In short
For a weekend within an hour of Paris, head to Fontainebleau, Chantilly, Auvers-sur-Oise or Giverny (by train) and the Vexin (by car). At 1 to 1½ hours: Reims and its champagne cellars, Rouen, Chartres, Provins or Troyes. At around 2 hours: Honfleur and the Normandy coast, the Bay of the Somme or the Loire châteaux. Without a car, Reims, Rouen, Lille, Chartres and Fontainebleau are the easiest.
Contents
You don’t need to cross France to get away from Paris. Within one or two hours, châteaux, artists’ villages, champagne cellars, forests and Normandy beaches make for full weekends, by train or by car. Here are 15 weekend trips from Paris, sorted by travel time.
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Under an hour from Paris
1. Fontainebleau: château and forest
About 40 minutes by train from Gare de Lyon, Fontainebleau combines a UNESCO-listed château, home to French monarchs for eight centuries, and a 25,000-hectare forest. On Saturday, visit the royal apartments and gardens; on Sunday, hike the Franchard gorges or try bouldering on the sandstone rocks. Add the village of Barbizon, the birthplace of landscape painting.
Day trip to Fontainebleau and Vaux-le-Vicomte
2. Chantilly and Senlis
About 25 minutes by train from Gare du Nord, Chantilly is home to the château and the Musée Condé, one of France’s finest collections of old master paintings, and the Great Stables with their equestrian shows. Try the original Chantilly cream on site, then head to Senlis and its Gothic cathedral, a few minutes’ drive away.
3. Auvers-sur-Oise, Van Gogh’s village
The painter spent his last 70 days here and painted almost 80 canvases. Visit his room at the Auberge Ravoux, the church he immortalised and the cemetery where he lies beside his brother Theo. About an hour by train, a little less by car.
Walking adventure in Van Gogh’s footsteps
4. Giverny and Vernon
Claude Monet’s house and gardens, with the water lily pond, are open from April to the end of October. Train from Saint-Lazare to Vernon-Giverny (about 45 minutes), then shuttle bus or bike. Arrive at opening time to avoid the crowds.
5. The French Vexin
A regional nature park on the doorstep of Paris, best by car: plateaus, valleys, mills and stone villages. Don’t miss La Roche-Guyon, one of the “most beautiful villages in France”, its château built against the cliff and its gardens.
1 to 1½ hours from Paris
6. Reims and Champagne
Just 45 minutes by TGV, Reims is the easiest train getaway: the cathedral where French kings were crowned, the Basilica of Saint-Remi and, above all, tours of champagne cellars dug into the chalk. On Sunday, follow the champagne route to Épernay and its Avenue de Champagne.
7. Rouen
About 1h10 from Saint-Lazare: the cathedral painted by Monet, the Gros-Horloge, half-timbered houses and the Place du Vieux-Marché, where Joan of Arc was burned. A perfect stop before continuing to the Normandy coast.
8. Chartres
About an hour by train from Montparnasse, Chartres Cathedral has one of the finest sets of medieval stained glass in the world. In season, the “Chartres en lumières” festival lights up the monuments every evening.
9. Provins, the medieval city
UNESCO-listed and about 1h20 by train from Gare de l’Est: ramparts, the Tour César, underground passages and, from April to November, birds of prey and knights’ shows. Have dinner in one of the vaulted cellars of the upper town.
10. Compiègne and Pierrefonds
The imperial palace of Compiègne, the forest and its ponds, then the Château de Pierrefonds, restored by Viollet-le-Duc, which looks straight out of a fairy tale. Compiègne is about 40 minutes by train from Gare du Nord.
11. Troyes
About 1h30 by train: one of the most beautiful half-timbered towns in France, with medieval lanes, churches with remarkable stained glass and the Maison de l’Outil.
12. Vaux-le-Vicomte
The château that inspired Versailles, an hour’s drive away. In summer, candlelit evenings light up the château and gardens with thousands of candles: a perfect romantic weekend idea.
About 2 hours from Paris
13. Honfleur, Deauville and the Normandy coast
Honfleur’s Old Harbour and its narrow houses, the boardwalk at Deauville and the beaches of the Côte Fleurie. Deauville is about 2 hours by train from Saint-Lazare; a car is more practical for Honfleur and Étretat.
14. The Bay of the Somme
About 2h30 by car: seals, a steam railway and the villages of Saint-Valery-sur-Somme and Le Crotoy. A perfect nature getaway in spring and autumn.
15. The Loire châteaux
Blois is about 1h30 by train from Austerlitz: its royal château, then Chambord and its double-helix staircase, and Chenonceau with its gallery over the Cher. With kids, add the ZooParc de Beauval.
Weekends near Paris without a car
The easiest by train: Reims (45 min), Lille (1 hour, great for food and Old Lille), Chantilly (25 min), Fontainebleau (40 min), Chartres (1 hour), Rouen (1h10), Provins (1h20) and Blois (1h30). Once there, everything can be explored on foot or by bike.
A green day out without leaving the Paris region
- Suresnes and Mont Valérien: riverside guinguettes and one of the best views of the Eiffel Tower, by tram from Paris.
- Versailles: the château, then a rowing boat on the Grand Canal, by RER C.
- Saint-Germain-en-Laye: Le Nôtre’s terrace and its view over Paris, by RER A.
For Paris itself: Paris in 3 days, the best neighbourhoods in Paris and Montmartre. With kids: our family weekend ideas.
FAQ
Where can I go for a weekend an hour from Paris?
Fontainebleau, Chantilly, Auvers-sur-Oise, Giverny, Chartres, Compiègne and Reims (45 minutes by TGV) are all about an hour from Paris by train. By car, the Vexin and La Roche-Guyon are perfect for a nature escape.
What are the best weekend trips from Paris without a car?
Reims, Lille, Rouen, Chartres, Chantilly, Fontainebleau, Provins and Blois are all reachable directly by train from Paris, and can then be explored on foot.
Where can couples go for a romantic weekend near Paris?
Vaux-le-Vicomte for its candlelit evenings, Reims for champagne, Honfleur for its harbour, or Giverny in spring when Monet’s gardens are in bloom.
Where is the nearest seaside to Paris?
The Normandy coast is the closest: Deauville and Trouville are about 2 hours by train, Honfleur and Étretat by car. The Bay of the Somme, 2h30 away by road, is wilder.
What is a beautiful drive for a weekend near Paris?
The Route des Crêtes in the Vexin to La Roche-Guyon, the champagne route between Reims and Épernay, or the Seine valley from Rouen to Honfleur, past the Normandy abbeys.
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