Paris is unforgettable, but sometimes the most magical moments happen just outside the city. If you’re looking for the best day trips from Paris, you’ll find more than countryside views, you’ll step into Impressionist gardens, medieval cathedrals, royal palaces, and towns that shaped some of the world’s greatest art. Here are eight-day trips that reveal another side of France, calmer, gentler, and every bit as beautiful.
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1. Claude Monet’s Home in Giverny
Just an hour from Paris, the little town of Giverny feels like stepping inside a painting. Claude Monet spent the last half of his life here, pouring his love of light and color into sprawling gardens. Inspired by Japanese prints, he designed a pond of floating lilies and a dreamlike bridge draped in wisteria. The reflections became his most famous work, the Water Lilies series. Today, wandering those same paths feels like walking through art itself.
2. Chartres Cathedral
Chartres is home to one of Europe’s most extraordinary cathedrals. Its soaring Gothic design and luminous stained-glass windows stop visitors in their tracks. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, it’s often called the crown jewel of French Gothic art. Yet, Chartres isn’t only about the cathedral. The town itself is a delight, with cobbled streets and riverside walks that invite you to linger after the grandeur.
3. Fontainebleau
Fontainebleau is proof that small towns can hold grand treasures. Its château has hosted French rulers for centuries, each leaving their mark on its elegant halls. Beyond the palace, the vast Forest of Fontainebleau stretches out like a green sea, perfect for hikers, climbers, or anyone who loves fresh air. It’s no wonder Parisians escape here on weekends.
4. Auvers-sur-Oise
This quiet town has an unmistakable soul. In the late 19th century, it drew artists like Cézanne, Pissarro, and Van Gogh. For Van Gogh, it was both a refuge and his final home. Here you can visit his modest room, stand before the church he painted so hauntingly, and pay respects at his and his brother Theo’s grave. The town hums softly with the spirit of art, as if the canvases were left in the air.
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5. Palais des Beaux-Arts in Lille
A little further afield, Lille rewards the journey with one of France’s greatest museums. The Palais des Beaux-Arts, founded under Napoleon I, houses treasures from Raphael, Donatello, Rembrandt, Goya, Rubens, and Rodin. Its vast galleries spill over with sculpture, ceramics, and fine art from centuries past. It’s a museum that feels like an epic, one you could wander all day.
6. Champagne Region
For something sparkling, literally, head east to the Champagne region. Just a short train ride from Paris, towns like Reims and Épernay are the birthplace of the world’s most celebrated drink. You can tour historic champagne houses, wander underground cellars where bottles age in silence, and of course, enjoy tastings among the vineyards. Beyond the bubbles, Reims also boasts a stunning Gothic cathedral where French kings were once crowned.
7. Mont Saint-Michel
Rising from the sea like something out of a storybook, Mont Saint-Michel is one of France’s most breathtaking sights. This medieval abbey, perched on a rocky island, is surrounded by tidal waters that transform the landscape throughout the day. Inside the abbey, stone halls and Gothic spires echo with centuries of history. The winding streets below are filled with charm, making the climb to the top even more rewarding. Though it’s a longer journey from Paris, Mont Saint-Michel is worth every step, it feels less like a day trip and more like stepping into another world.
8. Rouen
Known as the “city of a hundred spires,” Rouen is a Gothic masterpiece. Its cathedral, famously painted by Monet in shifting light, towers over a medieval old town filled with half-timbered houses. Rouen is also steeped in history, it was here that Joan of Arc met her fate in 1431. Today, the city blends its dramatic past with vibrant culture, lively squares, and riverside walks along the Seine. It’s a perfect mix of art, history, and atmosphere.
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