Favorite Daytrips from Paris

gee there are so many great daytrips. Chantilly stands out however since it is unexpected. great horseshow (dressage) fancy stables and small palace to visit.

Chartres Cathedral day trip. If you like Gothic cathedrals, this is one of the very best, and it's only an hour train ride from Paris' Gare Montparnasse.

Yes, Chartres, with Malcolm Miller's tour.

And Giverny, though it was only a 1/2 day: the beautiful gardens and seeing the bridges and lily ponds that Monet painted.

Sor far my favorite daytrip out of Paris was not really a daytrip,, meaning I left Paris that am, went to relatives, then we spent the day at the site and returned to their home. It IS a fairly easy daytrip by train from Paris though, only takes about 30 minutes so one could easily do a day return.

It was Chantilly. I just was so happy to find such a treasure trove of paintings to look at ,, and NO CROWDS!!! It was so peaceful to wander through the rooms and just soak it all in, I spent at least 2 or 3 hours inside, then ( twice) I would walk through the gardens to the tea house and have a strawberry pie with of course, Chantilly Cream,, yum, plus the cheese plate was great.

My second fave daytrip, and one I have done now at least 5 or 6 times,, is Versailles. It is the easiest of all, just hop the train, and viola you are there,, just a few minutes walk. I spend time in the chateau, but really enjoy the gardens, grounds, and other buildings.. I spend an entire day there .

A great daytrip within Paris that I've described several times on this board is the canal boat tour of the Canal St. Martin. You see neighborhoods in Paris that are relatively untouristed and then you end up at the Cite des Sciences.

I second Doug's suggestion of a boat ride on the Canal St. Martin. It's very relaxing if you have been having too much hectic fun. Also a trip to Empress Josephine's Chateau Malmaison, which can be reached by bus from La Defense. The chateau seems to be very little visited, it is not very large and is a perfect gem.

Some great places have been mentioned. I will be there in the winter this year, so a couple of them would be better saved for warmer weather. I thought the canal boat sounded great, but unfortunately they don't operate in the wintertime. Keep it coming...

I just had a similar discussion with a friend. She said Fontainebleu was terrific. So it's now on my list for June. In fact my list is growing so quickly, I think I may have to spend 2 weeks, instead of the planned 10 days :-)

Take a look at the Paris Museum Pass website. Besides the many museums and other sights in the city, there are quite a few which are day trips out of Paris. This will give you an idea of what is available.

I have done a lot of research as to the possibilities, I am just interested in what people have enjoyed and why. I would love to go to Giverny, but that will have to wait for another warmer weather trip. I can't imagine that, even if it is open in the winter, it would do it justice.

Rouen is an easy daytrip from Paris. It is fairly small, walkable, and has lots to see. Last time I was there they were having a street market featuring wonderful foods. It would be possible to combine Rouen with Giverny with the right train connections and lots of stamina.