We will be in Paris for 7 nights in June. Seeking suggestions for day trips by train or public transportation. Hoping for "charming villages" with unique experiences, would love to do some casual hiking! Wanting to avoid the tour bus route and the touristy places (e.g. Versailles, Giverny, etc).
We will have been in Burgundy & Brittany earlier in the trip.
Thank you!
There is a great book called "An Hour from Paris" by Annabel Simms, that lists about 20 suggestions of day trips which are exactly what you are after.
Places like Luzarches, Crécy-la-Chapelle, Senlis... are within easy reach and offer lots of charm. The "hiking" is very mellow, sometimes non-existent; Fontainebleau is the main area that can offer proper hiking around Paris - but it is more touristy, and a town rather than a village.
We thought Chartres was a charming town. An hour train ride from Paris. It can be a great day trip or overnight stay. Besides visiting the beautiful Cathedral, our favorite memory was the Chartres En Lumieres evening elaborate light show. https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwiUo7y72f32AhVEqlsKHRk3Az0QFnoECAsQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.travelawaits.com%2F2548814%2Fhow-to-spend-a-day-in-chartres-france%2F&usg=AOvVaw3w-VfRlT0LYcOEVFnn1PcW
Chartres, though bigger than a village, is a very nice town with a world-class cathedral and other sights, about an hour by train from Gare Montparnasse. I don't know Annabel Simms' book, but Ina Caro's Paris to the Past describes 25 destinations reachable by train from Paris, most of them day trips. It's about ten years old, so check details before you start for the station.
Thank you all for the tip on "An Hour From Paris"---found it on Amazon. Exactly what I'm looking for!
Peppermint
That’s great Josie, if balson hadn’t recommended that book I was going to. It’s a great book. We went to Senlis and Sceaux last Oct and loved both.
The book also recommends St Germain-en-Laye, which I love because I grew up there, but I really don’t think most tourists would be wowed by it. Wonderful, upscale town, but not a wow for tourists imo.
Many châteaux are located at the edge of a forest, so a good opportunity for hiking to my opinion. Some of their parks and gardens are big enough for a serious walk. The forest and chateau of Rambouillet is halfway between Chartres and Paris, you can get there with the same train. I can remember the park is open to public, but closed in the evening.
Blois made a great daytrip for us. Train from Austerlitz to Blois. Walk the town. See the chateau (four wings each from a different architectural era, home to kings and Medici queens, basecamp for Joan of Arc). Beautiful views of the Loire from the town and bridge. If cycling is an alternative to hiking for you, from there, we rented bikes and rode 45 minutes to Chateau de Chambord and back.
