Can you do Versailles as a day trip from Paris?

Yes. Versailles is about 45 minutes by RER and makes a comfortable full day. Book a timed ticket, start early to beat the crowds, and note it is closed on Mondays.

Should I take the train or a car for day trips from Paris?

Versailles, Champagne and the Loire are easy by train; Giverny is a train plus shuttle. Normandy, Mont-Saint-Michel and touring several Loire chateaux in a day are far better with a car or private driver-guide.

Which day trip is best for a first visit to Paris?

Versailles for most first-timers: close, iconic and doable in a day. Giverny if you love Monet and travel April to November. Save Normandy and the Loire for a longer stay.

Day Trips from Paris, Worth the Early Start

Q: What are the best day trips from Paris?

Versailles (45 minutes, closed Mondays), Giverny (about an hour, April to November), the Normandy D-Day beaches (about two hours), the Loire Valley chateaux (about ninety minutes), and Champagne around Reims (45 minutes by fast train).

Some of France's best days out are an hour or two from the city. Here are the ones we actually send people to, with honest travel times and which day each is closed.

Versailles

45 minutes by RER, closed Mondays. The palace, the Hall of Mirrors and the gardens, a full day with a timed ticket and an early start.

Giverny

About an hour, open April to November. Monet's house and water-lily garden, an easy and beautiful half to full day.

Normandy, the Loire and Champagne

The Normandy D-Day beaches (about two hours), the Loire Valley chateaux like Chambord and Chenonceau (about ninety minutes), Champagne around Reims (45 minutes by fast train), and Mont-Saint-Michel further west. Versailles and Giverny are easiest by train; Normandy and the Loire reward a private driver-guide.

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