Best Paris Side Trips!

One is Chartres by train, if you're interested in the Cathedral.

What about Dijon and Burgundy for a day? Only an hour and 40 minutes by train from Paris.

I agree with the suggestion of Chartres. Also, Rouen is quite lovely and an easy train ride.

A 3-hour train ride will even get you to Provence for a weekend trip.

I once took a daytrip to Caen to visit the WWII museum. I think Strasburg would work as a daytrip. By train.

If I had 2 or 3 days to spare( which for me means at least a full 7 days in Paris , plus the extra time ) then I would go to the Brittany/Normandy coast, I would see Mont ST Michel, Bayeaux and possibily St Malo( in summer) , you could also see D Day beaches.

can one get easily by train or bus from Bayeaux to Rouen ?

have you already seen Versailles ? It is only a half hour train trip and a day's worth of visuals...also there is Giverney in the other direction if Monet appeals to you

Versailles for sure. For a few days you might consider a trip to the Loire Valley if that appeals. We took a fast TGV to Tours, rented a car and drove around taking in the fantastic chateaux. The TGV drops you at a small suburban station so big town driving (in Tours) is avoided. The return to Paris was just as easy. The train to Tours is no more than an hour or so as I recall.

Blair,
My favorite trip so far was to Giverny..the home of Claude Monet.. The gardens and water lily pond were awesome. We went by one of the Paris tour bus companies. We sat on top, in the front and could see into the gardens of lovely old homes as the bus went through some small towns. We also stopped for lunch at Moulin de Forge. It was in a wonderful old mill house set back in the woods.. Great day !

wow ther are so many. my first choice would be Loire Valley.

Normandy

Epernay and Reims, the Champagne region. Only an hour by train.