Best day trips from Paris, France by train

Two types of people visit Paris: people who see and do everything the City of Lights has to offer, and people who fly into CDG, snap a photo with the Iron Lady, and bail to other French cities.

And you can be both.

We’ve got a list of the best day trips from Paris by train, split into sections that perfectly align with your itinerary depending on how little or long you’re visiting France. All you need to do is download the Trainline app and buy cheap train tickets to these unforgettable French cities.

Image Credit: Getty Images, imagenavi. Image Location: Château de Chantilly, Chantilly, France

Chantilly

Closest station: Chantilly-Gouvieux

Journey time: from 24m

Château de Chantilly is the perfect retreat from the concrete jungle of Paris. This castle-like château is a dream of a day trip: the former residence and grounds are yours to tour, with period costume rentals available for kids and whipped cream workshops available for anyone with a sweet tooth.

Versailles

Closest stations: Versailles-Chantiers | Versailles Rive Droite

Journey time: from 11m | 36m

Versailles is one of the most popular day trips from Paris thanks to the namesake chateau’s worldwide fame. Getting from Paris to Versailles by train takes only between 30 to 40 minutes, offering you a royal amount of time to wander the Hall of Mirrors, Museum of French History, and the 200-year-old citrus trees adorning the Versailles Orangerie.

See also: the best hotels in Versailles

Image Credit: Getty Images, Adrian Pope. Image Location: Fontainebleau Chateau, Fontainebleau, France.

Fontainebleau

Closest station: Fontainebleau-Avon

Journey time: from 39m

Fontainebleau is more of a deep cut when it comes to easy day trips from Paris — but those who turn away from places like Versailles will be rewarded with the opulent Fontainebleau Palace. Visit the Napoleon Museum and see Marie Antoinette’s Turkish boudoir inside. Just northeast of Fontainebleau is Barbizon, known as a residence for painters. It only takes a cab ride to reach, and is a must for fans of Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot, Théodore Rousseau, and Jean-François Millet.

Champagne

Closest stations: Reims | Épernay

Journey time: from 47m | 1hr 12m

Pop the bubbly (seriously — you can drink on most trains in France) and float your way from Paris to Champagne by train. The Champagne region is where you’ll want to spend your souvenir dollars, though it’s tough to choose which towns in which terroirs to visit. We always recommend Reims and Épernay as starting points: Reims is one of the most accessible from Paris, while Épernay is called the capital of the Champagne region.

Image Credit: Getty Images, lisandrotrarbach. Image Location: Aurvers-sur-Oise, France

Auvers-sur-Oise

Closest station: Auvers-sur-Oise

Journey time: from 1hr

A town as pretty as a picture, Auvers-sur-Oise is best known as the final resting place of the one and only, Vincent Van Gogh. You’ll find Van Gogh’s paintings and tomb here, as well as the Impressionist Musée Daubigny and the Absinthe Museum.

Provins

Closest station: Provins

Journey time: from 1hr 23m

Take a quick train trip into the Middle Ages at Provins. This beautiful medieval town hosted Champagne fairs in its heyday. Now a UNESCO World Heritage site, Provins hosts entertaining shows in its well-preserved village with knights, troubadours, and more.

Image Credit: Getty Images, Rosmarie Wirz. Image Location: Giverny, France

Giverny

Closest station: Vernon-Giverny

Journey time: from 50m

Before we get to WWII Normandy, let’s focus on this region’s other historical sites. You need only visit Claude Monet’s home and gardens to see why he was inspired to paint pleasant lily ponds and colorful flowers. After a visit to his home, the Museum of Impressionism warrants a stop.

Brussels, Belgium

Closest stations: Brussels Midi | Brussels Central

Journey time: from 1hr 22m | 1hr 31m

Granted, there are multiple train stations in Brussels that you could get off at instead, but the Bruxelles-Midi is the Eurostar station you’ll want to familiarize yourself with while traveling through Europe. Getting off at Brussels Central will put you closer to the heart of the historical district where you’re steps away from the Grand-Place, Manneken Pis, and Royal Museums of Fine Arts.

Image Credit: Getty Images, John Elk. Image Location: Rouen, Normandy

Rouen

Closest station: Gare de Rouen-Rive-Droite

Journey time: from 1hr 16m

A church dedicated to Joan of Arc, the oldest inn in France, and a cathedral that inspired Monet’s paintings: Rouen is medieval France at its finest and a great half-day trip from Paris. Put the Gros-Horloge clock tower, Eglise Saint-Maclou, and Aître Saint-Maclou at the top of your list.

Dijon

Closest stations: Dijon | Dijon-Porte-Neuve

Journey time: from 1hr 34min | 2hr 8 mins

Only in Dijon does mustard pair perfectly with Burgundy wine. Take the high speed train from Paris and roam around the city, following the brass owls embedded into the streets. The architecture, ranging from Gothic to Art Deco, is a feast for the eyes, almost as much as Les Halles Market is a feast for your stomach.

Lyon

Closest station: Lyon Part-Dieu

Journey time: from 1hr 52 mins

You need no introduction to the gastronomic capital of France, only a menu. Work up an appetite from Paris to Lyon by train then hit up a Michelin-starred restaurant. In between meals, visit the riverfront Musée des Confluences, the Roman Ancient Theatre of Fourvière, and take a stroll through the Parc de la Tête d'Or. Here’s some more Lyon day trip ideas for destination inspiration.

Image Credit: Getty Images, Alsace. Colmar. Image Location: Strasbourg, France.

Strasbourg

Closest station: Strasbourg

Journey time: from 1hr 46m

Strasbourg is the attractive Alsace city that’s also the Capital of Europe. The Little French Quarter, half-timbered houses, and Roman ruins dotting the area offer a little something for everyone. We won’t tell you how to spend your summer vacation, but we will present a jolly reason to day trip from Paris to Strasbourg by train in the winter: Strasbourg is the Capital of Christmas and the magical Strasbourg Christmas Market will show you why.

Beaune

Closest station: Beaune

Journey time: from 2h 4m

Beaune is the cork in Burgundy’s winemaking region. If it's wine and vineyards you want, you’ll find them surrounding this cobbled town. Sober travelers will find other intoxicating activities like cycle rides through vineyards, ramparts and battlements, and the medieval hospice Hôtel-Dieu Museum.

Colmar

Closest station: Colmar

Journey time: from 2h 26m

Skipping Strasbourg yet still want a taste of Alsace? Colmar has you covered. From its fairytale old town and its sunny microclimate to Little Venice and a museum dedicated to the creator of the Statue of Liberty Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi — Colmar is a cool, lesser-visited place in Alsace that is perfect for a Paris day trip. It is said that Colmar was the inspiration for Belle's village in Beauty and the Beast.

Image Credit: Getty Images, Esperanza33. Image Location: Sarlat-la-Caneda, France.

Sarlat-la-Caneda

Closest station: Sarlat

Journey time: from 4h 50m

Sarlat-la-Canéda is a sleeper pick for Paris day trips. It’s an easy sell: a medieval town, a market full of cheese, and gorgeous gardens galore. Gas lamps along stone streets set the mood every night. In the sunlight, visit Sainte-Marie Church and ride the glass elevator to the bell tower for delightful views.

Amboise or Cheverny, Loire Valley

Closest stations: Amboise | Gare de Blois - Chambord

Journey time: from 1h 35m | 1h 22m

You want to visit the Loire Valley but don’t know where to start. We want to help, but don’t know how to choose between Amboise and Cheverny. The Garden of France in this stunning part of France and its many castles deserve your awe. Amboise has Château du Clos Lucé and Château d’Amboise: the former, Leonardo di Vinci’s home — the latter, di Vinci’s tomb. Cheverny requires a small bus connection, but has no shortage of châteaus for you to explore (while also discovering the bottom of its wine bottles).

Image Credit: Getty Images, Gary Yeowell. Image Location: Bordeaux, France

Bordeaux

Closest station: Bordeaux Saint-Jean

Journey time: from 3h 14m

There’s the Bordeaux you think you know (the wine) and the Bordeaux you definitely don’t know (everything else). Taking a day trip from Paris to Bordeaux by train lets you discover both sides of this Nouvelle-Aquitaine city, from the vine to the ten Michelin stars to the fantastic museums around its Old Quarter.

Saint-Louis

Closest station: Saint-Louis

Journey time: from 3h 4m

Don’t look at the EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Friedburg and think Saint-Louis is nothing more than a pre-terminal pit stop. Saint-Louis is its own slice of Alsace right on the Rhine, and more than worthy of your Paris day trip. White water raft the Huningue Canal, dine on fantastic European fusion food, then stroll across the Three Countries Bridge into Germany and Switzerland.

Luxembourg

Closest station: Luxembourg

Journey time: from 2h 56m

A micronation, yes; but Luxembourg isn’t a one-note country. Luxembourg City is the obvious choice for a visit: the Palais Grand-Ducal, the Pont Adolphe, and Luxembourg American Cemetery make for an easy itinerary. You could also castle hop to Vianden, Bourscheid, and Beaufort.

Image Credit: Getty Images, Atlantide Phototravel. Image Location: Trouville-sur-Mer, Normandy, France.

Normandy

Closest stations: Trouville-Deauville | Gare de Fécamp | Gare de Bayeux

Journey times: from 2h 12m| 2h 37m | 2h 12m

Normandy is a large region, and while most plan a trip from Paris to Normandy by train for the WWII beaches, there’s much more to explore. Deauville is a seaside getaway for the French where golf, casinos, horse races, and bumming around the boardwalk are the norm. Étretat’s white cliffs are great to gaze at while reading a book written by hometown writer Maurice Leblanc, who penned Where the Wild Things Are and the Lupin novels that inspired the Netflix series with they same name. Bayeux may not be beside the sea, but viewing the Tapisserie de Bayeux (an 11th-century tapestry depicting the Norman Invasion of England) is worth viewing with your own eyes.

Saint-Malo

Closest station: Gare de Saint-Malo

Journey time: from 3h 30m

Tennis fans know Saint-Malo in Brittany for the WTA 125K tennis tournament, and history buffs know it for its WWII history. We know Saint-Malo for its fantastic seafood like Breton lobster, oysters, scallops, and Kouign-amann. This walled coastal city is one sandy spot you’ll want to leave footprints in.

Image Credit: Getty Images, Tuul & Bruno Morandi. Image Location: Mont Saint-Michel, Normandy, France.

Mont Saint-Michel

Closest station: Pontorson

Journey time: from 3h 24m

The floating “castle” of Mont Saint-Michel in Normandy is actually an abbey, but that doesn’t make it any less spectacular. It inspired Rapunzel’s Tower in Tangled and will inspire you to plan a day trip. Cross the bay on foot with a guide if you’re feeling daring.

Is Disneyland Paris worth it for one day?

Train station: Marne-La-Vallée Chessy

Journey time: from 1h 41m

Whether Disneyland Paris is worth a day trip or better experienced on a longer trip depends on your preferences. For one day you can experience some magic, but may not fully explore both parks or avoid crowds — especially in peak seasons. For maximum fun, plan your favorite rides and attractions ahead of time, and consider a two-day pass.

Related:

Best places to visit in Europe by train from Paris (including Disneyland)
Best Disneyland Paris rides and attractions
11 of the best hotels in Disneyland Paris and nearby

Ready to pick your perfect day trip from Paris? Download the Trainline app and get on your way.

Header Image Credit: Getty Images, wilatlak villette. Image Location: Petite Venise, Colmar, France.

22 of the best day trips from Paris, France by train