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Updated December 2020
When you spend 3 or more days in Paris, you have enough time to take a day tour from Paris and explore a bit more of France. Because France is actually the most visited country in the world! 83 million visitors can’t be wrong and if you’re having a spare day during your Paris city escape, take a one day tour from Paris and explore this beautiful country.
Check directly one of the most popular bus trips from Paris or see all options below.
Highlights: the most popular day trips from Paris!
Day and half-day trips from Paris
Content of this post
Luckily Paris is within day-trip reach of a variety of stunning and just as interesting destinations. Take your France experience to the next level. The options are endless but to save you from decision paralysis, I compiled a list of travel bloggers’ most favorite day trip destinations around Paris. Discover the best day tours from Paris!
• Chateau de Versailles – a full or half-day trip from Paris
Favorite day tour from Travelvoila

We have been to several castles in France and were awed by Palace Versailles. Palace Versailles is a castle you must visit if you are visiting Paris. It takes around 30 minutes train ride from Paris to the Versailles station, and it is recommended that you have at least 1 day for visiting the castle, because it is gigantic!
The self-tour of the castle takes at least 3 hours! The halls and chambers were all royally decorated with gold accessories. The Hall of Mirrors is magnificent, and as it is the most famous section of the castle, you can’t miss it. If you have enough time, set off and explore the gardens.
It is highly recommended to visit the castle during summer or during a visit to Paris in spring. The colors of the garden are much more vibrant but even a winter visit is nice.
Where is Versailles? Versailles lays 24km southwest from Paris and can be accessed by train or bus
Best activity in Versailles: visit the Palace of course! Considering the huge queues, I strongly advise purchasing a “Skip the Line Ticket“ in advance. If you don’t want to deal with public transportation, you can purchase even a “Skip the Line Ticket” in combined with private transportation and Hotel pickup
Have a look at all available tours from Paris to Versailles here if you are up for something special – like a sightseeing trip by bike or segway or if you want to attend one of the famous Versailles fountain shows.
Where to eat in Versailles? Versailles has quite a few really good restaurants, especially if you fancy gastronomic French cuisine. You find lots of nice restaurants around the Market Place and also at Rue Satory, just left from the castle [/su_note]
• Reims – take a Champagne day tour from Paris
Favorite day tour from The Globe Diary Blog

Only an hour’s train ride to the north-east of Paris, Reims is a MUST on your next visit to the City of Lights. While the small town is undoubtedly known for its Champagne houses, the capital of France’s Champagne region is also complete with a world-class fine-dining scene, historical monuments, and incredible Art Deco architecture, too.
That said, the Champagne was the real reason we made this day trip from Paris — and we loved it! Keep these important tips in mind in order to make this day trip worthwhile: Avoid Sundays or Mondays when most of the town is closed. Be sure to include vintage or reserve tastings in your options when visiting Tattinger, Veuve Cliquot, and Pommery — where else are you going to get to taste those Champagnes at a fraction of the price of the bottle?!
Your day is sure to be filled with multiple bubbly flutes and several cellar staircases, so remember, you do not need to finish all the Champagne given to you (although you should definitely try!). And lastly, be sure to make reservations ahead — some Champagne Houses require it!
Full Champagne Wine day -Tasting Day Trip from Paris
- small group, hotel pick up and transportation in a comfortable minivan
- visit at least 2 Champagne Houses and try 8 different Champagnes
- masterclass held by a wine expert on a vineyard
- Champagne and food pairing lunch
Don’t miss our detailed “how to visit the Champagne in one day” guide!
• The Gardens of Monet: visit Giverny
Favorite Day tour from Paris from Ipanema Travels

Giverny is the perfect one-day trip for Paris, and you don’t need to be a great fan of Monet and Impressionism to enjoy the beautiful gardens.
best rated tours from Paris to Giverny
Sightseeing | Lunch | Transport | Hotel Pick up | Price |
---|---|---|---|---|
Giverny (half day) | ❌ | coach | ❌ | |
Giverny and Versailles | ✔️ | mini van | ✔️ | |
Giverny (full day) | ✔️ | coach | ❌ |
Giverny’s single attraction is the house in which Monet lived from 1883 until his death in 1926. He created the splendid gardens that served as a source of inspiration for his paintings. Visiting the gardens feels like an invisible door opens to one of his paintings and you enter the magic world of flowers, water lilies, wisterias, and the play of sunlight on the water surface. Besides the home of Monet, you can also visit the Museum of Impressionism in the village. There are also lovely art galleries and cafés.
The house of Monet is open for visitors from the end of March till the beginning of November. Although it can be very crowded on a sunny day, the beauty of the gardens is so immense that it is worth visiting it! Just make sure you are booking your tickets ahead of time!
Where is Giverny? Monets Gardens in Giverny are located 75km northeast from Paris.
How to visit the Gardens of Monet best? If you’re not up for visiting the Gardens on your own or taking a train from Paris to Giverny, you can simply take a guided day trip tour from Paris. Click here to get more info on the most popular trip to Giverny!
Opening times: The Gardens of Monet are closed during the winter months.
Editors Tip: Take a guided tour or – and I really can’t advise this too much – buy at least your ticket in advance! On sunny bank holidays and weekends, it can be nearly impossible to find a parking place and the waiting time to purchase tickets can be more than 2h.
This actually happened to me despite better knowledge – it took us an hour to find a parking place and when we finally arrived the queue was so long and did not move at all, that we just went back to Paris
• A day tour from Paris to Normandy – visit Dieppe!
Favorite day trip from Paris from Impulsive Adventures

Sweating in Paris in the summer? Hop on a train to Dieppe to enjoy the food and beaches of Normandy! The water’s incredibly blue, the limestone cliffs are an artist’s dream, and my galette with 4 types of local cheese was life-changing. A day trip to Dieppe is the perfect escape!
For the practical part: Dieppe is around 200 km north of Paris in the region of Normandy. The best way to get there is by train, from Paris Saint Lazare. It costs 19-36 Euros each way and takes around 2 hours. If you’re on a really tight budget, there’s also bus service to Dieppe through Flixbus.
Once you’re in Dieppe, throw away your detailed itineraries, because this is a location to be wandered without a plan. The winding streets of the little port town are filled with adorable restaurants, boutiques, colorful houses, and Canadian flags (to honor the fallen from WWII). You can’t miss the gorgeous beach, which is pebbly at high tide and sandy at low. Make sure to bring water shoes to explore cliffside caves and forgotten bunkers. Bored of the beach? Head to the castle, hike the topside of the cliffs, enjoy some pastries, or learn about WWII history.
Where is Dieppe? The town on the Alabaster Coast is located a bit less than 200km from Paris.
How to visit Dieppe: Dieppe is easily (and affordably) reachable from Paris by train or Flixbus. Alternatively, I recommend renting a car (click for info): The Alabaster Coast has quite a few beautiful and history loaded landmarks and if you are around, I strongly advise to visit Ètretat as well. The cliff formations are impressive and the itinerary is perfect for a little road trip from Paris to the sea.
• Castles in the Loire Valley – a popular day tour from Paris
Favourite day trip from Paris from The Freckled Tourist

One of the best things about visiting Europe is getting to see the castles. France in particular has many amazing castles that are not to be missed. If you find yourself in Paris, a day trip to the Loire Valley is a must! Here you’ll find many incredible castles that will make you feel as if you’re back in medieval times.
From Paris, you can rent a car and give yourself a self-guided tour or opt for a paid group tour that will take you to the most popular castles in the area. A few of the top castles that should be on your list are the Chateau d’Amboise, Chateau de Chenonceau, and the Chateau de Chambord. If you’re a Beauty and the Beast fan, be sure to check out the Chateau de Chambord – it was the inspiration for Beast’s castle! A day trip from Paris to the Loire Valley is sure to add a bit of magic to your trip.
Where are the Loire Castles? The famous castles are located in the Loire Valley, a region south west from Paris.
Best way to visit the Loire Castles from Paris: Due to it’s complexity (around 80 castles on a 280km span) it’s impossible to see all chateaux during a day trip and I am not sure anyone would be up for such kind of castle overkill anyway 🙂
Most Booked Tour: Full Champagne Wine day -Tasting Day Trip from Paris(Click link for prices and bookings)
- Visit 3 castles (including Château de Chambord and Chenonceau)
- Lunch and wine tasting at Chateaux Nitray
- Transportation by Coach
• Day Trip from Paris: D-Day Landing Beaches
Favourite Day trip from Paris from NOMAD/nester – Travel

Around two hours north of Paris is Normandy. Although well-known for its quaint coastal villages, old stone-cottages, ancient wars and the famous Bayeux Tapestry, it is the World War II D-Day Landing Beaches that wrote Normandy into the modern history books. It is on these five beaches – code-named Omaha, Utah, Gold, Juno and Sword – that the Allied forces began the liberation of France from German occupation on June 6 1944 and in doing so helped bring an end to the war in Europe.
Today the area is part memorial to those soldiers who were killed during this operation with a number of war cemeteries and museums. You can also visit some of the German bunkers and garrisons still in existence at Pointe du Hoc with their bullet-pocked and bomb-scarred walls.
Visiting the landing beaches is a great day trip and best done with a tour guide who can explain the history and significance of the area.
Normandy is also known for its delicious cuisine so be sure to visit one of the many restaurants around this area. And while there be sure to also sample some Calvados – the regions famous apple brandy.
Where are the D-Day Landing Beaches? The closest landing beach, Juno is 250km west of Paris
Best way to visit? I advice to visit the D-Day Landing Beaches by taking an organised tour from Paris. One of the best rated tours is the “Normandy D-Day Battlefield and Beaches Day Trip” (click here for detailed information)
This tour includes
- Roundtrip transportation from Paris to Normandy
- Lunch including drinks
- Entrance fees
- Calvados and Cider Tasting
- Professional Tour guide
click here for prices and schedules
• Day trip to Bordeaux from Paris
Bordeaux day trip from Paris – Favourite of Savored Journeys

You may not realize that other French cities, like the stunning and incredible Bordeaux, are only a couple hours away from Paris via train. So, even if it’s quite far in distance, the fantastic train coverage in France makes it possible, that a day trip to Bordeaux from Paris is actually something that you do! Bordeaux is a great city for a day trip from Paris. The train station isn’t far from the city center, and the center of Bordeaux is very easy to get around by foot and tram, so there’s no need to worry about a rental car.
Bordeaux actually reminds me of a smaller version of Paris. It’s equally enchanting. A large part of Bordeaux has been classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to the incredible architecture of the city.
Wondering what to do in Bordeaux on a day trip? There are many great restaurants and museums, and the city is surrounded by world-famous wineries and vineyards that you can visit. For example during a 4h tour to the beautiful medieval wine village of St. Emilion (click here for more info). You can also take an open-top bus tour to discover Bordeaux, walk around the Place des Quinconces and admire the Monument aux Girondins, visit the Place de la Bourse, and be sure to save time for some wine at one of Bordeaux’s many wine bars.
Click here for a step by step guide on how to get to Bordeaux by train!
Where is Bordeaux? Bordeaux lays 600km south from Paris, yes, 600. That’s not a typo. But with the TGV (high-speed train) it takes only 2:20h – perfect for a day trip to Bordeaux from Paris.
How to get to Bordeaux? The train leaves from the train station Paris Montparnasse (reachable by Metro Line 4, 6, 12 and 13). The earliest departure from Paris to Bordeaux is at 6:09 in the morning. The last train that eaves Bordeaux direction Paris at 21:04. visit this page to know more
What to do in Bordeaux? Tasting Wine of course! Click here to see the best-rated wine and cheese tasting course, which leaves you enough time to explore Bordeaux in the afternoon.
Don’t worry if self-organizing a day trip is not your specialty – you can leave the fiddly part to someone else and book a pre-made tour including transportation and activities – check here to know more about a day tour from Paris to Bordeaux
• Fun day trip from Paris: Disneyland Paris
Favourite day tour from Paris from Mags on the Move

Sure, France is full of real life fairytale castles, but there’s something extra magical about being at Disneyland’s, perhaps it’s the fire breathing dragon underneath. Disneyland Paris, formerly Euro Disney, is easy to get to from central Paris by car, train, or even a Disney bus. Certainly the easiest and most cost effective option is the train. Disneyland Paris is located directly beside the Marne-la-Vallee/Chessy train station, only a 35 minute ride outside of Paris.
Once there you can expect all of the Disney magic you’ll find at the other parks around the world, but in my experience, about ¼ of the crowds. Of course, Disneyland Paris is a great place to take the family, but it’s fun for adults too. It has exciting rides for every age and unlike it’s American cousins, at Disneyland Paris you can grab a beer or wine to enjoy while you stroll through the park. Just don’t have so much fun that you lose track of time. There are occasions when the last train back to Paris leaves before the parks close and that’s an expensive uber (don’t ask me how I know).
Where is Disney Land Paris? Disneyland is located 45km east from Paris and can be very comfortable reached by train.
Where to get tickets? In order to avoid queues, I recommend to purchase your entrance ticket before heading over to the park.
Ticket | Days | Parks | Transfer | Price |
---|---|---|---|---|
Disneyland Paris | 1 day | Disneyland® Paris | no | see prices |
Disneyland Paris Multi Day Ticket | 2, 3 or 4 days | Disneyland® Paris Walt Disney Studios® | no | see prices |
Disneyland with transfer from Paris | 1 day | Disneyland® Paris Walt Disney Studios® | yes! | see prices |
• Day trip from Paris: Chateau Vaux le Vicomte
Favourite day trip from Paris from a World to Travel

Around three centuries old and home to stories I won’t reveal here but absolutely worth listening to from someone in the know, the Chateau Vaux le Vicomte inspired other famous palaces and
gardens like those of Versailles. All in all, this chateau was meant to be one of the prettiest at the time so if you are in love with classic architecture, decadence, and grandeur, do not forget to put this palace on your list of things to do near Paris and enjoy a day amongst renaissance gardens, perspective games, decadent high ceiling rooms and hidden pools.
Also, make sure to pay a visit to the rooftop lookout. Your best pictures of the Chateau Vaux le Vicomte await you there!
Where is the Chateau Vaux le Vicomte? It’s 62km south east from Paris, not far from the Fontainebleau palace
How to get there best: Most conveniently you can book a tour that covers both castles, the Chateau Vaux le Vicomte and the Palace of Fontainebleau. The most popular tour includes transportation by coach from Paris, entrance fees and also an audio guide click here for more info, prices and bookings
Not what you’re looking for? What about a trip to Villa Savoye!
• Mont Saint Michel – World Heritage site
Favourite day trip from Paris from fouronaworldtrip

Where is the Mont St. Michel and what is it? The Mont Saint Michel is an Island about 1km off shore and is home to a monastery and abbey. This Unesco world heritage site lays 360km east from Paris.
How to visit the Mont Saint Michel: If you don’t have the possibility to visit the Mont Saint Michel on your own by car (you can see prices of rental cars from Paris here) you can also take a guided Mont Saint Michel day tour from Paris. I know it’s utterly far for a day trip but it’s so worth it! Taking a day trip from Paris to Mont St. Michel is clearly one of the best day tours from Paris that you can take.
Mont Saint Michel day trip with lunch
- admission to the Abbey
- Tour guide
- Lunch (dinks inlcuded) with view on the Mont St. Michel
- Transport by air-conditioned minivan
Are you traveling to Paris in December? Why not taking a day trip to Strasbourg to see the oldest Christmas Market of Europe? Click here to get all information!
If you have any questions about Paris or need some advice and how to plan your trip, don’t hesitate to reach out! I created a Facebook group for this matter and I am available to help you out! Click here to join the Salut from Paris Facebook group!
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Disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. This means – at no additional cost for you – I will earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase. I am independent and the opinions expressed here are -if not stated otherwise- my own.
Great post- there are so many great choices. I love visiting Disneyland Paris and make sure to visit every time I go to Paris. I agree that the crowds are much less than the other Disney parks in the world (except maybe Hong Kong Disneyland). It makes it easier to see everything in the park in one day with fewer crowds. There are so many fun attractions. I love Crush’s Coaster so much- one of my favourite Disney attractions ever.
Thank you so much for your comment.. that reminds me that I really have to go back to Disneyland Paris soon! 🙂 Have a nice day!