Day trips from Paris by train

We%26#39;re going to Paris with 10yo daughter at the begining of April. We were in Paris for a week last year and would like to see some places around Paris - 1-3 hrs by train. We would appreciate any suggestions.

|||

All of the following are no more than 3 hours from Paris by train:

Dijon

Beaune

Lyon

Avignon

Aix-en-Provence

Marseille

Reims

Amiens

Lille

Rouen

Honfleur

Deauville/Trouville

Tours

Angers

Poitiers

Bordeaux

and a bunch of others including Brussels, Bruges, Antwerp, Ghent and London.

But there are also many places LESS than an hour from Paris that make wonderful day trips. You and your daughter might enjoy Chantilly or Senlis or Provins or Fontainebleau among other places.

|||

I came across this post while searching to determine whether it was a good idea to take a day trip to Brussels. It seems that while of course one could spend many days there, that one day would be enough to see the main sights of Brussels. I noticed that it only takes about an hour and 20 minutes one way from Paris. Anybody done this or have any advice? Brussels definitely seems to be worth a stop. I have also planned to visit Versailles, Mont St. Michel and Reims/Epernay as day trips.

|||

There are a number of easy wonderful %26lt;1-2 hr by train day trips:

Chantilly: beautiful chateau and grounds, nice town, horse race area with a stable that looks like a chateau

Fontainbleau: beautiful chateau and grounds, beautiful town and interesting shops and restaurants

Chartes: nice small town with the cathedral

Blois: picturesque ancient town on the Loire river with chateau and great shops and bakeries.

The next trip I plan to go to Senlis which is a short bus ride from Chantilly. I haven%26#39;t been there but am really looking forward to it.

|||

I am interested in finding an easy day trip for my family as well. We will be in Paris for a full week and would like the option of a trip outside the city if the kids seem to need a break from major attractions and site seeing. I am looking for a really picturesque village with cobblestone streets and lovely houses and small shops to give them a feel for what it is like to live in the French countryside. I was thinking of Chartres but was interested in the suggestion of Blois, don%26#39;t know much about that town. Where is it? Also, are Aix and Avignon really doable as daytrips?

Any input would be great. Thanks so much.

|||

One other thing...I should say, that at this point in my research, Chartres and Rouen are the front runners so input on those specifically would be helpful.

Thanks.

|||

We did one day trip to London last week in Paris. 2 1/2 train ride, $51 each way, on Wed because that was by far the cheapest day. 716am train to London and 740pm train back with 30 min check in. We were considering Brussels, but finally decided on London. eurostar.com had more tickets than raileurope.com and we picked up our tickets at the train station instead of getting them mailed to US. We did run around London a lot but it was great fun and considering Brussels train was $41 it was also a great deal.

|||

Blois somewhat fits your description with respect to cobblestone streets etc. but it is not a village per se. It is a small provincial town midway between Orleans and Tours in the Loire valley. It takes 1.5 hrs from Austerlitz station in Paris: http://www.voyages-sncf.com. To get a better idea about Blois you can visit www.virtualtourist.com, search on Blois and click on the photos. I believe Senlis is more of a village, but I haven%26#39;t been there yet--I plan to go on my next trip as it looks interesting! You can search on tripadvisor and virtualtourist.com to get a better idea of Senlis. I think Aix and Avignon would be a fair distance for a day trip.

|||

%26gt;%26gt;. I am looking for a really picturesque village with cobblestone streets and lovely houses and small shops to give them a feel for what it is like to live in the French countryside. %26lt;%26lt;%26lt;

I hate to tell you this but this picture of life outside the major conurbations in France is no more representative of reality than Provincetown is of life outside the cities for most Americans...

That said, and having mentioned Provincetown, Honfleur in Normandy should be as close to what you are looking for as you will find within easy reach of Paris.

|||

When I was last in Paris 5 years ago, we made day trips to Fontainebleu, Chartres, Giverny %26amp; Rouen, Lyon and Tours (Loire Chateaux). This year I am taking my sister for her first time and so essential to do Chartres, Giverny %26amp; Rouen and Loire Valley and I am adding Epernay (champagne) as somewhere new for me,

Fontainebleu was a long walk from the station although I believe there are buses and unfortunately it poured raining in Lyon which colours one%26#39;s view. Chartres is wonderful for both the Cathedral and the old town by the river. It is only slightly over an hour from Montparnasse. I would give Brussells a miss- very little to see there.

|||

Now that I have just returned from my first day trip to Chantilly/Senlis, I can add my vote for this day trip. I took a bunch of students there, and they were all charmed! The castle and grounds (including the stable and horse museum) are just magnificient, and Senlis is a charming town filled with history (from Roman ruins to Gothic cathedral and medieval homes) and delightful shops. Well worth the easy 45 minute trip from Paris Gare du Nord.

I might also suggest Nimes as a day trip. It%26#39;s a bit farther away than Avignon, and going there will bring you into another world...in contrast to a town in the north, it has a real Spanish feel to it. There is a lot to see too, a Roman colosseum and forum, and a terrific art museum, and so on.

I count day trips to Blois and Avignon among some of my most cherished memories.

WIth the TGV, you have a lot to choose from!