Suggestions for Day trip from Paris

Depends much on what you like to see and do and what season of the year. My favorites were Chartres, Reims, Rouen for the cathedrals; Giverny because I love everything Monet and I love gardens and it was summer; Versailles if you want spectacular chateau, spectacular gardens, plus history.

Thanks Nancy. We will be going in June. Anyone else want to share where they would go?

I've been to all the day trips (some many times) and love them all except Reims (was there a week ago and did not like the town at all, absolutely no charm. The cathedral was magnificent though). But if I could only choose one, it would be Vaux-le-Vicomte. Rick explains all about it in his France guide. It's a chateau that isn't crowded with visitors, the grounds are beautiful, the history is fascinating, they've done a great job presenting it all very well, stables are fun to see, a great gift shop and a really good café.

Depends on the amount of time one has. You can take advantage of the long hours of June days and get farther than a winter traveler would be able to. All of course depends on your interests.

I'm not interested in splendor or gardens. These would be the first four of my choices all of which I have visited frequently by train

Reims for French Art Deco architecture
Vichy for Art Nouveau
Rennes and Troyes for columbage (half timber framing) Troyes art museum
Provins for medieval walls and its place in French history.

Then there's Deauville Trouville for the beach. Cancale for oysters, Amiens cathedral ,hanging gardens and redeveloped Saint- Lieu quartier . . . . . . .

I enjoyed Rouen , and Chantilly the most.. I have done many others.. and some I really liked (Provins. Versailles, Fontainbleau, Giverny , Chateau Vincennes , Loire Valley and MSM, those last two on long all day bus tours.. exhausting and pricey, ) but I think you need to decide exactly what is most interesting to YOU..

I know this suggestion will not be shared by many, but I took an all day tour from Paris to Normandy to see the invasion beaches. The Paris Vision tour that I took departed Paris around 7:00 am and returned around 8:00 pm. We were in Paris for 9 days and I have to say that this was the highlight of my trip. I don't think I have ever been so move as when I visited the cemetery at Omaha Beach.

Don't overlook London, which is only 2.5 hours away on the Eurostar. Check out www.seat61 for details of day trips on the Eurostar and how to get the cheapest tickets.

Like Yosemite1 we did DDAY in a day. I know most will say it was a bad idea but for us it remains one of our best day trip out of Paris. We took the morning train (change of trains in Caen/ bought tickets early at a substantial discount). Brought our breakfast for the train ride and arrived in Bayeux for the morning to see the cathedral and walk the village (love the waterwheel). In the afternoon we took the Overloard 1/2 DDay tour (very good) and they dropped us off at the train station for the 6ish train back to Paris. A long day but one we will never forget. The train was relaxing. My father in law was day two Omaha Beach invasion so it was pretty special. We are going for our fourth trip to France this April. Someday we will give Normandy more time but I was very thankful we went to the DDAY sights when we did.

"...only take one day trip from Paris,..." Under that condition, my choice is Fontainebleau amidst all the other good choices.

C.M.: I see you also commented in another thread that you were considering the Paris-to-Bayeux, D-Day beaches day trip. I'll add my vote that it is totally feasible in one, albeit ambitious, day. This topic has come up multiple times and I've answered with our 2015 experience several times. If you do a search for Normandy day trip or something similar, you'll probably find lots of answers and suggestions.

As a rule I am not a big fan of day trips from very expensive cities that have plenty to do without leaving the city. Not only are you paying top Euro for a place to stay, you're also paying to get where you are going for your day trip. But since you want to do it, I think you have received many good suggestions. Givery + Rouen would be a fine combination. I have been to Giverny but not Rouen, my research shows that it's very worthwhile and Rick seems to think of it as more of a day trip stop. Chartres is a personal favorite of mine, because it's tied with Salisbury for the finest cathedral in Europe, in my view (Strasbourg just a half notch below). The town accommodates the tourists without pandering to them. Pay to climb the tower, totally worth it. My last visit to Versaiiles was such an overcrowded disaster, I may give up on it forever. (Made the mistake of visiting on a Sunday. contrary to Rick's advice. Fontainbleu was nice enough but dark inside when we went there. It was not so great that I would give up another day in Paris for it though. The town is quite nice though. I have never been to Reims but it's on my radar screen for the future. It and Rouen have the bonus of a cathedral to visit in addition to the city itself.