Favorite Day trips Under an Hour from Paris

My Favorite Day trips under an hour from Paris are a great way to experience more of France.  I find our vacation to be much more enjoyable if we are not changing hotels or B&Bs every couple of days. Picking one location as our base and then taking day trips is one way we do this.

With that idea in mind, here are my favorite day-trips under an hour from Paris. Disclaimer  – we’ve got several other day-trips from Paris planned for the spring 2020 so I’ll be adding to this. In fact, we are considering staying in one of these “suburb locations” and then day-tripping in to Paris if the location proves to be more economical than staying in Paris proper.

In alphabetical order, my favorite day trips are:

Chantilly

I love Chantilly and if you go for no other reason than to visit the Château de Chantilly, plan to spend the entire day. The grounds around the Château are expansive with lots to explore.

Chantilly

Giverny

The gardens at Giverny and the little town itself can easily fill your whole day. However, don’t overlook the sweet little town of Vernon where your train arrives. The tourist train that transports visitors to Giverny gives a delightful peak at Vernon so allow the possibility of a return visit just to explore Vernon itself.

Atelier in Giverny

Meaux

Meaux is just a short ride on the Transilien out of Gare de l’Est. I’ve got 10 good reasons why you should day-trip to Meaux!

Reims

Oh, Reims, how I love you! In just 46 minutes by train from Gare de l’Est you can see one of the most magnificent gothic cathedrals in France. There is so much to explore in Reims, not to mention taking time for a degustation of some wonderful wines.

Reims Cathedral

Versailles

If you’ve toured the Palace at Versailles, then plan another visit just for exploring the delightful little town. Their outdoor markets run everyday except Monday and there are wonderful little narrow streets to explore. The gardens at the Palace are free (except for parking) and Madame Elisabeth Estate Park has 7.2 acres to explore as well. Rent a bike and have a great day!

Créperie des 2 Portes – yum!

Coming Soon

Oh but there is so much more! Day-trips under an hour from Paris are great but I’m also working on a list of places to explore that are under 90 minutes from Paris.