in a 12- to 13-hour day, and cost roughly €150 to €250 (about $170 to $280) per person. By train, the TGV reaches Saint-Pierre-des-Corps, next to Tours, in about an hour from Gare Montparnasse, and from there local tours and rental cars cover the châteaux. A day trip only scratches the surface; two or three nights in Amboise or Tours is far better. See Loire Valley.

D-Day beaches

Many Americans come to France to see Omaha Beach, Pointe du Hoc and the Normandy American Cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer, where nearly 9,400 Americans who died in the liberation of France are buried. Day tours from Paris run about 13 to 15 hours, with around 6 hours of driving, and cost from about €200 (about $224) per person. A better option is to take the train to Caen (about 2 hours from Saint-Lazare) or Bayeux (about 2 hours 20 minutes) and join a local small-group tour there, or stay overnight. See Normandy and American Heritage Trail.

Saint-Germain-en-Laye and Malmaison

These two make an easy half-day on the RER A line west of Paris, and you can combine them.

Quick international hops

High-speed trains put three foreign capitals within reach for a day, though each makes a better overnight trip. Book on Eurostar as early as possible: the cheapest fares go first, and same-week tickets can cost several hundred euros.

Comparison table

Round-trip costs are per adult for transport only, in 2026. Regional and high-speed fares vary by day and booking time, so treat them as rough guides and check SNCF Connect.

For a custom itinerary that mixes Paris with day trips or regions, see Trip Builder or our trip planning service.