Paris is a well known city and is one of the places that suffers from over tourism. After you’ve spent a couple of days elbowing through the crowds and struggling to find a quiet spot, you probably will be looking for a spot to get away to. Not everyone realizes it but the city is very well connected via train. That is why there are so many great day trips from Paris by train that you can embark on.
What you do need to keep in mind is that most day trips from Paris require a bit of planning beforehand. You need to know which station to head to, what time the train leaves and if you have any connections along the way.
The planning however is totally worth it because there are some really cool hidden jewels that definitely deserve your time. I’m not just talking about the popular ones like the Palace of Versailles and Disneyland. Not that I have anything against them. In fact, those were the first two day trips that I took while in the city.
Anyways, after repeated trips in and around the vicinity of Paris, we’ve visited some really epic spots. I’ll be honest. We haven’t done all of these as day trips from Paris by train. Some of them have been part of road trips or just when we were living in the area. BUT I do know that visiting them by train from Paris is entirely feasible so I’ve added them to the list.
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Table of Contents
Day Trips From Paris By Train Under 100 Km
1. Versailles
⭐️ Rating: 4.4/5 (22,313 Reviews) Price: $32 per person Duration: Valid for 1 day 📍Meeting Point: Entrance A of the palace Details: Read more on Get Your Guide Now!
Distance From Paris: 20 km
Time Taken By Train: 45 min
You will find that a lot of people talk about Versailles. Versailles is home to one of the most beautiful palaces near Paris. Château de Versailles also known as Palace of Versailles. The history of the palace dates back to the century. Back then it was a hunting lodge. Over the years, the palace served many purposes. In the 19th century it was converted into a museum.
Today you can wander through the palace but make sure that you book your tickets in advance because it sells out and the crowds that head here are a lot. The tour through the palace takes time and you can listen to the audio guide as you walk through.
Don’t forget to stop at the Hall of Mirrors which is one of the most iconic rooms in the palace.
“The public transport connections are super good. You buy a ticket for access to the palace, you can view the gardens, so you can also go earlier than the time slot. Restaurants are available. Make sure you get a map somewhere, we didn’t have one and therefore found it very difficult to find the waterfall. the palace is beautiful and definitely recommended.
Anna (read more reviews now!)
The Château de Versailles also has a large garden which is something that definitely should be explored. If I have to be honest, we had a great time in the gardens and I enjoyed it far more than inside the palace. I think that could also be because we had amazing weather and we loved the flowers and manicured lawns.
One thing that I really have to emphasize is that this is a very very popular trip. The crowds are insane. So book your tickets in advance because you don’t want to head all the way to Versailles and not get in!
Recommended Tours: Ideally I highly recommend heading to Versailles castle on your own via the train but if you are short on time and want to do a bit more, you can take a combined tour of Versailles and Giverny
2. Chantilly
Distance From Paris: 40 km
Time Taken By Train: 25 min
Chantilly was one of the day trips from Paris by train that took me completely by surprise. Generally people prefer to go to the Versailles palace which is famed for its beauty. Chateau de Chantilly is located to the north of Paris and is easily accessible by train.
The castle has an enormous garden. Some of the parts of the garden even served as inspiration for the hamlet of Marie-Antoinette in Versailles. The gardens also feature a gorgeous fountain area with large bodies of water. If you fancy a long walk, follow the long trail which will take you through the vast gardens where you will spot kangaroos, bees and even people riding horses.
The castle isn’t the only thing that you can do in the area. The horse museum is a popular favorite, just make sure to check the schedules of the horse shows before you visit.
Recommended Tours: If you don’t want to take the journey to Chantilly by train, I would recommend taking a day tour from Paris to Chateau de Chantilly where they handle everything for you. Including the tickets. It also includes the stables of Prince de Conde.
3. Disneyland Paris
⭐️ Rating: 4.6/5 (25,615 Reviews) Price: $64 per person Duration: Valid for 1 day 📍Meeting Point: Turnstiles at the entrance of the Resort Details: Read more on Get Your Guide Now!
Distance From Paris: 44 km
Time Taken By Train: 38 min
One of the most popular day trips from Paris by train is to Disneyland. Like everyone else who visits Paris, this was one of our first trips out of the city. Disneyland is one of those locations that really needs no introduction. It’s great to head to with kids and as adults too. When Shawn and I visited it all those years ago, it was just the two of us and we still had a ball.
Getting from Paris to Disneyland is relatively easy. The transport can get really crowded because loads of people tend to have the same idea.
“It was just perfect!! The weather cooperated and the parades were super cool and beautiful.”
Geiger (read more reviews now!)
My advice is to head there on a day that is not a public holiday, not on a weekend and not during the school holidays. That way you won’t spend long hours in line and you can actually enjoy the trip.
Getting back however means that you will catch the crowds. This is because everyone waits for the fireworks and the parades. You can leave early but its not worth doing that because the fireworks are really pretty and were the highlight of our trip.
Oh yeah and like all popular things to do in Europe make sure to book your tickets in advance. I can’t highlight this point enough!
Day Trips From Paris By Train Under 200 Km
4. Amiens
Distance From Paris: 115 km
Time Taken By Train: 1 hour 20 min
Amiens is located to the north of Paris. It’s a small-ish city and you can walk all over in a day but we chose to stay here for almost a week because we loved the ambiance of the city. What puts Amiens on this list is the fact that it’s just 116 km from Paris. The route by road is a little longer because you have to take a ring road round the city to get in but it’s still totally doable.
By train, it takes just a little over an hour to reach Paris. This means that it is easily accessible as one of the day trips from Paris.
Amiens is home to the famous Jules Verne who wrote some famous pieces of literature. You’ve probably heard of Journey to the center of the Earth, 20,000 leagues below the sea and more. The city is gorgeous and there are loads of things to do beyond just Jules Verne. The Hortillonnages is one of the most beautiful and iconic parts of the city with the waterways and boats. It is literally considered the Venice of France!
You can see just why Amiens makes one of the iconic day trips from Paris by train!
Recommended Tours: If you aren’t taking the train and want to see more beyond just Amiens, I would recommend taking the Somme Battlefields from Paris with Australian memorial & Amiens Cathedral tour. This will take you back in time and will give you a great idea of what the war was like in the area.
5. Laon
Distance From Paris: 122 km
Time Taken By Train: 2 hours 5 min
Laon was one of the little towns that took me totally by surprise. It was supposed to be just a short day trip for us and I thought the citadel was the highlight of the visit. I couldn’t have been more wrong.
Laon is a walkable city and the moment you enter you will find city maps everywhere. All you have to do is follow the trail. If you are quick about it, you can cover the whole town in an hour but if you take your time and savor it, you can spend a whole day here.
One of the most prominent parts of the city that I noticed is the fact that there were huge playgrounds, sunbathing areas, exercise equipment, hiking paths and more set up near the citadel. Perfect for anyone who wants to make Laon more than just one of the day trips from Paris.
6. Reims
Distance From Paris: 143 km
Time Taken By Train: 1.5 hours
Reims is one of the pretty much underrated day trips from Paris by train. The train station is located very close to the city which makes getting to this city super easy. It isn’t too far from Paris either. One of the things that appeals to me about this city is just how accessible it is. Everything is walking distance away and we walked all over pushing our stroller with ease. Yes! We traveled with two toddlers and that can be challenging.
There are loads of attractions in Reims and you can reach all of them on foot. My personal favorites in the city were the Cryptoportique and the Cathedral de Notre Dame of Reims. While you are at the Cathedral, don’t forget to catch a glimpse at the famous Jeanne d’Arc statue outside.
Another great part about Reims is all the champagne. It is after all in the region of Champagne where the famous bubbly wine originated. While champagne tasting should definitely be on the menu, don’t forget to try out the amazing food and cheese in the area!
Recommended Tours: If you don’t want to take the train to Reims, you could also choose to head out on one of the champagne tours of the area which also covers the city. Its a great option because you see a lot in addition to just the city.
7. Arras
Distance From Paris: 162 km
Time Taken By Train: 48 min
Intrigued by history and particularly by World War I? Arras is one the cities that took center stage. Situated on top of a network of limestone quarries, this city helped counter the German forces in a novel way.
Believe it or not but soldiers sailed across from New Zealand to help quarry out tunnels right under their enemy’s noses. This gave them the element of surprise. You can explore these tunnels yourself and I highly recommend you do because the guided tour is simply amazing.
Arras is also a very pretty city. Despite the fact that it was almost completely destroyed in the war, you will find that it retains a lot of its old charm. This is because it was reconstructed to look exactly as it was before the war.
Day Trips From Paris By Train Under 300 Km
8. Metz
Distance From Paris: 281 km
Time Taken By Train: 1.5 hours
Metz was the first city that made me truly fall in love with France. Our first journey to the country was fraught with all kinds of things going wrong. Think Murphy at his worst. During our second trip, we thought we would stop in Metz just to refuel and have a nice breakfast. The city turned out to be so charming that we spent hours wandering the beautiful streets.
If you are thinking about heading to Metz as one of your day trips from Paris, make sure to add the Cathedral of Metz at the very top of your list. The building is gorgeous and totally something you should not miss. Another fave of ours was to walk along the riverside.
It’s extremely peaceful and you get some epic views along the way. If you have time you even get into a rented boat and enjoy a little paddling on your own.
Day Trips From Paris By Train Under 400 Km
9. Lyon
Distance From Paris: 389 km
Time Taken By Train: 2 hours (Super fast train)
We did not visit Lyon as one of our day trips from Paris. Instead we did this during our road trip from the Netherlands to Spain. Lyon is a pretty big city with plenty of things to see and do. In fact, many people compare it to Paris. The city however has a slower pace and a lot of its own iconic monuments to see. One thing that you should be sure to do is wear comfortable shoes. This is because for many of the attractions, you will be walking uphill.
Oh and if you love food then you will definitely love this city. There are loads of restaurants and cafes and each of them serves up different delicacies. The cakes and pastries are delicious. One of our favorite things to do in Lyon was just to sit and enjoy these. So when people ask me, is Lyon worth it? I always say yes! I’m a big foodie after all!
While you are in the city, don’t forget to take a river cruise. The best time for this would be in the evening. If you don’t want to take the cruise, opt for a walk along the river. It is one of the scenic parts of the city.
And there you have it. These are some of the cool day trips from Paris by train that I recommend taking. There are a couple of others that I will be adding in eventually. It is extremely easy to travel from Paris by train which is what makes these day trips so interesting. It allows you to keep a single base and yet see so much of France.
What are your favorite day trips from Paris by train? Let us know in the comments below.
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