Top 5 Day Trips from Paris: Must-See Destinations for an Unforgettable Getaway
Explore the top 5 day trips from Paris, featuring iconic landmarks, charming towns, and breathtaking scenery. Perfect for travelers seeking unique experiences just a short ride from the city.
Take advantage of crowded museums and gallery-hopping at bohemian Montmartre. It is the location of the real-life inspiration of Monet’s Water Lilies, this suburb is also an ideal spot to eat a meal and enjoy the local atmosphere.
Take a stroll through the streets after dark to see a different side of Paris and take walking past Notre-Dame cathedral, as well as the famous Shakespeare and Company.
Giverny – Explore Monet’s Enchanting Gardens and Artistic Legacy
For those who are an impressionist enthusiast, a visit to Giverny is an absolute must. If you’re looking to visit the gardens which inspired Monet’s Water Lilies series or explore his lily pond and home it’s a one-day excursion from Paris you don’t want to skip.
How to Reach
To reach the place to get there, get the train that runs from Paris’ Gare St-Lazare to Vernon-Giverny and then a bus shuttle or taxi. You can also take a tour for the whole day which includes round-trip transportation as well as entrance to Monet’s home and garden.
The best time to visit is from late March to September in the months when the blooms are in full swing as the water lilies come at their peak. Any time of the year is worthwhile to spend some time taking in all the sounds and sights of this picturesque village. If you’re looking to include additional sightseeing to your itinerary, think about combing the Giverny tour with a trip to the Palace of Versailles. It’s a well-loved combination and will save you money on the cost of transportation and admission by making this 9.5-hour excursion that departs from Paris. This is a great option for families or groups that are looking to visit two popular destinations that aren’t in Paris within a single day.
Loire Valley – Discover Majestic Châteaux and Vineyards
The Loire Valley is a trove of chateaux located in the middle of France. It also has vineyards that produce some the most exquisite wines of the world.
The valley is dotted with massive fortresses, which were built to keep invaders out medieval towns, with beautiful limestone homes adorned with roses and vineyards that allow you to enjoy tastings right from the beginning. This UNESCO World Heritage Site of Chartres Cathedral is worth a visit due to its remarkable tympanum that was avant-garde in its balancing act between realistic and idealistic.
Ways to Approach
Tours is the ideal base for an excursion to the Loire Valley. The train journey is quick and comfortable as well as the city’s historical quarters are a labyrinth of cobbled streets that are lined with half-timbered French structures. You can hire a bike to explore the city, or take an organized walking tour which includes a visit to a chateau and winery. The most well-known option is the tour which includes three renowned chateaux that are located in this region. Chenonceau, Cheverny, and Chambord.
Barbizon – A Quaint Artists’ Village with Historic Charm
It is located on the edge of located in the Fontainebleau forests, this picturesque little town became a meeting area for landscape painters around the beginning into the nineteenth century. The first artists to draw with nature and forgo the traditional portraits and still lives of the period. Artists such as Corot, Theodore Rousseau, Jean-Baptiste Corot, Charles Daubigny and Narcisse Diaz de la Pena have made their mark on the scene. You can now tour their houses and studios.
A trip of a day to Barbizon is an excellent opportunity to experience the way that modernity and nature were incorporated at the time. There is also an Auberge Ganne museums and the workshop of the famous artist Jean-Francois Millet, and enjoy walking around the streets of the town, with quaint galleries and addresses.
After that, you can visit the Chateau of Fontainebleau, the most favored home for the French King from Francois 1er until Napoleon III. The castle is an UNESCO World Heritage Site and it is the best example of the blending of the medieval, Renaissance and classical styles. The guided tour includes the tour of the castle, including its rooms decorated with furniture from the past, as well as free time to explore the grounds.
Auvers-sur-Oise – Follow in the Footsteps of Vincent van Gogh
The small town of Auvers-sur-Oise is well-known for its connection to Vincent Van Gogh, but it also has an Impressionist family tree that goes beyond the post-impressionist era. The charming village is only an hour’s ride by train from Paris and has managed to keep its appeal throughout the decades. It’s the perfect location to explore the countryside of France.
One of the highlights is the church which inspired Van Gogh’s painting “The Wheatfield with Crows,” that is on display in the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. Another attraction is the cemetery in which van Gogh as well as his son Theo are burial grounds.
Auvers-sur-Oise is also the home of Auvers-sur-Oise is also home to Musee Daubigny, where you will find the work of Charles-Francois Daubigny. artist who had a profound influence on Vincent Van Gogh. The majority of Daubigny’s works depict scenes of the countryside that are a nod to the town’s history. The town also has some restaurants as well as an artisanal boulangerie serving delicious French food. If you’re planning on spending several days there, you should consider having a rental cottage near the town’s center. You’ll be able to go for an easy walk early in the morning and visit the shops and cafes in town during your time.
Rouen – Dive into History and Gothic Architecture in Normandy
The historic city of Rouen is one of France’s most beautifully-preserved medieval centers. It’s easy to take the day admiring stunning cathedrals and wandering around those cobblestone alleys.
After breakfast, grab a bite in a café close to Station (the one in which Simone de Beauvoir and Jean-Paul Sartre were once seen hanging out) then head to Rue Jeanne d’Arc from the station to visit the cathedral of fame, Notre Dame de Rouen that was famously painted by Monet’s paintings of the cathedral. You can then walk down into the town’s old part and visit the gorgeous half-timbered homes in the district of antiquarians.
It is also where you’ll discover the Eglise Saint-Maclou, which is a treasure in Flamboyant Gothic architectural style. Also, the Abbey in Saint-Ouen is an amazing instance of civil architecture dating back to in the Middle Ages.
If you’re in the mood you have the time, take a trip to one of the smaller peaks around Rouen, Colline Sainte Catherine, for a spectacular bird’s eye perspective of Rouen. If you’re looking to do something unique you should consider employing a personal guide to take you on an unforgettable tour around Rouen that is custom-designed by your own personal travel expert to cover all the highlights of your trip.
