When you are in Paris, you would notice that time flies so fast since there are a number of things to do. However, when you stay for a long vacation in Paris or actually live here? If you've visited all the famous tourist attractions such as Eiffel tower, Arc de Triomphe, Louvre Musuem, Orsay Museum and etc., we would like to recommend you to visit outskirts of Paris for a day trip. Let's see the best 11 places to go for day trips.
From No.1 to No.6, you can get there using NAVIGO card. Keep in mind that you have to buy it with an option including from Zone 1 to Zone 5.
Provins is a city that remains intact as it was in the old days of Medieval times. The city itself makes you feel as if time has stopped in the past. It was designated as World Cultural Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2001.
The village in Provins is surrounded by walls that makes it look like a movie set. You can take nice pictures with the walls, look around the village or see the whole city below your eyes from small windows in a castle. Occasionally, Medieval Festival of Provins is held and you would be able to have a unique experience there.
Transportation : take a train from Gare de l'Est then, take off at Provins station.
Chateau de Fontainebleau is a place which had been a sovereign residence for eight centuries, from 12th Century to 18th Century. You would be able to see various styles of architecture since additions had been made for hundreds of years. It was designated as World Cultural Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1981. Chateau de Fontainebleau is less famous than Chateau de Versailles which was built under the guidance of Louis XIV.
The interior of the Château is magnificently decorated with a large collection of precious art and furniture, and famous sights include Napoleon's bedchamber, Louis XV's parlor and the horseshoe staircase. The extensive gardens and forests cover 130 square kilometers, making it one of the largest royal gardens in France, and in 1991 the Château de Fontainebleau was inscribed on the list of World Heritage Sites, attracting many tourists who come to explore its rich historical and cultural heritage.
Transportation : take TER from Gare de Lyon and take off at Fontainebleau Avon Station. Then, take Bus Line 1 right in front of the station. (It takes about an hour.)
Address : 77300 Fontainebleau
Opening Hour : Closed on every Tuesday, January 1st, May 1st, December 25th
From April to September 9:30 - 18:00 / From October to March 9:30 - 17:00
Admission Fee : 11 euros (Free with Museum Pass)
If you are a huge fan of Arts, epecially Vincent Van Gogh, we recommend you to visit Auvers Sur Oise. This is a small village where Gogh spent his last two months of his life and made a lot of his masterpieces before he shot himself. In other words, a lot of famous paintings of Gogh such as Champ de blé aux corbeaux and L’Église d’Auvers-sur-Oise were created in this villlage.
You can still find Van Gogh's bedroom, his favorite restaurant, a church he drew in his paintings, and a wheat field where he ended his life even after a hundred years have passed.
Transportation : take a train from Gare du Nord, transfer at Valmondois Station, and take off at Auvers sur Oise Station.
Chateau de Versailles is the symbol of the French royal Court. Chateau de Versailles, also known as the Palace of Versailles is a palace built under the guidance of Louis XIV in order to define his power and influence in Europe. The Palace was a place where Louis XIV showed his enormous wealth and power by inviting officials, nobles, and kings and queens of other countries to their parties held everyday. At that time, around 10,000 people lived inside the palace, which shows the huge size of Chateau de Versailles.
The Palace of Versailles is known for its magnificent architecture, lavish decorations and extensive gardens. The palace is particularly famous for the Hall of Mirrors (Galerie des Glaces), where important celebrations and the signing of important treaties took place. The gardens surrounding the palace were designed by the famous horticulturist André Le Nôtre and feature intricate geometric patterns, fountains and sculptures. It attracts millions of visitors every year to experience its history and beauty.
Transportation : take RER C until Château Rive Gauche Station. (From Paris Montparnasse Station, it takes about 20 minutes.)
Address : Place d'Armes, 78000 Versailles
Admission Fee : 20 euros, but with a fountain show, 27 euros
Opening Hour : 9:00 - 18:30 (closed on every Monday)
Website : Click here
Chateau de Vaux-Le-Vicomte, the prototype of Chateau de Versaille is a luxurious castle built for Nicolas Fouquet. At the day of its completion, Louis XIV got so jealous of this wonderful castle that made Fouquet sentenced to life and built a more beautiful and luxurious palace for himself, which is now known as Chateau de Versailles.
From May to October, there is a romantic event held every saturday night, called candlelit evenings. They light up around 2,000 candles and sometimes, you can see fireworks as well.
Transportation : take Transillien P from Gare de l'Est and take off at Verneuil-l'Etang Station, then take a shuttle bus called Chateaubus until you arrive at the castle.
Address : Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte, 77950 Maincy, France
Opening Hour : From March 23th to November 3rd 10:00 - 19:00 (Last admission 17:00)
Admission Fee : 16.5 euros / with candlelit evenings included, 19.5 euros
Website : Click here
Chateau de Chantilly is an old castle close to Paris. It takes about 30 minutes by train from Gare du Nord, Paris. In medieval times, it was used as a fort but as additions have been done, it made the castle more splendid. This castle was referred to Chateau de Versailles partially, which made it to be called as 'the small Palace of Versailles'.
Especially in Chateau de Chantilly, you can find a number of great paintings because the owner of this castle, the Duke of Aumale was an art collector. Mona Lisa, one of the most famous paintings in the world, was once hung here. You will be able to find out a lot of artworks by well-known painters such as Raffaello, Botticelli, Van Dyke, Poussin, and Delacroix.
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Transportation :
1. Take TER from Gare du Nord to Chantilly-Gouvieux Station. And then walk 25minutes (it's about a 50minutes total)
2. take RER D from Gare du Nord (or Gare de Lyon, Les Halles) to Chantilly-Gouvieux Station. And then walk 25minutes (It takes about 1hour 10 minutes total, round trip impossible)
3. We recommande Package TER - Chantilly that costs 25 euros for entrance ticket + round trip TER ticket. If you accompany children, you can just pay 1euro more for each child. Possible to buy in Gare du Nord.
Address : Château, 7, Rue du Connétable, 60500 Chantilly
Admission Fee : 17 euros
Website : Click here
Giverny is a small town with a population of around 500 people but it's a famous tourist attraction where people from all around the world visit. The main reason why a lot of tourists like to visit here is that you can have a look at the birthplace of Father of the French Impressionist, Claude Monet and his garden. Especially, Monet's garden is the place where Monet drew his masterpiece, Water Lilies. Before going to Giverny, we higly recommend you to visit Musée de l'Orangerie to first appreciate the artwork of Water Lilies by Monet and then, visit Giverny to compare the painting and the real garden of Monet.
Keep in mind that it would be better to go on week days since there are a lot of tourists on weekends.
Transportation : take a train from Paris Saint-Lazare Station, take off at Vernon Station, then take a shuttle bus in front of the station. (It takes about an hour and 15 minutes.)
LA MAISON DE MONET & LE JARDIN D'EAU
Address : 84 Rue Claude Monet, 27620 Giverny
Opening Hour : Daily 9:30 - 18:00 (In 2019, From March 22nd to November 1st)
Admission Fee : Adult 9.5 euros, under 26-year-olds 5.5 euros
Honfleur is a small and beautiful port city in Normandy. You can get here by car in two hours so, if you are planning on a day trip, it is a good choice.
The town has attracted many famous artists, including Monet, Boudin and Jongin, who created many of their famous paintings here, forming the "Honfleur School". Honfleur attracts visitors not only for its stunning scenery and rich cultural heritage, but also for its gastronomy, galleries and museums, making it an ideal place to experience French tradition and art.
Transportation : take a train from Paris Saint-Lazare and take off at Deauville Station (it takes about 2 hours and 30 minutes), you can take either bus or taxi for 15 minutes from Deauville station.
Saint-Malo is a port city in the Northwestern province, Brittany. It is also known as Pirate city. In Saint-Malo, you can find clear turquoise waters, white seagull, clear sky blue sky, cool wind and unique buildings.
The town's old quarter (Intra-Muros) is surrounded by solid granite walls and contains narrow streets and well-preserved medieval buildings such as the Cathédrale Saint-Vincent. St. Malo is also home to the famous explorer Jacques Cartier, who discovered Canada in the 16th century.When you visit here, you will be able to refresh and relieve your stress. Also, Brittany is well-known for its delicious crepes.
Transportation : take TGV from Paris Montparnasse Station, take off at Saint-Malo Station (it takes about 3 hours). From the station to the old town of Saint-Malo, you can either walk for 20-30 minutes or take a bus for 7 minutes.
Mont-Saint-Michel, which seems to be floating on the water is one of the most famous places to visit near Paris. Usually, there are a lot of visitors and tourists from all over the places so, it will be hard for you to look around from the main street called Grand Rue. If then, it would be better to walk along the wall surrounding the island. The unobstructed ocean view is great and you can take a look at its medieval buildings.
A must-eat food in Mont-Saint-Michel is omelet in a restaurant called La Mere Poulard. The omelet has been made with a 130-year-old recipe. As soon as you have a bite of this, it melts in your mouth leaving light and soft texture of the fluffy omelet. You can find a lot of autographs of public figures such as Hemingway and Yves Saint Laurent.
Transportation : take a train from Paris Montparnasse Station, take off at Mont-Saint-Michel Station. (It takes about 3 hours.) Then, you can take a shuttle bus for 5-10 minutes or walk for 30 minutes to arrive at Mont-Saint-Michel.
LA MERE POULARD
Address : Grand Rue, 50170 Le Mont-Saint-Michel
Opening Hour : 7:00 - 21:30
Price : 30 - 40 euros
Deauville is the closest seaside town near Paris. It has a nice sea view with beautiful buildings of Normandy. With Honfleur, Deauville was also one of the favorite cities loved by impressionists. Within one hour, you will be able to look around this small town. If you have more time, we recommend you to visit Trouville which is located right next to Deauville.
Deauville was once known as a tourist attraction by the wealthy class of Paris since it is the closest beach to Paris. Therefore, you can enjoy a number of leisure activities such as horse-riding, tennis, casino, and shopping. It will be a good choice to go shopping here rather than shopping in Paris where you will be stressed out because of tourists who come from all around the world.
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Transportation : take a train from Paris Saint-Lazare Station to Deauville station. (It takes about 2 hours and 30 minutes.)
Words by Jieun Yoo