Paris is an amazing city with so many things to see and do, but if you find yourself wanting to get away let me help you find the perfect day trip from Paris.
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The happiest place on earth! Probably my favorite day trip from Paris. Unfortunately, like all the other Disney parks just as crowded. Nonetheless a fabulous time. We have been here twice and loved it. The lines tend to move fast. Both times we chose the two park pass because we love the rides in both parks.
Download the park app. You’ll get a map of the park with rides, restroom locations dining, etc. It will also give you wait times for the rides, which I noticed were pretty accurate. You can use the app to make dinner and show reservations and also to buy fast pass tickets for rides. There are not a lot of gluten free options. I had the veggie chili and nachos from Last Chance Cafe and the fries from the green van were amazing!
Getting to Disney is easy, the train literally dead ends there. Just take the RER from Gare de Lyon to Marne-la-Vallee/Chessy. It’s about a 40 minute train ride. If you have the Navigo pass through Zone 5 it will work, otherwise you need to get another ticket.
Once home to French Impressionist Painter Claude Monet Giverney is a must for any art enthusiast. Monet lived here for 43 years until his death in 1926. You will feel like you are walking into one of his paintings. In a way you really are. You may certainly do this yourself, but I recommend you book a tour for this one.
You will see his Japanese gardens where he painted the famous Water Lilies. His home and studio are still well preserved on the site with many of his personal belongings still inside. You will also be able to pay a visit to his grave just a short drive away. This may be one of the most beautiful gardens I have seen. Learn more about tours here.
I absolutely recommend doing a tour for this one. It was an all day trip but we learned so much about that day, June 6, 1944. We did the small group tour (8 people) with Blue Fox Tours, early meet up by the Arc de Triomphe. It’s about a two hour drive out to the beaches .
Utah beach and Omaha Beach, where 2400 American soldiers were killed. We toured the German bunkers and were able to go inside. Next was a quick stop at the Overlord museum with a lot of really great memorabilia. After a quick lunch we headed to Pointe du Hoc, where the Army Rangers, led by Lt. Col. James Earl Rudder of Texas A&M made their famous climb to destroy the German cannons. This was very special to us being Aggies ourselves. There is a plaque inside dedicated to Rudder that we almost missed it was so dark in the bunker.
Next we headed to the Normandy American Cemetery. It was a beautiful and serene clifftop location overlooking Omaha Beach. We made an unscheduled stop at the German cemetery as well. This was not on the tour. One of the girls on our tour had a great grandfather on the German side that was buried there. She asked if she could try and find him. So we helped her out. Last up was a little countryside cider tasting before heading back to Paris and make our way through the roundabout from hell. Learn more about Normandy D-Day tours. The perfect day trip from Paris for the history buff.
If you like champagne as much as I do you will want to visit Reims. This charming little city is home to all the champagne houses and you don’t want to miss any tastings. My number one recommendation is Veuve Cliquot. This is my favorite champagne. The tour is amazing as is the champagne. Next would be Tattinger and Moët and Chandon. Remember to make reservations in advance. You can’t always walk in and get tours.
Getting there is easy. We booked train tickets through Omio. It’s about a 40 minute train ride from Paris Gare de L’Est. Once you are in Reims you can stroll through town and grab a bite to eat before heading to your champagne tasting. We chose to do this on our own so we could take our time around the city, but there are plenty of day tours leaving from Paris available. Be aware I was not able to find any gluten free vegetarian options while I was there other than crisps from the store. I had packed a pb&j and some protein bars thankfully.
Once home to the French Monarchy this UNESCO World Heritage Site is definitely a site to behold. This 2500 room palace sits on a sprawling 2000 acres. Plan to spend your day here if you want to see it all. Believe me when I say the gardens go on for days.
It is very easy to get to, just take the RER from Paris, about 40 minutes and walk from the train station. It is about a five minute walk. This will be covered under your museum pass if you have one but you must book your reservations in advance. Versailles is a perfect day trip from Paris.
Just a short train ride from Paris is the gorgeous Chateau Fontainebleau. Once home to Napoleon Bonaparte and Marie Antoinette, this chateau is stunning and not nearly as overwhelming as Versailles. I personally liked this better and found its history much more interesting. My favorite room was that of Ann of Austria. It was so over the top!
Getting there is easy. Take the RER from Gare de Lyon, it takes about an hour. Once there use your navigo pass for the bus as well. It picks up right outside the train station and drops you off in front of the chateau. Remember, if you have the museum pass Fontanbleau is covered.
Belgium is a wonderful day trip from Paris! I am always so amazed how easy it is to travel to a different country while across the pond. Being from Texas it takes days of driving just to get anywhere. It is just a short 1 hour and 20 minute train ride from Paris Gare du Nord. We booked our tickets through Omio and you scan them at the station. For more ideas of what to do in Brussels read A Day in Brussels, Belgium
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