Quaint towns near Paris

Chartres is a reasonable day trip to/from Paris (Gare Montparnasse) and it has plenty of charm. The old town is about 10 min walk from the cathedral and has a helpful TI office as well as interesting shops and historic plaques. We enjoyed lunch at a creperie serving buckwheat crepes.

To the north of Paris is Chantilly, where the Musee Conde is located. That's also an easy day trip, but from a different railway station (Gare du Nord).

Just on the southern edge of Paris near Orly is the Parc de Sceaux. Not many tourists realize how much there is to see & do there. See http://www.beyond-paris.com/parc-de-sceaux.html

You have some time to research so my suggestion would be to go to your local library and get one or both of the following books: Paris to the Past by Ina Caro; An Hour from Paris by Annabel Simms. Both of these books give some excellent suggestions for short or longish day trips from Paris by train. Read about the towns they suggest and see what looks interesting to you.

I'm not sure what you meant by quaint - do you mean small traditional villages, or any town/city with an old historic center?

For myself, I enjoyed Rouen and feel that it's well worth the time for a day trip from Paris, but wouldn't call it quaint, although it does have a good historic old center. Chartres' old center would probably qualify as quaint to some people.

Jean-Paul,
can I ask where you stayed while in Paris?

I wouldn't call any of those cities "quaint," but they do have a great deal of history and character.

Here are some: https://janettravels.wordpress.com/category/day-trips-from-paris/
Auvers sur Oise and Provins are a couple more good choices easily reached by public transport from Paris.

Fontainebleu and Giverny are popular quick-and-scenic excursions. For a more specialized interest, the town of Meaux less than an hour away by regional train from Gare de l'est, is home to a new museum devoted to World War 1, known as the Great War by the French since so much of it was fought on their territory. This museum takes the modern approach of concentrating on the day-to-day experiences of residents and ordinary soldiers, as much as or more than strategies and generals. It has a special exhibit on American participation running through the end of April. The town itself is centered on a handsome city hall with pretty ornamental flower gardens. One caution: There is a much smaller museum with almost the same name in the Somme.

This website is supposed to be in English but won't open for me in that language (or in German): http://www.museedelagrandeguerre.eu/en

Nice Epitd. Thanks for the suggestion. The Parc de Sceaux looks great. When I go on my rick steves tour, maybe I can muster a few group members and venture down there or go by myself.

FWIW someone who saw my pictures of Sceaux and has visited recently told me that the cascades are no longer operating which is a real shame as they were the highlight of the trip. The fountains in the pool at the base are apparently still operating.

For quaint towns I would go with Senlis, Crecy la Chapelle, Provins, Auvers sur Oise or Moret su Loing. We enjoyed Conflans Ste Honorine but the most important part was the lovely stroll along the Seine to the next town and having lunch on the island in the middle of the Seine at La Golette.

Chartres comes to mind first. I liked the town and the cathedral is something everyone should see. Then maybe Monet's Giverny. Both are reasonable day trips.

Reims is a longer trip, barely a day trip, and less of a quaint small town. Rouen is also a large city but it has a great, and large, medieval center. It seems a little far for a day trip but, like Reims, can be done reasonably with a direct train both ways.

Maintenon, on the train line to Chartres, is quite small and his its own chateau (with scenic aqueducts) . The centre ville, right outside the chateau, is quaint. Chartres is also quaint but it's not a small town per se. About two hours from Paris on the same line is Nogent-le-Rotrou (in a region known as le Perche). Another city with its' own chateau with some very quaint streets.

Reims is 45 minutes from Paris by TGV so not a longer trip. It is not a quaint town but the Champagne houses are fun to visit, there is the incredible Cathedral and the lovely Basilica St. Remy as well as a good war museum.

For me Chartres was charming, I was there in spring. I didn't think Reims was "charming" and if you aren't interested in touring any of the champagne caves, I wouldn't recommend it as a day tirp. I enjoyed an overnight there, but I don't think it would have been worthwhile for the Cathedral and the Basilica alone - even with the Museum of the Surrender. Giverny was wonderful in spring. I wish I'd left enough time to wander around Vernon, which looked kind of charming, before taking the train back to Paris.

Numerous towns fit your description. I suggest Nogent, St. Germain en Laye, Fountainelbleau, Amien, Chateau-Thierry, Soissons, Troyes