During your trip to Paris, there is so much you can see beyond the city and there is no need to rent a car. These five day trips are all super easy to get to by train in no more than two hours.
We’re ranking them from furthest to closest from Paris. For each one, we’ll show you the best train route, how long it takes, what you can see and do there, and at the end we’ll show you the easiest and best way to book your trains and have all your tickets in one place.
Places To Visit Near Paris
Château de Chenonceau
If you’re looking for a château day trip from Paris, Château de Chenonceau is one of the most beautiful options.
It’s in the Loire Valley and is famous for being built right over the River Cher, with its arches stretching across the water.
How to get there by train
Getting here from Paris does take a little longer than some of the other trips on this list, because you have to take two trains, but it’s still very easy to do. You’ll take a train from Paris Montparnasse towards Tours or Saint-Pierre-des-Corps, then connect to Chenonceaux. From the station, it’s just a short walk to the château, with the whole journey taking around two to two hours and 15 mins each way depending on the time of day. This is the only day trip that could technically be over 2 hours, the rest are well under, but we just had to add this to the list.
What to do in Chenonceau
Once you arrive, you can explore the château itself, the stunning gardens, the farm and the surrounding estate. And although the outside and gardens are beautiful, we actually think the inside is where Chenonceau really stands out.
There are around 20 rooms to explore, including the bedrooms, the gallery over the water, and one of our favourite parts, the historic kitchen.
If you’re short on time, we’d prioritise the château itself and Catherine’s garden, which has some of the best views of the castle and its arches.
We’d also recommend allowing at least a few hours here, especially if you want to see both the château and gardens without rushing.
And if you want to see exactly what it’s like inside Chenonceau, including all of our favourite rooms, everything you need to know before visiting, and the fascinating story behind it you’re gonna wanna hear, involving two very powerful women, we have a full post on the château.
Lille
How to get to Lille by train
Lille is the second furthest day trip on our list, but it’s still easy to reach from Paris by train. Take the TGV InOui, which works under SNCF, from Gare du Nord to Lille-Europe station or Lille Flandres station, both are right next to each other and only a 15-20 min walk to the city centre. It’s a direct train ride, so no stops, and takes just over an hour.
What to do in Lille
The city is right near the Belgian border, so you’ll notice a mix of French and Flemish influences, especially in the architecture and food.
Most of the main sights are concentrated around the historic centre, so you can see a lot of Lille in one day without needing to worry about figuring public transport out once you arrive.
One of the first places you’ll probably see is Grand Place, the city’s main square, with the beautiful Vieille Bourse right beside it. The old stock exchange is one of Lille’s most impressive buildings, and its inner courtyard is a really nice place to wander through.
There’s also the Palais des Beaux-Arts, which is one of the largest fine arts museums in France. Even if you don’t have time to visit the entire museum, the building itself is worth seeing from the outside.
What to eat in Lille
But one of our favourite things about Lille is actually the food. This is where you can try traditional French-Flemish dishes at an estaminet, which are cozy local restaurants serving hearty food like carbonnade flamande.
And you definitely shouldn’t leave without trying something sweet. Lille is famous for its patisseries, and Méert, which dates all the way back to 1677, is particularly worth checking out for its famous filled waffles.
We think Lille works really well as a day trip because you can see the main historic sights, stop for some good food and explore at a pretty relaxed pace.
And if you want to know exactly what we did in Lille, exactly where and what we ate and which places we think are actually worth visiting, check out this post here where it was actually one of the day trips we did from Brussels. Lille is a great day trip option from Paris, Brussels and even London with the Eurostar train.
Giverny
Giverny is one of the easiest and prettiest day trips from Paris, especially if you love gardens, art or just want to spend a day somewhere peaceful to escape from the busy city.
This is where Claude Monet lived for more than 40 years, and the gardens around his house became a huge source of inspiration for some of his most famous work.
How to get to Giverny from Paris by train
Getting here is pretty simple. From Paris, you can take a train from Gare Saint-Lazare to Vernon-Giverny, which takes around 45 minutes. From there, it’s about a 10-minute shuttle ride to Giverny, although you can also take a taxi, rent a bike or even walk.
What to do in Giverny
The main reason people come here is, of course, Monet’s gardens. They’re divided into two areas, with the Clos Normand flower garden right in front of the house and the famous Water Garden on the other side.
The Water Garden is where you’ll find the Japanese bridge, the lily pond and the water lilies that inspired Monet’s famous paintings.
You can also visit Monet’s house, which we definitely recommend doing rather than just visiting the gardens. Inside, you’ll find colourful rooms, his famous yellow dining room, the blue kitchen and a huge collection of Japanese prints that show just how much Japanese art influenced him.
The gardens change throughout the year, so when you visit can make a big difference. Spring is particularly beautiful for the flowers and wisteria, while summer is better if you specifically want to see the water lilies.
We’d recommend going early in the morning or later in the afternoon, especially during the busier months, and definitely booking your tickets in advance.
And if you want to know exactly what you can expect, how to book tickets, what the gardens are like throughout the seasons and everything you need to know before going, we have a full Giverny post.
Versailles
If you only have time for one day trip from Paris, Versailles is probably the most obvious choice, and for good reason.
The Palace of Versailles is known for its grand interiors, gold details, the famous Hall of Mirrors and its massive gardens. Marie Antoinette also lived here and had her own private estate within the grounds, which was one of our favourite areas we visited.
How to get to Versailles from Paris by train
And getting there from Paris is really easy. The most popular option is the RER C train line from the Notre-Dame, Invalides or Champs de Mars by the Eiffel Tower to Versailles Château Rive Gauche, and from the station it’s about a 10-minute walk to the palace. The journey takes roughly 30 to 50 minutes depending on where you’re coming from. Sometimes, if the Versailles Château Rive Gauche station is affected by service suspension, you need to get off at Chantiers which adds an extra 15 min to your walk, so just make sure to check before you plan your route.
What to see inside Versailles
The important thing to know is that Versailles is much bigger than just the palace. Your ticket can give you access to the palace, gardens and other areas of the estate, including the Grand Trianon, Petit Trianon and Marie Antoinette’s famous Queen’s Hamlet.
Inside the main palace, you’ll see some of the most famous rooms, including the Hall of Mirrors, the Royal Apartments and the Queen’s Chamber. But honestly, we think you should allow more time for the gardens, the Petit Trianon and Queen’s Hamlet, which was our absolute favourite area of Versailles.
Versailles is huge, and if you want to explore more of the estate, you’re gonna need some form of transport, because walking can only get you so far. You can rent bikes or golf carts, or take the little tourist train, which is what we chose. It’s cheaper, accessible and you can use it all day.
Our biggest tip is to book your tickets in advance and choose an early entry time. Versailles gets extremely busy, so the earlier you can get there, the better your experience will be.
And definitely wear comfortable shoes, you’re going to be doing a lot of walking.
We have a full Versailles post where we take you through the palace, gardens, Petit Trianon, Queen’s Hamlet, all the details you need to know about the different transport options inside, where to eat and all of our tips for having the best day.
Chantilly
The main thing to see is Château de Chantilly, which is one of the most beautiful châteaux near Paris.
How to get to Chantilly from Paris by train
From Paris, Chantilly is a really easy day trip. You can take a direct TER train from Gare du Nord to Chantilly-Gouvieux, which takes around 25 minutes, and from the station it’s about a 20-minute walk to the château.
What to do on the grounds of Chantilly
Inside, you can explore the grand rooms, the impressive art collection of the Musée Condé, they say it’s the largest collection of ancient paintings in France after the Louvre. Also, the famous Cabinet des Livres, which contains thousands of rare books collected by the Duke of Aumale. The estate also has around 115 hectares of gardens, including the beautiful French gardens designed by André Le Nôtre, who also designed the gardens at Versailles.
Another highlight is the Grandes Écuries, or Great Stables, which are some of the most impressive historic stables in France. They’re home to the Horse Museum, and the estate still has an active equestrian centre. You can see equestrian shows for 24€ and daily training demonstrations at the Great Stables from April to June and September to November, as well as special holiday performances in December.
Chantilly is also home to a famous racecourse at the Hippodrome de Chantilly, so if there’s a race happening during your visit, that’s another option to add to your day.
For tickets, the best option for a first visit is generally the ticket that includes the Château, gardens, Grandes Écuries and Horse Museum, rather than just the château. This lets you see the main parts of the estate in one visit.
I’d recommend booking your tickets online in advance, especially during weekends and busy periods. Also check the opening days and times before you go, as they can vary depending on the season.
Visit the town of Chantilly
If you have extra time, you can also explore Chantilly town. We went there years ago before we even started taking travel content seriously, and we absolutely loved it. The town is very charming. Plus it’s a great opportunity to hit a boulangerie/patisserie (bakery) and try a dessert with Chantilly cream, since this is the place where it gets its name from.
For a first visit, I’d allow around 4–6 hours if you want to see everything without rushing. And one thing to keep in mind is that the estate is quite large, so comfortable shoes are definitely a good idea.
Omio
One app we actually use when planning our trips is Omio. It lets you search and book trains, buses, flights and ferries all in one place, so you don’t have to check a bunch of different websites to find the best route or price. This will come in handy for Lille, Giverny, Chantilly and Chenonceau. For Versailles, you can use Omio to book a private car through allocab, if you prefer. Otherwise, to take the train you have to use the SNCF app.
With Omio, we like that all your bookings and transport information are kept in one place, and you can access your tickets from your phone, even when you’re offline. It just makes planning and keeping track of your transport a lot easier.
Need help planning your trip to Paris?
Since you’re planning a trip to Paris, we have plenty posts with all our tips, restaurant suggestions, travel hacks and itineraries, whether you’re spending only one day in Paris or staying a little longer.
- This is how to spend less than 100€ a day in Paris
- 15 things to know before going to Paris. Don’t skip #9!
- 3 days in Paris on a budget!
- Paris in Autumn, your complete travel guide.
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