Paris sits at the centre of a region full of royal palaces, forests and historic towns, and some of France’s most famous sights are within an hour by train. Most of the trips below can be done independently with a regional ticket, and all are also available as guided tours with transport included, which suit the longer journeys to Champagne and Normandy.

Versailles

The obvious first choice. Louis XIV’s palace and gardens are about 40 minutes from central Paris on the RER C to Versailles Château Rive Gauche, and a standard €2.55 Metro-Train-RER ticket covers the trip. The Passport ticket for the Palace, the Trianon and the gardens costs €25 from November to March and €35 from April to October. The Palace is closed on Mondays, and every visitor needs a timed slot. Allow a full day if you want to reach Marie-Antoinette’s hamlet.

Disneyland Paris

At the end of the RER A, about 40 minutes from Châtelet, Gare de Lyon or Nation, Marne-la-Vallée-Chessy station is a few minutes’ walk from the gates. The resort has two parks, Disneyland Park and Disney Adventure World, renamed in 2026 with its new World of Frozen area. Tickets are dated and priced by date, so book online.

Fontainebleau

The palace of 34 kings and two emperors, set in a huge forest, is about 40 minutes from Gare de Lyon on Transilien line R to Fontainebleau-Avon, then a short bus ride. It is quieter than Versailles and just as rich. The château opens every day except Tuesday, from 9.30am to 5pm between October and March and until 6pm from April to September. Tickets cost €17, and the park and gardens are free.

Chantilly

A fairy-tale château with a superb art collection, the Great Stables and formal gardens, about 25 minutes by train from Gare du Nord. The estate is closed on Tuesdays. It makes an easy half-day or a relaxed full day with lunch in the town that gave its name to whipped cream.

Giverny

Claude Monet’s house and gardens, with the water-lily pond and the Japanese bridge, are one of the most popular trips from Paris, but they are only open from 1 April to 1 November, daily from 10am to 6pm. The 2026 season has ended and the 2027 dates had not been confirmed when this guide was written. In season, take the train from Saint-Lazare to Vernon-Giverny, about 45 minutes, then the shuttle bus. Navigo passes do not cover this journey, as Vernon is in Normandy.

Reims and Champagne

Reims, with its great Gothic cathedral where French kings were crowned and its Champagne houses with cellar tours, is about 45 minutes by TGV from Gare de l’Est. Epernay and the vineyards are easier with a guided tour, which also takes care of who drives after the tastings.

Mont-Saint-Michel and Normandy

The abbey on its tidal island is a long day from Paris, about 14 hours on a guided coach tour, but it is one of the most extraordinary sights in Europe. Guided tours also run to the D-Day landing beaches. These trips are best done with a tour or as an overnight stay.

Also worth considering

Auvers-sur-Oise, where Vincent van Gogh spent his last weeks and is buried beside his brother Theo, is about an hour north of Paris. Vaux-le-Vicomte, the château whose splendour inspired Versailles, holds candlelit evenings in summer and Christmas events in winter, and is easiest to reach on a tour with transport.

Choosing a trip

  • Short on time: Versailles or Chantilly.
  • With children: Disneyland Paris.
  • For art lovers: Giverny in season, or Chantilly’s picture gallery.
  • Away from the crowds: Fontainebleau and its forest.
  • For a big day out: Champagne or Mont-Saint-Michel on a guided tour.

Tips

  • Check closing days: Versailles is shut on Mondays, Fontainebleau and Chantilly on Tuesdays.
  • A standard Metro-Train-RER ticket covers Versailles, Disneyland Paris and Fontainebleau, since the 2025 fare reform made it valid across the whole region except the airports.
  • Regional trains beyond Île-de-France, such as those to Giverny and Reims, need a separate SNCF ticket.