“I must have flowers, always, and always.”
― Claude Monet
There’s no question that Paris is a magical city. However, when I was doing research for my first trip to Paris, one of the most common pieces of advice I read was, “Get out of the city.” Heeding this, I took several day trips from Paris, and I’m so glad I did!
France is so much more than Paris. It’s a country rich in history, culture, and, of course, food. By leaving the city for a bit, you can experience a slower pace and beautiful sights. Our Paris day trips were some of my favorite days of that first trip to France. (Probably because I got to live my Disney Princess dreams, but more on that later.)
Being the country’s capital, Paris is a huge transportation hub. It’s quite easy to hop on a train, rent a car, or take a tour bus out of the city.
My partner and I booked our day trips through the tour-booking website, Get Your Guide. Our tours included transportation from Paris, entrance tickets, and knowledgeable guides. It was so nice to not have to worry about directions or tickets.
Whether you take a guided tour or find your own way, these three places make excellent day trips from Paris.
Note: This post contains affiliate links through which I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. This small commission helps me to continue Rambling, so thanks for your support! For more information, please see my full Affiliate Disclaimer.
3 Dreamy Day Trips From Paris
To save time and money, we chose to hit two places in one day using the Giverny and Versailles Palace Guided Tour Day Trip.
Giverny
Distance from Paris: About 75 km/47 miles
If you are a fan of Impressionist art, Giverny is a perfect day trip to take from Paris. It is where artist Claude Monet lived and worked until he died in 1926. You can visit Monet’s house and gardens and see why the area inspired so many of his famous pieces.
I fell in love with Monet’s work from a young age when my grandmother brought me to see an exhibit in Montreal. I particularly loved his water lily pieces. Seeing the live water lilies in person as an adult was very special.
How to Take a Day Trip from Paris to Giverny
The village of Giverny is located in the Normandy region of France. The trip to Giverny from Paris can take about an hour to two hours, depending on your mode of transport.
- By car: Take Highway A13 to Exit 14 toward Vernon/Bonnières, then follow signs for Giverny.
- By train: From the Saint-Lazare station in Paris, take the Paris/Rouen/Le Havre line to the Vernon-Giverny station. To reach Monet’s house you’ll need to take a bus, the SNCF, towards ECOS Place de l’Eglise, getting off at Giverny.
- By tour bus: Many tours (like this half-day trip from Paris) provide transportation from Paris and have meeting points in central locations of the city. Once in Giverny, your tickets are already taken care of, and you’ll be given a specific time to return to the bus.
Things to Do in Giverny
Visit Monet’s House
Traveling to Monet’s house in Giverny is one of the more common day trips from Paris, and for good reason. The house and surrounding gardens are as picturesque as Monet’s paintings.
Monet lived in his Giverny house for over forty years, along with his second wife and stepchildren. A barn served as his first studio before he added another, though he mostly worked in the open air.
Monet’s house is as colorful as his work. (He was, after all, the one who chose the paint colors for the house.) There’s a bright blue sitting room, a warm yellow dining room, and green shutters hanging from every window.
Stroll Through Monet’s Gardens
Even before you reach the house, you’ll be greeted by rows and rows of flowers and green arches.
Many of Monet’s famous works were done in his gardens, including his Water Lilies series. You can stroll around the water garden and see the lilies, as you cross the Japanese bridge covered in wisteria, with weeping willows dipping into the pond.
Monet gave specific daily instructions to his gardeners. For example, it was one person’s job to go around and pick up the dead leaves around the water garden to keep it constantly looking pristine.
Eat Lunch Along Rue Claude Monet
While the house is the main draw to the area, Giverny itself is exactly what you would hope the French countryside to be like. The small village has winding lanes, rose-covered walls, and small museums and shops.
After touring Monet’s house and gardens, take the Rue Claude Monet west and you’ll find several good places to grab a bite. We enjoyed a lovely lunch outside the Hotel Baudy. You can also check out artwork by present-day artists.
If I did this trip again, I would have given myself more time to explore the village of Giverny.
Tips for Visiting Giverny
- Be prepared to wait in line. Since Monet’s house is one of the most popular day trips from Paris, it is usually crowded. There was a line to enter the house and walk through it almost single-file.
- Monet’s house and garden are not open in winter. If you are visiting Paris and want to visit Giverny as well, your trip must be between April and October.
- Wear sunscreen and/or a hat. Since you’ll be outside, and most likely waiting in the afore-mentioned line, make sure to protect yourself from the sun.
Versailles
Distance from Paris: About 15 km/ 9 miles
When King Louis XIII died in 1643, Versailles was simply a hunting lodge, used by the royals when they wanted to get out of Paris. However, when King Louis XIV (aka the Sun King) took over, he began shaping Versailles into an opulent royal residence.
The following King Louises (XV and XVI) continued to make alterations until the French Revolution began in 1789. Versailles was, of course, famously home to Marie Antoinette, wife of Louis XVI, until the palace was besieged during the revolution.
The Palace of Versailles is the epitome of royal grandeur and excess. It is not only beautiful to behold, but serves as a visual history of France. It became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979, and people continue to come from all over the world to see it.
How to Visit Versailles from Paris
The Palace of Versailles is one of the most popular day trips from Paris, as it is relatively easy to reach.
- By car: Take Blvd Périphérique and A13 to Bd de Jardy/D182, or take A86 to Av. Clément Ader/D91 in Versailles. The drive to Versailles from Paris can take anywhere from 45 minutes to over an hour, depending on traffic. Parking is available for a fee. (An Uber ride costs an average of €40/$44.)
- By train: Take the RER C train from several stations in Paris to the Versailles Chateau- Rive Gauche station. The ride is about an hour to an hour and a half, and then it is a 10-minute walk from the train station to the palace.
- By tour bus: Many tours (like this Versailles tour half-day trip) will meet at a central location in Paris and provide transportation via a coach bus to Versailles. You will then be given a specific time to be back on the bus to return to Paris.
Things to See at Versailles
Even if you spend the whole day at Versailles, it would be impossible to see everything. Between the palace, the gardens, and the estates, there are over three square miles to see! However, there are some things you can’t miss while visiting Versailles.
Hall of Mirrors
When you think of the Palace of Versailles, the Hall of Mirrors may be the image that comes to mind. It’s the most famous room in the palace. With a vaulted ceiling and chandeliers twinkling in the 357 mirrors, it is a breathtaking sight to see.
The Gardens Of Versailles
My one regret about visiting Versailles is that I didn’t have as much time to explore the gardens as I would have liked. They are full of paths, statues, fountains, and mazes. While it is fun to explore on foot, you can also rent bicycles and golf carts to further explore the grounds. There are also “Petit Trains” that make stops at the different buildings.
The King’s State Apartments
If you were a courtier at Versailles, you could pass through the king’s apartments during the day on your way to the chapel and see what he was up to. The art on the walls and ceilings of the seven rooms depicts many characters from Greek and Roman myths.
The Queen’s Hamlet
When Marie Antoinette wanted to escape courtly duties at the palace, she would retire to the Petit Trianon estate. Within the estate (which is still part of Versailles), there was built a “model” village, using the typical, rustic architecture of Normandy of the time, and even included a windmill and a dairy farm.
Tips for Visiting Versailles
- Book your ticket ahead of time. If you have a pre-purchased ticket, you can use a different (also faster) entrance.
- Get there early. You don’t want to rush through Versailles. Give yourself time by getting there right when it opens. (You’ll also beat some of the crowds this way.)
- Be prepared for crowds. Since Versailles is one of the most popular day trips from Paris, it can get packed within the palace. We went to Versailles in May, which is still technically shoulder-season, and it was very busy.
The Loire Valley
Distance from Paris: About 200 km/ 124 miles
If you are looking for day trips from Paris that make you feel like you’re in a fairytale, head to the Loire Valley. The valley spans a little over 300 square miles and holds just as many castles (or “chateaux” in French.)
Known as “the Garden of France,” the Loire Valley is also full of vineyards and orchards, since the lush ground provides excellent growing conditions. You can find Sauvignon Blanc grapes, especially in Sancerre, while the signature red wine of the Loire Valley is Cabernet Franc.
It is a charming place to spend a day away from Paris. Though it may take longer to reach than the locations above, it is well worth the effort!
How to Visit the Loire Valley from Paris
- By car: Take A5, A6, or A10 southwards. The drive from Paris to the Loire Valley can take anywhere from an hour and a half to three hours, depending on where you’re going.
- By train: Depending on where you are trying to reach in the Loire Valley, you may take a train from Paris Austerlitz station to Blois-Chambord, Gare de Vierzon, or Stazione di Castelrosso. To reach chateaux, you may then need to take a shuttle, connecting train, or taxi.
- By tour bus: Many tours (like this Loire Valley Castles Day Trip With Wine Tasting) will meet at a central location in Paris and provide transportation via a coach bus to the Loire Valley. You will then be given a specific time to be back on the bus to return to Paris.
Things to Do in the Loire Valley
Tour a Castle
During the French Renaissance, the nobility began to turn fortresses into places of beauty. Hundreds of castles now dot the countryside of the Loire Valley, varying in size and elegance, looking as if they popped out of the pages of a storybook.
If you only have a day, I suggest picking one or two castles to visit, since there is much to see at each one…not to mention the gardens and grounds.
Some of the most popular castles to visit in the Loire Valley are:
- Château de Chambord: This was the castle I was most excited to visit, as it was the one that Disney animators used as inspiration for Beast’s castle in the 1991 film Beauty and the Beast. It definitely lived up to my expectations!
- Château de Chenonceau: Known as the “Ladies’ Castle,” was given to Diane de Poitiers by King Henry II, but she was then kicked out by his wife, Queen Catherine de Medici. It sits along the river Cher, with gardens inspired by both women.
- Château d’Ussé: This castle was so magical that it inspired Charles Perrault to write the French version of the fairytale Sleeping Beauty. It’s also the only chateau to have had the same family inhabit it for more than two hundred years.
Do a Wine Tasting
The Loire Valley is where some of the most beloved French wines come from. Even if you’re not a wine connoisseur, doing a wine tasting is a great way to enjoy the scenery and culture of the valley.
If you take a day trip to the Loire Valley to see the castles, you can easily fit in a wine tasting as well. When we visited Château de Chenonceau, we were able to taste their AOC Touraine Chenonceaux white, rosé, and red wines in the historic wine cellar.
There are plenty of Loire Valley vineyards to choose from, though some of the more popular are:
- Domaine Sauvète
- Les Caves du Père Auguste
- Caves Louis de Grenelle
- Cave de Vouvray
- Caves Ambacia
Visit a Medieval Town
While the castles are the jewels of the Loire Valley, the surrounding towns and cities are also worth visiting. Many of them are over 500 years old and yet have retained provincial charm.
When you visit the Loire Valley, cities and towns like Blois, Amboise, Chinon, and Loches are great places to stop for lunch. (I had some amazing Turkish kebab in Blois!)
Walking around these medieval towns is fascinating because they’ve become such hybrids of the past and present.
I hope this post has convinced you to take a day trip (or two) from Paris! There is so much beauty to see in France, and I can’t wait to go back and discover more.
Not ready to book a tour quite yet? Save this post for later!
Leave a Reply